Load Capacity of Your Vehicle ?

[The Stig]

Do you know the maximum cargo capacity, in pounds, of your vehicle?

As a result of this move process I found that my little Rav4 is rated to 1,000lbs of cargo (including the driver and any accessories).

1,000lbs sounds like a lot right? If you are talking tents and socks, then yes.

However, I found I could easily overload my car if I put all of my ammo in it at once. It would be a rare situation when I'd be hauling my entire stock of ammo at once, but consider 6 or 7 cans of ammo, some water, some propane tanks, food and then the family. Again, it would quickly drive the total weight past the upper limit (and that's before you'd consider a roof-rack, trailer, etc.)

So I resorted to using a bathroom scale to measure out how much weight I was actually putting into the vehicle and planned accordingly.

All the basement warriors talk about "bugging out" but I wonder how many have considered this little detail?

[gunbuilder69]

Bravo my brother,Bravo. This right here is the basic elemental foundation of being prepared!!
Not who has the most new toys,how many MRE's in the garage. But what can you actually do with what you have at hand?
How well can you move from 'A' to 'B' w/ a load,w/ a family, w/ a wounded or sick person? I could'nt begin to scratch the surface of what is'nt known, but you bet your asses I'm finding out every day. This journey into the mindset of being prepared does'nt end,ever! it just gets higher and higher with humility and long bouts of patience.
Thank Stig for both the roses and the lesson in where we are!

[gunbuilder69]

Sorry my sense of obviousness got hold of me...

Anyhow,one of the things I do is to weigh the totes I have filled for various stages and situations.
My AWD chevy astro is a work horse,but like you mentioned,it has it's limitations. I can put 1700 lbs of ccargo in the payload/fuselage area,and another 300lbs on the hitch mounted platform. The roof rack is limited(by me) to only 100lbs of readily available gear with a cargo net over it.
The wife has a 4wd pathfinder with a payload cap of only 1200lbs.That is really not much in both vehicles,what if one vehicles breaks down,becomes static,or we have to abandon it. These are serious considerations EVERYONE needs to addres. Just get a little piece of mind.

[The Stig]

Bravo my brother,Bravo. This right here is the basic elemental foundation of being prepared!!
Not who has the most new toys,how many MRE's in the garage. But what can you actually do with what you have at hand?
How well can you move from 'A' to 'B' w/ a load,w/ a family, w/ a wounded or sick person? I could'nt begin to scratch the surface of what is'nt known, but you bet your asses I'm finding out every day. This journey into the mindset of being prepared does'nt end,ever! it just gets higher and higher with humility and long bouts of patience.

Thank you for the kind words. I agree 100%

To further reinforce the point I have five 6 gal plastic water cans. If I were to take all 6 that's 240lbs of weight (8lbs per gallon) and nearly 25% of my total weight capacity. Item's like water, fuel and ammo are very heavy for their size and it's easy to forget that.

I think many of us with faux-SUV's would be shocked how little we can safely haul with us. I can easily envision a bunch of suburbanites packing their Highlanders to the gills and ending up broken down because they blew out their suspensions.

[alaska]

Been thinking about a small trailer. Looking more and more feasable as I read this.

[bacpacker]

+1 on the trailer. I pull both a camper and a flat bed trailer to haul my farm tractor and weight is a huge factor. My truck only has a payload of 1850lbs. However it has a towed payload of 7500lbs. You still have to know what you've got with a trailer but it will handle a lot more than with the vehilce itself.
The best way I know to determine you various wieghts, go to a truck stop in your area. They have scales that will measure each axle indivually even with a trailer. That way you know exactly what you have, you can even move stuff around if your heavy on a particular axle. When I got camper, I knew I was going to be close to my limits so I stop and wieghted the full load, I had done this before with just the truck. I ended up having about 700lbs to spare which allows for supplies and water in the camper. I can also load ammo on the truck and will come out about even. I really need a higher payload truck, just don''t want the debt right now.

