Payload Stickers?

I don't like these numbers at all.
I try not to exceed, but a family of 4 (relatively light people) + dog + topper + skids + oversized spare + gear + a cooler = maxed out fast.

Toyota marketing:
You can "tow" a space shuttle a few miles, but only haul 3 - 4 good sized people with purses.

 

Plenty of real world experience (15 years for the Gen2) is my "gospel". Toyota's CYA legalese is their business, not mine. Lifts and bigger tires aren't approved either, but nobody seems to get their panties in a twist about that!

 

The part that bugs me is making false claims like "the sticker is gospel". There is a lot of misinformation regarding payload and legalities that gets repeated millions of times. I wasted way too many hours sorting through it, and there is really nothing there. So it is like religion in that sense. If following the sticker is important to you, that's fine... but don't claim it's something it isn't.

 

I wonder if Toyota got gun-shy because a lot of folks reported that the payload stickers on the 2nd Gen appeared to underestimate the weight of stock trucks.

 

But again, GVWR. There's no justifying going on.

Unless you think you should not be able to load the truck to GVWR which has always been the ultimate limit to my understanding.

 

Your gunna need a 1 ton dually if you wanna bring a cooler of beer with those purses.

Or maybe a minivan since they have more payload than a Tundra.

 

This is a wee modular electric vehicle (weighs 1400 lbs) called XBUS, that will be for sale in the EU this year. Street legal. It can be configured for a 1 ton payload! If you configure your Tundra to haul 1 ton, I guarantee it will handle and ride 10x better and last much longer.

 

You're overthinking this. Trust the manual numbers.
It's all about the shocks, rear air bags, the front brakes and of course trans cooling.
I've used these trucks to the max capacity and beyond, never an issue when the little things are addressed.

 

Incoming!

But seriously, why not get a 3/4 or 1 ton that is built for that? I get that it can be done but what benefit did you get from trying to make a T100 and Tundras work?

 

Well, I'll give you my reason anyway... I'd have to own and drive a domestic truck. It would have more problems, cost more, and would not handle, ride, or stop any better even with the load.

 

Yep, and in that last T100/Fleetwood angler picture I lived in Alaska and couldn't afford to pay the year round gas prices of an F250 etc. I don't camp year 'round, but I need Toyota dependability full time.
I will not own a domestic truck period.

Think about it, old school Toyota class C campers were 20'+ long powered by 20r engines. It was slow going, but reliability ruled the day. I adopted the same thinking with my truck/camper rigs.

 

Probably making sure you don't get stuck with an unreliable truck in the back country, or the need for nimbleness in the back country when you dump the camper off. I am actually planning to set up a Tundra the same way...its good to see a few truck campers on Tundra pics

 

That’s exactly it for me. I trust the Tundra to get me back every single time. Bonehead simple ancient drivetrain. And it drives smaller than any other half ton with the small front end and the tighter turning radius. Yeah I’m over payload at times but under my combined axle ratings according to my CAT scale ticket. I’m fine with this because I’m not stressing the axles beyond what Toyota says they can handle, and the door jamb number on a personal vehicle is not the law. My door jamb shows a 1,000-lb buffer between GVWR and combined axle ratings. Neither axle is overloaded.

And if I were towing over 8k, I’d be in a 3/4 ton. I also wouldn’t be camping out in the middle of nowhere driving narrow trails and making tight turns between trees and boulders.

 

You're right, as far as most jurisdictions are concerned (as long as you don't hit limits requiring a CDL). However, if you get in an accident or something happens, you can and will be held civilly liable.

 

My camper will be full time, and close to the axle ratings. That's why I seriously considered a 1 ton. Still didn't make sense though. The 1 tons are beefier in a lot of areas for sure, but that doesn't equate to more reliable. 2nd gens have been hauling much bigger loads for hundreds of thousands of miles, and they don't fall apart. There are pros and cons otherwise to going 1 ton.

I fell in love with a '84 Toyota truck that I lived in and explored in for 13 years; it was overloaded and seriously abused. It was like a really good dog... no complaints, always eager to go, never let me down. Guess I'm more confidant in the Tundra because of that experience.

 

I've seen one of those guys almost get turned into a vertical pancake by an 18 wheeler on I-80 in Wyoming. Being too slow is straight up dangerous and this guy might have been doing 45mph in a 80 mph zone. I was towing my travel trailer and all of a sudden the 18 wheelers in front of me started swerving and slamming on their brakes. I couldn't see why cause they were blocking my view. I nearly soiled myself.

Trucks must have been doing that all day behind him. I wonder if he made it all the way across without being killed.

It's not like a Tundra doesn't have the power to move a slide-in camper down the road. And until the last year or two, was making as much more power than the HD gas engines were. Only the new 7.3L Ford and 6.6L GM are making more.

Do gas powered 3/4 tons break down a lot? And is a Tundra double cab 6.5' bed smaller than a 3/4 ton double cab 6.5' bed? I can tell you right now that a Ram 2500 crew cab's wheel base is only 3" longer than a Tundra double cab and their quad cab would be shorter. Ford's supercab is only ~2" longer than a Tundra doublecab.

