The Ford Ranger in the photo above is looking overloaded. Just those ten sheets of plywood weigh 510-570 lbs. The steel rack carrying the drywall probably weighs 120-160 lbs. How much stuff is under the tarp in the bed? How much does the driver weigh? Is it all under 1,250 lbs.? Is the truck exceeding its Gross Vehicle Weight Rating?
Hang around a Lowes, Home Depot, recycling center, or someplace that sells mulch or gravel, and you’ll likely see someone overloading their truck. Sometimes it’s obvious that the truck is overloaded, the driver knows it, and they’re just hoping it gets the job done. But sometimes people overload their truck and don’t realize they’re doing it.
A good example of this is when people are planning to head out for a weekend or weeklong adventure. It’s become an even bigger problem with the popularity of overlanding. ‘Overlanding’ has become a huge industry, and overlanders are always being presented with new ‘must have’ items that they need for their adventure. The reality is that overlanders severely overpack and don’t need a lot of the things that they carry. The concern that “I might need it” can get out of control. It’s not just stuff. People can go overboard on how much gas and water they carry as well. If you really do need that much gas and water, then maybe you should leave something else behind to compensate for it.
It gets even more complicated when you add a trailer. Whether it’s a camper, overlanding trailer, boat, or just a utility trailer loaded with bikes, motorcycles, or an ATV. Now you’re having to take into consideration payload capacity and towing capacity…and how one affects the other.
Let’s say your Ranger is rated to tow a 3,600 lb. trailer. The tongue of the trailer is adding 10-15% of the trailers weight to the back of the truck and reducing its amount of available payload. If your Ranger has a payload capacity of 1,200 lbs., you’ve just reduced it by 360-540 lbs. This is why it’s important to know what your Ranger’s payload and towing capacity is, how much your trailer weighs when it’s fully loaded, how much the gear going into the bed weighs, and a valid excuse to ask your wife or girlfriend how much they weigh since they’re being calculated in the payload. Yes, passengers are part of that number.
Overloading your Ranger doesn’t just affect the springs and suspension, it affects the engine, transmission, shafts & u-joints, cooling system, brakes, and even the tires.
Having an overloaded Ranger means:
- The engine works harder and may overheat when you have to go up long grades.
- The brakes could overheat and fade / fail coming down hills.
- A spring or spring mount might fail, especially on older trucks.
- Too much rear weight may unload the front suspension and cause the truck to steer or handle poorly.
- Too much weight mounted high may significantly affect the trucks center of gravity and handling.
- Reduced fuel mileage
I’ve been on adventures with people driving the same truck setup I have, but they’ve gotten worse fuel mileage because their trucks were heavier, had gear sticking up above the cab, or their engines were running hotter climbing long, steep grades because they were carrying more weight.
The point of this article is to encourage you to know the payload capacity of your Ford Ranger, and its towing capacity if you’re towing a trailer. I’ve spent a lot of time putting together pages for the Ford Ranger Payload Capacity, the Ford Ranger Towing capacity, and an explanation of Center of Gravity, to give you the information you need to haul and tow safely.
I hope you take advantage of all of this information and have safe adventures.
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About The Author
Jim Oaks is the founder of TheRangerStation.com, the longest-running Ford Ranger resource online since 1999. With over 25 years of hands-on experience building and modifying Ford Rangers — including magazine-featured builds like Project Transformer — Jim has become one of the most trusted authorities in the Ford Ranger off-road and enthusiast space.
Since launching TheRangerStation.com, Jim has documented thousands of real-world Ranger builds, technical repairs, drivetrain swaps, suspension modifications, and off-road adventures contributed by owners worldwide. TheRangerStation.com has been referenced in print, video and online by enthusiasts, mechanics, and off-road builders looking for practical, and experience-based information.
