I’m having trouble with payload for a RV, help?

[ShadowsPapa]

Very True!!!



I came from a 2015 tow package equipped suburban. Its load capacity was 1452 vs my JTR which is 1252.
which isn’t bad considering the JTR seats 2 less people.

What bugged me is that when my wife had her 2021 Grand Cherokee - her towing number was 6,200 pounds while my Jeep TRUCK towing number was 6,000 pounds. I can't recall the WK2 payload number but I kept teasing my wife that I was going to take HER Jeep any time I needed to tow or haul something.
Now she has a JLU so I'm blowing away her payload and towing with my JT - but that doesn't mean the JT numbers are great, just tha the JLU numbers are so low.

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[JAsh1967]

@ShadowsPapa I'm also a camper-yanker with my JT, and I'm paranoid about not exceeding limits. So would a good way to estimate how much cargo capacity I've got available be to take the Jeep to a CAT Scale, with a full tank of gas and me in it, then subtract that from the GVWR?

Then add up everything that goes in the Jeep like the wife and camping gear, add in the tongue weight of the camper (we've got a tongue scale, last summer with everything the tongue weight was 500lbs) and see if we're exceeding what we can haul?

I ask because I'm contemplating getting a bed rack with bike carriers so we can move our bikes from the tongue mounted bike carrier to the Jeep. I know that's shifting deck chairs around, but I'm hoping it wouldn't be on the Titanic. LoL Plus, I'm hoping this would let me see if a bed rack is even a viable option, or if it'd put us over-the-top on our cargo capacity.

Also, putting a bike carrier on the back of the camper isn't an option, there's nowhere to attach one (no receiver and it's a teardrop camper, so no flat surface strong enough for another type of carrier)

 

[ShadowsPapa]

@ShadowsPapa I'm also a camper-yanker with my JT, and I'm paranoid about not exceeding limits. So would a good way to estimate how much cargo capacity I've got available be to take the Jeep to a CAT Scale, with a full tank of gas and me in it, then subtract that from the GVWR?

Then add up everything that goes in the Jeep like the wife and camping gear, add in the tongue weight of the camper (we've got a tongue scale, last summer with everything the tongue weight was 500lbs) and see if we're exceeding what we can haul?

I ask because I'm contemplating getting a bed rack with bike carriers so we can move our bikes from the tongue mounted bike carrier to the Jeep. I know that's shifting deck chairs around, but I'm hoping it wouldn't be on the Titanic. LoL Plus, I'm hoping this would let me see if a bed rack is even a viable option, or if it'd put us over-the-top on our cargo capacity.

Also, putting a bike carrier on the back of the camper isn't an option, there's nowhere to attach one (no receiver and it's a teardrop camper, so no flat surface strong enough for another type of carrier)

That fits right in with what GM and others suggest - subtract the current weight from the GVWR and that tells you how much more you can add (the 500 tongue weight is basically the same as mine when properly loaded)

Your logic is sound.

 

[chorky]

I did this with a really nice spreadsheet. In the spreadsheet is the GVW as well as the GAWF/GAWR just for funnies.

Below that section is a 'calculated' weight and a 'weighed' weight, also separated by GAWF/GAWR in addition to standard GVW or curb weight depending on how you want to look at it. I have 4 columns of sub-total weights.

Permanent mount items (bumper/winch), always carry items (recovery gear), camping items (water/clothes/flashlight etc), REMOVED items (factory bumper, factory skid plate etc). Then those sub totals are counted for or against the remaining payload based on the sticker and original scaling. It's proven to be fairly accurate. Most items I actually weigh with a scale. Some items I have had to guesstimate (canopy) or used the factory 'shipping' weight knowing it will be a little off (RTT).

It has worked well so far, and also shows ballpark numbers for front/rear weight.

 

[SubiNoobieJeepsToo]

We just purchased a Jayco Micro 171BH. They were out of the hitch I wanted so no pictures yet but will get those up on the camper thread asap.

I spent countless hours reviewing just about every travel trailer option available to us while staying within a safe weight range. We're a family of 4 (younger) with a pup, so we had some specifics we were looking for.

Fueled up, family on board, and ready for road tripping, we had about 740lbs of payload available according to the CAT scale. I wanted to have some overhead so I could eventually add some accessories and put some gear in the bed.

For our setup the 171BH was just what we needed.

Edit: meant to add a link to the Jeep file I started with. This, the door sticker, and some quick math made figuring out the baseline weights fairly straight forward: https://s3.amazonaws.com/chryslerme...JP_Gladiator_SPaogc9msvnacjomlsc5ac25078o.pdf

 

[Stan H]

I was going by the GVWR and keeping it under 5k lbs but now people are telling me my payload on my Rubicon (1126 on door) it’s too low to tow anything but a pop up;(
Family of 4 combined weight 500 and what all do I have to add up from here?

Payload is what it can haul in the bed. Towing capacity is what it can pull, tongue weight is the amount of weight from the trailer to be towed on the ball of the receiver...go online all these can be looked up in the bed about 1200, tow about 6000, tongue weight 700ish.. if I aint incorrect.

 

[DylanM]

Payload is what it can haul in the bed. Towing capacity is what it can pull, tongue weight is the amount of weight from the trailer to be towed on the ball of the receiver...go online all these can be looked up in the bed about 1200, tow about 6000, tongue weight 700ish.. if I aint incorrect.

