Posted by Sherman in Idaho [50.52.4.20] on Tuesday, July 28, 2015 at 11:26:52 :
In Reply to: Re: O.T. Toyota cargo capacity posted by Doc Dave [70.192.200.125] on Tuesday, July 28, 2015 at 07:43:31 :
That doesn't really make sense to me because a "one ton" truck chassis (at least for a full-size American truck) weighs more than a ton, and a "1/2 ton" truck chassis definitely weighs a lot more than half a ton. I think the American manufacturers just over-built them (or under-rated) them in the early days because they knew buyers would overload them and they still keep the ratings on the low side so if you break it they can point to the data plate and say, "see, you overloaded it". But maybe there's more to it than that -- some sort of arcane government regulated engineering calculation similar to the way they come up with horsepower ratings for tractors.
And, come to think of it, maybe the Toyota pickups really can carry a full ton. I'm thinking of those "technicals" the Africans build for their civil wars, where they mount an .50 cal antiaircraft gun in the back of a Hilux pickup and pile about a dozen skinny "soldiers" on top of it, and then race around cross-country terrorizing anything that moves. You never see them using Nissans, Rangers, or Chevies for that. It's always Toyota 4x4s.
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