FULL LOAD OF GRASS, NO SQUAT

[TOMDEE]

Yeah, those little yellow bumpstops and the leafs are really stiff. I put my 6200# trailer on and it barely squats. Not so good for ride quality though.

1500 lbs worth of sod so no biggy

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[TOMDEE]

That was probably a little heavy, son... Hopefully no long-term damage to anything critical. I don't know what kind of safety factor the engineers use when calculating the "official" GVWR, but I guarantee there is one, and it's probably a pretty healthy number, based on how scary it looks at max weight. So you probably didn't hurt your vehicle if you drove sensibly. It is useful to remember two main things about GVWR and load-carrying.

1) GVWR is a static load, calculated to result in acceptable dynamic loads generated on some particular drive profile, which probably includes a certain range of speeds, cornering rates, slopes, bumps and a variety of load concentrations and locations. None of this loading profile is made available, nor are the results of testing (which would include the failure modes and effects). It's a number, and you should not load it to more than this recommended number, or something (unspecified) might fail. And if it does, you bear the liability for what happens, not Ford. You are the captain of the ship, and you own it.

2) As a result of the above, there are a couple of ASSUMPTIONS that you can make in the event you have to carry a borderline (or over) load. One is proper loading (location and securing), route selection, and driving style are the three variables YOU personally have control of.

Loading: You can minimize the effect of high loads by reducing load concentration, and making sure the load cannot shift. Move the load forward in the bed, and distribute it over the entire bed as much as possible, even if it means taking it off the pallet. (You're probably not going to unload with a forklift at home, after all.) Keep the Center of Gravity low, toward the center of the VEHICLE, (not just the bed). This distributes the load over both ends of the suspension, and you also reduce the roll tendency, which could lead to handling problems / load shifting. Tie it down (grass is tough to tie down, but just unstacking it could help...) and cover loose materials to keep things from flying out.

Dynamic loading: These are the loading effects caused by vehicle motion and load inertia. If you know you are carrying a (possibly overweight) load, minimize these dynamic load effects by choosing a low-traffic route, and avoid rough roads. Bouncing is bad. Hard acceleration and especially deceleration are best avoided. Brakes on most vehicles are (much) more powerful than the engine, so be especially conservative when stopping. Slow down well in advance of stops. Turning and acceleration should also be very gentle and smooth. Plan ahead, and don't get in the fast lane. If you are holding up traffic with your precautionary driving, don't let it make you take more risks with your load, just pull over occasionally to let people get by so you can stay calm.

Note: These are not official instructions from Ford, or anyone else. They are my personal opinions, and suggestions that are intended to be helpful if you find yourself in a sticky spot with your vehicle load. I'm not the one driving your truck. You are the captain. Be sensible, and if it's really heavy, make two trips.

P.S. I did exactly that, when I bought 3600 lb of tile. I didn't calculate how much it weighed until after I bought it. OOps! I had no issues, thankfully, although even splitting it in two trips, the loads were right at the limit. Here's how that turned out, if you are curious (with heavily loaded pics):
https://www.ranger5g.com/forum/thre...h-your-ranger-today.8810/page-155#post-402136

THANK YOU SIR, THAT'S GREAT ADVICE!! THEY WEIGHED IT FOR ME AND IT CAME IN AT JUST UNDER 1500 LBS

 

[Jebber]

I saw just last week a F150 filled to the top of the bed with landscape rocks. His trailer hitch was about 6 inches from the road. Too funny

 

[Wings06j]

I almost did the same thing with SOD. Thankfully the place warned me about the weight. No idea grass was so heavy. I made 2 trips instead.

 

[Skav777]

This thread is hilarious, long live TOMDEE

“1500lbs so no biggy”

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