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Rubicon payload for overlanding rig

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remlemasi

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One question for the OP is are you planning on doing any “upgrades” to the Sport?
If you end up going to larger tires, lift etc. you will be reducing your capacity. That’s why I got a Rubicon...I’m. It planning on having to increase its capabilities...I’ll have to make the weight thing work and I agree with another poster and ditch the Decked System. Too heavy for what you get...Forerunner is developing a system that will store more and be lighter.
Yeah, probably find Rubicon takeoffs lol. Suspension, wheel/tires, metal bumper, rock rails. Would these items reduce capacity based on the added weight? I guess a good question is how much more do these let’s weigh and contribute to the Rubicon’s reduced payload vs the other components (lockers, etc.)

And thanks for the feedback on the Decked system. Seems like a lot of wasted space IMO.
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Otter155

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Yes, any weight added to the vehicle will take away from payload.

I had to weigh my vehicle for registration, it came in just shy of 5200lbs. I had the dealer install the Mopar lift and 37" tires; that's on a rubicon. I also had an aftermarket tonneau cover on the bed at the time it was weighed. That means my true payload is 6250-5200=1050 lbs.

These are the legal limits that the manufacturers set on vehicles; I have seen JKUs overloaded and never stopped for weight, but in an accident liability falls on the operator for exceeding the specs.
 

Bobzdar

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Jmo, ditch the rtt and get a trailer if you have a family. Rtts look cool and are good for 1-2 people, but beyond that you have to get a big heavy one and they're still cramped, or you're dealing with annexes and the like that make them as difficult or more difficult than a regular ground tent to set up and use, and you'll still have less room.

If you plan to do any upgrades to the sport s Max tow (like wheels/tires, rocker guards, bumpers etc) that all eats into that extra payload - which is why the Rubicon is rated lower. It weighs 400lbs more due to the added goodies, so has 400lbs less payload, but needs virtually zero upgrades to hit the trail, so all of that payload can be used for you and your equipment while the sport s needs some upgrades.

Now if you don't plan to do anything rough, you can probably get away with some good tires and call it done and make use of the extra payload, but if you plan to do the typical wheels, tires, bumpers, rockers/skids etc, I'd just get a rubi with steel bumper and call it done, which is exactly what I did. Well, I added a winch, but that's it. Because I have virtually zero mods, the payload and, importantly for me, towing capacity are mostly unaffected. Once you change tire size, lift it, add hundreds of pounds worth of accessories etc, the towing and payload are compromised whether the door jamb says so or not. I have to subtract 80lbs for the winch and that's it.

That said, if half of the overlanders out there actually weighed their rigs I'd wager a very high percentage would be over the weight listed on the door jamb.
 

Slapping_Rabbits

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Jmo, ditch the rtt and get a trailer if you have a family. Rtts look cool and are good for 1-2 people, but beyond that you have to get a big heavy one and they're still cramped, or you're dealing with annexes and the like that make them as difficult or more difficult than a regular ground tent to set up and use, and you'll still have less room.

If you plan to do any upgrades to the sport s Max tow (like wheels/tires, rocker guards, bumpers etc) that all eats into that extra payload - which is why the Rubicon is rated lower. It weighs 400lbs more due to the added goodies, so has 400lbs less payload, but needs virtually zero upgrades to hit the trail, so all of that payload can be used for you and your equipment while the sport s needs some upgrades.

Now if you don't plan to do anything rough, you can probably get away with some good tires and call it done and make use of the extra payload, but if you plan to do the typical wheels, tires, bumpers, rockers/skids etc, I'd just get a rubi with steel bumper and call it done, which is exactly what I did. Well, I added a winch, but that's it. Because I have virtually zero mods, the payload and, importantly for me, towing capacity are mostly unaffected. Once you change tire size, lift it, add hundreds of pounds worth of accessories etc, the towing and payload are compromised whether the door jamb says so or not. I have to subtract 80lbs for the winch and that's it.

That said, if half of the overlanders out there actually weighed their rigs I'd wager a very high percentage would be over the weight listed on the door jamb.
Yep that's what I'm doing. Getting a trailer. I was dead set on an offroad one until the overland people I talked to said the east coast trails are too narrow, which is something I didn't know being from out west. So now im getting a cheaper one and seting up base campand then going on trails and coming back. Sounds a bit lame I know but it's way better than nothing.
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