Pickup truck loading

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JOhnH

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Right Seater
Or rather "over loading".

My 2015 GMC Canyon is rated for about 1,350# payload. My wife and I take up almost 350# leaving around 1,000# cargo.

I need to pickup a half cu yd of gravel; weighing around 1,000# putting me at the max rating in a nearly 7 yr old pickup. The truck is in good shape. It has never been overloaded and it has new Michelin tires on it.

I only have to drive around 3 miles on flat terrain. Is this a bad idea or a nothing-burger?
 
Around here you wouldn't believe the massive boats and trailers people pull with 90's minivans, Prius's and Honda Civics.

So you're asking about using a vehicle built for the purpose and using it to its designed potential? Nothing-sauce ontop of a nothing-burger.
 
I used to go over and get truckloads of mulch and compost where they drop the stuff in with the front end loader (I learned to stay inside with the windows up while they were doing that after the firs time). They even use the bucket to smoosh down the pile. You get an idea if you're overloading it if the thing bottoms out. I think some of the latest trucks (ford?) even now have sensors on the suspension to tell you how loaded you are. On an evenly distributed load, it's not going to be the weight itself that's the problem but rather running out of suspension travel.
 
Yawn. Safety factors on trucks are far higher than airplanes. I once put a load of sand in my Toyota pickup far in excess of its proper capacity, it was pretty much riding on the bump stops. Handled like crap but no other problems.
 
I hauled a full yard of gravel once in my ancient 3/4 ton pickup. The rear suspension still had an inch or two of travel left. It was fine until I exited the freeway when it surprised the hell out of me by oversteering. I was able to correct it by reducing the steering input so nothing happened. So I'd say go ahead with the job but take the corners easy until you get used to the different handling.
 
JOhnH said:
Or rather "over loading".

My 2015 GMC Canyon is rated for about 1,350# payload. My wife and I take up almost 350# leaving around 1,000# cargo.

I need to pickup a half cu yd of gravel; weighing around 1,000# putting me at the max rating in a nearly 7 yr old pickup. The truck is in good shape. It has never been overloaded and it has new Michelin tires on it.

I only have to drive around 3 miles on flat terrain. Is this a bad idea or a nothing-burger?
Click to expand...
If you’re worried, one of you stay home.
 
Nah that's nothing do it. You're not over loaded till your rear tires are touching your fender wells and your front tires get real real light. Worse case, watch them load, if it starts looking sketch have them stop and come back for the rest. Come to Mississippi and see how trucks drive around! Hahaha
 
The answer depends on whether or not you are driving in Alaska.
 
When I was in high school, the ranch ownerI was working for sent me into town to get a load of bridge tile (the extra-thick concrete pipe used where a concrete pipe run goes under a road). It's heavy. I've no idea what the weight of the load nor the rated capacity of the pickup was, but the load was put on the very back of the truck, mostly behind the rear wheels. I learned quickly on the drive home that the front wheels weren't making good contact with the road. I could make gentle turns at lower speed. Attempting a sharper turn a little faster, and the pickup continued straight ahead. Kinda eye-opening.
 
For an easy drive, I wouldn't even worry about it. I had well over 3k lbs of stone in the back of an 2005 F150 once. It wasn't pleasant, and I wouldn't do it all the time, as the truck was basically on the bump stops. But it worked.
 
JOhnH said:
Or rather "over loading".

My 2015 GMC Canyon is rated for about 1,350# payload. My wife and I take up almost 350# leaving around 1,000# cargo.

I need to pickup a half cu yd of gravel; weighing around 1,000# putting me at the max rating in a nearly 7 yr old pickup. The truck is in good shape. It has never been overloaded and it has new Michelin tires on it.

I only have to drive around 3 miles on flat terrain. Is this a bad idea or a nothing-burger?
Click to expand...

Nothingburger, you'll be fine. Just make sure your tires are aired up to the max rating on the sidewall to match the load rating (probably 44psi). It'll likely be bouncing on the bump stops, but for a few miles it won't matter. Give yourself space to stop with the extra load, and pay attention to any lightness in the steering that could reduce your steering effectiveness.
 
