Who to believe on payload??

[Badlands Bob]

You'll be able to tow a much heavier travel trailer than you can a 5th wheel because of the difference in how much tongue weight is transferred to the truck.

 

[longhaul]

Ok, well it's seems pretty unanimous here.  Thanks everyone!  I'd love to be able to pull a little fifth wheel, but I would want to do it safely without voiding any warranties/insurance coverage/etc...

Your 1500 truck can pull/tow a small GN/5th wheel trailer. However small doesn't say how heavy of a trailer are you thinking about. There are small trailers out here even for a Ford Ranger. Check out these small 5th wheel trailers http://www.allencampermfg.com/Up-to-27--5th-Wheel.html that fits in with your trucks axle/tire ratings.

I pulled a 7600 GVWR 5th wheel trailer with a '90 1500 chevy 5.7 engine 4.10 gears ....... and no payload sticker.
Wonder if new guys know how we figured a trucks payload back then. Payload sticker didn't become mandatory till '06 although some mfg were using the placard on some truck models earlier.
The trailers actual scaled gross weight was 6280 lb on the axles. We had the rig for 8 years and towed all over TX/OK/NM/CO/NV/UT/WY/KS/MO/AR.  The truck was under all legal weights and as long as you make your insurance payments and in good standing they still pay out if your in a  at fault wreck and was drunk/speeding or overweight.

Now if your thinking a 9400 lb gn/5th wheel trailer then a 1/2 ton like the F150HD with its 8200-7850 GVWR and 4800 rawr works. Those small 3800-3900 lb RAWR on a 1/2 ton truck are good for around 1500 lbs in the bed payload.

 

[glen54737]

Your 1500 truck can pull/tow a small GN/5th wheel trailer. However small doesn't say how heavy of a trailer are you thinking about. There are small trailers out here even for a Ford Ranger. Check out these small 5th wheel trailers http://www.allencampermfg.com/Up-to-27--5th-Wheel.html that fits in with your trucks axle/tire ratings.


Now if your thinking a 9400 lb gn/5th wheel trailer then a 1/2 ton like the F150HD with its 8200-7850 GVWR and 4800 rawr works. Those small 3800-3900 lb RAWR on a 1/2 ton truck are good for around 1500 lbs in the bed payload.

Those are really small 5th wheels  8)
I also pulled a fifth wheel with an F-150 from Detroit to KC to Tampa to Detriot (5000 miles) 2 times in 2009 with no issues.

 

[steveblonde]

The payload sticker on the door jam trumps everything PERIOD thats the rating as set by the factory if it says the capacity is 1000lbs that means EVERYTHING passengers,hitches, fire wood, etc etc.that rating is of a vehicle without driver but full of fuel.
That doesnt mean that if your over the vehicle will break in two it means that for all legal purposes thats what the vehicle is rated at
Anything over that is at your own risk as the manufacturer will not assume any liability

IE A 2500 and 3500 GM truck are both rated to pull 17,000 lbs HOWEVER the 3500 has a cargo capacity of over 1000 lbs more than the 2500, meaning he can pull a 5th wheel with a heavier pin weight and put more stuff in the box

 

[glen54737]

I agree the yellow sticker is everything I know they weigh your truck before it leaves the factory as a quality check and that weight is what generates the yellow sticker.

 

[longhaul]

The yellow payload sticker isn't used for any legal weight limits. Its a gvwr based payload and when all is placed in the bed as a hitch weight or truck camper it can/may overload the truck rear axle.

Like a GVWR number and the GVWR based payload number its pretty much a useless number for determining a safe payload.
Example is one rv website member with a 2500 6.0 engine says his truck has a 3640 lb yellow payload sticker. Add 3640 lb in a 2500 GM trucks bed and its overloaded those 6200 RAWR/rear springs/tires and wheels.

Another example is Fords F150 with a 3200 lb payload rating they brag about. There is no F150 that can carry 3200 lbs in the bed without exceeding even the F150HD 4800 RAWR.

  And another example like the F350 SRW with a 10000 GVWR or a 11200 GVWR all on the same exact truck.
Ford say the 10000 GVWR truck has a 2360 lb payload and the 11200 gvwr truck has a 3560 lb payload.

Like all trucks simply stay under axle/tire load limits. That way your safe. And your legal if it matters to you.