[alaska]

i have lots of experience towing trailers with everything from gravel to bobcat size equipment and your right,tow load by far exceeds payload. I just have the jeep cherokee so i wont be to big on the trailer. Momma has the 99 expedition that has a significant increase on both payload and tow load but that thing is probably getting traded in since that v8 sucks on gas mileage. May do the identical rigs and trailer thing so I can decrease the amount of spare parts I would keep around. same size trailers on rigs and trailers. But thats a different topic. didnt mean to get of course on this thread

[LUNCHBOX]

I looked in to this before due to knowing that we would be on the go at some point. I can do more than 2000 lbs in the horse trailer hooked to Durango and another 1000 lbs on my little flatbed hooked to my truck. I hope to think 3000 lbs would be enough, you look at some select items and bang...there it goes. Quad--600 lbs, water--@400 lbs and there goes a third. I think we would still be ok but you/me/everyone planning to move should work the numbers. Good thread Stig.

[alaska]

I am not planning on moving a lot of water. Lots of water sources up here so my cooking methods will be conducive to making water safe along with a few water filters

[bacpacker]

Same here Alaska. Maybe 20 gallons or so. But there is plenty of lakes and rivers, creeks, etc to resupply from. Ammo, tools, and certain foods are small but densely heavy. Trailers are your freind to add more weight, it just hurts your manuverablilty, cut fule milage. Also be sure you have a jack, lug tools, and spare tire for the trailer. It's way too easy to have a flat. Also keep the tires fully inflated and make sure they are in good shape. Tires will dry rot before you know it, espically if left out in the sun/weather. One last thing, wheel bearings, make sure they are packed with grease and in good shape.

[alaska]

yup. like i said i w il have same size tires and such on rigs and trailers. as for dry rot lol not enough sun to make me worry too much

[ak474u]

I'm more limited by storage area than weight... I have an Xterra which is getting some heavier duty rear shocks soon because they are worn out, AND to be able to control a heavier load at speed. I really don't have much space inside the vehicle at all when there is a child seat in the back seat and my wife in the passenger seat (no she's not a big gal) I have been working on a design/plan for packing essentials into the interior cargo area and back seat area in tubs that fit neatly in the area without wasted square footage, I've even considered building up a raised floor that would allow me to slide several rifle cases under the shelf and stack more durable hard-sided storage containers, and ammo cans above. I am also planning a trailer hitch mounted platform with 2-5 gallon gas cans =170 extra miles and other bulky gear for short term and a Nissan Frontier truck bed trailer eventually which will have pre-loaded gear on board at all times and a generator on the tongue to allow for essential gear in the truck in case the trailer had to be ditched or stowed away for a short period of time. I really prefer not to have to pack both vehicles and head out just because I can't trust my wife to drive like Mad Max and keep up, but as of right now, that's what we'd have to do if it was a never coming home type of situation.

[RedJohn]

Been thinking about a small trailer. Looking more and more feasable as I read this.

A Bug-Out-Trailer. That's an idea.

[alaska]

Heck ya, a BOT

[mitunnelrat]

I hadn't given this much consideration before now, so thank you for bringing this up. I checked the door tag, and looked it up. The door gave me just over 1000 pounds. Since the online info is 200 pounds higher I'm assuming there's a safety factor written in for "CYA".

The Bravada's curb weight was 4,049 lbs. Its maximum payload was 1,257 lbs. and its maximum towing capacity was 5,000 lbs.

Read more: Specifications for the 1998 Oldsmobile Bravada | eHow.com Specifications for the 1998 Oldsmobile Bravada | eHow.com (http://www.ehow.com/list_7683174_specifications-1998-oldsmobile-bravada.html#ixzz1Gbwgkrjo)

Something else I'm happy was listed in the quote is my curb weight. I can guarantee you I'd have overlooked the weight of the safari rack, light kit, and push bumper I plan to add.