:yeahthat:

This. Published vehicle loading includes margins for braking and general safe handling at somewhat beyond legal speeds (foreseeable misuse) to keep the lawyers happy.

For short trips at reduced speeds, knowing the handling could be a bit squirrely, I would not have a problem. I have carried far more on brief, non-highway routes.

Would also consider airing up the tires towards the stamped max press. on the sidewall. (edit - was beaten to it!)
 
RyanB said:
Have you done a weight and balance yet? Just make sure the CG is well within the utility category, but I’d say you’ll be aye-okay! :p :)
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came here to post this. Not disappointed haha!
 
Most farmers don’t consider a pickup to be overloaded until the suspension is totally bottomed out.
 
SoonerAviator said:
Nothingburger, you'll be fine. Just make sure your tires are aired up to the max rating on the sidewall to match the load rating (probably 44psi). It'll likely be bouncing on the bump stops, but for a few miles it won't matter. Give yourself space to stop with the extra load, and pay attention to any lightness in the steering that could reduce your steering effectiveness.
Click to expand...

A little more air in the tires helps.

And you ain’t lived unless the pickup is so rear loaded that you need to transfer weight to the front tires by gentle braking in order to turn.
 
cowman said:
Most farmers don’t consider a pickup to be overloaded until the suspension is totally bottomed out.
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That’s why there is a stop at the end of the suspension travel. To tell you when it is full.
 
Pea gravel? Or anything you’re going to shovel out of the back, unless it’s a beater truck rent a utility trailer for not much and let them make a mess of that
 
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We’ll, it was definitely a nothing burger. the springs barely sagged and there was no noticeable effect on acceleration.
The only thing I noticed was it was just a little harder to stop.
 
cowman said:
Most farmers don’t consider a pickup to be overloaded until the suspension is totally bottomed out.
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I thought that was just a "not really working the truck" day at the farm:).

Brian
 
Is one of my pet peeves with US vehicles is trying to find a fuel efficient (not towing) vehicle that will tow a relative light load when needed. My fully loaded glider trailer weighs about 1550lbs. I have the F150 for even the Honda Odyssey is rated to two 3500lbs or more for long trips. But the vehicle I drive every day (commuting to work and the airport) is my 2002 Toyota Corolla. It gets 30mpg commuting and is rated to tow 1500lbs. Perfect for when I decide to ditch work and go flying instead. Usually I just tow the trailer about a mile from the hanger to the end of the runway. Occasionally will tow it to another airport within about 30miles from home base. Finding a replacement 30mpg+ vehicle rated to tow at least #1500lbs (#2000 would be nicer) is very challenging. Even the new Toyota Corolla's aren't rated as well as my 2002 Toyota. Some of the European Prius would be perfect.

Brian
 
brcase said:
Is one of my pet peeves with US vehicles is trying to find a fuel efficient (not towing) vehicle that will tow a relative light load when needed. My fully loaded glider trailer weighs about 1550lbs. I have the F150 for even the Honda Odyssey is rated to two 3500lbs or more for long trips. But the vehicle I drive every day (commuting to work and the airport) is my 2002 Toyota Corolla. It gets 30mpg commuting and is rated to tow 1500lbs. Perfect for when I decide to ditch work and go flying instead. Usually I just tow the trailer about a mile from the hanger to the end of the runway. Occasionally will tow it to another airport within about 30miles from home base. Finding a replacement 30mpg+ vehicle rated to tow at least #1500lbs (#2000 would be nicer) is very challenging. Even the new Toyota Corolla's aren't rated as well as my 2002 Toyota. Some of the European Prius would be perfect.

Brian
Click to expand...

The Subaru Outback, Forester, Toyota RAV4, and the GMC Canyon diesel for starters all can be rated for >3000# tow, and get 30+ MPG on the highway -- but not at the same time...
 