Payload is the weight of everything added in or on the vehicle anywhere, not just in the bed. Tongue weight is carried by the tow vehicle, so that becomes part of the payload as it contributes to the overall weight the chassis and suspension must bear. Put simply, payload is the GVWR minus curb weight. Add on accessories or replacement parts that are heavier than stock items and that eats into your payload. Seat more passengers in the vehicle, that eats into payload. Hook up a trailer that has "X" amount of tongue weight, it eats into payload.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Payload is what it can haul in the bed. Towing capacity is what it can pull, tongue weight is the amount of weight from the trailer to be towed on the ball of the receiver...go online all these can be looked up in the bed about 1200, tow about 6000, tongue weight 700ish.. if I aint incorrect.

Don't confuse things. The correct answers were already here days ago. You ain't correct.

 

[PuddleJumper]

Gulfstream Vista Pro 19ERD!
No bump out either, bump outs add weight , tandem axles add weight, I am surprised how well it tows with a single axle…..Jack

that setup is DIALED brother. nice job.

 

[Stan H]

Payload is the weight of everything added in or on the vehicle anywhere, not just in the bed. Tongue weight is carried by the tow vehicle, so that becomes part of the payload as it contributes to the overall weight the chassis and suspension must bear. Put simply, payload is the GVWR minus curb weight. Add on accessories or replacement parts that are heavier than stock items and that eats into your payload. Seat more passengers in the vehicle, that eats into payload. Hook up a trailer that has "X" amount of tongue weight, it eats into payload.

Yes yes yes I know I misinterpreted what you were asking.

 

[JAsh1967]

Well, now I'm concerned...
Went through a CAT scale today with a full tank, empty bed, no passenger, and the Jeep weighed in at 5080lbs. Which, based on the door sticker GVWR of 5800lbs, leaves me with 720lbs of payload.
Figure the wife takes another 200lbs, the camper loaded up with the bikes on the tongue carrier is 500lbs tongue weight and...
I got nothin' left man...

Now here's a weird bit...
Last year, I scaled the Jeep and camper on a CAT scale. Before heading out, I got the tongue weight with our tongue scale (500lbs,) and if I'm adding up the numbers right...
The Jeep without the camper would've weight 5080lbs. WTF?

The *ONLY* change to the Jeep between then and now has been the removal of the front bumper, which was replaced with a Metalcloak mid-width and a winch.
Just for funsies, if anyone wants to check my math, here's the raw numbers:

Date	Steer	Drive	Trailer	Gross
7/12/2023	2440	3140	3160	8740
5/3/2024	2780	2300	0	5080

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Well, now I'm concerned...
Went through a CAT scale today with a full tank, empty bed, no passenger, and the Jeep weighed in at 5080lbs. Which, based on the door sticker GVWR of 5800lbs, leaves me with 720lbs of payload.
Figure the wife takes another 200lbs, the camper loaded up with the bikes on the tongue carrier is 500lbs tongue weight and...
I got nothin' left man...

Now here's a weird bit...
Last year, I scaled the Jeep and camper on a CAT scale. Before heading out, I got the tongue weight with our tongue scale (500lbs,) and if I'm adding up the numbers right...
The Jeep without the camper would've weight 5080lbs. WTF?

The *ONLY* change to the Jeep between then and now has been the removal of the front bumper, which was replaced with a Metalcloak mid-width and a winch.
Just for funsies, if anyone wants to check my math, here's the raw numbers:

Date	Steer	Drive	Trailer	Gross
7/12/2023	2440	3140	3160	8740
5/3/2024	2780	2300	0	5080

What's the payload number on the door sticker? What does the factory say?
My winch cuts about 70 pounds off my payload, the steel bumper another 50 or so. So I'm losing about 120 pounds of payload because of the winch and bumper - and that's not counting the winch plate (another 20, perhaps)
So you could easily have lost 120-150 payload with the bumper and winch. (or increased the weight of the truck that much)

But I'd be more interested in what that door sticker says your payload number is.

Cat scales are supposed to have a margin of error +/- 25 pounds, so are pretty accurate for the most part.

 

[JAsh1967]

But I'd be more interested in what that door sticker says your payload number is.

Just went and looked, and the payload sticker from the factory lists 1075lbs max.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Just went and looked, and the payload sticker from the factory lists 1075lbs max.

Ideally, if you take the GVWR minus that 1075, it gives you what the factory considers this truck's curb weight to be.

Your 5800 GVWR minus the 1075 payload number on the sticker leaves 4725.
Apparently that's what the factory says your curb weight is.
If you take that number 4725 and add maybe 150 for bumper and winch and all associated mounting hardware, cables and so on, that gives 4875
The CAT scale says 5080. Were you in the truck? if so, and if you weighed 200 pounds, you are within the scale's margin of error.
If not, look for 200 pounds of mud or someone hanging on under the truck.

 

[JAsh1967]

The CAT scale says 5080. Were you in the truck? if so, and if you weighed 200 pounds, you are within the scale's margin of error.
If not, look for 200 pounds of mud or someone hanging on under the truck.

Yes, I weighed with me in the truck, and the last time I got on a bathroom scale (a few days ago,) I was 192, so...
I figure between me, the bumper, and the other add-ons to the Jeep (side steps because the wife is short, molle-style aluminum panels down the sides of the bed, vinyl tonneau cover) that this is in the ballpark...

We'll see in a week how much having an empty vs full fresh tank will matter (that's about 20gal of water left out,) I know that won't ALL come off the tongue (the tank is, after all, centered over the axle,) but it might help.

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