Frame Strength, Who to Believe! The RV Sales Guy or the New Truck Dealer? Maybe Neither?

[AbleGuy]

I’m going to be rather cautious about how I describe the following scenario, to try to protect the innocent. The pictures below tell a very interesting story of frame failure on a newer, full-size heavy duty pick up truck.

If I understand the dialogue correctly, according to the owner of the truck involved, the dealer of the huge camper he mounted on it as well as the dealer for the new truck he bought, both represented to him that the truck would surely be sturdy enough to safely carry this very large, heavy camper. However, after about 25,000 miles of pleasurable adventures, the reality of a bad road finally begged to differ and reared its ugly head and looks to have painfully proved all three of these parties wrong!

The owner of the truck, in the story referenced below, indicates his belief that the cargo weight capacity of this otherwise sturdy looking truck was sufficient for the load it was going to be carrying. The reporter of the published story though seems to offer a different view and mentions that that CCC number was probably for a different version of the truck, one with a smaller cab…and further that the actual weight capacity for the wrecked truck involved was most likely less than what everyone thought it was.

At any rate Mopar, the factory warranty provider, allegedly disagreed with them all and declined to cover the quoted $17,000 in repairs. So one would have to conclude that buyer beware still remains the cri de coeur of the day.

And so dear readers, the pictures provide an expensive reminder of the need for big rig buyers to triple check their CCC and COG numbers before settling on a final decision for a truck camper combo.

In this austere, reputable forum, experienced and merely opinionated contributors frequently and hotly debate the inflammatory issue of whether a member’s truck is overloaded with the gear package chosen for it is or is a deadly dangerous timebomb putting self and the public at large at risk. This story certainly is unlikely to settle these arguments, so rage on my good fellows, rage on!



https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/aut...ll-overload-a-big-truck/ar-AA15MPD2?ocid=EMMX

 

[AbleGuy]

⬆️ From above article…

“(The trucks owners says) I knew the payload capacity on the truck was about 7,800 pounds and the camper dry weight was close to 5,000 pounds, but fully loaded, probably about 6,500 pounds."

If you Google the max payload capacity for a 2020 Ram 3500, you'll see a figure close to what Pavel quoted there: 7,680 pounds. However, that's only the case for a regular-cab, long-bed model with two-wheel drive and the 6.4-liter Hemi V8. The truck in question here is a crew-cab, short-bed with four-wheel drive and the 6.7-liter Cummins diesel, meaning its payload capacity is significantly lower. It's impossible to know the exact rating of Pavel's truck without having all the details regarding the trim and options, but Ram's spec sheet shows the payload capacity for a similar dually as maxing out at 4,190 pounds.” ???

 

[tacollie]

Seems like the larger issue to me is how the load is distributed. There is a lot of weight behind the axle, way up high, and over the front. That's a lot of leverage in all the bad places. If you are carrying a load that is poorly distributed you need to compensate by getting a bigger truck.

 

[carleton]

Maybe we just collect here all the various photos of broken frames on trucks.....then link to this thread whenever folks in the classifieds want to debate payload & weight distribution?

In all seriousness, though, traditional Truck Campers always look so long and tall to me.

I'm sure issues like this have always happened, some folks have always overloaded their trucks and most are fine. But I wonder if the prevalence of the internet & popularity of camping makes cases like this more visible then they used to be?

 

[Buddha.]

The payload sticker is a bright yellow thing that you step past every time you enter the drivers seat. How do people mess this up?

 

[AbleGuy]

The payload sticker is a bright yellow thing the you step past every time you enter the drivers seat. How do people mess this up?

On my K2500 HD the max payload sticker is in glovebox.

 

[BritKLR]

If it isn't in writing or posted on the truck it didn't happen. The sales people for the truck and camper are all going to follow the company line (lawyer) of they told him what the truck was rated for as printed on the truck.

 

[DaveNay]

The payload sticker is a bright yellow thing the you step past every time you enter the drivers seat. How do people mess this up?

There's also a huge difference between a pallet of bricks sitting directly over the axle and that load shown in the pictures. Even if it was "less than the maximum", it's still an idiot choice.

 

[tacollie]

There's also a huge difference between a pallet of bricks sitting directly over the axel and that load shown in the pictures. Even if it was "less than the maximum", it's still an idiot choice.

I agree 100%. The way that load is distributed is asking for trouble. A certain point a truck camper isn't the right choice.

 

[NOPEC]

On my K2500 HD the max payload sticker is in glovebox.

Same on my GMC. Might be a GM specific thing....(But, as others have noted, it is pretty clear and easy to read where ever it is..)

It sure would be interesting to be a fly on the wall during the meetings between the engineers and the marketing gurus within the big three NA truck manufacturers when it comes to discussions on the "reality of design" vs. the "reality of marketing fantasy" designed to one up or out do the competition.

 

[DaveNay]

It sure would be interesting to be a fly on the wall during the meetings between the engineers and the marketing gurus within the big three NA truck manufacturers when it comes to discussions on the "reality of design" vs. the "reality of marketing fantasy" designed to one up or out do the competition.

As someone who works in engineering (not automotive) and has had to work with marketing, the meeting usually goes like this:

Marketing: We are going to market it as 10x stronger than the previous model.
Engineering: But it's not.
Marketing: OK, great meeting, thanks!

 

[Buddha.]

I thought every truck made in the last 5-10 years had the payload sticker in the door jam?
My 2011 chev 2500 did, my 2020 Ranger does.

 

[Highlander]

For vast majority of the people who carry more than an allowable payload have no idea about it or think that payload only applies to the truck’s bed.
It’s a real issue.
I knew a guy who had an overbuilt Tundra. Four passengers and few bags were already maxing his payload out. He found about the payload and did the numbers. He said he was 500lb off.
The stuff he carried he needed and he really used it. He sold the tundra and got an F250 V8.
“Nah it’ll be fine” is a wrong attitude.

 

[Ozarker]

I'm going to agree with my attorney!

 

[UHAULER]

The truck has a gvw. It's up to the owner to weigh the truck and check axle weights to see if OK. It also doesn't help to have about 300 pounds sticking 6' off the back. Common sense.