[rcooley]

I'm looking at buying the LARAMIE LIMITED, 3.0-LITER V6 ECODIESEL, CREW CAB, 6'4" BED, AUTO TRANSMISSION, 4X4 and 3.92 gears.

The only flaw I can find with this truck is that I can't even put 4 of my buddies in it and a little gear without exceeding it's puny 859lbs max payload.

I'm looking at going on a hiking trip and since the 4 of us each weigh about 200lbs plus add in some tents, food and other random gear we will exceed the the ridiculously low payload.

What gives, that's pathetic...

 

[mattyj724]

i am sure you will be OK.

 

[rcooley]

Yeah, I agree, but at the same point isn't that pathetic.... Heck, I can't even load my whole family in the truck along with my 4 wheeler. Isn't that what trucks are for?

I will tout all the great things about this truck just as much as the next guy but I don't have blinders on. This is something that can be improved upon.....

Go to the ram web site and look at the capabilities, it spells right out how much it sucks...

 

[Anomaly]

Yes, it is pathetic... My GMC 2500HD has a payload of near 4000lb. By that standard, my RAM 1500 is just an oversized car. On the other hand, I don't tow or haul, so the 2500HD is a lot of expensive and non fuel efficient machinery to drive around in. After considering this quandary, I got the 1500 Regular Cab with long bed. The payload is right at 1200 lbs. Camper shell = 230 lbs, wife, dog and me = 350 lbs. That leaves about 620 lbs for groceries, etc. I think it will work.

 

[dravas]

Overloaded Payload - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums

If a ford can work overloaded I think our trucks can handle the burden just fine. But if you are worried about payload, get coil and springs so you can replace them with stiffer and sturdier stuff. Switch out the tires for tires that can handle hard work and the frame can take the abuse. I think our tranny and engine will be just fine.

 

[rcooley]

Can this even be classified as a truck??? My tinny little Scion XD can hull 980lbs, that's 121lbs more than this so called truck. Why would they take an otherwise awesome vehicle and cut it's balls off, thus turning it into a glorified car. It's rather embarrassing and stupid don't you think?

 

[dravas]

Our trucks are heavy very very heavy. If you want more payload cut weight with some of the features your adding to your truck.

More than you ever wanted to know about towing.

Understanding your truck and knowing how much is safe to tow...

 

[L.O.A.]

They need to hurry up and make electric trucks, if a tesla can get 2000 FT-LB's of torque, imagine what they can do when making an electric powertrain for a truck.

 

[zoomie]

Our trucks are heavy very very heavy. If you want more payload cut weight with some of the features your adding to your truck.

More than you ever wanted to know about towing.

Understanding your truck and knowing how much is safe to tow...

This is correct. It's a half ton truck. If it was regular cab 4x2 you would have more payload however we load them up with 4x4, crew cabs, and other options. That all takes away from the payload.

 

[L.O.A.]

Yeah it all adds up and quick.

 

[10%More]

My take is literally every 1/2 ton of any brand, loaded with people and some gear in the bed is legally overloaded. That does not mean you will get stopped by "Johnny Law" as the trucks look OK. They seem to run OK too with little to no rear-end sag.

Beefier rear coils, Timbren bumper stops, air bags, stronger tires etc. all help if heavy is your normal thing. The pickups handle things well.

If you fear "Johnny Law" then loading up a 1/2 ton is not for you. Get the 3/4 or 1 ton models.

 

[Boocoodinkydow]

I'm sure I'll get slammed by the weight police but here goes. Understand that weight restrictions are set with oversight from exponentially overly cautious bureaucratic safety regulators & an army of liability lawyers & probably have little to do with practical capabilities of the vehicle. Common sense has to dictate these trucks can handle more weight than an old Tacoma or small passenger car!! My longhorn has cargo limits of less than 900#; yes, that is ridiculous but not even close to its practical capabilities. I've had over 800# stacked in the bed behind the rear axle & absolutely couldn't tell there was anything back there. On another occasion, I had 1600# in the bed while towing another 3000#. The air suspension had no problem leveling the load & the truck performed flawlessly in the hilly terrain of East Tennessee. Most of us are aware of when it feels right & when it doesn't. I, for one, have always had the mind set of if it feels good, do it. If I planned on hauling or towing heavy on a regular basis, I'd throw on a good set of lt tires, a quality wd hitch with sta bars & hit the road. Definitely wouldn't let a set of impractical numbers stand in the way of using my truck to its true capabilities. Ok, I've braced myself so take your best shot!

 

[10%More]

You make sense. All too many cannot understand that. Doubt you will get shot at.

 

[zoomie]

If I planned on hauling or towing heavy on a regular basis, I'd throw on a good set of lt tires, a quality wd hitch with sta bars & hit the road. Definitely wouldn't let a set of impractical numbers stand in the way of using my truck to its true capabilities. Ok, I've braced myself so take your best shot!

More importantly, it sounds like you know how to drive with that kind of weight. Those limits are for everyone, even the 16 year old kid in his first vehicle, those are the people that need the limits.

 

[Tim]

Limits are for folks who cannot think logically and have no common sense. (Sounds like a am describing the donkeys - think politics).

