Hi F150 gurus, I just bought an F150 4x2 regular cab (swb) over the weekend. Today, I loaded 800 pounds of sand over the rear axle section before wondering if I had overdone it. I hauled the 800 pounds for about 10 miles and kept the speed to under 55 mph so I wouldn't strain the engine during the break-in period.

My impression is that this is a 1/2 ton truck. What exactly does that mean? Does it mean that I can haul 1,000 pounds safely in the cargo bed or the total payload limit is 1,000 pounds? I'm confused, and a little concerned that I might have caused some damage to the truck since it only has a few hundred miles on it.

Thanks in advance for your help. Sorry for my ignorant post.

:o

 

Hi GCC Welcome!

I dont think you hurt anything.

Look on the drivers side door jamb for spec. sticker. Look at the GVWR...(gross vehicle weight rating)

Gross weight is your truck/passengers/fuel/ etc plus what ever you put in the bed.

Now...if you really want to know..i mean no guess work...if you have a local scale..CAT is good..their certified..alot of truck stops have them....Weigh your truck+gas tank full+full passengers+bed EMPTY.

Take that figure and subtract from the GVWR...that is the weight you can haul. Maybe someone knows haul wt. for sure, i dont.

Good luck...OT

btw...GCWR...for when your towing.

 

Thanks OLDTIMER!!

I searched around the web a little bit and found a site that states that the regular cab, 4x2 has base curb weight of 3,990 pounds. The door tag shows the GVWR to be 6,050 pounds and the rear axle GAWR to be 3,500 pounds. That same site also says that the maximum payload is 2,050 pounds. So the 800 pounds I loaded was fine. What a relief!!

I don't know why some sources call the reg cab a 1/2 ton truck. That got me worried.

I was also concerned because the day after I hauled the sand, I could hear slight creaking noises from the suspension when I rocked the truck, which I didn't hear prior to hauling the stuff. However, the noise has since gone away.

Hehehe, I'm in the honeymoon phase with the new truck and every little blemish is annoying me. But that is quickly fading away already and I'll be fully using and enjoying the F150 for its purposes: Work and Play, meaning lots of grease and mud. :

 

That’s because it’s highly unlikely that your truck actually weighs #3990. Unless it’s a striped down Work Truck, then it probably weighs a good #1000 more then that curb weight. On my trucks registration, it says it’s ‘SCLWT’ is #4040……. Well, that’s great for the cost of the tabs (I don’t have to pay as much as say a ¾ ton or 1 ton truck), but I weigh at least #5500 with me and a full tank of gas.

The “half ton” rating is really not a weight thing, but in my case, it’s about all I can haul without going over my GVWR. (by too much anyway……)

Your actual payload is your GVWR – actual GVW. You need to weigh your truck as it drives down the road and what’s left is what you can consider your ‘payload’. For example, if your truck actually weighs #4990, subtracting #6050 leaves you with a payload of #1060.

You were fine with #800. You could probably do #1000 without even batting an eye. It’ll even handle more, but expect some extra wear and tear on the suspension parts! The creaking sounds were probably just the leaf springs settling into themselves, as it’s all brand new. You should consider getting some LT (light truck) rated tires. My guess is that you have the nice and musshy P (passenger) rated tires. They are fine for hauling the groceries, but you start loading up that bed on a regular basis, and it’ll take it’s toll on those ‘car’ tires…..

Good Luck and have fun!

 

Thanks for your input Mitch. I guess to be sure, I should take it to a weigh station, just as you and Oldtimer recommended.

I will be hauling big loads from time to time so I'd better put this uncertainty to rest from the get go.

Thanks again fellas.

 

Is your truck like the one below?

4450 lbs, tank of gas and me on the scales.

 

gcc, I second what Mitch said. Weigh the truck and take away from your GVWR...that's your payload. BUT look at what the sticker in your door jam says for GVWR. Also something to look at are your GAWR for the front and rear...according to the sticker. I believe what you can really haul in the bed, without going over your GVWR, is the rear GAWR minus what a scale says when you park your rear tires on it. And yes...get some LT rated tires, at least with a 'C' rating.
Gary

 

Raoul, looks similar but mine is not the cool Lariat, just an XL. Engine on mine is only 4.2L so the curb weight should be lighter than your Lariat.

 

Gary, do you think this method will provide an accurate read of the base weight resting on the rear axle? It would really help us if Ford were to provide that data.

Another way to estimate the base weight resting on the rear axle is to take the weight distribution of the vehicle and multiply the rear % by the base curb weight. The reg cab 4x2 supposedly has a 57/43 weight distribution. If I use the base curb weight of 3,990 lbs and multiply by 43%, I get about 1,700 lbs for the rear section. Now, the door tag says the rear axle GAWR is 3,500 lbs. That leaves me a payload of 1,800 lbs for the rear axle. This is assuming that the base curb weight is really 3,990 lbs, and not substantially higher.

What I'll do is weigh the whole vehicle and also weigh it with the rear tires on the scale. Then I'll try to see if your prescribed method gets pretty close result with my method. Thanks for your help.

 

Hi Gcc

Heres something you can print out...

www.woodalls.com/rvs/advice/wghtrate.html

www.fordvehicles.com "search" use key words like "axle weight ratings" etc

Your doing ok...

Good luck...OT

 

Yup, I think that actually weighing the truck and the rear axle will give you all you need. Don't forget to do it with a full tank of gas, and that your max payload also includes yourself and passengers and anything else you have tossed in.
Gary

 

Got the truck weighed. The base curb weight of 3,990 lbs for the reg cab 4x2 in XL trim is correct.

The actual weight during weigh-in was 4,250 lbs. This included full tank of gas, myself (195 lbs), Durasport bed mat/Kraco truck mats/4 tie-down straps (60 lbs).

The XL trim comes with steel wheels. But my F150 has the factory alloy rims. So I'll factor in, say, 35 pounds for the alloys.

I believe that the base curb weight includes the full tank of gas. So when I back out the 255 lbs and add back the 35 pounds for the alloys, voila, I get the 3,990 lbs.

Since the GVWR is 6,050 pounds, the maximum payload for my truck is 1,800 pounds (6,050 minus 4,250).

Also weighed the rear axle by having only the two rear tires on the scale, as suggested here. I weighed it with and without me sitting in the driver's seat:

With: 1,870 lbs

Without: 1,780 lbs

This weigh-in also included the bed mat, floor mats, and straps. These are the only accessories that are on the truck on a full-time basis.

The most important number from this exercise, imho, is the 1,870 lbs rear axle base weight. The door tag specifies that the rear GAWR is 3,500 lbs. Therefore, I can haul up to 1,630 lbs without exceeding the rear GAWR. Everybody is telling me that Ford's numbers are intentially lowered to cover their a*ss and my F150 should be able to handle close to a ton.

Having done the numbers, I went and joyfully hauled another 800 lbs yesterday. Thanks guys!