Overloaded: Ride Report ( plus Tremor pulls a tree down)

[Bannerman]

Disclaimer: I am in no way advocating that anyone overload their truck. That said, many of us do use our truck as a truck and may face a similar decision to make one trip or two. I'm sure some of you will have something to say about how this isn't safe, this is for informational purposes only.

I have had a dead red oak tree making me nervous since we moved in two years ago. I had already cut down 6-8 trees that really were critical to get down but this was not an emergency. Had a spare day over the holiday so decided to take it down. I'm no arborist but I've been running a saw since I was a kid, unfortunately this tree was growing directly next to another tree I was trying to save and I f'ed up the hinge. Ultimately leaned it against an adjacent tree for a bad scenario. In any case, I used my throw bag, snatch block, spare winch line, and the truck to get it down where I wanted it (video below). After bucking up and loading the truck was riding low. I also had some of the small top branches in my small 5x8 trailer. I estimate total payload at 2400 pounds including driver, bed load, gear in cab, and tongue weight. Payload sticker is 1577 for reference. Truck handled it fine, still had about 2" to go before it hit the bump stops and they never touched on the 20 mile trip to the landfill.

 

[Cheif2Slo]

Good to know that it’ll “Truck” even with a level! Thanks!

 

[FaKtor34]

Disclaimer: I am in no way advocating that anyone overload their truck. That said, many of us do use our truck as a truck and may face a similar decision to make one trip or two. I'm sure some of you will have something to say about how this isn't safe, this is for informational purposes only.

I have had a dead red oak tree making me nervous since we moved in two years ago. I had already cut down 6-8 trees that really were critical to get down but this was not an emergency. Had a spare day over the holiday so decided to take it down. I'm no arborist but I've been running a saw since I was a kid, unfortunately this tree was growing directly next to another tree I was trying to save and I f'ed up the hinge. Ultimately leaned it against an adjacent tree for a bad scenario. In any case, I used my throw bag, snatch block, spare winch line, and the truck to get it down where I wanted it (video below). After bucking up and loading the truck was riding low. I also had some of the small top branches in my small 5x8 trailer. I estimate total payload at 2400 pounds including driver, bed load, gear in cab, and tongue weight. Payload sticker is 1577 for reference. Truck handled it fine, still had about 2" to go before it hit the bump stops and they never touched on the 20 mile trip to the landfill.


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The day after I bought my 2017 I hauled just over a ton of mulch in the bed of it, so I get it. I burn wood and haul wood in my truck as well these things are far more capable than Ford let's you think.

 

[Charky]

Back in the late '70's I was breaking up and removing a cement driveway at my parents' house. I borrowed my Grandpa's old Ford pickup to haul away the cement/rebar. It was only a short, residential road drive to where I unloaded (several trips) but you know you're overloaded when the your steering inputs end up just being suggestions.

So in my very unofficial and highly suspect opinion, I think you could have gotten a few more logs on there!

 

[hotrodmex]

It's always important to note that GVWR includes the rated top speed as a factor.

By my logic that means if I go half the limiter, I can double the payload.....

 

[Bannerman]

Back in the late '70's I was breaking up and removing a cement driveway at my parents' house. I borrowed my Grandpa's old Ford pickup to haul away the cement/rebar. It was only a short, residential road drive to where I unloaded (several trips) but you know you're overloaded when the your steering inputs end up just being suggestions.

So in my very unofficial and highly suspect opinion, I think you could have gotten a few more logs on there!

That truck was built a lot more solidly than our aluminum body/bed grocery getters. But point taken.

 

[FaKtor34]

I had a 1996 Nissan hardbody 4x4 when I was in college, I went to my parents to help them get firewood and my mom stacked the wood in the bed of my truck, thinking it would squat like my dad's did, when I was driving it back to their house in order to turn I had to press the brake to shift the load forward. Needless to say we didn't stack the wood like that anymore.

 

[PaulBlartMallCrawler]

The cynic in me wonders if the underrated limit numbers exist to give Ford an excuse to deny warranty claims when something does happen to go wrong for somebody actually using their truck as a truck.

 

[Bannerman]

The cynic in me wonders if the underrated limit numbers exist to give Ford an excuse to deny warranty claims when something does happen to go wrong for somebody actually using their truck as a truck.

I'm not sure it's so much to deny warranty as just a "safe working load" just like a strap or chain has a WLL (working load limit) but a breaking strength that is always much higher.

 

[Rabidtastic]

Probably for crap like my wife thinking we can buy a 12k UVW camper to pull