[bacpacker]

There is a little CYA built in typically, but not always. Just remember if you are loaded even close to the upper weight limit, adjust yoru speed accordingly. It will not stop, or accelerate as fast. handling charecteristics will go badly downhill. At a minmum try and upgrade tires and suspension to what you can. Keep your tires inflated to the max pressure allowed, that will support the weight a little better and give you better control.

[mitunnelrat]

Cool! Thanks for the heads up! Can you clarify what you mean on the tires though? It seems like there's a couple ways that can go. Whether it be a high quality, stock sized tire, or up-sizing...

Hopefully I never have to load it up like that though. I've now gotten further motivation to buy a deuce! ;)

[bacpacker]

I would reccomend stock sizing, maybe 1 size larger. You can get different load rated tires at a given size. I went to a E rated tire when I got the camper. It will take up to 70psi and has thicker sidewalls, so more stability. it does ride rougher however. You don't need that heavy of a rating for most things, but just to let you know options are available.
You really just need to plan out what your approximate wieght will be. you can plan tires around that.

[alaska]

its the load range you want to look at
load range of a C or D is higher rated capacity
On our plow/landscape trucks all had load range C tires
As backpaker said there are options
You can also get into speed rating, and some other things.
Talk to your local tire guy. you can explain what you want w/o telling what your hauling. He can give you estimates on diff range sizes because after all he gets paid commission usually so they are usually willing to talk. do the home work. be diplomatic. decide what you want then shop to purchase

heres a brief site. hope I have been helpful

Tire Tech Information - Tire Size Guide (http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=46)

[mitunnelrat]

Ok. Thanks again! I just went out and checked my tires. I'm due for new ones anyway, and just found out enough through consumer reports to know I won't be getting the same tire on there now. Its currently fitted with Dunlop Radial Rover A/T's, one size up from stock. I just a got a world of good information from this thread.

[pitbullnga]

due to the sheer weight of my 4wd f-350 i run 6-ply 33-12.50's which is a little overkill but i can easily throw about 4000 lbs in the bed and pull at least 15,000 lb trailer. i do not have a trailer now to pull so my BOV will have to do the job. i have beefed up the rear end and all the extras that i can. dressed up and washed the weight is at 11,000 lbs without a load on her. the most i have pushed the envelope to at this point in the bed is 3500 lbs loaded in the bed and the ole girl handled it just fine.

Great idea for a thread by the way!

[mitunnelrat]

So the importance of this was just driven home for me a few minutes ago. I've been enduring the evil glare of a hippie chick, who seriously dislikes EBR's and their support gear, to adjust my 1st and 2nd line gear to accommodate the MOLLE II ruck I'm using now. While I was doing that I decided to step on the scale, and after a few calculations I learned the combined body weight of the 3 of us here, my BOB (as I wish to see it completed), and my fighting load is going to eat 500-600 (I can't get a specific weight from the hippie chick. Asking just brought on further glaring) pounds of the 1200. This is all before I toss in any ammo cans, food totes, water, fuel... or any add-ons I'm planning for the car. Since I also need to factor in two dogs, which will eat storage space I'm now thinking an enclosed trailer is a higher priority than an M85.

[RedJohn]

An M85 is an overkill. You can kill 2 birds with one stone by dropping it, unless price is not a factor in the decision.

[mitunnelrat]

Cost actually wasn't a factor in this one, since I plan on buying both anyway. I'm just switching the order of purchase.

I agree the M85 is overkill for a lot of things, but my original thinking was to use it for odd jobs like hauling firewood to sell. Its multi-fuel engine and increased payload over a standard pickup would decrease my overhead, since the fuel would be cheaper and I'd be making fewer trips, and I figured it would give me that much more to apply to preps, which would include a trailer.

Now that I know my daily driver will be maxed out and easily overloaded though, I'm looking at things a bit differently. First, the size of an M85 is too large to keep at my current home, but the trailer I want is not. Second, I can securely pre load a trailer, something I wouldn't do with the open bed of an M85, especially so with it being off site from me. The trailer now looks like a better choice under my current living and transportation considerations.

