Payload and GVM Upgrades

[Nick4321]

Afternoon all,

I was hoping to get some feedback on how much it is reasonable to increase a Utes payload.

Specifically I want to set up a ute to carry some agricultural equipment. This will include a 350KG unit and 500KG water (when tanks is full). I am looking at an Isuzu DMAX (2023) space cab tray back or a land cruiser single cab workmate.

I would put a 600KG GVM upgrade on either option.

My question is, is it reasonable to put a 600KG GVM upgrade on a DMAX and carry that weight, or would that be pushing the limits of the vehicle. The tank would only be full at times. I would have to account for an extra 350KG of weight to accommodate two people, tools, 2nd batter etc (on top of tray, bull bar etc). My thoughts are that a land cruiser workmate would be better. But they are also significantly more expensive and not available new at the moment. The space cab is also very handy for my purposes.

Any advice appreciated.

Cheers

 

[red hilux]

500kg of water is 500 litres.
Why do you need so much water?

 

[Albynsw]

The 79 would be a better vehicle to do what you are asking but if you can’t get one ……
Are you working the vehicle hard when loaded offroad or is it blacktop or reasonable trails you are on?

 

[discomatt]

All depends on how often, how far, how fast, what roads
If it’s not often not far and black top the cheaper option would be fine in my opinion
How long you want to keep the Ute is also a consideration

 

[cam04]

Dmax Extra cab 4x4 is already 1250 kg payload. Single cabs are up over 1400 kg.
Keep the load forward on the tray and it will carry that weight no problem so long as you buy the lower spec working models which come with hd springs anyway. I still have the factory rears in my bt50 - they are 3 leaf parabolic and like a bit of load to start working. I wouldn’t want to see a dmax Ute with 1.8t (gvm + 600kg) of payload on it. There is no doubt a cruiser Ute will cope better with a full load for longer. They should do being pretty much twice the price. If their factory springs haven’t changed they’ll need an upgrade straight up. Either will carry the weight you are talking no probs though.

 

[Triton14]

The Dmax gets a GVM Upgrade; what's the choices?

Before buying the Dmax, I sat down and made a spreadsheet covering the accessories and modifications that I wanted to put on the 4WD, as part of building it into a comfortable, reliable and mildly

www.4wdingaustralia.com

New 4015kg GVM upgrade for LandCruiser 200 Series from Old Man Emu - Pat Callinan's 4X4 Adventures

ARB via Old Man Emu has released a brand-new GVM upgrade for 200 Series LandCruisers (up to 4015kg - Stage Two) with the original Stage One upgrade continuing.

mr4x4.com.au

 

[Lost1?]

On smooth tracks save your coin and get the DMAX. Rough terrain with that load, get the cruiser.

 

[2luxes]

My question is, is it reasonable to put a 600KG GVM upgrade on a DMAX and carry that weight, or would that be pushing the limits of the vehicle.

There are two ways of getting a GVM upgrade. One is getting an aftermarket kit installed and have nothing left in reserve.

The other is getting the car manufacturer to do it. They will go back to the drawing board and redesign the whole car over about five year period that will include

 

[2luxes]

thrashing protypes to destruction. The car will then carry its maximum load with plenty in reserve.

The aftermarket way has resulted in things like countless bent chassis, cracked or broken rear axle housings and sheered wheel studs. There is plenty of photos of these things on the internet.

Sorry I accodently posted this reply before I had finished it.

 

[Albynsw]

It would be good if the manufacturers offered you what you want out of the packet but they dont which is why you are often pushed into third party offerings
You could almost argue in some cases that the vehicles are not fit for purpose.

 

[2luxes]

It would be good if the manufacturers offered you what you want out of the packet but they dont which is why you are often pushed into third party offerings
You could almost argue in some cases that the vehicles are not fit for purpose.

Every car is fit for the purpose that it was designed for. The manufacturer would be in no end of trouble if they could not do it.

Unfortunately there has always been a small percentage of buyers who want their cars to do more. Those buyers have been around since the Chevrolet brothers started making speed equipment for T Fords right up to today's utes.

