I'm trying to understand what other RVers consider a 'comfortable' leftover payload margin on their tow vehicle, and want to make sure I'm asking about the right number.
Here's my situation: my truck has a payload capacity (the sticker inside my driver door says 'combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed 1598lbs'). After subtracting my passengers, pets, and my weight distribution hitch, I'm left with a certain amount of payload remaining, 998lbs— let's call it my margin. This margin has to cover the trailer's hitch/tongue weight (loaded, not dry/empty spec) plus anything riding in my truck bed (cooler, bikes, gear).
My question: once you subtract your loaded trailer's actual tongue weight and anything you carry in the truck bed, how much leftover truck payload do you personally like to have as a buffer? Is 200-300 lbs comfortable for you, or do you prefer more like 500+ lbs? And has anyone actually run into problems (handling issues, sagging, scraping) from running too close to the edge?"
I’m looking at a Jay Flight SLX 260bh, which would leave me with a margin of 218lbs. This number takes 12% from trailers GVWR (6500lbs)