Does Payload Capacity Even Matter? (travel trailer - misleading tow ratings)

I really love your ADV motorcycle content…commenting just to help the algorithm.

Timely video. I just weighed my F 150 and Lance 2375 trailer at a CAT scale. Found out I'm only 200 lbs. under the truck payload max. Now I need to figure out how to add E-bikes without going over. I use a Propride 3P WD hitch with 1100 lbs tongue weight.

Your RV cover garage with open walls, who makes that? Looking for one for my boat:::thank you

Another awesome video!!!

Excellent content. Thank you so much for explaining this in great detail. By far the best I’ve seen on this topic. I just bought a Sierra 1500 thinking I was fine with payload for my Lance 1985. Well I discovered I was over 400 lbs once I loaded all my family and gear in the truck. Man I was bummed. I called the dealer and ordered a max tow truck to get it so I didn’t exceed it. Yeah wasted a few dollars, but I wanted to be safe traveling with the fam. Lessons learned don’t believe the advertised payload look at the freakin sticker and do the math..

Great informative video. This helped me choose a 3/4 over a 1/2 ton for our towing requirements . With a family of 5, my numbers were too close to max payload limits on the 1/2 ton. As the kids get bigger, the payloads will only increase and I didn’t want to keep changing out tow vehicles. Keep up the great work!

My Dad had a livestock feed store. I would drive our 3/4 ton chevy p/u's with the Chevy 350 engine everyday a distance of 80 miles loaded with 80-100 fifty pound bags of livestock feed. That is a payload of 4,000-5,000 Lbs of feed. AWESOME!!!!! Never a mechanical breakdown, blown tire, suspension failure. Easy to drive, steer and stop. These were 3/4 ton p/u's from the 70's and 80's. Would I try it with today's trucks?.....probably not.

Great Video!
For "majority" stay with a trailer that weighs 20-25% below the stated tow capacity. Load your trailer smartly....no excessive weight on the rear of the trailer such as a kitchen....will cause sway. Don't load anything heavy behind your truck's rear axle....will add to hitch weight. Heavy against the front of the bed only or just in front of your rear axle.

Great info for us newbies to towing. I want to get a 1/2 ton p/u to tow a trailer safely. If you load all your gear into the back of your truck along with the hitch weight of the trailer you will be at or probably over your payload capacity. if you put all your gear, generator, bikes whatever in the trailer, wouldn't that increase available payload capacity of your truck? Yes your hitch weight would increase with more stuff in the trailer, but it seems to me it would be less of a number than having it all in the bed or backseat of your truck. Putting a generator in the back of your truck affects payload more than if it was in the trailer wouldn't it? Please set me straight on this.

Thanks for the common sense approach to this topic. I tow my 2375 Lance with my half ton GMC. Everyone thought I was crazy but I do just fine. My payload is over about 200 lbs and it tows like a dream.

You didn't mention anything about weight distribution hitches.

Great video. I am new to the RV life and your videos are a huge help. I'm still in the research process, but leaning towards a Wolf pup travel trailer. Thanks again for the great content, and keep em coming 👏🏽 👍🏽

You are putting additional stress, wear and tear, and damage on your rear suspension and axle.

You don't really hit the GVWR limit because it's really just calculated by reference to the truck's payload but makes crazy assumptions like you only have 470 lbs of weight in your truck (2 150 lb humans, 70lbs of hitch gear, 100lbs of cargo) and a 10% hitch weight, which is on the lower side in the US

I hate to be THAT guy, yet here we are - one thing that keeps me honest (as in "within the published limits of all vehicles") is the knowledge that IF I have exceeded load capacity, towing capacity, or any other capacity, and I'm involved in an "incident" that requires an insurance payout, the insurance company can decline any or all coverage if they find out you were exceeding certain limits. Ouch.
I'm not that big a gambler, so I've always had trucks that very much exceed any requirements.

It would be interesting to see Ford endorse your statement that they knowingly underrate their payload capacities. Do you have factual data on this, or is this simply an opinion? I think it’s a bit dangerous to suggest that vehicle manufacturers are doing this, since once this becomes common knowledge, then some may opt to intentionally overload their vehicle. Each to their own, but we’ll always adhere to what the manufacturer states, especially since the world has become so litigious. With respect to RV dealers needing to take more responsibility about educating their customers, I 100% agree with that. We are currently dealing with a dealership, that when we asked them to help us calculate payload, did NOT include tongue weight, which in our case is closing in on 800lbs. When challenged on that, they simply said, Opps, we forgot to add that in. How does a business that sells nothing but trailers “forget” to add in tongue weight? I’ll tell you how, they knew our rated payload on our F150 was 1471lbs. They are more interested in making a sale, than telling the truth. We would walk away today from this dealership, however, they are the only Canadian dealer for a brand of trailer that we are interested in and as such, we are forced to deal with them if we want this particular brand. It’s beyond scary to see this kind of business practice being conducted- lives are at stake and lawsuits are life changing. Dealerships need to be more accountable and more honest about the fact that buying a trailer may come with the need to upgrade your tow vehicle and if that is something you can’t afford, then don’t buy the trailer. Putting profit over people is never a good idea. Apologies for the rant, but doing the right thing is rare these days and I find it beyond frustrating.

Are you surprised at the low payload capacity of your truck?