Is there a bed weight limit

[NIsaacs]

People need to quit worrying about the 14k as it’s only there to keep it in Class 3, insurance purposes snd licensing. If it mattered I would have gone to HE!! long ago. I am at ou under my axle ratings snd well over 15k combined. I am licensed for what the truck weighs loaded.

SAE axle ratings are what matters.

The load you carry and the heavy camper is apples and oranges. The heavy camper is a load like no other. About 8.6' wide, 16' long and 7' tall, the side stress and forward and aft leverage is huge. Then you add a bike with a 6' hitch extension....

You are carrying your weight on about a 2' square base. Every ounce of weight is inboard of your springs, about half of the camper is outboard. Just think of what happens when you get on the brakes hard with 16' of top heavy weight and again when you get on the gas, especially from a stop. Every cycle of this, mashes the front axle and then pops a wheelie. All this stress, is taking place where the frame broke. Then the stress with uneven roads.

Frame still shouldn't break

 

[Turbo Terry]

Also I really think good tie downs with springs are a must. They allow that motion front to back to not be so abrupt and brutal .

 

[Cummins12V98]

AH64ID "Ram states your front axle can weigh 6,000 at most and your rear axle can weigh 9,750 at most, but the combo can’t exceed 14,000. They make no claims that you can run at max FAWR plus max RAWR."

I have never claimed that you can run both at SAE rated numbers. I do claim I should be able to load my rear to SAE 9,750# and not add a pound to my stock front axle weight. That puts me wayyyy over 14k. Deny warranty I don't think so. I had to tell them what my RV, Truck and axle weights were when the mechanic toasted my AISIN to get coverage along with records of filters and fluid. If they were going to deny me for being over 14k they sure would have.

 

[AH64ID]

I have never claimed that you can run both at SAE rated numbers. I do claim I should be able to load my rear to SAE 9,750# and not add a pound to my stock front axle weight. That puts me wayyyy over 14k. Deny warranty I don't think so. I had to tell them what my RV, Truck and axle weights were when the mechanic toasted my AISIN to get coverage along with records of filters and fluid. If they were going to deny me for being over 14k they sure would have.

According to the articles on the failed 3500 frame the warranty claim was denied for exceeding GVWR, not RAWR. They didn’t weigh it, just used empty weights to show it was over GVWR.

On a side note, are Rams axle ratings SAE certified? I thought only the GCWR/ tow rating were SAE certified.

 

[Cummins12V98]

I take the chart literally. Simple point WHY have a 9,750# rating if you can't load to that weight without exceeding the 14k GVWR??????

 

[AH64ID]

I take the chart literally. Simple point WHY have a 9,750# rating if you can't load to that weight without exceeding the 14k GVWR??????



View attachment 136480

Kinda, you take what you want literally. You chose to take RAWR literally, not GVWR or payload (both on that chart). Ram wants you to take all of them literally. They are all max limits, stop when you reach one.

Personally I don’t put a lot of stock in GVWR, as it’s not a legal limit where I am licensed. That being said, if I get too much above it I would expect to be on my own warranty territory.

Also nothing on the chart about SAE axle ratings, just tow ratings.

 

[brillmtb1]

I think your right and stand corrected trucks not here in storage right now but I took pictures of the door sills and 11800 is the right number so I’m fully loaded nice to know thanks

I would also think that the only difference between the DRW and SRW is the four tires carrying capacity, not the frame. So if you put on 19.5 you should be able to go up on the load for a SRW

 

[brillmtb1]

Your truck should have a camper weight rating sheet in the glove box. It will tell you where the camper COG should be in the bed of the truck, and the max camper weight allowed. For my 2022 dually longbed crewcab, the door sticker says occupants and cargo should not exceed 5569 pounds. The camper sheet says the camper should not exceed 4738 pounds. I would guess the derate on the camper sheet may be due to the height and "Tippiness" of the camper? Or maybe because the camper is a tall load, and they know campers porpoise, this is the limit of the frames strength? Or maybe they assume there will always be 5 166 pound people sitting in the truck? Don't know.

Not sure where to find this camper rating sheet. Will look.

 

[brillmtb1]

I take the chart literally. Simple point WHY have a 9,750# rating if you can't load to that weight without exceeding the 14k GVWR??????



View attachment 136480

YOu make a very interesting point. I guess if I look at the rear GAWR and my CAT scale wt is less then this doesnt that mean I am within design tolerances with my camper in the back as I am over 1000lbs less at this point? Oh and at least 1700lbs under the payload column

 

[AH64ID]

YOu make a very interesting point. I guess if I look at the rear GAWR and my CAT scale wt is less then this doesnt that mean I am within design tolerances with my camper in the back as I am over 1000lbs less at this point? Oh and at least 1700lbs under the payload column

Yes, but I’m guessing you’re looking at DRW specs since your truck is certainly over published GAWR and GVWR with that camper, or your wouldn’t need 19.5’s.

 

[brillmtb1]

Yes I see that it was the DRW but given my setup would it not be reasonable since the axle rating, spring ratings and brakes all the same so the difference in carrying capacity is the tires. Would it then follow that if I put in better shocks (done), rear sway bar (done), and overload springs to just level a little and reduce sway and 19.5 5000 lb rated tires why would I be any worse off than a DRW with the same camper load and being well under the DRW capacities?

I realize if I set up a 4500 or 5500 with a custom bed that would be ideal but even then I would not take off road. I would go with a very light rig for that.

Why dont they just make these frames a little tougher, its not like I didnt pay a lot for this truck. The extra to use a 4500 frame capacity might not been that much more?

