Ford F-250 towing 303RLS

[MJMCCAND]

The pin weight on the door sticker has no grounding in the physical construction of the truck. The 10,000 pound GVWR is a number chosen to slip in under federal requirements for CDLs when the truck is used in business. In many cases, the only difference between a 250 and 350 is the door pillar sticker and the 2 or 3 on the model number. A 350 can be equipped with options that differentiate it, but there are plenty of 350s made that are equipped exactly like 250s but have substantially larger payloads.

Pay attention to axle weights and you will be fine. They are real, and not artificially reduced for legal compliance.

Okay, here are the stickers from my truck; help me interpret what my "real" payload number is based on the axle rating...I'm new to this truck and fifth-wheel thing.
Thanks

[jkwilson]

Okay, here are the stickers from my truck; help me interpret what my "real" payload number is based on the axle rating...I'm new to this truck and fifth-wheel thing.
Thanks

Payload on the sticker is determined by subtracting curb weight of the truck from its GVWR. Since your truck has an artificial GVWR, you can go to the axle weight ratings to see what it can carry. Your truck can gross 11340 lbs based on axle ratings, which means your payload is really 1340lbs more than the 2114 on the sticker or 3454. It has to be balanced so neither axle is overloaded and you need to be aware of tire sidewall ratings as well, but that’s a normal part of loading a truck when carrying heavy weights.

[JeffD68]

Okay, here are the stickers from my truck; help me interpret what my "real" payload number is based on the axle rating...I'm new to this truck and fifth-wheel thing.
Thanks

Your official payload is 2114 pounds as stated on the "Tire and Loading Information" sticker. The pin weight of a loaded 303 is likely to exceed that number. That payload "rating" was derived by starting with the 10,000 GVWR of a F250 then subtracting the weight of your specific truck as it rolled off the assembly line + the weight of a full tank of fuel + 150 pounds for a theoretical driver. Many accept their payload sticker as gospel but as jkwilson stated, the starting point of that calculation (GVWR-Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) is not actually a rating at all. 10,000 pounds is the maximum GVWR for a Class 2 truck. It is a marketing decision. 10,001 pounds is a Class 3 truck which can increase the cost of registration and insurance as well as triggering regulator compliance issues. Until 2020, the Big 3 all assigned a 10,000 pound maximum GVWR to their 250/2500 trucks. GM increased the available GVWR of their 2500 for the 2020 redesign and now Ford has followed suit. RAM won't be far behind. The Ford increase was completely arbitrary as nothing in the frame or suspension (the weight carrying parts) has changed for 2020. It was a pure marketing decision and a clear indication of the relatively unscientific nature of GVWR. That is why some choose to look at the specific components of their truck to determine actual capability. I special ordered my high capacity trailer tow package F250 for regulatory reasons. The only difference between my specific truck and a 2019, 11,500 pound GVWR, SRW F350 is that my truck has three leafs in the main pack as opposed to four. It's literally identical in every other way. The same is not true of most F250s. Many believe that the payload capacity listed on the payload sticker affixed to their door jamb is pure science and should never be exceeded. Just as many look at the ratings of the various components (tires, wheels, axles, springs, etc.) to determine what their truck's true capacity is.