Payload - Why is this Concept Difficult
 

Can someone explain to me why people have such a hard time grasping the concept of varying payload and a max weight (including tongue) that can be applied to a vehicle?

It seems pretty simple to me. If I buy a 7000 lb Truck (GVWR) that tares 5000 lb then I have a 2000 lb payload. If I buy a 7000 lb truck that tares 5500 lb I have a 1500 lb payload.

It never even entered my head that a heavier truck would not reduce payload, so where did this concept that payload remains the same (that most people seem to have) regardless of tare weight come from?

I've heard some people blaim the manufacturer for advertising the highest possible payload but if they advertised 1200 lb who would even shop the model when they needed a 1500 lb payload much less 3000 lb.

Most people don't care about most things. Some have no capacity to understand. Some have the capacity, but not the interest. Some are simply uneducated.

8 out of 10 don't even know what the word "tare" means.

Then there are those that don't care who they put at risk, including their own families.

How many never check tire inflation, or inspect their tires every now and then? Or never take their car in for service until something breaks?

The majority never read their owner's manual.

Maybe because Im from a commercial background it just seems self evident to me. If the limit is 80,000 (either statutory or GCWR) and I buy 21,000 lb Trucks and 16,000 lb Trailers I can haul 43,000 lb. If I buy 19,500 lb trucks and 14,500 lb trailers I can haul 46,000 lb. I just don't understand where a different perception comes from.

I think part of it has to do with most people by the truck for everyday hauling from their garden center or to take the lawn mower in for service. At some point they decide to buy a trailer and don't even think about things like payload as they never have had to. Now they walk into the typical RV dealer who asks them what they will be towing with and instead of running the numbers tells them their truck can tow the trailer, "No problemo". The counter to that is they walk into the car dealership and tell the salesman they are looking at a 40K lb trailer and instead of running the numbers he says the truck they are looking at will be able to tow that trailer, "No problemo". The people who should be acting as a knowledgeable advisor don't act that way. Whether it is through their own lack of knowledge or that they don't care doesn't matter, most just aren't doing what is in the customer's interest.

When we started looking for our first trailer we were still driving a 2001 Explorer. I went to the owners manual towing section and was a bit overwhelmed with all of the different weights. While everything was accurate it wasn't laid out in the most logical and understandable way. Treating it as a math class word problem it all made sense once I could get everything pulled into equations but there was a lot of clutter to cut through to get to that point. At first I also didn't have an understanding of dry weights to gross trailer weight. Fortunately one of the dealers we looked at brought up not to to use them and that the gross and cargo weights were more usable for figuring an appropriate trailer size. I can understand where someone who tries to figure all of this out for the first time would throw up their hands and come to a site like this to ask can I tow this. There are an awful lot of weights some of which are important and others not so much to deal with.

Probably because its a stupid word. 7 of those 8 would understand empty in relation to the calcualation

Unless someone knows the weight of their truck, which isn't advertised, how are they to know? Are they supposed to ask the dealer to take it to a scale? Knowing the advertised GVWR is one thing, but if you can't come up with the other number, then you can't calculate payload. Much easier to see the truck in person and check the sticker in the door jamb...

it's because auto manufacturers and trailer manufacturers always mention 'Towing Capacity".
until recently, with F150 commercials, when did you ever see Payload mentioned in the commercial?
only because Ford had the HDPP to brag about, did Payload start showing up in their commercials.
car and RV salespeople only talk about Towing Capacity.