Power Wagon Registry

When your powerwagon is loaded.

I've debated putting a sled deck on my truck to carry a dirtbike and an Atv while towing our travel trailer. The total weight of this is about 1025lbs plus 800lbs tongue weight plus driver, wife and dog 425lbs. Then add fuel and snivel gear etc

The payload on my PW Laramie is 1330lbs (yes you read that right). Bags or timbrens will be required no doubt.

Some will ask why I didn't buy a regular 2500 or 3500. I wanted the truck I've lusted after since 05 and I figure that PW still has a full float axle and regular HD running gear so it should be able to handle the weight with some help.

A new F150 has better payload# than a PW but I think it's better to have an understressed 2500 chassis rather than a overstressed 1/2 ton chassis.

So guys with slide in campers, guys that tow or load heavily and work their trucks please chime in with your thoughts.

The weight police will probably chime in and say GVWR is the law, BC is the only Canadian province I know of that enforces personal vehicles weight ratings, I should still fly under the radar with the regular 2500 badges, unless the Mountie knows what a PW is.

Anyway let's hear your thoughts...

Not much help but I had 2,000 lbs worth of seed in my bed the other week

HOLY CRAP 1330lbs payload? x( Man they really have dropped down from the 3rd gen Power Wagons... I believe my payload is 2300lbs

leo72987 wrote:HOLY CRAP 1330lbs payload? x( Man they really have dropped down from the 3rd gen Power Wagons... I believe my payload is 2300lbs

It's pretty ridiculous, I've chosen to pretty much ignore that number and use the axle rating as a guide for now.

What year is your truck?

On my 2012 GVWR is 8510 lb.

Not really sure what type of issues you will run into in Canada with heavy loading... But over here I have my truck registered for 10,000 pounds and my trailer registered for 15,000 pounds. I have made numerous hauls heavily loaded and the truck has performed perfectly. Take a look at the picture below... Truck has stock suspension and 65 psi in all four tires. (I never run less than 65 psi on the road for any reason) I run the gain at +6 on the electric brakes - and stopping is very good and predictable. Tongue weight is probably around 1500 pounds for this load. My ball is nearly 12" from the end of the receiver.

Since the Power Wagons have a higher stance than the standard 2500's, they don't appear to be overloaded when the backend drops 5 inches under a heavy load. If you have a leveling kit on the front and then load up the rear it might begin to look overloaded.
Went across the scale with a load of Crusher Run at 22,160 pounds. Went by State Police, Sheriff, and local police cruisers and no one seemed to have a concern as I passed by.

I think this latest generation Power Wagon is under-rated in terms of capacity. Well that's my two cents!


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leo72987 wrote:HOLY CRAP 1330lbs payload? x( Man they really have dropped down from the 3rd gen Power Wagons... I believe my payload is 2300lbs

Apparently that new suspension isn't that great. I just did a quick google search and my 2012 is listed at 1,880lbs payload and max tow weight of 10,250. Ramtrucks.com lists the 2015 at 1,440lbs in the payload department and max tow weight of 9,680. Yet another reason to keep my paid for 2012.

All that being said- I would think that airbags would be of huge help to the OP.

1440 for slt or tradesman, 1330 for the 15 Laramie for all the cushy bits, the more goodies that are added the less payload you have.

The truck GVWR hasn't changed much from gen 4 to gen 4.5(is it alright to call 14+ trucks that lol) it's that the truck got heavier. Mine weighs just north of 7200lbs, that's 100lbs MORE than my 2006 diesel.

The regular 2500 with coils actually have more payload than the older 2500 leaf sprung trucks. I suspect the PW coils are made of cheese.

http://www.ramtrucks.com/assets/towing_ ... charts.pdf

http://www.ramtrucks.com/assets/towing_ ... .Specs.pdf

Picked up a yard of gravel the other day. 2400-2600lb in bed. No problem, hardly noticeable, ride was nice and smooth, nowhere near bump stops.

The RCMP in BC sometimes have road side checkpoints and usually are more concerned with the rated payload of the tires and what your actual load is on the tires. They might look at the GVRW, if your truck is noticeably sagging. It's usually the Department of transportation cops that get their panties in a knot in regards to GVRW but they usually have their hands full with commercial vehicle. Get some quality air bags. I would suggest the long Carli long travel bags if they have them for your year truck. I have them and really like them. Larger volume of air than others which gives it a better ride. They are also very high quality but they are more expensive.
If you ever get into a motor vehicle accident and there are injuries or casualties, lawyers might have a field day with the fact that your truck wasn't legally rated to handle such a heavy load. I realize that a worst case scenario but if it were to happen, the fines( or even jail time) could ruin a guy. Even if you weren't at fault, they would say you shouldn't have been on the road. Something to think about. When I have quads on my travel trailer, all fluids and gear, I also am overweight by 500-700 lbs.

if you exceed the GVWR in the western states and get in an accident, whether your fault or not, expect a ticket and consultations with lawyers.

mike

10 mile trip from stone quarry.... 3920 lbs in the bed. Weighed before loading & after loading. I have Hellwig Load Pro 35's on my stock springs.