ETA: This is the trailer (http://www.haulmark.com/bumper-pull_cargo-trailer/transportV-7wide/) type I'm looking at. It appears from its info that I should be able to put the same rims and tires as my Bravada on it, assuming the lug pattern matches. I'll have to see.

[bacpacker]

Nice lookin trailer MIT. If you get one like this that will handle the weight and your vehicle can tow the weight. You should be able to take most anything you need to. With the added benifit that the trailer can stay loaded. A big plus there.

[mitunnelrat]

One of the things I saw with that trailer is
Axles: Tandem - Spring Suspension (7,000 lb. GVWR) That's 2,000 pounds more than my vehicle can handle, so I'll never max it out if I pay attention to what I'm doing. I'm trying to convince my fiance we'll get a better value from a trailer like this over a camper now. Wish me luck! ;)

[RedJohn]

I agree the M85 is overkill for a lot of things, but my original thinking was to use it for odd jobs like hauling firewood to sell.

Apologies to you. First, I made an error in denomination. When you said M85, the Barrett M82 popped in my head. I was thinking .50BMG vs Trailer. Pfff, I was wrong on this one. :)
What is an M85 in your designation?

[mitunnelrat]

I actually made a huge mistake myself here. Its the M35 2.5 ton 6x6 (http://www.buschandbusch.com/m35a2.html). So you're response was correct based on the false information I provided until now!

[RedJohn]

Yeah, I see the difference. This is too funny!

[mitunnelrat]

lol... It will be. Just as soon as I get over being embarrassed over being a dunce! ;)

[RedJohn]

I wasn't better myself. No worries.

[The Stig]

I wonder how many of the folks who obsess over "bugging out" have taken the time to figure out what they can really haul?

[RedJohn]

I wonder how many of the folks who obsess over "bugging out" have taken the time to figure out what they can really haul?

None, or not many of course. I have personally never thought about it, because I travel alone and light. It is unlikely that I will go overboard then.

[beginner]

I think many of us with faux-SUV's would be shocked how little we can safely haul with us. I can easily envision a bunch of suburbanites packing their Highlanders to the gills and ending up broken down because they blew out their suspensions.

I'm in the same boat. The Escape....it so great for makin....um....well....escapes. Bout 1,000lbs. However, I'm planning on bugging in. And, for now it's cheap on fuel. Which is nice with the rising gas prices. This is my most immediate concern. Eventually, I want to get something for a an actual BOV. However, it won't be my DD. I'm thinking mid '90's F-350 crew cab long box XL 4x4, 7.3L Powerstroke and a 5 speed stick.......

[jmrdrgz]

I see some people mentioned that they can haul so much weight in the back of the truck and tow a trailer as well to increase the amount of weight they can take with them. If I'm not mistaken, I think that the haul and partial tow weights have to be combined. So in other words, if you are going to haul and tow, you cannot haul the maximum.

[bacpacker]

I see some people mentioned that they can haul so much weight in the back of the truck and tow a trailer as well to increase the amount of weight they can take with them. If I'm not mistaken, I think that the haul and partial tow weights have to be combined. So in other words, if you are going to haul and tow, you cannot haul the maximum.

You are exactly right! There is a maximum gross vehicle weight. That is the max for everything, folks fuel, gear, trailer, etc. That all has to be figured in. This number is figured with a fudge factor for liability reasons. But still a good number to stay below.

[mitunnelrat]

I see some people mentioned that they can haul so much weight in the back of the truck and tow a trailer as well to increase the amount of weight they can take with them. If I'm not mistaken, I think that the haul and partial tow weights have to be combined. So in other words, if you are going to haul and tow, you cannot haul the maximum.

That's definitely good to know. I was wondering about that. Thanks!

