Ncm86

Thanks all for the advice, I think I'm going to pass on the platinum truck. Found a 2011 FX4 with the options I want, dealer has payload listed as 1,560lbs. Think I'll check it out. I'm assuming that's a pretty good payload # for a screw and 6.5ft bed.

uzikaduzi

I don't have any experience but man those toads aren't cheap.

1560 pds of payload will likely be pretty good for your needs

KR Kodi

iTrader: (1)

If you're talking about the Trailer Toad - no, they're not cheap, but cheaper than the alternatives.

My used one was cheaper than a Propride hitch (which still wouldn't solve my payload capacity problem), and way cheaper than looking for a truck with more payload capacity.

uzikaduzi

I'm not knocking them in anyway... just saying I have no experiance with them... I think if you're in the process of buying a truck it's not necessarily true that it would be cheaper than looking for a truck with more payload but i get what you're saying... they are interesting but i bet that fx4 was cheaper than the platinum with buying a equalizer or a reese dual cam. I think it's awesome that you could potentially not effect your payload at all and tow to the max rating of a truck with one of those toads... just not awesome enough for me to invest.

wingedone

Hey, the good thing is, you found out BEFORE you bought the truck. So many buy, then ask: "what can I tow"? You are way ahead of them.

KR Kodi

iTrader: (1)

Yeah - you're right about that!! That's exactly what happened to me, even after I had done all my research and thought I had everything figured out.


All the Ford data shows that my SCrew 4x4 shortbed EcoBoost 3.55 rear end truck can pull a 9600 lb trailer. It shows a GCWR of 15500, so I figured even if I'm loaded up to the 7200 max weight rating of the truck I could still pull a 8300 lb trailer.


I thought "Excellent - my trailer for hauling my car to track events is only 6000, maybe 6200, so I'm good to go with this truck!!"


I had looked at a bunch of different trailers, and finally decided what I wanted. I got one used, but did a bunch of research and talked with the manufacturer, and all indications were that the tongue weight would be a couple hundred lbs. I talked with the factory sales guy and said I had researched a bunch of towing/trailering sites, and how could "a couple hundred lbs" work when the common wisdom is tongue weight must be 10-15% of trailer weight. Of course he gave me his sales pitch about their trailer being different and towing great with a lot less tongue weight.


Well....I got the trailer, and with my car loaded up (as far to the rear in the trailer as it will go) the tongue weight is over 600 lbs, and with a little more than 200 lbs of spare wheels/tires on the rack in the front of the trailer, the tongue weight is about 675 - which is good because it's more than 10% of the trailer's weight, but bad because the truck can't handle it!!


After a drop-in bed liner, tonneau cover, and OEM bed extender, my King Ranch's payload capacity is down to 1020 lbs. With me, my wife, and the tongue weight, we're overweight - I can't put anything else in the cab or bed.


But....I LUV the truck, and I don't want a bigger one. The F150 has pretty much become our daily driver, and I just didn't want to pay a lot more for a bigger truck.


So....that's where the Trailer Toad came in. I don't have any experience with it yet, but I think it's going to solve my payload capacity problem. With the Toad carrying the entire tongue weight, I now have my complete 1020 payload capacity available for stuff in the cab and bed.


A new Trailer Toad is pretty pricey, but my used one was much cheaper than going to an F250/350.


I'll report how it works as I get experience towing with it.


Bob