'Half Ton' Bloat, the GMC 1500 AT4X AEV Edition

[ctechbob]

Was watching a TFL vid the other morning where they were testing the newest GMC 'Offroad' style 1500. I had to go look up what the 'AEV' edition was all about, essentially some tacked on 'off road' stuff. That's not what got my attention in the video though.

They rate the truck for 8700 pounds towing, which is fine, what isn't fine is the payload capacity.

1006 pounds.

So that means, you put 4 adults in that truck, lets say 180-200# each, and a tiny amount of stuff in the bed...and you can't tow ANYTHING.

Even on the official product page they list a maximum payload of 1200'ish pounds, which isn't much better.

I thought the F150 Platinum with the 1500# payload was bad, this takes it to a whole new level.

I can hear the people now. 'That's not what this truck is for!!!'

You can still bet people are going to hitch the thing up to a 30 foot RV and go camping with it and be massively overloaded. Lots of people don't care about the details. They just know they spent a bundle on a big truck and want it to do big truck things regardless if it is a good idea or not.

Just thought it was amusing as to what they're selling these days.

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[supton]

Technically the numbers add up… but yeah, dumb setup. I guess just how it goes, try to increase off road capabilities, something else has to suffer.

authentic capability without compromise. The First Ever Sierra 1500 AT4X AEV Edition is no exception, offering a balanced execution of extreme off-road capability without sacrificing the on-road comfort, tech, towing and payload capability you expect from a premium, light-duty pickup truck.

I think we might differ on that description! sure seems like a sacrifice here.

 

[KrisZ]

These tow ratings, at least for light duty stuff is all pulled out of a hat and carefully managed to create more “classes” within IMO. From the amount of towing I see these types of trucks do, it’s all on paper anyways. And the manufacturers know it.

I have not seen so much talk about towing and so little of actually doing it. When I go to Europe I see more people towing with their regular, little cars over there then here with all these monstrosities on the road.

 

[dnewton3]

OP, you are confusing payload ratings, tow ratings, GVWR and GCWR.

- max Payload is what the vehicle can carry (total weight of passengers and stuff in cab/bed).
- max tow rating is the highest load of what it can pull (not carry)
- GVWR is the gross vehicle weight rating (wet vehicle weight, passengers and all their stuff in cab/bed)
- GCWR is the gross combined weight rating; a total allowed value made up of the current vehicle weight PLUS it's current payload PLUS it's current tow load
(notice I didn't say the "max payload" or "max tow" ... GCWR is a MAX VALUE of the totals of the existing current values and not the combined of all the max values).

GVWR and GCWR are the total values allowed as max limits. They are NOT the totals of the max inputs; they are not to be exceeded.


Just because the "payload" may be maxed out with people and stuff, that does not mean it can't tow anything. Very often the vehicle GVWR can be maxed but still tow some amount of weight (but not it's max tow rating). Or if the GVWR is not maxed out, it can tow a value closer to it's max tow rating, as long as it stays inside of it's GVWR and GCWR.

You said nothing about the GVWR and GCWR; what are those values?

 

[MParr]

My 2020 F-150 4x2 Super Cab is 1,775 lbs.

 

[MrHorspwer]

Just because the "payload" may be maxed out with people and stuff, that does not mean it can't tow anything. Very often the vehicle GVWR can be maxed but still tow some amount of weight (but not it's max tow rating). Or if the GVWR is not maxed out, it can tow a value closer to it's max tow rating, as long as it stays inside of it's GVWR and GCWR.

You said nothing about the GVWR and GCWR; what are those values?

GVWR = Curb Weight + Payload

If the payload is maxed out, the GVWR is also maxed out, and the only way the vehicle can tow something is if it has 0 lbs. of hitch weight, which is unlikely to say the least

 

[repairman54]

Off road model has softer, longer travel springs. Not meant to be a workhorse and will be misused IE overloaded just like most owners of 1/2 ton trucks doing 3/4-ton things and 3/4 loaded to 1-ton tasks. It is and has been that way since the pickup came about.
Nothing new there.

 

[atikovi]

So that means, you put 4 adults in that truck, lets say 180-200# each, and a tiny amount of stuff in the bed...and you can't tow ANYTHING.

Except most of the time when I see big trucks, there is only one person inside. Your assumption of 4 doesn't jibe with reality.

 

[dnewton3]

GVWR = Curb Weight + Payload

If the payload is maxed out, the GVWR is also maxed out, and the only way the vehicle can tow something is if it has 0 lbs. of hitch weight, which is unlikely to say the least

Yes, sort of ... "unlikely" is true for Joe Average, but not other applications.
There are means of towing and NOT having hitch weight (although not common); I'm referring to a wagon with a pintle hitch, for example. This isn't applicable to the typical RV guy, but farmers who load up the beds (bags of feed or fertilizer for example) AND pull a 4-wheel wagon with a pintle hitch can have other options because there's no significant tongue weight. This is why there are so many different max ratings.

You are correct in that hitch weight plays into the payload, thereby affecting the GVWR. But technically they don't have to be mutually inclusive.

The MOST important things to look at is the GVWR and GCWR.