 

[steveblonde]

In the NON COMMERCIAL world and in Canada if DOT or any law enforcement pulls you over Yellow Decal TRUMPS EVERYTHING PERIOD DO NOT PASS GO they use the yellow decal and portable scales especially on RVs and guys with sleds in the winter

The commecial and non commercial are worlds apart

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

It's certainly true that any truck (or motorhome) can be under its payload or GVWR rating numbers and still be overloaded on one axle or another, i.e. exceed the axle GAWR. Proper distribution of the weight is still a factor.  However, chances are slim that any non-commercial vehicle will have axle weights checked. The exception might be a bridge where there are maximum axle weight limits in effect. Those apply to any and all vehicles using it, not just commercial ones.

 

[longhaul]

In the NON COMMERCIAL world and in Canada if DOT or any law enforcement pulls you over Yellow Decal TRUMPS EVERYTHING PERIOD DO NOT PASS GO they use the yellow decal and portable scales especially on RVs and guys with sleds in the winter

  You have a credible link to Canada's non commercial "weight codes"  to back up that statement.
  And what does Canada law enforcement use  when a non commercial  vehicle doesn't have a yellow payload sticker.
The yellow payload sticker became mandatory in the '06 era although some truck sizes in some brands were using them prior to that date.

Like Gary says all vehicle on the road uses axle/tire load limits enforcement.

Canada is no different than the US for non commercial  vehicle weight limits.
Edit: Removed excessive white space.

 

[xrated]

And to further state some clarification as far as what you have as available CCC or payload; if you are buying a USED truck or previously owned, always take the truck to a certified scale and get a weight ticket.  The reason being is that the previous owner may have added accessories to the truck, thus making the yellow payload sticker invalid since any and all accessories have to be deducted from the yellow sticker number.  My truck example..... Yellow sticker...5270 lbs payload.  I've added a 42 gallon aux. fuel tank, electric pump, fuel filter, and tool box.  Those items totaled up amount to approx. 185 lbs....without any fuel in the tank.  Obviously, that weight isn't going to affect my truck significantly with what I'm towing, but if it was say a F250 (like my previous truck) that had a payload capacity of 2140 lbs, it could easily affect things.....especially when that 42 gallon tank was filled up to the "lippin full" level.

 

[Wireman134]

Lets say you stay within you payload capacity with all passengers seated, which is 1550lbs. in OP's example. And lets say you find a 5'r that you have loaded to a GVWR 8,000lbs. If you truck is at max GVWR say 7,000 lbs. and the 5th wheell axles are loaded to 7,000lbs. You have 14,000lbs. Combined weight. You mush have a greater GCWR than 14,000lbs (7,000lbs truck axles+7,000lbs trailer axles= 14,000lbs.

 

[papachaz]

My toyota tundra is rated to pull 10400 lbs. I can tell you from pulling my approx. 8000 lb boat and trailer for short distances that I wouldnt want to pull 10000 lbs very far at all. It might do it, but how long is the truck and tranny going to last pulling maximum weight. I would be looking for a trailer in the range of three quarters of towing capacity if you plan on going long distance. If you want bigger, I would look at getting a bigger truck. Big hills are very scary towing maximum.

add to that the height and wind resistance of a TT over a boat and you're absolutely right! although, I said that without seeing any pics of your boat, LOL I'd imagine an 8k lb boat is pretty dadgum big isn't it

 

[Lou Schneider]

The Chevy towing guide for my truck also states I could pull a 9500 lbs fifth wheel, though it doesn't mention payload.

The Towing Guide is primarily bragging rights for the manufacturer.  The weight it states is for an unloaded truck, with only a driver and fuel in it.  No passengers, no cargo, no added accessories.

Every pound you add to the truck's weight beyond the above minimum subtracts a like amount from the maximum trailer weight you can tow.

 

[papachaz]

The Towing Guide is primarily bragging rights for the manufacturer.  The weight it states is for an unloaded truck, with only a driver and fuel in it.  No passengers, no cargo, no added accessories.

Every pound you add to the truck's weight beyond the above minimum subtracts a like amount from the maximum trailer weight you can tow.

this goes hand in hand with wiremans post above. the needed information is the gross combined weight rating, once you know that, and what your  tow vehicle weighs when it's loaded the way you normally load for a camping trip, then you can figure how much trailer weight it will handle.