Payload capacity - how to visually know you reach the limit?

I have a 2023 tundra limited with 6.5ft bed and crew cab. Two questions since I'm not so familiar with this air suspension. 1) how do you know that you reached the load limit (e.g. when you pick up soil or material without a known weight)? Is there a stopper we could look for? 2) do you leave the truck running so the compressor can keep the truck level as it gets loaded? Thx

 

There is no visual indicator. You can look up how much stuff weighs and calculate based on volume.

If you are planning to haul a bunch of soil or gravel you might be better served renting a small dump trailer. Half ton trucks are for light duty.

 

I also use a utility trailer for dirt and gravel.

 

Dude, my paint chipped and my windshield is blasted just from looking at that.

 

Damn, can’t believe this is real.

 

Air is thinner there

 

Didn't Ford or one of the other big 3 have a built in 'scale' on the bumper to indicate current payload or reamaing payload available??

(kinda like a suitcase w/a built in scale for use while traveling via air)

 

You can check tongue weight.
They make a scale you lower the trailer hitch onto and it'll give you tongue weight.
As far as the weight you're going to be towing goes they make trailer scales you drive onto or you go to a truck weigh station.
Bought a tongue scale years back and it rarely gets used since once you know all of your trailer weights it doesnt see much use.
After you tow a few loads you'll be able to tell just by how your truck pulls it and your tongue weight will be noticeable as well.
And if you're hauling say sand or gravel the place you bought it from should be able to tell how much x amount of their product weighs so they know how much to charge you.

 

2025 tundra fragility.

I think OP wanted to know if you can just look at something like distance to bump stops, instead of going to scales to check. I guess the answer is no? Makes me wonder, if you pulled up empty and shut off truck, will it sag under the weight and give you a pointer appx. how heavy you are? Then you can just start it up and system will level itself again.

 

Pro Tip:
If you are purchasing any form of anything that is going in the bed of the pickup truck, it is either sold by weight (tah-dah!!), or volume. The computer in your pocket can do a quick calculation for the latter.

If this is too complex, stick to hauling groceries. Like me.

 

FYI, many times I haul stuff that do not go by weight (wood, compost (can be wet and heavy) from a friend's farm, etc.)... Hence, why I'd like to know when I'm at payload capacity... thx

 

Everything goes by weight. just use the ole noodle.

 

It has nothing to do with the year of the truck. It's the usual Toyota paint fragility. My 2.5 gen chipped easily as well.

 

Yeah, if you fill your bed with those you're going to be overloaded. There's no visual indicator.

As @PermaFrostTRD demonstrated, you can research and get an estimate for your weights. It's how it's always been done unless you have a scale and get before and after weights.

 

I would say you could just put 1500# in the bed and see how close to the bump stops you are. But where you load the 1500# makes a difference too.

 

2” from the bump stops was around 1200-1300# on my 2000. Need to re-evaluate since I replaced the leafs with 4+1 HD versions.

 

It's the other way around. 250/350/450 do, but IDK if the 150 has it. Cool feature. With the AVS or auto level headlights there should be a scale built in, IMO.

 

Assuming that's a photo off I-25 this is horrendously funny. And I'm also not surprised.

 

https://youtu.be/lSbQGtl0ODI?si=if8kK-63w33JU_Xh

 

No, I think it's the same system. I just remember seeing a video demo of them dumping a bucket into the bed of a Super Duty and the tail lights and info screen lighting up. Cool they do it on the 150 too.

 

You can use the same method that's used with the butt dyno to estimate horsepower.