Why is payload so low?

Hey guys I’m wondering what the weakest link of these trucks are? I’ve come from the cummins diesel world and I see the tundras payload rating is extremely low. I don’t see any way to pull the trailer I have, with my family in the truck and stay under the payload rating. So I was wondering what are the weakest components... is it axles? Shocks? Frame? Etc...

If you can please keep it to helpful comments, don’t need a lecture on weights and ratings and all that. Thanks for the input!

I have a 2021 Crewmax limited TRD Off-road

 

Leaf packs. Get heavy duty options. The axles and shocks are more than capable to compete with other 1/2tons. Our leaf packs are an absolute joke.

What trailer you pulling?

 

Weakest links (in order, in my experience and opinion):

1. Toyota Lawyers.
2. People who should have purchased a heavy/super duty for the towing they want to do.
3. Suspension, particularly the rear leafs.
4. Tire load rating (OEM).
5. Brakes.

And please note there are many payload threads that discuss this topic. So you may get a bit of responses of that sort.

 

It is a half ton truck, so payload is much lower than HD trucks. Tundras are solid. I do not think there are any particular parts that are weak, plenty have gone many hundreds of thousands of miles dependably....and upgrading anything is not going to alter your payload anyway. If you need more payload then you need a HD pickup, simple as that.

You have a crewmax and a limited, so that crewmax body is heavy as is the 38 gallon gas tank- so your payload will be less than a similar doublecab with the smaller gas tank.

 

I have a 36’ travel trailer. It weighs about 8k loaded so tongue weight is probably 850ish. I put on some Firestone airbags this past weekend. I was kinda figuring it would be the leaf springs that are the weakest so the airbags should take care of that. Is there a brand everyone uses for a new leaf pack? Or add a leaf?

 

Ya I understand getting the useless responses but not everyone has time to research pages and pages of info so it’s nice when people can chime in real quick with helpful insights. Thanks for helping to confirm leaf spring are basically the must upgrade part.

 

8k empty, 36' travel trailer, and you plan on pulling it with a half ton? With your family in the truck?

Hahahahahaha. Son, you bought the wrong truck to pull that trailer with.

Don't get me wrong, I love my Tundra, and I think it's a great truck, but there's not a half ton in the world I'd be pulling a 36' travel trailer with.

 

Yes I know the legalities of it and I know it’s not a Heavy duty truck. Regardless of having your payload sticker show higher numbers, there are still things you can do to help strengthen your truck when towing. I was mostly wondering why it’s so low even compared to other half ton trucks. I wouldn’t expect 2500lbs+ like a heavy duty but even 1500 or 1800 would be reasonable I would think. So I was just wondering what’s keeping it from hitting those numbers.

 

I just threw on a pair of Roadmaster Active Suspension springs. I will be towing my tractor this weekend which is right at max capacity. I will let you know how they handle. The first time I towed without them went really smooth but the truck definitely needs better leaf packs and bigger brakes to handle the weight.

As for go to packs, I think a lot of people get Dakar heavy duty or a custom set from a place in texas I cant remember the name.

 

That’s loaded weight not empty, which is under what the trucks can tow. Payload is the limitation not towing capacity. Just wondering what I can do to handle the weight better until I can get a different trailer

 

Dobinsons

 

Weight is meaningless with that travel trailer. 36’ is way too long for a half ton I’d suggest a bigger truck

 

I put empty in an earlier response but I meant loaded sorry

 

Thanks man I’ll be interested to hear how that helps! Appreciate the input

 

Why do you say 36’ is too long?

 

36’ trailer is going to catch a lot of wind and towing that much trailer with such a short and light truck is asking for trouble in a high wind situation. To be blunt, you bought the wrong truck for the job

 

Because the trailer will tow the truck instead of vice versa

 

Of course! I am right there with you. My tractor with loader and an implement weigh in around 7200lbs and a trailer around 2200. I am right at my max but I can't sell my truck and shovel out $50K+ for a 3/4 to 1 ton. So I try to make it work safely. The payload rating is absolute garbage and with better components can easily be 1500-1800 even though I know you can't increase payload legally.

 

I agree! If Toyota had put a stronger leaf pack on the truck from the factory it would upgrade payload numbers but if I do it myself it can’t handle that same amount of weight? The ratings are government crap.

 

It’s no different than my 2012 Cummins weighing 7300lbs, with a tow rating of 12,500lbs and payload of 2,300lbs towing a 39’ toy hauler that I had before. The 1,800lbs between that cummins and this tundra are not going to keep the “trailer from towing the truck”. Of course if you have a dually that handles it all much better. But in general, trailers are wind sails. Do you think 30’ is much better than 36’? Heavier trailers handle the wind better and you won’t notice the wind any different between those two lengths, if weights are the same.

Regardless of differing opinions I’m just trying to beef up the truck a bit to handle the weight better. To handle ANY weight better. I just wanted to make sure the frame or something like that wasn’t the weakest point because obviously I can’t just upgrade that.

 

That's way too big for any halfton to pull safely, even if you can somehow stay within your GVWR and GCWR.

 

I feel like our brakes are pretty good sized. I cannot imagine that the Big 3 have noticeable bigger brakes than the tundra.

yes the tundra ratings are with P rated tires, however at 50psi the 4 of them can hold 9000 lbs. toyota just recommends running them flat

 

My thought is that Toyota is much more conservative with load ratings then the big 3. I carry 1550 lbs of feed, myself, and gear with no problems.

 

Payload = GVWR - curb weight

Your truck has pretty much the same GVWR as all other halftons. The only way to safely and legally increase your payload is to make the truck lighter.

 

When you have a beer can body you can increase the payload

 

I'm also towing close to the limit and have added E rated tires, sumo springs, rear sway bar, CB +1 shackles and 5100 shocks.

I think that's all there is to it. The Tundra is relatively heavy, your payload is whatever is left over.

 

I think another wink link are it's axles. I don't think there's any HD upgrades. The weak brakes mentioned before are no where near HD either. Sadly there's no 3/4 - 1 ton option with the import brands so you're stuck with US brands if you want anything that will seriously haul anything.

 

I think saying 850 tongue weight is being super optimistic. I would bet your tongue weight is closer to 12% of that 8k, which would put it at 960lbs...I don't know how big you are but after you get it your probably pushing the payload rating if not over. This also means that you are probably exceeding your RAWR.

The rear leaf pack is definitely a weak link. Look at a new rear leaf pack and then look at one a few years old that has done some towing and you will see how flat they become.

 

There are a million reasons why it could be that you and I will probably never know or understand. Only Toyota.

The first issue is that the Tundra is relatively heavy by today's standards. The CrewMax 4x4 is 5680 lbs base, so any options are pushing it up closer to 6000 lbs.

The second issue is that the GVWR is low. Why they limited to 7200 lbs is odd to me for such a heavy truck with stout axles. But usually this is determined by many aspects including braking and handling. It not just about the springs and axles. 7200 is low plain and simple. My 2014 F150 is 7700 lbs and, even though the truck is fully loaded with heated/cooled seats and almost every option, it still has a somewhat respectable 1560 lb payload.

Nowadays they other MFG's are only spitting out trucks in the 7100-7300 lb GVWR range, but the trucks are sub-5000 lbs for a crew cab 4x4 in most cases. Even fully loaded trucks are only weighing in at 5500 lbs. So they still have decent payloads.