Sprinter Curb weights and Payloads?

[Hightech_Hobo]

Sprinter drivers....What is your curb weight and what do you consider your maximum Payload...Do you go by Manufacturers recomendations or just stay under 10k...ie.. I run 2010 sprinter 2500 extended...current curb weight is 7400 lbs. manf spec allow me to 8550 leaving me 1150 payload...if my goal is to just stay under 10 K then my payload can be as high as 2599lbs. I will note here before I get too flamed 85% of my loads seem to be under 1500lbs and I'm comfortable with up to 2000lbs...I get a little nervous with loads heavier than that. Opinions please.

 

[greg334]

What the weight on the sticker says is the absolute weight that you go with.

If you have 7400 lbs of curb weight and an 8550 lbs gvw, then your payload is 1150lbs - period.

What in the world do you have in that van to add 2000 lbs of weight to it?

You of course can go over, it will cause some wear issues but it may also cause some legal issues. If you get into an accident and you are overweight, you can be held liable for it if there is like a fatality. A good investigator will find that the cargo you had on board was way over the limit and report that fact. The other thing is unless you have your own authority, doesn't your company require you to submit a weight ticket?

 

[xiggi]

I once saw a picture of a sprinter that was bent in half from carrying too much weight to often. The mechanic who had it explained to me the sprinters have points in the frame where they can see an expansion if too much payload is being carried very often. He said without a doubt they should not be overloaded even on a semi regular basis.

 

[chefdennis]

7400 lbs is one heavy sprinter.....

 

[Hightech_Hobo]

That would be the answer I expected....but not so sure that is reality answer..looking for what the vanners really do...

as far as items in van....2 agm aux batts, lo profile polar air cond, fantastic fan, heavy insulation(foam, Pink board, reflextix silver stuff) on walls and roof. 2 honda 2k generators, cargo walls 28 inches high front to back made from 80/20 aluminum with luan covers, taller fridge, 2 laptops, printer, microwave, toaster oven, Plastic 48" table,xantrex 2500 watt inverter, coffee maker, and good selection of tools.

i plan on removing most of the tools and one generator for the winter..(only need two to run air conditioner) and I've got particle board on top of the cargo walls and on the desktop that replaced the passengers seat. but I only expect to lose about 200 lbs with these changes.

Also still need to install espar heater system but that looks to be about 30 lbs total conseratively...

 

[Hightech_Hobo]

I was also surprised when I weighed the sprinter. I know alot of you guys have sleepers and I truly thot the way I set this thing up would be about the same as a sprinter with a sleeper and i guessed I would come out around 7k when all was said and done...the xtra 400lbs really surprised me.

Industry standard for vans seems to be a 2500 lb payload(that was what fedex would put on a ford E150 I drove for another owner when I started 6 years ago...I know that that went over manf. specs back then.

Please list you current sprinter curb weights in your responses so I can see where and how much I went wrong

 

[LDB]

Is that one generator running the a/c and one generator to run microwave etc.? If so, turn the a/c off for the 4 minutes the microwave has to run and save that weight. How much do those 28" high walls weigh? Cut them down to about 10" maybe? How many tools do you need along in a 2010 van? Isn't particle board more dense and heavy than even plywood or about anything else?

I run a Chevy 3500 and the absolute limit is the number on the sticker on the door. Could it be exceeded? Absolutely. Could it be done without harming the vehicle? Possibly. Could it be done and not bite my entire butt off in the event of an accident? Not likely. That is the biggest risk in overloading in my opinion. You can't control the other guy so no matter how careful you are or how good you think you are the risk is always there. That's the same for the guys doing the 1000-1100 mile solo runs. They aren't that good. They're just that lucky so far and as anyone who knows anything about Vegas knows the luck always runs out.

 

[xiggi]

My 2500 sprinter scales at 6190. insulated sleeper, me, gas, clothes, tools, Coleman dc cooler, plenty of Mt. Dew and other misc. items.

 

[Turtle]

My 05 Sprinter currently scales at 6130. I get an empty weight ticket every so often, every few months or after I've added or removed anything of significant weight. That lets me know how much weight I can haul. The GVWR is 8550, so I can currently haul 2450 pounds of freight.

That's the reality. That's what most vanners out here really do.

There's a legal issue when overweight, but seriously the risk is rather low. It'll be bad if you're overweight and are involved in an accident, even one that's not your fault, but that's still low risk. What is high risk is frame, transmission, rear end, and suspension problems if you carry too much weight more than just a few times a year. I can count on one had, four fingers, actually, how many times I've carried more than the GVWR of 8550. Three times it was nearly flat from pickup to delivery, and once it was over the Cascade Mountains and I'm glad I had the extra weight (3100 pounds) because it was the only thing that kept me from sliding off the mountain in that snow.

