BossHauss

I've been looking for a good way to calculate my vehicle and axle weights, but never really found one I liked. So, I made my own using Excel. I've made it available for download at the link below. The link takes you to the Excel Web App, but the spreadsheet is not editable. Download the spreadsheet using the DOWNLOAD button at the top of the spreadsheet to use it on your own PC.

The weights in the spreadsheet are for my 2013 F-150 XL EcoBoost with an 8' bed, and the payloads represent a typical trip out of town with my 30' travel trailer. The snow plow is not something I really have on the truck, I just entered it there to demonstrate how to specify locations for payload items that are in front of the front axle.

NOTE: it is not possible to predict the effects of a weight distribution hitch. The calculated axle weights do not account for the influence of a distribution hitch. To know how your distribution hitch is set up, you'll have to weigh your vehicle at a truck scale.

You can see that I'm legal on my axle weights and vehicle weight, but my combined vehicle weight is exceeding the maximum combined weight rating by about 5%.

This is a great tool to use for making sure you're legal and safe, and it works for any vehicle with two axles.

Get the calculator here.

Floored150

Thank you. Well thought out and executed.

11screw50

While your spreadsheet looks great, the only thing I can see that you might want to add is what happens when you tighten those WDH bars (which also requires distance from hitch to center of trailer axles and bar ratings)

nihilus

How do we know how much our trucks weigh? I have a 2013 STX 4x4 supercab with decor.

BossHauss

That's a great idea, and it's one that I spent a lot of time thinking about. The problem in calculating the distribution effects of a distribution hitch, is that there a couple of variables that are difficult to define.

For example, in order to calculate the forces that a distribution hitch asserts on a tow vehicle, the following variables must be known:

1) The spring-rate of the spring-bars.

2) The vertical distance between the upper and lower spring-bar attach points on the hitch.

3) The vertical distance between the upper spring-bar hitch attach point, and the horizontal centerline of the hitch receiver.

4) The vertical distance of deflection of the spring-bar at the end where you chain it to the trailer frame.

5) The linear distance along the centerline of the vehicle between where the spring-bars attach to the hitch, and the point at which the other ends are attached to the trailer frame.

6) The length of the spring-bars.

7) In the case of a Andersen chain-type distribution hitch, the tension on the chains must be known.

I'm guessing, not many people are going to readily have that information available to them, and would probably find it easier to just drive to their nearest truck scale to work that out instead. That in mind, I left that calculation off of the spreadsheet.

If you're running your vehicle/combination very close to 100% of it's rated capacity on the front axle, and you know that your distribution hitch is going to push more load over the front end once you get it rigged up, then you're probably going to be overweight on the front axle. If you leave yourself a good 20%-30% margin on the front axle (I'll add percent load indications for the front and rear axles now), you know that you'll probably still be ok when you rig up the distribution hitch.

The best way to know for sure is to just set up your rig like you normally do, and go weight it. That's the best way to know if you're legal. It's not uncommon for an insurance company to cite vehicle overload to avoid paying your claim, so it's better to be safe than sorry.

Also, if you go to the scale to measure the base curb weight of your truck, and you don't feel like getting out of the truck (because official base curb weight does not include the weight of any passengers), you can just use the calculator to subtract your weight, then read the VAW's and enter those in the Front and Rear Base Curb Weight fields. Then, add your weight back in by changing the passenger weight back to a positive number.

Thank you for the feedback.

BossHauss

That's a great question. Another contributor to the F150 forums provided a link to a document that has the weights of all the options and models, so you can just look up your model for the base axle weights, and then look up the options that you have to find out how much extra weight to add to the front and rear axle weights to determine the trucks base curb weight. The website that hosts the document is https://www.fleet.ford.com/truckbbas/, and I have my own copies of own of the Body Builders Layout Book where you'll get the base vehicle axle weights, and the Truck Payload Workbook that you'll use to get the additional weights of the options that are specific to your truck.

You'll notice that the Truck Payload Workbook is for model year 2011, and that's what I used to the determine the base curb weight of my 2013. I am assuming that the numbers are probably close enough, if they are different at all. Not much has changed between the 2011 and 2013 years.

Optionally, you can just go to a truck scale to weigh your axles, one at a time, to know what your base curb weight is.

k5rcd

BALONEY !

Please cite a single documented incident.

jeffinthebag

If a fatal accident does occur with an overweight vehicle or trailer. The insurance company doesn't have to pay and criminal charges can be file. In Pennsylvania this applies to commercial and residential vehicles operated on any public road. It's rare, but usually only enforced if a fatally occurs.

Flash!

My understanding (family member is a claims adjuster) is that the insurance company has to prove gross negligence to deny the claim. Being over weight shouldn't be any different than being over the speed limit, more factors need to be involved for them to deny the claim.

Of course, that's completely separate from criminal charges (laws vary state to state) and civil charges (anyone sues for anything these days).

k5rcd

Y'all don't have any idea what you are talking about.

Yes, criminal charges can be filed ( but rarely are), but that has nothing to do with your insurance.

An insurance company cannot deny a claim due to "gross negligence".

An insurance policy is a contract and is binding on both parties. The only way to deny coverage is if the Policy Conditions or Exclusions clearly state so, and in NO state is such a policy legal, as all policy provisions must be state approved, as it would not be in the public interest.

If you don't know this, then you should keep mum on the subject. I am a retired casualty insurance Regional Manager, and know of what I speak.

Coverage can be denied for an "Intentional Act" but the scenarios discussed above don't even come close to that. It is extremely rare for coverage to be denied for an intentional act, as the standard for that is quite high and specific. It almost never happens.


Bottom line is, if you have a policy and have paid your premiums, you will have coverage for an accident regardless of how heavy a trailer is etc. Your current policy may well be not renewed at the end of the policy period of course.

I hope I'm not confusing some of you with the FACTS !