 

[hemioiler]

GVWR = Curb Weight + Payload

If the payload is maxed out, the GVWR is also maxed out, and the only way the vehicle can tow something is if it has 0 lbs. of hitch weight, which is unlikely to say the least

If there is a single 200 lb driver, he can most likely tow a 6000-ish pound trailer yet with no cargo in the truck.

Just depends on use case. OP had it correct, this specific trim is specifically for offroad. Other 2023 GMC's have much higher payload ratings.

 

[nwjones18]

Finally something with a lower payload rating than my 4wd 2016 Ram 1500 Longhorn... I tow 6-8k a few times a year with mine and it handles it just fine. I do keep as much weight as possible out of the truck.

 

[hemioiler]

I guess I'm also wondering why the OP is confused or critical or surprised about this. You even got the answer to your "question" as you wrote it down yourself, this trim is for offroad. You don't buy this truck to tow.

The shocks and suspension are designed for offroad, and that means they're soft and forgiving, the exact opposite of what you need for towing.

This is the same "problem" with the Ram Powerwagon for example. It is a 2500 which can typically tow > 13,000 pounds, but the powerwagon itself has very low payload (1300-ish) and can pull and carry less than many half tons.

Let's not be shocked or critical that a truck designed for offroad can't do other truck things like towing. They're almost certainly going to be mutually exclusive goals.

 

[b_b]

all i can say is get as much payload as you can, i have a 18 f150 with 1860lb payload. hauled some clayish soil with it recently. bed was about half full. I could tell the payload wasnt maxed out but it was close. had to put the truck in tow haul to keep the transmission from constantly shifting. payload is eaten up much quicker than you think.

 

[CKN]

With the exception of some F150s on most one half ton pickups you will reach max payload before max towing. So these claims of 9,000 to 12,000 pounds can be meaningless. The upside is that there are alot of "ultra light" trailers that are around 5,000 pounds that fit the bill.

 

[tcp71]

Yes, sort of ... "unlikely" is true for Joe Average, but not other applications.
There are means of towing and NOT having hitch weight (although not common); I'm referring to a wagon with a pintle hitch, for example. This isn't applicable to the typical RV guy, but farmers who load up the beds (bags of feed or fertilizer for example) AND pull a 4-wheel wagon with a pintle hitch can have other options because there's no significant tongue weight. This is why there are so many different max ratings.

You are correct in that hitch weight plays into the payload, thereby affecting the GVWR. But technically they don't have to be mutually inclusive.

The MOST important things to look at is the GVWR and GCWR.

If you plan to tow, 99% of the time you max out payload long before you max out GVWR or GCWR. Travel trailers need 10-15% of their weight on the tongue to be stable. Boats and aerodynamic car haulers can come in at less, but 6% is still the minimum for a stable tow. It's the boat towing where you might hit GVWR/GCWR before payload.



I use most of the 1806 payload when towing loaded with 4 people, bikes and kayaks.

 

[Brons2]

Ford makes a high payload version of the F150 but apparently it's kind of a unicorn, basically have to go to the dealer and order it, to get one.

It makes taking an F250 that's already on the lot an easier decision because it will have a much higher payload than a garden variety F150, and you don't have to wait for it.

There's probably some small subset of buyers that really want the Ecoboost, I guess, and will go for the high payload F150.

 

[dnewton3]

Back in 2018, I looked at that exact situation ...

F150 with the 5.0L and heaviest payload and towing pkg options
F250 with 6.2L and the typical GVWR packages

The SD truck was only about $1000 more money, comparably equipped. The SD offers a lot of bang for the buck in the low-cost trim levels. For one thing, the SD beds are 40% thicker aluminum; that really helps with the strength of the bed, etc. Though the spec ratings were similar on paper (payloads and tow ratings), the SD was likely to hold up better in the long term, all other aspects considered. Most assuredly, the SD doesn't ride as nice as the F150 or get the fuel economy when lightly loaded; that was inconsequential to me as it's not my DD.

 

[tcp71]

Around 2013-2014 I drove a HDPP (Heavy duty payload package) F150 for trips to the field for work. It had 2350lbs of payload (supercrew long bed truck). With the move to lighter aluminum bodies, the F150 payload has grown.

This is from a 2020 F150 with the heavy duty payload package:

Post Your Payload Sticker and Truck Details - Ford F150 Forum - Community of Ford Truck Fans

2015 - 2020 Ford F150 - Post Your Payload Sticker and Truck Details - I drive a 2020 leadfoot grey SCREW Lariat with the 3.5 EB. I have the 502a package, technology package, max tow with the 36 gallon tank, sport appearance package and FX4...

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[Brons2]

Wow that is awesome. Too bad they are about impossible to find used that way.

With that kind of payload you could carry 6 300 lb adults and their stuff and still have enough payload and GCWR left over to tow a pretty decent sized trailer.

 

[tcp71]

Wow that is awesome. Too bad they are about impossible to find used that way.

With that kind of payload you could carry 6 300 lb adults and their stuff and still have enough payload and GCWR left over to tow a pretty decent sized trailer.

Sadly to get that kind of payload you need a single cab truck. The sticker on that one shows 3 seating positions with no rear row. You lose 200lbs or so of payload when you add a crew cab. Not that that's terrible, 2800lbs is still great. As mentioned, you would need to order something like that as they are few and far between. I was looking for one in 2017 when I bought the current truck, but 1800+ lbs is enough for our travels.