Concerns with my purchase /payload?

[AJ21]

FINALLY pulled the trigger on a 2021 Laramie. I literally was about to sign paperwork on one truck when another dealer called me with a deal I couldn’t pass up. Both had what I really “needed” :rambox and advanced safety, power running boards. Same miles,colors yet The new vehicle is 100% loaded. “Upgrades” =Tech group, trailer tow steering, MFT, sunroof, air suspension, power tow mirrors ,3.91 and $10k higher sticker. (Paid $2800 more yet it is CPO which will save me $1500 on planned warranty for both so no brainer ON PAPER)
I forgot to assess payload which as first time truck owner am frankly just learning about. I just looked up wow only 1,100 (other was no bargain at 1350).

Truck use mostly as family vehicle. However, I do have an 18ft pontoon boat on a single axis trailer that has 2680 GVWR. I usually just move a few miles in and out of water seasonally.

While no immediate thoughts of taking the boat and family on road trip it is in the back of my mind and fearful at 1100 that is not wise. On the flip side perhaps these ratings are low by safety design and I could eek out say 2k payload Max? The truck does have air suspension which I believe, math aside, should only help calm my mild heartburn?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[JoeRam]

Your Payload is you Payload.. Can you go to 2000lbs, sure you can, but not by manufacturer specs and that is what your legal limits are.
Your payload includes you as the driver and a full tank of gas. So you theoretically have you 1100 lbs of family, gear and 10 to 15% of tongue weight from your trailer. So worse case using 15% tongue weight which is 400 lbs, you have 700 lbs of family and gear.
I will share this as far as going over with payload in the event of accident, you may become the at fault vehicle regardless and your insurance co can walk away.
I have a saying, just cause it says it can, doesn’t mean you should. I never take a vehicle to max weight capacity.

 

[mkling]

You’ll handle your pontoon without a problem at all. Towing capacity is much higher than payload although payload will affect overall towing capacity. At most you’re going to have like 25% of your towed load weight on your hitch that will account towards payload.
Your payload is kind of low but that’s due to all the extra goodies you have on a loaded higher trim level.
I don’t think you’ll have much to worry about if your towing under 6,000 lbs.
Loading the bed up with a load of gravel or something is going to be more of an issue with the lower payload but most people don’t do that with a 1500 family truck.

 

[WXman]

My truck is a Laramie with packages added and my door jamb placard shows almost 1,700 lbs. of payload. What happened to the trucks you're looking at that neutered them??

 

[tom318]

My truck is a Laramie with packages added and my door jamb placard shows almost 1,700 lbs. of payload. What happened to the trucks you're looking at that neutered them??

I think the big hitters are MFT, Rambox, Air suspension and sunroof. I initially wanted the MFT and Rambox but with the added cost and weight penalties and decided against them. Looking back....I think id add the MFT as this truck isn't an ideal grocery getter. I feel my truck is pretty well equipped and with the longer bed and ED motor I'm at 1350.
RAM should really include an estimated payload number on the website when you build a truck. Would help prevent people from feeling like they bought the wrong truck sometimes and may open some peoples eyes to how much they may overload their trucks. Now that i have a better understanding of payload, the things I see on the roads sometimes are now more concerning......

 

[Eighty]

Your Payload is you Payload.. Can you go to 2000lbs, sure you can, but not by manufacturer specs and that is what your legal limits are.
Your payload includes you as the driver and a full tank of gas. So you theoretically have you 1100 lbs of family, gear and 10 to 15% of tongue weight from your trailer. So worse case using 15% tongue weight which is 400 lbs, you have 700 lbs of family and gear.
I will share this as far as going over with payload in the event of accident, you may become the at fault vehicle regardless and your insurance co can walk away.
I have a saying, just cause it says it can, doesn’t mean you should. I never take a vehicle to max weight capacity.

This is not accurate, and I wish people would stop repeating it. The door sticker clearly states, "The combined weight of ALL occupants and cargo should never exceed (1100 lb)". Driver is not already accounted for.

 

[JF19Longhorn]

This is not accurate, and I wish people would stop repeating it. The door sticker clearly states, "The combined weight of ALL occupants and cargo should never exceed (1100 lb)". Driver is not already accounted for.

This

 

[CalvinC]

Yup.

I think people confuse that whole “driver included” thing with that JA234567-whatever SAE certification that came out a number of years ago.

Even still that standard is fairly meaningless for half tons because:

- The SAE “driver” was something unrealistic and un-American like 150 lbs

- It evaluates GCWR not GVWR, so once you have more than a 150 lb driver on board the rest of the specs are meaningless, and your towing is back to being payload-limited.

Payload on sticker is any and everything you might put in or on the truck after it rolls out the factory. People, dust bunnies, Twinkies, whatever.

It frankly doesn’t matter what the tow rating is on any half ton truck for any towing done with passengers and/or cargo. And half tons are primarily recreational tow rigs. So It’s just noise.

Payload is always your problem on a half ton.

JA8675329 only makes since for hd trucks used for work, not recreation, where someone may well be towing big loads by themselves in the truck. Which is ironic because in those cases, ain’t no employees calculating this all out before hitching up and driving off. The backhoe’s gotta get to site today.

 

[Andymax]

Bottom line...Your're fine towing that amount. If you were to take it on vacation with the whole family you may need to load the boat with some of your luggage though.

Oh, and Eighty got it right...driver is NOT included in Payload rating.

 

[Richard320]

I forgot to assess payload which as first time truck owner am frankly just learning about. I just looked up wow only 1,100 (other was no bargain at 1350).

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Well, it's called a half-ton pickup, so....

 

[WXman]

"The payload of a vehicle is defined as the allowable
load weight a truck can carry, including the weight
of the driver, all passengers, options and cargo."

Most people I see on the roads towing campers, boats, etc. have no clue how payload affects real world gross trailer weight capacity. If you have 1,100 lbs. of payload, and you've got a few people in the truck, you cannot tow 10,000 lbs. down the highway. You may actually be limited to around 3,000 lbs. depending on the exact tongue weight of your trailer.

 

[AJ21]

Thanks all good info,appreciated. I was guessing the MFT /sunroof was big reason and only would buy a truck with ram boxes yet now wish It didn’t have the sunroof. Imagine etorque adds a bit as well. Agreed there should an option payload chart yet would dent Rams profit margins.. Anyway I was going to ask about placing luggage in the boat thx @Andymax. No sand/gravel for this truck now. And likely a blessing. I think I’ll be ok with mulch though. I can’t wait to get truck moved boat today with my Honda Pilot. Quite comical: The 30+ times I got out of car to get the ball lined up along with having the trailer sink in wet yard where I moved boat to wash it. I had to jack up trailer to re hitch