 

[AH64ID]

Yes I see that it was the DRW but given my setup would it not be reasonable since the axle rating, spring ratings and brakes all the same so the difference in carrying capacity is the tires. Would it then follow that if I put in better shocks (done), rear sway bar (done), and overload springs to just level a little and reduce sway and 19.5 5000 lb rated tires why would I be any worse off than a DRW with the same camper load and being well under the DRW capacities?

I realize if I set up a 4500 or 5500 with a custom bed that would be ideal but even then I would not take off road. I would go with a very light rig for that.

Why dont they just make these frames a little tougher, its not like I didnt pay a lot for this truck. The extra to use a 4500 frame capacity might not been that much more?

The only other variable is that your specific frame isn’t offered in a DRW configuration, but frame design should be similar. That’s your call.

Why would they make the 3500 a 4500? They are different trucks for a reason. Sure the Class II and III weights are probably a little low for modern frames, but it is what it is.

IMHO, if you want to carry a slide-in that weighs 5K plus you should probably be in a 4500. Heck do a SRW conversion on a 4500 and you’d be in better shape than too heavy on a 3500. Slide in campers are hard on everything and need a lot of truck below them, despite what a salesman says. That’s my 0.02.

 

[Cummins12V98]

No one has answered my question/statement. Why have a 9,750# rear axle rating that I can’t load to and be under 14k???????

As I said I gave Chrysler my loaded axle weights and combined weights. They did not deny my 100% AISIN replacement.

simply put the truck is much more capable than the 14k. If they moved it to class 4 they would not sell near as many because of licensing snd insurance costs.

9,750# rear loaded axle plus my unloaded 5,250# front axle is 15k, HMMMMMMMM

 

[AH64ID]

No one has answered my question/statement. Why have a 9,750# rear axle rating that I can’t load to and be under 14k???????

I’ve answered it several times, just not the answer you want so you keep asking. All your ratings are max’s, that’s why. Ram doesn’t know how you will load it, so there is some buffer for the max ratings.

And you could be at 9,750 and 14,000 with a tongue heavy bumper pull trailer without a WDH and some additional payload. I was able to get my 05’s rear axle to 8000 and my front axle around 4500 with a WDH. Take the WDH off, swap out the small ATV’s for big ones and I could easily have hit the numbers you think aren’t possible.

 

[NIsaacs]

Yes I see that it was the DRW but given my setup would it not be reasonable since the axle rating, spring ratings and brakes all the same so the difference in carrying capacity is the tires. Would it then follow that if I put in better shocks (done), rear sway bar (done), and overload springs to just level a little and reduce sway and 19.5 5000 lb rated tires why would I be any worse off than a DRW with the same camper load and being well under the DRW capacities?

I realize if I set up a 4500 or 5500 with a custom bed that would be ideal but even then I would not take off road. I would go with a very light rig for that.

Why dont they just make these frames a little tougher, its not like I didnt pay a lot for this truck. The extra to use a 4500 frame capacity might not been that much more?

There is nothing wrong with your trucks "everything" rating. It is the type of load. Take your camper weight and put that on a gooseneck ball or load your camper on a long bed dually. You will be fine on both accounts.

If you really want to test your truck, add a stock rack and load up two 1500 lbs bulls, you likely won't make it to market, yet, you will be under all your trucks ratings.

You have two choices, for a satisfactory driving experience, a smaller camper or a bigger truck. There is nothing wrong with your truck or camper, it is the combination.

 

[JPM]

There is nothing wrong with your trucks "everything" rating. It is the type of load. Take your camper weight and put that on a gooseneck ball or load your camper on a long bed dually. You will be fine on both accounts.

If you really want to test your truck, add a stock rack and load up two 1500 lbs bulls, you likely won't make it to market, yet, you will be under all your trucks ratings.

You have two choices, for a satisfactory driving experience, a smaller camper or a bigger truck. There is nothing wrong with your truck or camper, it is the combination.

 

[Cummins12V98]

I give!!! Don't give a SH!TE about campers or anything else but MY application that is all I am talking about. I simply can't load my rear axle to 9,750# without going over 14k so why have that rating is my simple question.

Does not matter to me other than discussion because I am licensed to carry what ever my load is. As I said I told Chrysler my weights, why didn't the deny my claim???

 

[NIsaacs]

As I said I told Chrysler my weights, why didn't the deny my claim???

Simple, they screwed up the transmission in the first place, how could they not fix it.....

 

[Robbie Antonosn]

Wow, what an education this forum is. When I bought my 2016 3500 CC SB Laramie with self level and HO engine and Aisin transmission. I thought I had done all the research I could to find the recommendations for Bed capacity and the tow capacity. I looked a a few sites on line with Camper size recommendations based on Bed Capacity. I never saw that Ram Camper recommendation document(second hand truck, no documents in the truck). In looking at Ram Doc today, were pretty close to what was recommended by a couple of Camper web sites. So in some ways no surprise. But my God, that Ram Document is over whelming in all the different configurations. And I did not know one could not put a Camper(even ones designed for 1/2ton trucks) in a Bed of the all 1500's, but only a few specific models. Crazy to me. Anyhow.
Every day is an opportunity to learn. Thanks

 

[Cummins12V98]

Simple, they screwed up the transmission in the first place, how could they not fix it.....

Not true! The dealer presented it as a failed trans. I went along with it because I needed to get out of town to my winter rv site. If it was not covered I would have sued the dealer and won it would have taken more time than I wanted.

As mentioned I had to dig up every receipt for fluid and filters before they would authorize the replacement.