[bacpacker]

I had to go thru this exercise when we got our camper.Take a look at the metal tag either on the door or the vertial frame the drivers door closes on. It will have 2-3 numbers the gvwr I think is the number to look for. It includes truck, trailer, fuel, passengers, and cargo.
Most trailers will have a tag as well with the rating for it alone.
The easiest way to know for sure what your capacity is would to take your vehicle and trailer if you plan to use one to a truck stop with scales. Fill the vehicle with fuel and weight it empty subtract that number from the gvwr and you have the load capacity.

[Dropy]

Well...i can haul/pull a small 3rd world country with my truck.....

[realist]

Hay one suggestion that I have is check the weight on your tires. Each tire should have the maximum load it will carry imprinted on the side, then multiply by 4 and you have the amount you can carry. 10% over should not be a factor so long as they are in good shape. Had a guy that I knew who had a gun shop and had to move. He popped two of his rear tires. When the truck was weighed at a near by winery he was way over the limit. Of course the truck was full of ammo. Remember to that if you have to go off road with a vehicle that is at max weight then that might also be an issue. This is where a trailer is real nice to have. However it may end up like a garage, it needs to be filled........

[bacpacker]

Great point about tires. When we got our amper I had to go up to E rated tire to handle the wt.
Also my old truck got beat to shit during the hailstorm back in April and we'd been lookin for a differnt truck anyway. About a month ago I found what I had been lookin for on the internet with Carmax. Called up the local store and got them to send it here from Hunsville, Al. I went to check it out, 2007 toyota tundra only has 32000 on it. Long bed and a tow capacity of 10600lbs. It also has the 5.7 engine with 400ft lbs of torque. I think it will handle our amper with ease and with much larger 4 wheel disc brakes, stopping shouldn't be an issue either.
It also has about a 1800 payload which is much better than the old trfuck as well. Hopefully loadout won't be as big a deal now. Now I just need to outfit the camper for bugging out and have it ready to hitch to and go. Should cut my response time down a little.

[izzyscout21]

I actually hava a worksheet to determine payload and all the variables associated with it as it relates to trucks. I'll try to grab it from work and provide the membership with it.

[bobthe]

Do you know the maximum cargo capacity, in pounds, of your vehicle?

*snip*

planned accordingly.

All the basement warriors talk about "bugging out" but I wonder how many have considered this little detail?

I would question if this is as big an issue as it might seem.

consider a military aircraft engine. they having a max power rating for flight. a max power rating for takeoff thats a fair bit higher. and a max power rating for emergencies thats even higher.

While considering the weight load in your vehicle beforehand isnt unwise, remember to keep things in perspective. the rated load is what the OEM considers safe for the average driver in average situations for a vehicle that has a warranty of anywhere from 36,000 to 100,000 miles. there is not only a margin of safety built in for absolute limits, but one with enough cushion to prolong the life of your vehicle.

bugging out if obviously an 'emergency' rating. At that point so long as it's done with forethought - there is nothing wrong with saying "who cares if I end up having to rebuild my tranny at 10,000 miles with this kind of a load". it's an emergency and such situations call for different rules and practices than every day "keep the thing going for the entire 100,000 mile warranty" situations.

if you are going to plan your load in advance I'd say purposefully overload your vehicle and drive it in real world situations. if handling is adversely effected to the point that you feel the ride is dangerous, or the leafsprings look like frowns, then ax some of the load.

going by the official rated load in an emergency is probably being overly prudent IF it means you are leaving behind things that are of high value. I wouldnt recommend overloading your car with cinderblocks just because you might need them one day, but an extra can of ammo or a few cases of MREs in a serious SHTF situation? go for it.

[hank2222]

Since i drive a smart and it my bug out vehicle and the reason why i say that is because i now live about four mile's from my cabin where i live now and do not plan to leave the place .So my trip's out there are to bring in supplies that i have bought and send a night or two at the place to make sure thing's are up todate and ready to go if i have to go there

[bacpacker]

I would question if this is as big an issue as it might seem.

consider a military aircraft engine. they having a max power rating for flight. a max power rating for takeoff thats a fair bit higher. and a max power rating for emergencies thats even higher.

