Trunk Overloading

[p1l0t3]

I recently did a lot of terrace work at my house and was using my M3 to haul the sand bags and 3/4 rocks bags.

On the heavier load i did (12x30kg (66lbs) in the trunk + 2x 30 kg rear seat + 4x 9kg in the frunk and myself 95kg) the car was very low on its springs

I do know that the towing capacity of the M3 is around 1,3t, but i was wondering if there would have been an "overload' warning that could ask me to better distributed the mass in the car ?

Or was I far from breaking something ?

 

[Puddles]

1200 lb? That's your average American fat family of 4. I generally load until the suspension is *gently* resting on its stops. Gently, because, well, safety.

 

[UncertainTimes]

1200 lb? That's your average American fat family of 4. I generally load until the suspension is *gently* resting on its stops. Gently, because, well, safety.

What about a family of 3 at 400lbs each

 

[JulienW]

1200 lb? That's your average American fat family of 4. I generally load until the suspension is *gently* resting on its stops. Gently, because, well, safety.

BIG difference between loading weight inside the 2 axle lines and putting a lot that weight/leverage outside of the axle lines.



EDIT: OP why not just rent a truck and be safe and not abuse your Model 3?

 

[yerEVan]

BIG difference between loading weight inside the 2 axle lines and putting a lot that weight/leverage outside of the axle lines.



EDIT: OP why not just rent a truck and be safe and not abuse your Model 3?

20 bucks Home Depot for 70 minutes.

 

[android04]

The towing capacity is different from the payload capacity. You were definitely way over, but I've also loaded flooring in my Model 3 to around 700 lbs. There is no warning or message, the only risk is warping or breaking something. As mentioned, if you load more towards the center of the car the more stable and evenly distributed it will be.

 

[Puddles]

What about a family of 3 at 400lbs each

I'd call them above average.

 

[Puddles]

BIG difference between loading weight inside the 2 axle lines and putting a lot that weight/leverage outside of the axle lines.

You're either a C-17 loadmaster and are way overthinking this loading thing, or you got your degree in Balanceology from the Barbizon School. What on earth would there be about those two scenarios that would make a BIG difference, or even an APPRECIABLE difference?

Consider that in many cases, a significant (and often very much over the rated limit) amount of weight on a loaded vehicle is borne way out back, on the trailer hitch, from a trailer loaded by amateurs. By "amateurs" I mean, me, and my makeshift crews, and we get by without major mishaps.

 

[Puddles]

I recently did a lot of terrace work at my house and was using my M3 to haul the sand bags and 3/4 rocks bags.

I used to do similar activities with my Honda Civic and the only thing that ever broke was the decking in the trunk (the cover over the spare wheel compartment). I replaced it with plywood and was able to load a few more concrete sacks per load that way. If you're going to put really heavy things in the trunk, I recommend beefing up or replacing your trunk compartment cover.

 

[Wennfred]

Model Y, 970 Lbs stress test

 

[trm2]

1200 lb? That's your average American fat family of 4. I generally load until the suspension is *gently* resting on its stops. Gently, because, well, safety.

300 lbs each. Dang, I guess I need to eat more.

 

[camalaio]

Surprised no one quoted the manual yet! There's a whole section near the end on Load Limits, with examples on calculating capacity too. Labeling may vary by country.

Load Limits
...
CAUTION: To avoid damage, never load more than 130 lbs (60 kg) on the rear load floor (above the lower trunk compartment), or more than 285 lbs (130 kg) in the large lower trunk compartment. Doing so can cause damage.

Example Load Limit Calculations
...
CAUTION: Do not exceed the maximum front trunk load weight of 55 lbs (25 kg).
​

You were waaaaay over. Probably over (or very near) the axle limits too. Below is for the 18" wheels:

GAWR
Front 2,447 lbs 1,110 kg
Rear 2,840 lbs 1,288 kg​

The GVWR is also listed as 4993lb in one spot I found, but your door sill will have a label with this information. Bets are you were above this limit too, but it depends on your model and year.

The car has ways to estimate its current weight, but I don't think it can tell the distribution

There's two ways to look at this: "it's fine" and "oh I probably shouldn't do that". Lots of people overload their vehicles (especially small trucks, but also small cars) all the time, with and without consequences. I tend towards "probably shouldn't do that", since it wasn't designed for that at all. You're not gonna wear out the drive units or battery this way, but you might hurt... anything else?

 

[p1l0t3]

20 bucks Home Depot for 70 minutes.

well I had spare time now and then, not a full week end, so I did this overloading thing 6-7 times i believe.

As for the trunk compartment cover, I bought from the beginning a full size rubber cover and its a given. It was very easy to load and unload the bags.I was able to do 3 +3 bags per layer (2 layers).

With all the sensors around the car, I would have expected a warning at least.
As a former private pilot, mass and its distribution is very important. seeing the nose tipping was something

 

[p1l0t3]

Here one of the pictures I took.
Flaps were touching the ground when going backwards.