I used the search button option here to look for how much weight I can haul in the bed of my truck. I came up with 6500 pounds of TOWING Capacity. I assume its probably the same thing. Is 6500 pounds correct for my truck? I drive a 97 F150 XLT 2wd.

 

No - not the same thing - do not put 6500lbs in the bed - that is 3-1/4 tons for a truck in the 1/2 ton class!

There should be a sticker, typically in the driver side door jamb, that lists the maximum allowable vehicle weight, sometimes listed on a per axle basis. At any rate, need to know what the vehicle weighs as it sits - use the scales at a metals junkyard, quarry, or truckstop. The difference will be what you can safely put in the bed.

Offhand, I would guess about 1200-1500 lbs.

 

what are you looking to haul? I have hauled more than what my truck is rated for, after all, what the point of having bump stops if you are not going to use them?

I would not recommend over loading frequently, because like mentioned above, its only a 1/2 ton truck. You can also add add a leaf type things to make your truck sag less when you have a load in the bed, but the frame is only so strong.

 

I couldn't tell ya what my truck is "rated" to haul, but last summer I hauled a yard of fill-dirt, twice, with no problems. At the landscape company where I bought the dirt, they said a yard of dirt weighs approx. 2200lbs. It took the suspension down to the bumpstops. The truck had no trouble at all and I did not notice any flexing to the frame when I drove it.

 

I'm not looking to haul anything specifically, I just wanted the piece of mind that I could throw some bricks and mulch in the back and not have to worry about it. I will be hauling alot of furniture in the next several months, Im getting ready to get married and have a bambino on the way.

 

You would be surprised how much a yard of mulch can weigh, unless you are buying bags of mulch at Lowes.

Your truck should be more than capable of hauling anything you may need for your move. And/or you could rent a U-Haul trailer to help out.

 

I have had a little less than 3 yards in the back of my truck, and I know it was that much as I loaded it.

(1 773 bobcat heaping over the top is a about a yard.)

that was a fun 40 mile drive, lol

 

At the landscape company, where I got the dirt, they said 2 bobcat buckets, or 1 bucket on the front-end loader/backhoe was = 1 yard of dirt.

 

I will probably be buying it by the bag to do some small projects at first, along with some gravel or brick, but once were settled in I will probably buy it by the loads. Good thing about it all is theres a lumber yard that sells mulch about 15 miles from me, so its not gonna be more than a 30 mile drive round trip.

 

Yeah, the landscape company is only about 12 miles from my house. They sell dirt, stone(several kinds), mulch, landscape bricks, patio bricks, almost anything you can think of to landscape your property.