Isnt that what HD trucks are? Bonehead simple? Most of the 3/4 ton trucks are pushrod V8's with port injection, far simpler than a DOHC V8 with VVTi last I checked. The Ford 6.2L is the only only OHC motor and, afaik, its damn reliable.

 

No you won't! Nowhere in the US will you be held liable or your insurance refuse to pay ... because you are over GVWR. If you cause an accident and kill someone then you certainly can be held liable, regardless of how much weight you have. Every driver is responsible for ensuring their vehicle is safe, and to drive it in a safe manner.

 

I'm pretty sure I said if you get in an accident; leave the caps lock for someone else. And if you are "overweight" you can be damn sure it won't do you any favors in court.

 

Better than the recent 1/2 ton engines for sure. But I was thinking about overall issues.

 

That's what I was referring to was accidents... even if you are the cause. Being over or under GVWR will not be relevant. If you fail to stop or lose control of your vehicle, and kill someone, you are negligent, period... and screwed. Lawyers in court might try anything, but they won't have a basis in reality if they try to claim you were unsafe because of GVWR. I've noticed that few people care about that, though...

You can be ticketed for an unsafe load (or unsafe driving) just driving down the road as well. It isn't a GVWR violation (because there is no such thing), but a visual/judgement determination by the cop.

 

Agree to disagree on it making a difference in court.

 

When I set up my first truck in 2003 I met with the service manager (a close friend) at Auto Service Company--the Toyota Dealership in Fairbanks. We talked about what I needed to properly and safely set up a T100 for a stout camper and big miles. We also then weighed the truck/camper at a certified scale to assure GVW payload was adhered too. I then proceeded to take that truck across Canada to Maine and back each Summer over the next four years.
Fast forward 19 years later, here I am (in Idaho now) still running smaller Toyotas with campers, and frankly every naysayer has been full of it.
My incoming 2022 Tundra SR will have a pop-up Starcraft in it this Summer. I'm more into the lower profile track campers these days for the better wind resistance.

We all do our own thing, thank God.

 

Not for being overweight. Last time I went to the CAT scales on a camping trip, I weighed 7400 lb with a full tank of gas and everyone (including the dog) in the truck. That’s 200lb over GVWR. You would have no clue I was over GVWR, because I had all of our very minimal gear under my retractable bed cover. That 7400 lb includes 116.2 lb of water (14gal @ 8.3lb/gal), 231.8 lb of fuel (38 gal @ 6.1lb/gal), 550 lb worth of people and dog in the cab, and who knows how much weight in food in our cooler. If I’m running on E, I’m down at GVWR.

Regardless, just the idea that they’re going to drag my wrecked truck to the scales to see if I was overweight is totally unfounded, not to mention completely ridiculous.

I’ve already said I’d be in a 3/4 ton gasser if I needed to tow heavy (like 8k+ lbs). But what I definitely don’t need is a crew cab HD truck with a 6.75’ bed with a much larger turning radius when I have the most reliable half ton that happens to drive and turn much smaller than it is. The Tundra is the best truck for my needs. And again I have no problem being a bit over GVWR, especially when I’m still several hundred lbs under my axle ratings.

 

Preach brother!

 

Most cops have no clue what GVWR is. The ones that do are looking at commercial vehicles and Tractor Trailers. Even In a crash the report may say overloaded vehicle as a contributing factor but you are absolutely correct that it’s just a judgment call by the officer on the scene.
Nobody is going to put your car and load on a scale after crash (perhaps they would if it’s a fatal) without weights specifically, it’s a zero chance anything happens to you in court for GVWR. Most likely operating an unsafe vehicle would be the charge which could be anything from a car with uncleaned snow to bald tires.

 

What’s the weight on your starcraft camper? I’m thinking of doing a 22 6.5’ tundra (not sure on double cab vs crewmax yet) with either a Scout camper, Alaskan 6.5 or Fourwheel Hawk. They all seem to come in around 1,500 lbs with options. I feel like the Tundra should handle it fine, but it will be tight according to the payload sticker.

 

That weight guess is about right. The Starcraft = 1400lbs empty.
No exaggeration to say that I've had about 8-10 camper configurations over the years. My latest is the best imho. I'm 6'5'' and the Starcraft Stargazer pops up enough for my height.
The T100 below was from '16, and that was a Palomino camper. The full sized rear door is a 'must-have.' No mini-me doors for moi, dunno how folks cope with that.

Keep your eye open for the camper you want and be prepared to go get it the moment you see it, the good stuff seldom last long on the open market. The 6.5 would likely suit your camper plans better.

 

Last pics, promise. Grin....another T100 and Tundra with yet a different Palomino. They are a good choice for an entry level camper.

 

It won't be tight... you'll be way over GVWR. Probably about 1,000 lbs over once you are loaded with "stuff" and people. But ya, it'll handle it great with proper upgrades.

 

I considered the 2022 for a truck camper, but between the bed dimensions being a little off (bed angles in towards the bottom) and knowing there might be fit issues on the older campers before the new ones sort out any clearance problems, and the reduced axle weight ratings on the new one. I think if I set up a tundra it will be an older gen. I may yet set up a domestic 3/4 or 1 ton but I think I would have a better chance at a good fit for an older camper (if thats the route I go) with a different gen.