But right now, today, if I get anything over 2450 pounds, I'll almost certainly turn it down. That will change up or down with my next empty weight ticket.

A Sprinter with a payload capacity of less than 2000 pounds is nearly useless to most carriers. One that's 1150 would get their contract canceled with most carriers.

I've got four batteries with heavy battery cabling and hardware, a 100 pound fridge/freezer, microwave, printer, laptop, television and satellite dish, a very heavy bunk and heavy shelving, and I carry lots of stuff, too. I did get rid of most of my tools and a bunch of other stuff, which freed up more than 500 pounds. I weight nearly 300 pounds myself. You must have an awful lot of hidden weight in there somewhere.

 

[Jack_Berry]

just checked 2010 sprinter specs. it showed 5395 as the curb wt. payload 3155. there is definitely a diet plan in your future. i take it you have turned that cavernous space into a 2 x 48" skid sprinter

take the particle board off the walls exposing the reflectix. that is heavier than your insulation alone. trade the 2 gens for a 3000. the van is new how many tools do you need? how many computers can you use at one time?

you might be surprised that the aluminum cargo walls are a big source of weight. a couple sheets of 1/2 plywood works very well.

this works:

 

[greg334]

but not so sure that is reality answer..

The answer is what I posted, that is reality. It is not a conjecture where something is allowed because one wants it to be.

The problem is there some sort of misconception what the under 10,000 lb rule is.

I would shed a lot more weight than one generator, like both and a whole bunch more. If isn't a choice, then ditch the 2500 and get a 3500.

 

[greg334]

weight nearly 300 pounds myself.

What kind of turtle are you?

 

[Jack_Berry]

The answer is what I posted, that is reality. It is not a conjecture where something is allowed because one wants it to be.

The problem is there some sort of misconception what the under 10,000 lb rule is.

I would shed a lot more weight than one generator, like both and a whole bunch more. If isn't a choice, then ditch the 2500 and get a 3500.

he can't go 3500 for the sprinter unless he wants to log and scale. agree on the shedding weight.

 

[greg334]

Why not?

They make a 2010 3500 with a 9990 GVW. I had one sitting next to my truck for three days this past week.

 

[xiggi]

If you did not use a cat scale I would start by getting weighed again and at a cat. To work on most sprinter items really takes very few tools, figure out which ones you really need and leave the rest at home. You should be able to get rid of 800 lbs or so and still be comfortable. You will pay in the long run for hauling heavy. Even if it isn't a tranny or engine smaller things add up big. Rear axle, carrier bearings, changing fluids more often because the heavy loads stress them out sooner. In the long run being heavy is going to cost more then it is worth.

 

[Jack_Berry]

Why not?

They make a 2010 3500 with a 9990 GVW. I had one sitting next to my truck for three days this past week.

didn't know that. thanks but don't you still have the problem of not enough room between the rear wheel wells? still not the solution. a diet is part of the solution.

 

[greg334]

NP, I thought the same for a while too after I was corrected by someone (I think it was Piper). I asked a couple D-C people who went with MB and they sent me this big thick manual with all kinds of stupid info like GVW and dimensions. Right there on the list of N-A vehicles is a 3500 extended WB (170) at 9990 and next on the list was a 3500 chassis cab (and cutaway version down from there) 170 at 9990. I didn't need the book so I pitched it over to someone else but wanted the 2006 version of the book.

I would luv to have the cutaway version of a 170 chassis but they won't take my truck for a straight trade.

 

[Jack_Berry]

so the 3500 is still a dualie? the wheel wells are a prob in the sprinter body. as a chassis cab you could be a frito lay truck.

 

[greg334]

Yep dually... BUT there is a flat floor to the box I will have. Two pallets side by side, and a lot of room for the big screen, the surround sound and theater seating.

You saw that frito truck too? I didn't think much of it until I got into one to see what they did, neat.

 

[ebsprintin]

I learned in school that reality is a social construct. In my reality 6350 lbs empty and 2200 lbs left for freight. Just met another driver who still hauls 4000 lbs loads. In his reality, oil is oil and doesn't need to be changed as long as it remains oil. Choose your reality. Keep us posted so we can document the life span of sprinters from different realities.

Another note concerning my reality. I cut holes in my shelving to meet my self imposed weight limit of 8550. It really gets that tight when trying to balance comfort, and function. Otherwise, you would see lot more fancy rides on the road.

eb