It is never going to stop and many of their "modified" cars are going to continue breaking.

 

[callmejoe]

Buy the DMax, (way more comfortable) load up the tray with all the normal stuff bar the tank. Get a dual axle trailer and put the tank in that, and you'd probably still be less out of pocket. I gather it's for emergency fire fighting or spraying.? So not used every day, much easier to dumper a trailer then pull it all off a tray, and more versatile.
Doesnt matter what you got if you dont distribute weight correctly it's bound to stuff and break things. Another thing distributing the weight better over the axles helps with floatation, staying on top rather then sinking in..

 

[Albynsw]

Every car is fit for the purpose that it was designed for. The manufacturer would be in no end of trouble if they could not do it.

Unfortunately there has always been a small percentage of buyers who want their cars to do more. Those buyers have been around since the Chevrolet brothers started making speed equipment for T Fords right up to today's utes.

It is never going to stop and many of their "modified" cars are going to continue breaking.

Going by how big the accessory market is I don’t think the percentage is that small

 

[discomatt]

Interesting, if 4wds were fit for purpose 99% wouldn’t have aftermarket suspension put in them, and he other one % are soccer mums and Land Rovers

 

[Albynsw]

Interesting, if 4wds were fit for purpose 99% wouldn’t have aftermarket suspension put in them, and he other one % are soccer mums and Land Rovers

The mass market 4x4’s on the available today are little more than mall crawlers with the marketing department selling a dream of an off-roading lifestyle

 

[2luxes]

Interesting, if 4wds were fit for purpose 99% wouldn’t have aftermarket suspension put in them, and he other one % are soccer mums and Land Rovers

Aftermarket suspensions, with or without lifts, do not break cars and the parts used in them rarely fail. The breakages come from parts that have not been designed for the excessive loads that some owners want to put in them.

A few years ago, I posted a photo on this forum of our single cab Hilux with its home made plywood camping body half way down the Sandy Blight Junction Road. It was 200 kgs under the car's maximum capacity and running on standard suspension and standard size tyres on handbook pressures. You don't need to take half your house with you in those conditions.

One of my old 4x4 magazines from around the late 70s to early 80s had a story that started with the question, how do back packers survive in the bush for a week or more with only what they are carrying on their backs.

That story came from the huge loads that some people were putting on their cars and it is still going on today.

 

[Nick4321]

The 79 would be a better vehicle to do what you are asking but if you can’t get one ……
Are you working the vehicle hard when loaded offroad or is it blacktop or reasonable trails you are on?

Thanks for the reply. It's on graded tracks and tarmac mostly. When I am going on rough tracks I would probably just need to half fill the tank for the one job.

 

[Nick4321]

Thanks for all the replies. Just back from a job so will go through the comments, appreciate all the feedback.

 

[Nick4321]

All depends on how often, how far, how fast, what roads
If it’s not often not far and black top the cheaper option would be fine in my opinion
How long you want to keep the Ute is also a consideration

True, I would probably keep the ute for 6 years. At full load I would mostly just be travelling short distances on graded tracks or tarmac and returning with an empty tank.

 

[Nick4321]

Dmax Extra cab 4x4 is already 1250 kg payload. Single cabs are up over 1400 kg.
Keep the load forward on the tray and it will carry that weight no problem so long as you buy the lower spec working models which come with hd springs anyway. I still have the factory rears in my bt50 - they are 3 leaf parabolic and like a bit of load to start working. I wouldn’t want to see a dmax Ute with 1.8t (gvm + 600kg) of payload on it. There is no doubt a cruiser Ute will cope better with a full load for longer. They should do being pretty much twice the price. If their factory springs haven’t changed they’ll need an upgrade straight up. Either will carry the weight you are talking no probs though.

With that payload though, the tray and bullbat etc would all have to be taken from that number wouldn't it?. Then maybe 200 for people and gear. Maybe another 200 for extra gear/tools. Already there's half the payload accounted for.