PackRat
Senior Member
Much has been posted about the weight capacity of trucks with campers in them. Many acknowledge they are overloaded at least on the rear axle and most seem to favor some combination of springs and/or air bags to compensate for over loading or poor distribution between front and rear axle weights.
I got onto a couple sites to decode my 1988 F-250 Lariat XLT axle capacities with an eye to letting others do the same when deciding if a half-ton truck was "enough" or a 3/4 or one-ton would be better. I think doing your homework on the camper you want to carry with an eye to the length of course, but also to the weight of it, the camping gear it will carry, water/fuel, people and pets. Once you have that sorted out you can decide if you want to find a truck that can handle all that (and maybe even tow a boat!) or if you want to try to beef up the suspension of a truck that is not rated for that amount of weight.
So, here is what I think my VIN tag is telling me, if you feel this is incorrect, please chime in here.
1) Start with the "GVWR" which is what it can LEGALLY carry with everything and everyone on board headed for your trip.
2) Next look at the "Front GAWR" which is the LEGAL amount for that axle to carry.
3) Then look at the "Rear GAWR" which is the LEGAL amount for that axle to carry.
In the case of my F-250, that does not mean I can simply add the FRONT and REAR GAWR and believe that I can weigh in at 10,004 lbs. What that means is the load each axle can carry itself since my truck has a LEGAL GVWR of 8,800 lbs.
4) Moving any weight from the rear axle to the front axle will help you to avoid overloading the rear axle, but you still need to be under the 8,800 lbs.
However, Ford has a "reserve capacity" for each axle! The Front has a reserve of "F0090" lbs. and the rear has a reserve of "R0060" lbs. This allows you to go over the GAWR of either axle the exact amount as listed and still be LEGAL. I can only assume that this is derived at based on the addition of added features to your original build sheet. In the case of my F-250, it has the 460 cu in, it has a C6 auto trans, it has 4x4 and that HD cab on it. Therefore, the more accessories you add, the less "reserve" capacity you have for each axle.
That is my understanding.
Here is the VIN tag and the truck:
I got onto a couple sites to decode my 1988 F-250 Lariat XLT axle capacities with an eye to letting others do the same when deciding if a half-ton truck was "enough" or a 3/4 or one-ton would be better. I think doing your homework on the camper you want to carry with an eye to the length of course, but also to the weight of it, the camping gear it will carry, water/fuel, people and pets. Once you have that sorted out you can decide if you want to find a truck that can handle all that (and maybe even tow a boat!) or if you want to try to beef up the suspension of a truck that is not rated for that amount of weight.
So, here is what I think my VIN tag is telling me, if you feel this is incorrect, please chime in here.
1) Start with the "GVWR" which is what it can LEGALLY carry with everything and everyone on board headed for your trip.
2) Next look at the "Front GAWR" which is the LEGAL amount for that axle to carry.
3) Then look at the "Rear GAWR" which is the LEGAL amount for that axle to carry.
In the case of my F-250, that does not mean I can simply add the FRONT and REAR GAWR and believe that I can weigh in at 10,004 lbs. What that means is the load each axle can carry itself since my truck has a LEGAL GVWR of 8,800 lbs.
4) Moving any weight from the rear axle to the front axle will help you to avoid overloading the rear axle, but you still need to be under the 8,800 lbs.
However, Ford has a "reserve capacity" for each axle! The Front has a reserve of "F0090" lbs. and the rear has a reserve of "R0060" lbs. This allows you to go over the GAWR of either axle the exact amount as listed and still be LEGAL. I can only assume that this is derived at based on the addition of added features to your original build sheet. In the case of my F-250, it has the 460 cu in, it has a C6 auto trans, it has 4x4 and that HD cab on it. Therefore, the more accessories you add, the less "reserve" capacity you have for each axle.
That is my understanding.
Here is the VIN tag and the truck:
