Safe to exceed payload for short trip?

I have a 2021 Tacoma SR5 Double Cab 4WD V6. I am surprised that the door sticker says I can only have 990 lbs payload (including me!). Most trucks in this class can haul 1400 or more lbs. I need to haul sod and if I get what I need, it will exceed my payload limit by around 300 lbs. Is this payload spec overly conservative? Even the Ford Maverick can haul considerably more than the Tacoma. How serious is this limit for a short trip (less than 30 miles).

 

P

Do what your pocketbook can handle baw.

 

300 over? I’ve done it. I’d probably do it again. What are you hauling?

I would be sure to be very easy on any bumps or dips. Lots of folks here have overloaded theirs for such things and suffered no issue. Your experience may be different. (AKA Don’t take Nurse Malvolio to court or something if you put a rod through a shock tower or something.)

Edit: if you do it, consider posting a picture on the Tacomas Doing Work thread.

 

For what it’s worth the payload on my old 2012 Tundra was 1500 or so pounds. I half knowingly put about 3k pounds worth or pea stone in the bed. She dropped in the back embarrassing low, I wasn’t proud, but got home safely with know damage to the truck (about 3 miles of back roads). I wouldn’t do it again, but 300 pounds? Yea I’d feel ok

 

It is all according to your tolerance for risk.

Sure, many people have done it with no (observed or admitted) issues but this is your almost new truck we are discussing here, not the other guys truck.

If you mess it up the dealer will probably weasel out on any warranty repair due to overloading/abuse.

Loads are different also, I would much rather have an compact weight that I could put low against the front of the box and share the load with the front suspension rather than a load of sod that will stack up filling your entire short bed fairly high I would imagine.

Also you are working with a calculated weight of the sod, that could be off several hundred pounds either way. Bags of cement for example would be much more accurate weights.

Remember too, we live in a litigation happy society, if you get in an accident will you end up in a bad position? No way to answer that one until you are in court.

Remember to air up your tires when heavily loaded to improve handling, you can inflate to the maximum pressure shown on the tire sidewall for the rears, probably not quite so much in the front.

Personally I would pay the delivery charge, borrow/rent a larger truck, rent a trailer or make 2 trips - again, it is all according to your tolerance for risk.

 

Send it

 

Sod?

Way too easy to underestimate.


Rent a trailer. It's 20 bucks for a day.


And more importantly, landscape places care about your truck about as much as the beat-to-shit forklift or loader they are operating. Do you trust that guy around your personal vehicle?

Rent a trailer.

 

I feel that anytime you're heavy to just be sure you can come to a stop safely.

 

Don't do anything you could not confidently explain to the jury of your manslaughter trial.

 

Yeah. I did it. 600 over with sod. Oops lol. Truck handled just fine. Literally just rode nice. I’d do it again.

 

Ehh, There are 3 types of people here
1. Ones who would never do it
2. Ones that have and don’t know it ( or don’t know better)
3. Ones who have done it.

FWIW, I finally broke down and bought my own utility trailer. I went from “we aren’t setting on the bump stops yet”, to “we have more space left on the trailer”. So, I don’t know if I actually achieved anything

But to answer your question, You better make sure that sod is REALLY only 300lbs more. That stuff is heavy.
If they haven’t scaled it, I wouldn’t trust it.​

 

A properly loaded 3000 pound trailer is much better hauling than 1500 pounds in the truck bed.

 

I don’t disagree with you.
That is why I bought a utility trailer.

Plus, it’s a lot easier on the suspension. Especially the already “flimsy” leaf springs in these trucks.

 

It’ll be fine, I’ve gone over that by another 1,000 or so. Just drive slower, expect a crappier ride especially if you’re sitting on the bump stops, and poorer handling.

 

Yeah...back in 1978!

 

I'd say you can do a dozen trips with 1 ton in the back even if it was a 2.7l i4. your springs would bend the other way a little and your tires will lose a considerable amount of rubber. check how many lugs you have 5 or 6 and see the max payload for each tire and divide the weight of the load per tire to make sure they wont pop

 

I've found that the leaf springs never really recover from going over. 300lbs isnt much though.

 

I'd imagine the truck can handle it, I've hear rumors that the manufactures know your going to over load it, so they mark the numbers lower than what the truck can truly handle.

 

Or you know, this Saturday.




We just had a thread this week where a landscape loader dinged someone's cab. Why some of y'all are so afraid of rentals baffles me. Just because we own a truck doesn't obligate us to abuse them at every opportunity.

 

Trailer rentals are rough on month end haha.

Most payload overages are usually mistakes, but you're right, foresight means hook a trailer up and have fun learning how to use it.