I may have already posted this on this or another forum; but here is my 2007 with 100 rolls of sod at almost 35 pounds a roll = 3500 lbs
These trucks are way underrated! The only issue you will every get load wise, is with a government bean counter with a scale.

The 3G guys with leaf springs. Be careful of overloading. You could end up bending a leaf spring the wrong way. Just something to think about. I've had 4,000 lbs of dirt from a landscaping place in the back of mine. But I only had to go 4 miles.

Limamikemike wrote: Mine weighs just north of 7200lbs, that's 100lbs MORE than my 2006 diesel.

WOW! My 06 CTD weighs 8420. I know the shell doesn't weigh 1500 lbs, must be all the recovery gear, extra fuel and water in the bed.

When mine is fully loaded for a trip with the camper I'm between 9600 & 10,000 lbs. depending if I have the Dual Sport on the back. So proper tires, shocks, and air bags are a must. I think the PopTop camper and air bags make it look like it's not over loaded.

verdesardog wrote:

Limamikemike wrote: Mine weighs just north of 7200lbs, that's 100lbs MORE than my 2006 diesel.

WOW! My 06 CTD weighs 8420. I know the shell doesn't weigh 1500 lbs, must be all the recovery gear, extra fuel and water in the bed.

It adds up, we were loaded for a trip cross canada with my old truck and eagle cap 850s 3200lb dry weight truck camper and just for shizz and giggles rolled over a scale with it in Manitoba---12570lbs on a GVWR truck of 9990! We sold the camper shortly after.

Water, people, fuel and gear weighs a heck of a lot more than I thought.

I think My 12' weighs close to 8000lb with the larger tires and spare and tools and what not..I believe I remember looking at dodges website (ram sorry) and seeing that a 12' p.wagon and a 12' slt crew cab were only 400lbs nose weight different.... Their heavy bitches with the winches up front and added fairlead etc if your ever taken yours out you'll know! Ps mine squats a lot with a 6" drop hitch and this unloaded uhaul 6x12' lol
Sent from somewhere your not

And here I read the title and immediately thought 'yea I could lose 20 pounds'

I would do what your talking about and not even think twice. Even more so since you mentioned airbags. I've run trucks on the bumps numerous times without issue, of course I grew up with my Dad and Grandpa who have a custom hay business. We always overloaded pickups. I never even thought about twice about it until the internet came and forums were invented. Then I realized how much we were overworking/overloading our trucks. But they never broke and always did it. My 2 cents.

nts007 wrote:And here I read the title and immediately thought 'yea I could lose 20 pounds'

Full tank of gas, bed shell, anti-stuck gear. me. I'm just over 8,200 lbs.

In my 2014 I have had it loaded with my ATV (600lbs) my sons mini ATV (150lbs) 2 jerry cans of gas (50lbs), a 20lb propane tank, a generator(85lbs), a chainsaw (15lbs), 2 extra long ATV ramps (40lbs), a custom raised set of "ramps" so I can carry both ATVs (80lbs) and also some firewood (75lbs). Total bed weight right around 1100lbs. Then at the same time I have my travel trailer hooked up with an 800lb hitch weight (but also using a weight distribution hitch). Then add in me (188lbs) and wife, dog and kid (230lbs total) and I am most definitely over payload.

I added Air Lift air bags with Daystar cradles (to keep the articulation) and they work GREAT to handle the load, no problem at all.

It is a 3/4 ton truck and it should be used as such. I have no problem hauling what I need to. This load of hay is about 14,000 plus the trailer. I also tow a 12,000 pound 5th wheel with no problem.

JBM Power Wagon wrote:In my 2014 I have had it loaded with my ATV (600lbs) my sons mini ATV (150lbs) 2 jerry cans of gas (50lbs), a 20lb propane tank, a generator(85lbs), a chainsaw (15lbs), 2 extra long ATV ramps (40lbs), a custom raised set of "ramps" so I can carry both ATVs (80lbs) and also some firewood (75lbs). Total bed weight right around 1100lbs. Then at the same time I have my travel trailer hooked up with an 800lb hitch weight (but also using a weight distribution hitch). Then add in me (188lbs) and wife, dog and kid (230lbs total) and I am most definitely over payload.

I added Air Lift air bags with Daystar cradles (to keep the articulation) and they work GREAT to handle the load, no problem at all.

Sounds like your set up will be very similar to mine. I already have the daystar cradles that I bought for my previous truck and didn't install.

Thanks for all the responses everyone