Like several folks have said, this subject never dies.
Regardless of truck brand or DRW or SRW, you CANNOT use only the rated payload in your decision making.
First off, that payload rating is based on the trucks curb weight, not real world weight. In the real world, you will have fuel, passengers, hitch, cargo, etc which will all subtract from your payload rating. Anything that did not come factory on the truck is payload.
Second, you have GVWR. That is the number the truck can not exceed (although people do). That is the ACTUAL weight of the truck AND all cargo, including proposed pin weight.
Third, you can never use a dry hitch weight in your calculations unless all you do is transport empty RVs to dealerships. For truck shopping purposes, I recommend using 25% of the RVs GVWR as your pin weight when calculating payload of a truck. That leaves you some "safety" room.
My truck and RV example: (whether or not I have dually does not factor in)
Truck GVWR - 14,000lbs
Truck Payload - 6,460lbs
Actual truck weight - 9,300lbs (me, wife, fuel, hitch, tool box, spray in bed liner, bed cover, + misc extra crap I carry)
Subtract the truck weight from the GVWR and that leaves 4,700lbs remaining payload capacity. Not the advertise 6,400lbs. That is MY real world payload rating.
RV GVWR - 16,960lbs
Max pin weight - 4,240lbs ( 25% of 16,960)
4,240lbs pin weight is less than my 4,700lbs remaining available payload capacity. The numbers say I'm good. But wait. You've also got axle rating.
My rear axle rating is 9,650lbs. I'm still good.
If at all possible, I recommend that during your test drive you get the truck weighed. Add to that the weight of a full tank of fuel. (approx. 7lbs per gallon for diesel and approx. 6lbs per gallon for gasoline) Also add 100lbs for your hitch. (actual weight will be +/- depending on what hitch you have) Subtract all that from the trucks advertised GVWR. You know have a better idea of the real payload capacity.
Follow the REAL numbers.
This subject will never die because somebody new will ask this same question again.
