Feeling defeated about payload

[codemancer]

I have friends that put air bags on their Taco and love it. They also upgraded the shocks. They will go most anywhere that isn’t wheeling over rocks bigger than a beach ball. Having used sedans, and little trucks and 1/2 ton full sized, I now have a 3/4 ton truck and don’t even think about GVW.

Have any recommendations?

 

[MMc]

I don’t know anything about airbags, so no about airbags.
As to 3/4 ton trucks, Ford, GM, and Ram are making very trucks these days. I buy used and get mostly what I want and modify or live with it. There are more aftermarket parts for Ford and Rams. I would look for a 3 to 5 year old truck that has about 15k per year, it’s most likely a lease truck.

 

[LostWoods]

Thanks everyone for all the replies. If nothing else it helps me to realize that I'm not just "doing it wrong" but more that I just haven't found my groove and best use case. I like the idea of taking the family on some trips and letting them get a feel for it. If they absolutely love it and want to commit to the lifestyle then I guess I'll have to decide between a trailer or a larger dedicated rig (perhaps to replace my wife's daily, which she only uses about 3k miles per year). And either way it sounds like a suspension upgrade is overdue; I was trying to figure out my weight first then go for suspension, but sounds like I might just need to make my best estimation at total weight and get the suspension sooner than later.

You can do some pretty impressive things with a stock TRDOR. Wheeling in a group is also a great idea since you can follow others' lines to get a feel and also have spotters for sketchy stuff. Best game plan is to go stock and take it easy but if you want to get a bit more aggressive, sliders and aluminum skids are probably going to be everyone's #1 and #2 suggestions as they'll prevent the worst kinds of trail damage. Worst case, if you decide you don't need them, you can generally get 60% of your money back pretty easily.

I'd also pass on airbags personally. They are great at giving you a bit more on road but off road, they're great at popping at the worst possible time and leaving you with an inadequate suspension for the terrain. IMO an add-a-leaf is a better pick but you'll likely want to get something stronger than stock for the rear shocks.

 

[Autism Family Travels]

Yes a move to falcon shocks with tow option will help for sure,

 

[MidOH]

Trade it in for a gas 7.3l Ford F250 Tremor. Lovely truck.

Or get a trailer, and put all of your heavy recovery gear on the trailer. Spare tools, tires, etc. etc. Taco's,Rangers, and Bronco's are for tent camping. Maybe an RTT if there's room for it. I think every single Wrangler with an RTT is overweight, except the Gladiator. And as the trailer gets heavier, or 4 bikes or 4 kayaks are added..........

You'll still want the 250, again. Lolz.

Assuming that you only slightly exceed GVWR, some thoughtful upgrades would be Sumo Springs:

Tacomaworld has all kinds of threads about them.

And get a set of Fox 2.0 shocks. 2.5's would be even better, but not if you're inevitably going to trade it in next year for a fullsize.