Yes, You Can Overload a Truck

I

iowahiker

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2014
Messages
487
Location
iowa
I have read on WTW the question "has anyone broken a truck from overloading?" and I read the Travalin-Tortuga blog showing that yes you can overload a truck. Their rig is a Provan Bengal on a 2500 Chevy diesel 4x4 regular cab new in 2007. The numbers: 9200 GVWR and the truck scaled at 10,000+ lbs once and 11,000+ lbs another time. Repairs reported over 200,000 miles:

- Replace front wheel bearings
- Replace rear axle seals several times
- 3+ broken tire rims, always driver's side rear, typically the most loaded because of tanks.
- Bent rear axle twice
- Cracked frame above the rear axle

They reported failures occurred even though they were going slowly.

Newer Provan's are on 3500 trucks and Chevy has since redesigned the frame but yes you can overload a truck and break them.
 
I know one tons can also be overloaded (tho I've read otherwise). So far haven't read of them breaking (fingers crossed) ...

I remember reading that blog but had forgotten they had so much wheel trouble - searched their name + so what went wrong?
(iowahiker, I think this is your reference, or maybe a later update?)

To their credit the bloggers have used the vehicle extensively. Someone driving elsewhere may or may not have had the same issues. I note that they attributed the oem rim failures to running max tire pressures over many miles of washboard. I recall reading in Stephen Stewart's old treatise on overlanding his recommendation that tires, and presumably rims, be rated at 150% of expected load. A worthy goal no doubt but tough to do for a 3/4,1 ton with camper.
 
Reading the vehicle "tab" section of their blog has all the details and is an interesting read. Some of the statistics do not add up like claiming only 20,000 of the first 100,000 miles were on lower quality roads but then they claim extensive bad road driving as an explanation of needing repairs.
 
e4FXIME.jpg
 
^ thanks for the link. very interesting read. I have saved it to my "Honey, we need a F550" folder.
Then read the R***son wheels page, also interesting.

fwiw this is the older one I had read http://www.travelin-tortuga.com/Travelin-Tortuga/So,_whats_gone_wrong.html

Funny because after I posted " ... (the) recommendation that tires, and presumably rims, be rated at 150% of expected load. A worthy goal no doubt but tough to do for a 3/4,1 ton with camper." I thought, well I guess a dually might qualify. And the blog talks about a dually axle. But not running duals.

One further comment:
They mention the rear overhang and the rear axle wt - that they weren't that much over, considering the axle (my interpretation). And noted that when placing new recovery gear in the rear boxes:
" Thus their weight not only rests on the rear axle, but the effect of that weight is magnified by their location several feet behind it.
This is true at rest but much more so in a dynamic situation, like driving on washboard.
 
Last Fall I was driving back from Oregon ... just myself and my Dog. Stopped at a scenic overlook more for a break than the view. In the parking area there was a gentleman crawling under the back of his Toyota Tundra. He had a big Lance slide in... not a huge one but big full size slide in. It caught my attention so I watched to see what was up. When he crawled out I could see both shocks were broken and hanging down. He just got in his truck and drove on???? I followed seeming I'd see him again soon. We were pretty far from any civilization. Never saw him again... I assume he was lucky or maybe had a place nearby. Not sure why he thought that truck was worthy of such a large camper.
 
Reading through Travlin's blog, it appears a rear axle seal failure is a "canary in the coal mine" and a sign vehicle weight should be evaluated to prevent larger failures. Loaded Provan's can have weight issues since another owner reported the driver's side rear wheel scaling 200 pounds over the tire weight rating. For reference, an empty and dry gasoline regular cab Provan scaled at 8200 pounds.
 
Wow. I didn't realize that Provan was only making one model now. My wife and I were very interested in their line up a couple of years ago and it seemed to tick all of our boxes.
We even went to see someone who had one and traveled extensively with it (DiploStrat on Expo) and they had nothing but nice things to say about them. At the time they were using chassis up to the F-550 on their largest units. but the cost was very high and the couches were absolutely uncomfortable for us so we ended up with a Hallmark.
 
