xcntrk

2013 MaxTow:

brulaz

Weight Carrying is 500# tongue weight , 5000# trailer weight with the 2011 MaxTow hitch
EDIT: mine looks just like xcntrk's

schmenke

^ yep, that's what my spec sheet says.

brulaz

Pretty sure the receiver can handle the 600# or so, like all the aftermarkets. But it does lift more weight off the front axle, which I suspect is why Ford limits it to 500# weight carrying.

I ran my truck/receiver with 600# briefly. I didn't find the steering too squirrely, but prefer not to do it.

jjinatx

Thanks guys.

Interesting, the sticker on my 2012 SCREW 5.0 3.73 with base tow package is almost the same.

Looks like all the Max Tow gets you is 1,000# more trailer weight and 100# more tongue weight for weight distributing and NO extra weight carrying. Bummer. Looks like I'm going to have to replace the receiver portion of my hitch with the "no hitch" "reinforcement" and go with the Curt Class IV to get the extra tongue weight capacity without the WD hitch.

With the WD hitch, I'm adding about 100# to the tongue weight and then removing it plus maybe another 100#. Measuring with a story stick (to avoid tape measuring error), the truck sits exactly the same with the WD hitch on and engaged, or with just a regular stinger. (And yes, the WD hitch is set up correctly.)

I know, some of you guys probably think it hardly seems worth the effort just get rid of the WD setup, but I dislike it enough to spend a few hundred to get rid of the bother of it. I'm getting old, weak and cranky.

-jj

jjinatx

Brulaz,

I agree the stock hitch can probably handle the 600# tongue weight OK, but I'd rather have whatever hitch it is hooked up to be spec'ed for 600#. As for unloading the front axle, the rise I see in the front having the trailer hooked up isn't much more than the width of a #2 pencil mark. When setting up the WD hitch, all I could do was set the spring bar hangers so they wouldn't make the front end go lower than unloaded and transfer too much to the front axle.

-jj

brulaz

Heh, had the same problem with the 800# spring bars on my WDH. And never got around to getting anything smaller.

My weight-carrying hitch overload problem disappeared when I added some bikes to the rear of the trailer and other stuff. The tongue weight then dropped to about 520# which I was happy with.


One issue though is sway. My old trailer was only 4000# so if it got hit by side wind it would move around, but I'd barely notice it in the truck. But I could see it bouncing around back there in the mirrors. And on gusty days it seemed that people who were passing me would go almost off the road to get around. A friction sway bar would have helped there.

And speeding around sharp corners in the Appalachian mountain roads, the trailer would swing out and even go off the pavement. And in emergency maneuvers, and to help prevent jack-knifing, friction sway control would help.

But even now with the new trailer (1100# tongue weight), I sometimes don't mount the friction sway bar out of sheer laziness. One of these days I'll solve that problem by getting an Equal-I-Zer. My current WDH is a POS and too small anyway.

ecobeast365

Mine came that way too.

xcntrk

I believe the specifications (stickers) on the hitch are model agnostic and simply show the maximum ratings for the hitch itself. Regardless of the hitch maximums, you still have to fit your towing needs within the specific F150 model capacities for GVWR, RGAWR, etc. So while a hitch may have a maximum rating of 10,500# the vehicles tow rating may still be lower depending on model (ex 9,200#).

Also the extra 1000/100# difference on the maxtow comes from the additional "hitch reinforcements" included with that package. Not exactly sure what specific reinforcements are added, but looking underneath at my hitch there's some additional bracing that appears to be it.

Lastly, is it possible to find a Class-V hitch for the F150? That would solve all your needs trying to make the smaller Class-IV hitch fit your needs. You can still get a Class-V hitch in a 2" receiver if that's your desire (although I think most are 2.5").

Wannafbody

insert sleeves to fit the 2 inch into the 2.5 inch are cheap.