keenerb

http://www.ford.com/resources/ford/g...rv&tt_f150.pdf

I am looking at purchasing a 2013 F150 supercrew that doesn't have a factory towing package, and adding an aftermarket receiver or possibly even having one installed by dealer, for lighweight towing/popup camper. It's a 5.0l with 3.31, and the chart at the link above has just - for the towing capacity.

I do notice below that a statement:

F-150
• For trailers over 5,000 pounds – Trailer Tow Package or Max Trailer Tow Package

So is my assumption that the - means "up to 5000 pounds" correct?

clearnetedm

I think all the f150 will come with a receiver now adays,no? Based on the details you gave the book max trailer weight will be at 8000lbs. What you want to look for is the sticker in the driver doors that shows your payload. Should be a yellow sticker that shows the max weight you should not exceed. This will really be the starting point of any trailer decisions. Otherwise the max weights in the books are pretty useless IMHO.

Edit: I found the section you quoted. On that page it is kind of weird. I read like you that without the tow package you'd be restricted to 5000lbs as it added the wiring, trans cooler and hitch.

Mike Up

With out standard or max tow packages, your limited to towing 5000 lbs and having a tongue weight of only 500 lbs. Worthless in my opinion, might as well buy a crossover or midsize pickup.

keenerb

I'd tend to agree with you, but this is actually a purchase for my wife; she's a real country girl, and I'm a sucker for a pretty girl in a pickup truck. The only thing this truck really needs to do is haul around a popup camper and the family. I have another truck (non-Ford, sadly) that can do some real towing, but it's out of commission with a cracked lifter seat and I haven't had time to do the heads.

Thanks for validating my concerns about towing.

keenerb

Maybe the receiver on a 2013 is just a little more subtle than I thought. I was surprised that none of the crew cab trucks I've seen on cars.com have an obvious receiver, but I'm new to Ford trucks so I can't say I have ever really looked carefully. At this angle, I thought the receiver would be more obvious. I may just be an idiot.

smokeywren

No, you don't want to tow any trailer that weighs more than about 2,000 pounds unless you have at least the regular towing package, or you modify the pickup to add all the items that are part of the towing package.

For 2013, the regular trailer towing package was optional on F-150s with XL, STX and XLT trim, and standard on F-150s with FX or Lariat trim. The regular trailer tow package included:

Class IV receiver
7-pin RV wiring harness
Larger radiator
auxiliary transmission cooler

So if you plan to tow a trailer that weighs more than around 2,000 pounds, you need to add not only the receiver but also the wiring harness and plugs, and oil-to-air transmission cooler (heat exchanger), and you need to replace the radiator with the larger radiator that comes with the towing package.

A class IV receiver means a receiver rated for at least 1,000 pounds hitch weight with a weight-distributing hitch.

I would encourage you to find a different F-150 that already includes at least the regular towing package. Adding the items that you need to make an F-150 capable of towing a 5,000-pound trailer without overheating anything in the drivetrain is expensive.

And while you're shopping, look for an F-150 that includes the max towing package. That package adds the towing mirrors and the integrated trailer brake controller (ITBC) that you need, as well as 500 pounds more payload capacity. An F-150 despertly needs more payload capacity for towing any trailer without being overloaded. My 2012 with 7,100 pounds GVWR and with regular towing package is overloaded with my TT that grosses only 4,870 pounds when wet and loaded on the road.

keenerb

Yeah, that's what I'm discovering. I'm focusing on trucks with the standard tow package currently. Thanks!

keenerb

It was a lot easier to understand when I just looked in the owner's manual.

Just signed the papers on a 2012 F-150 5.0l XLT with 29k miles and towing package; manual says max trailer weight of 7900, so that ought to cover my needs...

smokeywren

The tow rating is wildly optimistic. My 2012 F-150 EcoBoost SuperCrew has a tow rating of 8,400 pounds, but I'm overloaded with my TT when loaded to only 4,870 pounds gross trailer weight.

That word max means what it says = maximum. In order to haul the maximum trailer weight, your truck would have to have no options and nothing in it but a skinny driver. And the trailer would have to be a wagon-style trailer with almost no hitch weight, such as a farmer's cotton trailer or grain trailer.

Since you have bought the pickup, then here's how to determine the max trailer weight you can tow without exceeding any of the weight ratings of your pickup: Load the pickup with everybody and everything that will be in it when towing, including the head of your hitch. Drive to a truckstop that has a certified automated truck (CAT) scale, and fill up with gas. Then weigh the wet and loaded truck. Subtract the weight of the wet and loaded truck from the GVWR of the truck and the answer is the max hitch weight you can have without being overloaded. Divide that max hitch weight by 0.15 and the answer is the max GVWR of any tandem-axle trailer you want to try to tow.

The answer will be a lot less than your 7,900 tow rating.

keenerb

Thanks, I am aware that many other things come into play and the math behind it. My original concern was that Ford's online documentation had no actual details on towing capacity; no idea of the max tongue weight/receiver rating on an F150 without a towing package.

I'm pretty confident I've got plenty of capacity for the limited, lightweight towing I do now.