The original South Carolina Provan owner came from Colorado and the original FWC Colorado roots. He sold Provan after weathering the economic crash but then was seriously injured in a ultra-light plane crash just before moving back to Colorado. Tough retirement. The new Provan owner expanded a lot by adding two new larger and more expensive models and creating a dealer network. After deciding he had "bitten off more than he could chew", the new owner ditched both the new models and the dealer network as too much hassle. The newer models did have a "market niche" because Earth Roamer raise their prices past $500,000 which opened up the $200-300,000 "expedition vehicle" market for Provan. The $200-$300,000 "expedition vehicle" market segment remains available for any "would be" entrepreneur. The Provan Bengal remains a "one-of-a-kind" product after many years (full set of tanks hard side "expedition vehicle" under $200,000). I think Hallmark has one of a kind, soft side full set of tanks. Bigfoot 1500 truck camper would be one-of-a-kind: full set of tanks/no basement/four season camper. How do you like the Everest?
 
^ Thanks for the info. News to me also. Can't help but wonder if some past expedition kool aid was involved... But full respect to the owner and company for their efforts. Good luck to them. Years back we drove down to a Portland show to check out their beautiful products.

I see on the website customers can now supply the vehicle, including a 60" C&C - something I'd be interested in. Looks good.
 
iowahiker said:
The original South Carolina Provan owner came from Colorado and the original FWC Colorado roots. He sold Provan after weathering the economic crash but then was seriously injured in a ultra-light plane crash just before moving back to Colorado. Tough retirement. The new Provan owner expanded a lot by adding two new larger and more expensive models and creating a dealer network. After deciding he had "bitten off more than he could chew", the new owner ditched both the new models and the dealer network as too much hassle. The newer models did have a "market niche" because Earth Roamer raise their prices past $500,000 which opened up the $200-300,000 "expedition vehicle" market for Provan. The $200-$300,000 "expedition vehicle" market segment remains available for any "would be" entrepreneur. The Provan Bengal remains a "one-of-a-kind" product after many years (full set of tanks hard side "expedition vehicle" under $200,000). I think Hallmark has one of a kind, soft side full set of tanks. Bigfoot 1500 truck camper would be one-of-a-kind: full set of tanks/no basement/four season camper. How do you like the Everest?
Click to expand...
Thanks for the information!
We love our Hallmark Everest. We did a lot of research before we bought and looked at many brands but for us, the Everest ticked a lot of boxes. I understand that Hallmark is now starting to produce a flatbed model that should be even more spacious.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_626.jpg
    IMG_626.jpg
    106.9 KB · Views: 345
Just to reflect back, this "overload failure" is a sample size of one in a universe where I would be willing to bet the majority of hard side truck campers run weights well beyond what is being cited in this example. I am not sure there are any conclusions as to causality that can be drawn from this singular example, although it is interesting. I just can't help but wonder if there is not more to this story.

Not trying to encourage folks to run overweight. The reason I run a Hallmark is to avoid dealing with the weight issue among others. Just saying that the weight necessary to cause catastrophic failure is usually considerable.
 
I did say "can" not "would" for overloading to damage a truck.

The Travlin-T.'s story is an interesting truck read and mostly a cautionary tale for hard side campers with tanks (where overloading is common). Overloading, load concentration at the driver's side rear, combined with the load being on the truck full time would go a long way to explaining the failures. Our front center water tank and front passenger side battery configuration distributes weight well. But... I wonder if the increasing popularity of flatbed campers (on full time and heavier?) when combined with a load behind the rear bumper (load concentration) would be evolving toward the Travlin-T. configuration if overloaded.

The newer Provan's have 1 ton axles and ordering without the generator (getting the larger solar panel) would be a better configuration than Travlin-T.'s original setup. (not to mention deleting the AC, microwave, and TV)

We have seen too many dispersed camp sites surrounded by "mole" fields and found more areas requiring "carry-it-out" and so how best to carry tanks is an interesting study for us this winter.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

T
Need new Toyota shocks…Recommendations?
Bosque Bill
Bosque Bill
T
235/85R-16 BFG HD Terrains…Opinions so far
JHanson
JHanson
S
Flatbed build, clearance between truck and camper? Alaskan and 2018 Silverado
Dr.Science
D
C
Truck and Camper Dropped Off Lift
Andy Douglass
A
D
Suspension for 2nd gen Tacoma with Fleet?
CPT Davenport
CPT Davenport

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom