Overshot the weight

Oregonsurfer

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Sep 7, 2016
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I drive a tacoma and it's weight limit is 1260lbs. My fleet is about that weight. So according to my owners manual, I cannot add any passengers, a full tank of water, food, clothes, or anything else really. Is there anyone else running their fleet on a tacoma and going overweight? I've added aribags, new leaf spring kit, heavy duty tires, and shocks. But I'm told I can still run the risk of damaging the transmission and a couple other components. Some have said I'm dangerous on the road.

Just drove it 2k miles and everything was fine as long as I kept it under 70. Another trip through cali I got up to 85 often and the truck ran terribly towards the end of the trip. Dealership couldn't find any problems with it. I figured I worked it too hard.
 
What year/model Tacoma?

I have a 2016 (3rd Gen) with a fleet flatbed (~1500lb all up) and about 12,000 miles on it. No issues so far.

I would find it hard to believe that the payload caused you engine/transmission issues as you are WAY under the tow rating of 6400 lbs.

There are lots of threads here about weight and payload, and I have made my thoughts clear in these. But it seems like you have taken all the right steps to be able to carry the camper.
 
2013. I am under the towing capacity, but above the payload cap. Thanks for your input.
 
Hello oregansurfer

I do not have any experience with your setup, like said before sounds like you have taken steps to help your truck carry the weight better than leaving it stock. That said, there are lots of rigs slightly over rated capacity. If it feels good under 70 don't go over 70. Truck ran terribly after trip, I bet it did Toyota truck is saying dude that was really hard. iI you were loaded to max and asked to run the Boston Marathon, you might feel a little worse afterwards. Sounds to me like you are wanting a vehicle to be able to act the same loaded or not. Kick back relax go camping have fun, ease up on the skinny pedal, ld bet you'll find your gunna be ok.

Russ
 
Thanks guys! Yeah, after stressing it that one trip, I backed off. I was trying to keep up with the cali highway drivers.
 
Welcome to WTW.

I run a 2009 Access Cab 4X4. My camper's empty weight is listed as 575lbs. Upgraded suspension front and rear (rear is on 3rd revision). On a recent trip I weighed the camper and it came in at 6400ish lbs. I also run load range E tires. On most trips I commute through the LA basin. While commuting I try to put the cruise on 68-70mph. Being loaded for a trip I want all the mpgs I can get out of the Tacoma. I don't ever recall needing or wanting to push the truck to the 80's with a full camping loadout.

Is your truck still running poorly compared to normal? Is it still loaded or unloaded?
 
Toyotas are weird like that. Unsure why.

I have a 2014 Tundra with the 400hp 5.7L V8

My towing capacity is 10,000lbs
My PAYLOAD capacity is only 1,200lbs (less than the Tacoma) figure that one out....

With that being said, I have yet to hear of anyone with a Tundra having issues with an FWC, ever.

Not sure why Toyotas have these whacky ratings but they do.

My .02
 
its not running weird anymore, it was just on that trip. I wondered if it had to do with the gas I was getting there. As soon as I got back to Oregon it was fine, but I also slowed down. I also am running E tires. Sounds like its a "you run the risk, but probably ok" and it was interesting to read about the insurance potentials in the other thread.

Thanks everyone.
 
I have a similar setup - 2007 Nissan Frontier NISMO model king cab. Just picked up a 2006 FWC Eagle that came off of a Tacoma. Truck at one point after stopping for a quick stop for a few groceries almost stalled while trying to start. It recovered, ran rough for 2 seconds then sounded fine. Was fine for the return drive from Oregon to BC and the stops inbetween (FSR camping for 2 nights along the way). It did the same stalling hard startup once before after pulling a trailer with my tractor up a short steep hill. Flatbed trailer must have weighed as much as the tractor - only thing I could find to move it.

The only mod I had time to do before was to add the Timbren bump stops. Tires are E rated. I picked up an "add-a-leaf" but haven't had time to install it.

Drive was fine - took it easy, which was partially mandated by the heavy winds and blowing rain. Suspension felt a bit harsh (it's sitting on the stops I noticed, partially compressed) but given the mostly stock setup for the return drive it wasn't a surprise. Offroad (FSR) on dips I took it very carefully noticing my reduced clearance.

I did go to an (old but working) weigh station on a small hwy in OR and the scale said I weighed 6050lbs!! No water, no propane, minimal clothes (we had no room for anything on the drive down to pick up FWC), wife, 2 dogs (60lbs+40lbs). FWC has awning, stove, couch, 3-way fridge - no battery either. I'm hoping that scale was just wrong!

Hoping the extra leaf will help. Should I add heavier front springs? What are people using up front? Any other mods I should look into? I thought about airbags but went with the Timbren setup instead.

Great Forum by the way - great people here. Happy to have found it! :)
 
So Cal Adventurer said:
Toyotas are weird like that. Unsure why.

I have a 2014 Tundra with the 400hp 5.7L V8

My towing capacity is 10,000lbs
My PAYLOAD capacity is only 1,200lbs (less than the Tacoma) figure that one out....

With that being said, I have yet to hear of anyone with a Tundra having issues with an FWC, ever.

Not sure why Toyotas have these whacky ratings but they do.

My .02
Its the difference between GVWR and curb weight. A big heavily optioned heavy truck can have less left in payload capacity. A similar truck with a smaller engine, smaller cab, and less options will have more wiggle room in payload given the same GVWR. Or a smaller truck with more room between gross weight and curb weight could have more payload. Our CC 4x4 F250 diesel is close to 8,000 lbs and GVWR is 10,000. Its really not much stated payload, in fact I'm probably very close with the Hawk loaded out with all our gear. Ours is almost worst case scenario as far as stated payload is concerned.
One thing to do is get the truck on a scale and find out what it really weighs, and subtract that from your GVWR. That will tell you payload. Alternatively weigh it with the camper loaded out and see if you are over.
 
I have a 2009 Tacoma 4x4 V6 with automatic transmission and a fleet. We weighed 6250 on our last extended trip fully loaded with 2 passengers, full water, full fuel, etc.

I have an add-a-leaf and ride rite airbags in the rear, toytec springs in the front. The rear end feels pretty good, but the front sags more than I want. I am going to upgrade to OME 886 springs in the front.

I drive around 65 mph, and keep the automatic transmission in '4' when on hilly terrain (really, it's in 4 always unless we are cruising on flat or downhill highway). The only issue I have noticed with the vehicle is that the transmission does not downshift well on up and down grades to account for the load, so I do it manually. I also have a scangauge so I can see engine and trans coolant temps real time - have never had a temp issue even on long desert grades.
 
You just need to simply insure that the loaded weight on the front axle does not exceed the VIN tag maximum and the rear axle loaded weight does not exceed the VIN tag maximum. Springs, bags, sway bars, voo-doo, prayers, magic...they all may work for you 99 times out of 100.

With that in mind, many here exceed these maximums and nothing bad ever happens. However the damage/wear to the engine/transmission is difficult to ascertain and how your brakes work coming down out of the Sierra Nevada mountains in some places at high speeds may be interesting to experience as well.

Always plan for the "worst-case scenario" with regard to overloading, etc.
 
As Rando said towing capacity is a good measure of what your truck engine and transmission can pull down the road. I have a 2011 access cab Taco 6 cyl, auto, 4X4 with tow package and Fleet at about 300 lbs over weight with full gas, water and gear. I have upgraded KO2 E tires, Firestone air bags and shocks and with over 60,000 miles I have no problems of any kind with mixed freeway to off road driving. I do not drive over 70. Because I am asking the truck to do some work I do maintain it more than would otherwise be required running full synthetic and changing fluids and filters more often. I would suggest that the camper weight may not be the problem, but having the added weight of the camper can accentuate a already existing problem with how your truck is running that you might not even notice otherwise.

As you can tell from the other threads, this whole weight issue is a conundrum, it is not defined how weight is established in law or rule or even anything published or available from the truck companies about how they do it. There have even been two pickups built where the only difference between the trucks was the springs and one was a 1/2 ton and one a 3/4 ton. At other times whole sections of components were different between different weight rated trucks. One year the only difference in axel weight was a different set of wheel bearings. One year Chevrolet had 3/4 ton models with GVWR of 9,300, 9,500, 9,900, 10,000 lbs. and 1 ton sharing the same frame, front axle and front suspension, brakes, engine and drive train with GVWR of 10,400, 10,500, 10,700, 10,800, 11,000 pounds and the only difference with the 1 tons was an extra set of leaf springs and 18" tires with a higher load rating. The only thing that we do know is that the load rating is set by the weakest components on the truck and politically by general added cost and CDL requirements in some states for going over a certain poundage. Because manufacturers want trucks to ride like a car I think the weakest components on most 1/2 ton trucks for carrying weight are the springs and tires and it sounds like you have addressed that. Although I think most truck owners believe that I could modify a truck to increase horsepower, increase MPG, shorten breaking distance, better the sound system or many other changes there are still a lot of people that do not believe that modifications can safely increase the load carrying capacity of a truck. I am not one of them.
 
Concur with MOVEINON and FWCTACO. I have a 2011 TACOMA 6 cylinder and tow package with a 2013 FLEET with all the options and weigh in 356 lbs (150 lbs with out water tanks filled) over weight when headed off to boondock. Firestone Airbags & E rated tires added. I'm a fanatic on maintenance, keep it under 65mph and take it slow off road. Bottom line - I don't expect the TACO to handle like it was unloaded.


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Sledawg said:
Concur with MOVEINON and FWCTACO. I have a 2011 TACOMA 6 cylinder and tow package with a 2013 FLEET with all the options and weigh in 356 lbs (150 lbs with out water tanks filled) over weight when headed off to boondock. Firestone Airbags & E rated tires added. I'm a fanatic on maintenance, keep it under 65mph and take it slow off road. Bottom line - I don't expect the TACO to handle like it was unloaded.

Hey..all well and good but where was the photo taken!

Phil
 
I think most Tacomas with Fleets must end up being technically overloaded, but they do fine. Change the lubricants according to the trailer towing schedule.

Mine has Boss airbags and LT tires and is easy enough to drive. It's slightly more inclined to roll, but perfectly managable. I do keep my speed down to about 60, mostly out of concern about stopping distance.

- Bernard
 
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