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Exceeding Payload with Air Suspension

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DaYooper

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With the exception of a 2004 Chevy Avalanche, all of my experience towing stuff is with trucks featuring traditional leaf springs. I'm sure over the years that I've exceeded the payload capacity of all of my trucks when towing simply because of the fact that when you load a trailer with building materials or equipment, a lot of times you're making an educated guess about bed cargo and tongue weight.

So what happens if I tow with my new 2019 Ram Limited (estimated 1250ish payload capacity) and I end up with 1000 lbs of tongue weight and 400 lbs of people and "stuff" in the truck. Does the air suspension try it's best to level the truck, or does it just crap out on the stops?

BTW, I only tow heavy loads a few times a year, so please don't recommend that I purchase a 3/4 ton truck. Also, I always use a WD hitch when towing heavy so I'm not exceeding the hitch ratings. And please don't turn this into a legal debate about exceeding payload capacity. I'm not asking if I can tow a JD450 bulldozer with the 1500 Ram. I'm asking what happens if I inadvertently go over the payload rating by a few hundred pounds
 
DaYooper said:
With the exception of a 2004 Chevy Avalanche, all of my experience towing stuff is with trucks featuring traditional leaf springs. I'm sure over the years that I've exceeded the payload capacity of all of my trucks when towing simply because of the fact that when you load a trailer with building materials or equipment, a lot of times you're making an educated guess about bed cargo and tongue weight.

So what happens if I tow with my new 2019 Ram Limited (estimated 1250ish payload capacity) and I end up with 1000 lbs of tongue weight and 400 lbs of people and "stuff" in the truck. Does the air suspension try it's best to level the truck, or does it just crap out on the stops?

BTW, I only tow heavy loads a few times a year, so please don't recommend that I purchase a 3/4 ton truck. Also, I always use a WD hitch when towing heavy so I'm not exceeding the hitch ratings. And please don't turn this into a legal debate about exceeding payload capacity. I'm not asking if I can tow a JD450 bulldozer with the 1500 Ram. I'm asking what happens if I inadvertently go over the payload rating by a few hundred pounds
Click to expand...
A member here exceeded his payload with air suspension. It gives a warning light and doesn't activate. He said that it leveled out as he took stuff out. If I can remember who it was or find the link I will post it
 
Here is the response from Ram Customer Service regarding "Protection Mode".

The "Protection Mode" deactivates the air compressor that operates the air suspension system. If you over load the truck, the system will not continue to try and compensate by adding air. The customer would have to remove some of the payload until the required levels are met.

Found this info. And while finding it I came across a conversation that the air suspension is supposed to accommodate 2000lbs of payload.

Very interesting. Wish it could be confirmed.
 
DaYooper said:
With the exception of a 2004 Chevy Avalanche, all of my experience towing stuff is with trucks featuring traditional leaf springs. I'm sure over the years that I've exceeded the payload capacity of all of my trucks when towing simply because of the fact that when you load a trailer with building materials or equipment, a lot of times you're making an educated guess about bed cargo and tongue weight.

So what happens if I tow with my new 2019 Ram Limited (estimated 1250ish payload capacity) and I end up with 1000 lbs of tongue weight and 400 lbs of people and "stuff" in the truck. Does the air suspension try it's best to level the truck, or does it just crap out on the stops?

BTW, I only tow heavy loads a few times a year, so please don't recommend that I purchase a 3/4 ton truck. Also, I always use a WD hitch when towing heavy so I'm not exceeding the hitch ratings. And please don't turn this into a legal debate about exceeding payload capacity. I'm not asking if I can tow a JD450 bulldozer with the 1500 Ram. I'm asking what happens if I inadvertently go over the payload rating by a few hundred pounds
Click to expand...

Most of my trailer towing has been with a 2013 ram with air suspension. When you overload it, it just stops the active part of the system. I tow with a WD hitch and the truck leveled out nicely, it did not “go to the stops”

On my 2019 it seems to work a little better, but I have only towed it a few miles. I did not bother to put on the sway bars and the truck did have any issues other then a light telling me it was annoyed at me
 
devildodge said:
A member here exceeded his payload with air suspension. It gives a warning light and doesn't activate. He said that it leveled out as he took stuff out. If I can remember who it was or find the link I will post it
Click to expand...

Think you might be referring to me ;)
 
devildodge said:
The "Protection Mode" deactivates the air compressor that operates the air suspension system. If you over load the truck, the system will not continue to try and compensate by adding air. The customer would have to remove some of the payload until the required levels are met.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that info. Although pickup trucks are built to take it when slightly overloaded and just shrug it off, in a way it's nice that Ram's air suspension senses an overload condition, notifies the driver, and suggests that the driver lighten the load until it's within the vehicle's rating in order to get the compressor working again. I mean, I can see where a guy could be highly annoyed when the compressor refuses to add more air beyond a certain point, but it does make a certain amount of sense WRT always operating within the truck's safety margin.
 
I decided to "test" my crew cab (loaded) Rebel's air suspension limits today. I needed pellets for my wood pellet stove and they are much cheaper by the ton instead of a lesser amount of bags. After reading about error codes in this thread, I decided to start in "off road" highest mode of air suspension for the Rebel. I then hand loaded 50 bags of 40# each into empty bed. (a full 2000 lbs) The truck has every possible option available in July (except e-torque, block heater, and rambox). So it is heavy with options and I am a robust 245 lbs and have 50# of straps, tire chains, etc stowed. Also 3/4 tank of 33 gallon fuel tank. After starting up loaded truck and driving through parking lot, air suspension lowered to "normal" because of exceeding 8-10 mph. Then a warning display directly above eco light came on with a picture of a truck with up/down arrows and diagonal cancel line across amber picture. Height looked like "normal" level and I drove towards home. After a mile or so the air suspension warning picture went away. I live within 5 miles of farm store and traffic was light so I drove easy non aggressively home. Truck had a little more double bounce from back axle when going over rough road but other than that drove well. I realize this is beyond the recommended range truck should be hauling but I was impressed. One heck of a half ton truck! It does everything well. Rear tires had 47 lbs. I now see I was almost a thousand pounds over max. Whoops! IMG_2725.jpgIMG_2725.jpgIMG_2726.jpgIMG_2724.jpgIMG_2723.jpgIMG_2721.jpgIMG_2719.jpg
 
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That's funny you did that. I Did the similar experiment just this weekend. Went to lowes, got 37 bags of drainage rock. Weighed 4 bags to get an avg of 45lbs each. Put the total weight to 1682 + pallet. Drove home about a mile and cycled between aero, normal, and entry. It did fine. Added the wife, 13yr old, and 2 dogs (~340lbs for that). Did the same. Drove, and cycled through modes of entry, aero, normal. Worked as usual with what you mentioned a little more bounce. I keep about 50lbs of tools too. So payload was at 200+50+340+1682 = 2272 lb. No warning lite, I do have th less ORP, did not bring it up to OR1 setting.
 

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I was noticing that the front GAWR is 3900 lbs and rear GAWR is 4100 lbs with GVWR as 7100 lbs from vehicle placards in drivers door jamb. Even though the truck was overloaded with my pellet load by safety standards based on how truck is optioned, the front and rear GAWR maximums do show how strong the design of axles, bearings, and suspension components truly are. If the Rebel is off roaded aggressively, I am sure the instantaneous loads on suspension components if someone is jumping an off road mogul (catching air) would reach very high limits. The videos of auto journalists driving the preproduction 2019 Ram trucks supplied by Ram in the desert as seen on several Youtube videos show some of this type driving with Ram engineers riding along "shotgun" in passenger seat approving of aggressive driving. So breaking an axle, etc would not be a risk. I don't plan on abusing the truck by repeating overloading it and will use a trailer next time to haul a ton of pellets. Just nice to know it can be done though without damage.
 
Oh agree, I am curious to why Ram picked 7100 for GVWR when as you mentioned if the axles are loaded close to even. You could theoretically get close to 8k GVWR. Wonder what the limiting item is? Obviously 7100 keeps you within limits but that's 900 lbs they could of used for the payload battle. If you look at the F150 HD its rawr is only a hundred or so more but payload number is near 2500 ratings. Just curious?
 
My 13 with air suspension would never disable under excessive payload. One time I put a ton of sand in the back and it tried to level it out, blowing an airline out of the compressor. The airline went right back in but I had to have it towed because the rear was resting on the bump stops. This is probably why they disable it after a certain weight.

Sent from my SM-G960U1 using Tapatalk
 
I had mine "overloaded" with just tongue weight and the message popped up. I rolled the vehicle backwards on the trailer it was on and the message went away. My guess, from past experience with my Tundra and towing the same load, is that at around 2,000lbs payload is where the active part of the air suspension disables to prevent over-pressurizing the bags.
 
Anyone get the code C15DA-00? "Payload Limit Exceeded: No Sub Type Information?" I got it today and cannot reset it with my OBD.
 
There is still a Safety Factor built into the axles GAWR over the Stated Rating.

On my airplane, my main Wing Spar is a +/- 6G Spar at my Gross Weight of 1500 lbs.
It will Snap at 9Gs. So there is a 50% Safety Factor on it. Most Store Bought planes are +/- 3Gs

Malodave
 
This is why I get a chuckle when people say "you can't tow that, you'll be over your payload rating" :sneaky:
 
devildodge said:
Yep. Just hook and go. There is so much extra capacity. :rolleyes:

tfltruck.com

Can a Ford Raptor Really Tow a 5th Wheel Camping Trailer? This Owner Says Yes

(image: We know that Ford rates the standard F-150 for gooseneck and 5th-wheel trailer towing, but the Raptor off-road truck is a different animal. Can a Fo
tfltruck.com tfltruck.com
Click to expand...
You also picked an example of a truck with a 6-8k towing capacity and a 1k payload - the suspension of the *Raptor* was designed for off-roading, not towing. There's obviously a limit - and *double* the payload capacity is definitely there.

The standard F150 Ecoboost, on the other hand, has a payload over 2,500 lbs. My buddy has an F350, but usually just uses his Ecoboost for towing his gooseneck cargo trailer and car around since it's more comfortable and easier to manage.

My point was more that it's not a hard and fast line, like a lot of folks on here make it seem. "Ermagherd, you can't actually tow that much, you'll be over on payload!" Yeah, the truck doesn't really care if you go 100lb over on payload. Don't be a dumbass and go *double* obviously, but the truck isn't really going to notice 100lb over on payload any more than it'll notice 37 vs 35 bags of sand
 
you missed my point. And some of the trucks here only have 1000lbs of payload. We have one right now at 987

Just trying to keep people from buying a trailer based on tradesman capacities when they have a limited.

But, my days of concerning myself with it are about over.
 
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