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Cargo Rating

Gene_K_2
Explorer
Explorer
I've wondered if a truck's cargo rating wouldn't be more useful to people shopping for travel trailers than payload. For those unfamiliar Cargo Rating = Payload minus 150 lb per available seating position. For instance a 2,000 lb Payload Regular Cab would have a 1550 lb Cargo Rating and a Bench Seat Crew Cab an 1100 lb Cargo Rating. Seems like it would help people who often think Payload is Cargo Rating (ie how much can I carry in the bed).
10 REPLIES 10

BenK
Explorer
Explorer
Over thinking to fall into a rat hole...

Big picture are the main ratings...GVWR, FGAWR and RGAWR

The main one of concern in this discussion is RGAWR, but do not ignore the other two

RGAWR the main concern because most all things loaded into, onto a pickup is behind the drivers door rear edge. Thus most of that weight will be on the rear axle.

That is their ratings system and if don't believe in ratings nor their systems... do whatever and own the situation in either regard
-Ben Picture of my rig
1996 GMC SLT Suburban 3/4 ton K3500/7.4L/4:1/+150Kmiles orig owner...
1980 Chevy Silverado C10/long bed/"BUILT" 5.7L/3:73/1 ton helper springs/+329Kmiles, bought it from dad...
1998 Mazda B2500 (1/2 ton) pickup, 2nd owner...
Praise Dyno Brake equiped and all have "nose bleed" braking!
Previous trucks/offroaders: 40's Jeep restored in mid 60's / 69 DuneBuggy (approx +1K lb: VW pan/200hpCorvair: eng, cam, dual carb'w velocity stacks'n 18" runners, 4spd transaxle) made myself from ground up / 1970 Toyota FJ40 / 1973 K5 Blazer (2dr Tahoe, 1 ton axles front/rear, +255K miles when sold it)...
Sold the boat (looking for another): Trophy with twin 150's...
51 cylinders in household, what's yours?...

valhalla360
Nomad
Nomad
Gene K 2 wrote:
Cargo Rating is usually what they use for specifying truck campers but as far as I know it's officially a cargo rating.


I've often wondered if something wouldn't work to minimize the misconception that payload was the amount you can put in the bed (without regard to occupant weight). Like anything else that's been tried (like "tow rating" instead of just GCWR and GVWR) it would likely just create more problems.


At least with Ford, they list the truck camper rating...not a "cargo rating"
Tammy & Mike
Ford F250 V10
2021 Gray Wolf
Gemini Catamaran 34'
Full Time spliting time between boat and RV

ssthrd
Explorer
Explorer
Gene K 2 wrote:
Cargo Rating is usually what they use for specifying truck campers but as far as I know it's officially a cargo rating.


I've often wondered if something wouldn't work to minimize the misconception that payload was the amount you can put in the bed (without regard to occupant weight). Like anything else that's been tried (like "tow rating" instead of just GCWR and GVWR) it would likely just create more problems.


Thanks Gene...........

Now it makes sense why the payload (3460 lbs) rating on my truck is more than the camper weight rating (2724 lbs). I found the camper info on a sticker in the glove box, and it refers to the cargo weight. Learned something new. 736 lbs difference and a reason why.
2014 Keystone Laredo 292RL
2013 Palomino Maverick 2902
2018 GMC 3500HD, 4x4, 6.5' box, SRW, Denali, Duramax, Andersen
DeeBee, JayBee, and Jed the Black Lab

The hurrier I go the behinder I get. (Lewis Carroll)

Gene_K_2
Explorer
Explorer
Cargo Rating is usually what they use for specifying truck campers but as far as I know it's officially a cargo rating.


I've often wondered if something wouldn't work to minimize the misconception that payload was the amount you can put in the bed (without regard to occupant weight). Like anything else that's been tried (like "tow rating" instead of just GCWR and GVWR) it would likely just create more problems.

SweetLou
Explorer
Explorer
wing_zealot wrote:
Never heard of Cargo Rating before. I can do the math for myself a lot more accurately than 150 lbs per seat. My truck has 5 seats, 95% of the time only 2 are in use.

The sticker on the door of my truck clearly says "The combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed _______". Seems pretty clear to me.

X2
2013 3500 Cummins 6.7 Quadcab 4x4 3.73 68FE Trans, 2007 HitchHiker Discover America 329 RSB
We love our Westie

valhalla360
Nomad
Nomad
I think they have moved away from cargo ratings. I haven't seen it listed last few times we bought. While you could back calculate it, it's more limiting.

Example a family of 4 with a 4 door 6 seat pickup. Assuming a couple of 50lb kids a 200lb husband and 150lb wife, that's 450lb of payload used vs 900lb used by your cargo assumption. You just lost 450lb of usable payload to the assumption working off your cargo rating calculation.

Really unless you are trying to push the truck to the limits, it doesn't make much difference and if you are pushing to the limits, false passenger weights you will never see don't make sense if you need that last 450lb of payload.

If you read the sticker on the door, it's quite clear what is included in payload.
Tammy & Mike
Ford F250 V10
2021 Gray Wolf
Gemini Catamaran 34'
Full Time spliting time between boat and RV

ssthrd
Explorer
Explorer
I always thought that cargo was any item in the truck (people, dog, gravel in the bed, tongue weight, pin weight, whatever) that made up payload. Never knew there was a difference between payload and cargo rating. Too many numbers with too many meanings for most people I think.

To me, the only numbers that mean anything are GVWR, FAWR, RAWR, and GCWR. When weight ratings become a concern for whatever reason, the scale is the only answer.

For a read that includes explanations for all of the acronyms that we commonly run into, check this out from Curt.
2014 Keystone Laredo 292RL
2013 Palomino Maverick 2902
2018 GMC 3500HD, 4x4, 6.5' box, SRW, Denali, Duramax, Andersen
DeeBee, JayBee, and Jed the Black Lab

The hurrier I go the behinder I get. (Lewis Carroll)

blt2ski
Moderator
Moderator
How is cargo rating any different than max camper rating in pickups per say....
Then if you have 6 peeps in said crew cab pickup that ave 175-200 per. Your chewing 1200 lbs of people weight vs 900. Yes been there did that done that when I had at the time, spouse, 4 adult sized teens and myself. Reality all I cared about is total payload!

Marty
92 Navistar dump truck, 7.3L 7 sp, 4.33 gears with a Detroit no spin
2014 Chevy 1500 Dual cab 4x4
92 Red-e-haul 12K equipment trailer

wing_zealot
Explorer
Explorer
Never heard of Cargo Rating before. I can do the math for myself a lot more accurately than 150 lbs per seat. My truck has 5 seats, 95% of the time only 2 are in use.

The sticker on the door of my truck clearly says "The combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed _______". Seems pretty clear to me.

Lwiddis
Explorer
Explorer
Changing the "system" we have now would be difficult if not impossible IMO. Informed truck buyers are few and far between...and the newbies always want to buy the truck first.
Winnebago 2101DS TT & 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 LTZ Z71, WindyNation 300 watt solar-Lossigy 200 AH Lithium battery. Prefer boondocking, USFS, COE, BLM, NPS, TVA, state camps. Bicyclist. 14 yr. Army -11B40 then 11A - (MOS 1542 & 1560) IOBC & IOAC grad