 

[Boocoodinkydow]

Can this even be classified as a truck??? My tinny little Scion XD can hull 980lbs, that's 121lbs more than this so called truck. Why would they take an otherwise awesome vehicle and cut it's balls off, thus turning it into a glorified car. It's rather embarrassing and stupid don't you think?

I absolutely agree & am going to turn in my man card for driving one of these wimpy a$$ed trucks!!

 

[rcooley]

I'm sure I'll get slammed by the weight police but here goes. Understand that weight restrictions are set with oversight from exponentially overly cautious bureaucratic safety regulators & an army of liability lawyers & probably have little to do with practical capabilities of the vehicle. Common sense has to dictate these trucks can handle more weight than an old Tacoma or small passenger car!! My longhorn has cargo limits of less than 900#; yes, that is ridiculous but not even close to its practical capabilities. I've had over 800# stacked in the bed behind the rear axle & absolutely couldn't tell there was anything back there. On another occasion, I had 1600# in the bed while towing another 3000#. The air suspension had no problem leveling the load & the truck performed flawlessly in the hilly terrain of East Tennessee. Most of us are aware of when it feels right & when it doesn't. I, for one, have always had the mind set of if it feels good, do it. If I planned on hauling or towing heavy on a regular basis, I'd throw on a good set of lt tires, a quality wd hitch with sta bars & hit the road. Definitely wouldn't let a set of impractical numbers stand in the way of using my truck to its true capabilities. Ok, I've braced myself so take your best shot!

While I agree with everything your saying it seems stupid to under rate the capabilities of a truck in such a competitive 1/2 ton market. Shoppers are looking at the rated capabilities and factoring that into their buying decision. Would you not take into consideration the towing capacity before buying this truck? Does that rating carry no merit either? Are we to believe all the ratings that these trucks are fighting to win are just general rules of thumb? Someone has to point out how feeble this truck is when it comes to payload, what's Dodge thinking. All that being said, I still want to buy one....

 

[Boocoodinkydow]

While I agree with everything your saying it seems stupid to under rate the capabilities of a truck in such a competitive 1/2 ton market. Shoppers are looking at the rated capabilities and factoring that into their buying decision. Would you not take into consideration the towing capacity before buying this truck? Does that rating carry no merit either? Are we to believe all the ratings that these trucks are fighting to win are just general rules of thumb? Someone has to point out how feeble this truck is when it comes to payload, what's Dodge thinking. All that being said, I still want to buy one....

I feel your concern & ram is taking a big hit with these ratings. Over at rv.net forum this truck is a lightning rod for criticism. But to answer your question, no I gave no consideration at all to the advertised limitations. I was confident it would haul or tow whatever load I wished to labor it with. I can't fault you for classifying it as feeble by using the advertised load limits, but in practical use it's just not the case. From my experience & the shared experience of others, with air suspension even a well optioned higher trim level is totally capable of a 2000# payload. I probably wouldn't do this on a continuously repetitive basis but I can't imagine who would need to. Also, reports of comfortably towing 7000# rigs are numerous. Anything in excess of this would be more comfortably carried by an hd class truck anyway. About the only less than enthusiastic tow report I've heard was from cap on his experience in the southern Appalachians. Bare in mind he's making a transition from a 2500 cummins, though. And what's dodge (now ram) thinking? I couldn't tell you. Heard they have adapted a new rating system prior to competitive brands following suite but don't know enough about it to repeat. If you want one, go for it. I assure you 4 big guys & a tent won't tax it!!

 

[zoomie]

If you have a fixed weight load that you have to tow regularly like a TT or some pallet of parts that gets moved every week then you have to spec the truck to handle that load. If the 1500 RAM spec is too low, get something else.

I'm buying this truck because I have a 4000lb boat that I'll pull 12 times a year and I need a daily driver the rest of the year. The 1500 ecodiesel is capable for my needs and I especially wanted the fuel economy of the diesel when empty. I would not be buying a pickup if not for the diesel in this 1500 and no one else has it. Actually, I've never been a Chrysler fan and this is my first one in 35 years of driving.

Looking at this truck and complaining that it is not capable for the load you need to move is ridiculous.

 

[dravas]

Class GVWR (pounds)

• Class 1 0-6,000
• Class 2 6,001-10,000
• Class 3 10,001-14,000
• Class 4 14,001-16,000
• Class 5 16,001-19,500
• Class 6 19,501-26,000
• Class 7 26,001-33,000
• Class 8 33,000 and higher

Categorizing these class designations can also be confusing when differentiating between “light duty” and “heavy duty.” For consumer vehicles, light duty is a half-ton truck, which can be Class 1 or 2, while heavy duty is a three-quarter- or one-ton truck, which is Class 2 or 3. In the commercial truck world, light duty is Class 1-3; medium duty is Class 4-6 and heavy duty is Class 7-8. It all depends on the context of the conversation.

The Weight Game: Understanding Pickup Classes--And Where They Came From - PickupTrucks.com News

So to be considered a light duty truck Chrysler has to keep the truck under 14,000 GVWR. This is the same for FORD and GMC/Chevy. Just when they were going for federal testing for their advertised numbers they stripped down their trucks to bare bones to get the numbers they wanted.

So if your complaining that your light duty truck cant push 14,000lb GVWR look to the federal standards or man up and buy a 2500.

This is not rocket science people.