While considering the weight load in your vehicle beforehand isnt unwise, remember to keep things in perspective. the rated load is what the OEM considers safe for the average driver in average situations for a vehicle that has a warranty of anywhere from 36,000 to 100,000 miles. there is not only a margin of safety built in for absolute limits, but one with enough cushion to prolong the life of your vehicle.

bugging out if obviously an 'emergency' rating. At that point so long as it's done with forethought - there is nothing wrong with saying "who cares if I end up having to rebuild my tranny at 10,000 miles with this kind of a load". it's an emergency and such situations call for different rules and practices than every day "keep the thing going for the entire 100,000 mile warranty" situations.

if you are going to plan your load in advance I'd say purposefully overload your vehicle and drive it in real world situations. if handling is adversely effected to the point that you feel the ride is dangerous, or the leafsprings look like frowns, then ax some of the load.

going by the official rated load in an emergency is probably being overly prudent IF it means you are leaving behind things that are of high value. I wouldnt recommend overloading your car with cinderblocks just because you might need them one day, but an extra can of ammo or a few cases of MREs in a serious SHTF situation? go for it.

Bob i don't really disagree with you to a point. However I do know that if you over load a vehicle, espcially when off roading, you stand a very high chance of breaking something. Axles, springs, u joints, & tires come to mind right away. You break something during a bug out and you could be screwed permanatly.
IMHO I would prefer to know close to what I have and can take and still be close to my limits. I will go over if needed, but I will cull where needed to stay close.

[Gunfixr]

I used to do quite a bit of off-roading, both loaded and unloaded. I've since sold the "big truck".
Now I have a fullsize Bronco with a small amount of lift and larger tires. Enough to get most places on my experience, but not huge. I also have a custom built trailer that has been loaded quite heavily, and towed with said Bronco. I built this trailer with heavy loads and off road in mind.
I can safely carry what's at the house should I need to leave. The rest is at the cache, so I can get it later.

[bobthe]

Bob i don't really disagree with you to a point. However I do know that if you over load a vehicle, espcially when off roading, you stand a very high chance of breaking something. Axles, springs, u joints, & tires come to mind right away. You break something during a bug out and you could be screwed permanatly.
IMHO I would prefer to know close to what I have and can take and still be close to my limits. I will go over if needed, but I will cull where needed to stay close.

i guess my point is that common sense should be used in conjunction with weight limits serving as a rough guideline, not absolute limits. if you are very heavily loaded and traveling in rough terrain off road then you need to adjust your driving appropriately.

I mean, I've pulled a trailer that weighed 15,000 lbs behind a ford ranger, roughly triple it's capacity, such an extreme that I had to downshift to second and just barely make it over the apex of overpasses at 20 mph, and yet every time ive broken a u-joint I probably was coasting downhill with my foot off the gas with no cargo or other passengers in the truck. is it prudent to rely on such luck in an emergency situation? no. but thats the key. we are talking about emergency situations. it's ok to take more of a calculated risk at such times.

[bacpacker]

I agree, in bad times you do what you gotta do.

[Sniper-T]

Here's a thought... How many are planning on bugging out to a lake? Or a river? Coastline?
For your bug out trailer... pick up a boat, and beef up the trailer suspension. The boat itself gives you a pile more room for stuff, and a way across water if need be. it adds to the towing, but not your vehicle weight.

Personally... for some landscaping work, I beefed up my tacoma suspension/tires, etc... to the point that I regularly haul ~2000#'s. I've scaled it a couple times pushing ~2600#'s, but at that point the front tires were dancing. Since IF I have to bug out, I will be going to (and across) a lake, I nudged the axle on my boat trailer, and dropped in a second, I am in the process of lifting it, and will put the same sized tires on it as on the truck (SHTF scenario), else I'll pick up a couple spare biased ply.

I've got the boat set up with oars, oarlocks, and am trying to work out a sail set-up...