Then again my wife has a hitch on her 60's air cooled bug, and son has one on an early 90's 3 cylinder Metro.

http://www.hitchsource.com/suzuki-swift-geo-metro-trailer-hitch-class-p-27511.html
curt-11626-images-11626_1024x768_a.jpg._.thumb_400x400.jpg
 
ElPaso Pilot said:
The Subaru Outback, Forester, Toyota RAV4, and the GMC Canyon diesel for starters all can be rated for >3000# tow, and get 30+ MPG on the highway -- but not at the same time...
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I should have said that differently, instead of 30+ MPG I should say as good as or better than my Corolla. My 30+ number tends to come from the City Rating Which is close to what I usually average.
I also remembered the corolla #'s incorrectly, unless I missed a some model years below, it wasn't the towing capacity that went down but the MPG rating. looks like they have fixed that with the 12th gen corolla, so maybe I can replace my Corolla with a 2018+ one with only a small MPG penalty.
I have looked at the RAV4 and really like it, but only the Hybrid is 30+mpg, was thinking the hybrid was not rated for towing but Google is saying differently, I might have to seriously look at a RAV 4 Hybrid when time to replace the Corolla.

2002 Corolla 32/41 = 1500#
2012 Corolla 27/34 = 1500#
2021 Corolla 31/40 = 1500#
2021 RAV4 28/35 = 1500#+
2021 Rav4 Hybrid 41/38 = 1750#
2021 Subaru Outback 26/33 = 2700#+
2021 Subaru Forester 26/33 = 1500#
2002 Canyon Diesel 20/30 = 7700#

Thanks for prompting me to look again.

Brian
 
ElPaso Pilot said:
Then again my wife has a hitch on her 60's air cooled bug,
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I've got a '74 bug. Just curious how much can be towed with one of these things. Most days mine is just happy to get out of it's own way. :D
 
Daleandee said:
I've got a '74 bug. Just curious how much can be towed with one of these things. Most days mine is just happy to get out of it's own way. :D
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Obviously, you've never seen your bug pull a gooseneck camper:


In real life, though, the rating on this tow hitch is 1000 pounds.

http://www.hitchsource.com/volkswag...super-beetle-trailer-hitch-class-p-27609.html

Ours is an original dealer installed hitch somewhat like this -- we use it for a hitch-mount bike rack so it doesn't have to touch the paint anywhere.

It also does double duty as a skid rail protecting those low hanging aluminum engine parts from impact, as it runs all the way forward of the engine.

0b7a64fd024687bf50d77409edd3f63e.jpg
 
ElPaso Pilot said:
Obviously, you've never seen your bug pull a gooseneck camper:
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Actually I have seen that video before but it's been a long time and I had forgotten it. I was being a little bit tongue in cheek with my comment. In truth I guess a thousand pounds isn't too much to ask.

Thanks for the info!
 
That gooseneck is freakin awesome. Forget why we use engines designed in the 30’s. Why the hell hasn’t that idea been perfected with modern vehicles?
 
Zeldman said:
Only the (Harmon) Shadow knows.!!

“Hey Mac….why use a ball and hitch attached to the frame of a tow vehicle…lets put it on the roof…we could get some extra room in the trailer overhang!”

“Great idea, you want another beer?”

https://www.motor1.com/news/446241/shadow-roof-mount-car-rv-trailer/

https://rvshare.com/blog/harmon-shadow-trailer/
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It's even worse than that --- Let's just clamp it all to the drip rails on the roof.

I can imagine the automotive engineers who designed that roof system screaming quietly into their beers at some 70's Detroit bar, that the performance requirements of the drip rails and A/B/C pillars were never even remotely considered to be a towing member for a RV trailer... while wondering when they would be called in for the inevitable trial depositions.

shadow-roof-mount-rv-trailer-hitch-close.jpg
 
Look at the Buick blasting through a field bouncing a trailer behind it -- "Safely towed by the family car"

 
Yet somehow, I want one now just for the spectacle of it all. With a drab green '72 Buick Electra to match.
 
Other than the obvious structural issues, that's brilliant.
 
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