f3user

Hi Everyone,
I've been driving a 92 Ranger for the past 17 years and it still runs fine but my kids don't fit in it anymore! I'm buying the oldest kid a 74 Nova that we will doing some bracket racing on weekends with so I also needed a truck with more towing capacity. I shopped around and found a dealer offering $13K in rebates and just fell in love with the look and options on truck and wound up buying a 2014 F-150 Super Crew 5.0L 4x4 w/ Off Road package. It does not have the max tow package (doesn't have the mirrors telescoped out from doors). It does have the class IV hitch, integrated trailer brake controller, trans oil temp gauge (unless that is engine oil temp), and auxillary cooler in front of radiator which I'm assuming is for the transmission.

It was dumb of me to not look up the towing capacity before I bought the truck I know, but I was disappointed when I looked it last night and found it was only 7,700lbs. That would be enough to tow a 3,500 lb. car on a 2,200 lb. trailer but I also wanted to be able to tow a 4,500 lb. tractor with a 1,000 lb. bush hog and 500 lb. box blade. The tractor would require a trailer with heavier axles and a trailer weight closer to 3,000 lbs. The tractor setup could then be as heavy as 4,500 + 1,000 + 500 +3,000= 9,000 lbs! Now if I had the 3.73 gear instead of 3.55, I would be covered by factory rating up to 9,300 lbs towing capacity I think. Is there any other difference between a 7700lb 3.55 gear truck and a 9300lb 3.73 gear truck besides that gear ratio? It seems like I already have all the other recommended options. I'm guessing I would be okay for towing the 9,000 lb trailer on 100 mile trips over relatively flat ground in Mississippi. What do you think?

AndrewM

Your limiting factor will be payload capacity. What is your payload capacity, as shown on the yellow sticker on the drivers door jamb?

If the combination of loaded trailer tongue weight + occupants in the truck (including driver) + plus gear in the truck (inside and out) is less than the yellow sticker, you should be fine. I wouldn't be concerned about the slight performance difference between 3.55 and 3.73 gears. Just engage tow/haul and don't worry about it.

One more thing, you will need a weight distributing hitch if the tongue weight exceeds 500#, which it will with that heavy load.

Jeremy1979

I would not have a problem pulling the 9000lbs with that truck. I have a 2010 with the 5.4L and a 3.55 rear end, and it is rated at 9600lbs. I cannot see almost 2000lbs difference between the two engines.

I pull a 8000lbs travel trailer and the truck does a great job with it.

Ricktwuhk

There are many people that tow more than their vehicles can safely handle. One just hopes we're not on the road when they are and that their unsafe towing doesn't result in loss of life for them or others (not directed at anyone on this thread, just a statement).

There are some excellent posts in this section (Towing/Hauling/Plowing) that explain the process to determine if you're ok or not. There is a utility here: https://www.f150forum.com/f82/trailer...tility-244126/ and posts by people like Smokeywren, KRKodi, and others that take you through the process.

The key is PAYLOAD. The load in the truck makes a great deal of difference - people, luggage, what's in the bed), then the weight of the WDH and the tongue weight of the trailer.

Here's one post in particular. https://www.f150forum.com/f82/hitch-t...estion-276903/

f3user

Thanks for the quick replies. I took a picture of the label you mentioned. So the weight of my family would be about 600 lbs, add another 400 lbs for tools, ice chest, etc. and I'm at 1,000 lbs with 543 lbs left (unless I have to take into account a full tank of gas at 220 lbs). So if I get a weight distributing hitch to bring tongue weight to 500 lbs., maybe I will be okay then?? I will definitely read the links suggested below. I do want to be safe on the road and also not over work the truck. Thanks again.

Ricktwuhk

Make sure the 600 pounds includes you also. Any mods like a tonneau cover, ...

And you have to include the weight of the weight distribution hitch.

That second thread I posted is most informative.

sunset

I have the same truck with this very ? Thanks for asking as it help me too

KR Kodi

iTrader: (1)

That 1543 lb payload capacity on your sticker is for a completely empty truck, except it includes a full gas tank!

So....the full tank is already figured in - but nothing else. Which means that if you've added any mods after purchase (tonneau cover, bed liner, toolbox, or anything else that adds weight and stays in/on the truck all the time when towing), their weight needs to be subtracted from that published payload capacity.

And like Ricktwuhk said above, your WDH will weigh maybe 100 lbs, so that reduces the payload remaining to handle tongue weight down to 443 lbs!!

Your WDH will redistribute some of the tongue weight back to the trailer axles - possibly 20% when your WDH setup is dialed in. But that still essentially will only account for the weight of the WDH.

However, the WDH WILL NOT bring your tongue weight down. Your trailer must be loaded such that it has a tongue weight of 10% to 15% of the loaded trailer's weight. If you have a 9000 lb trailer, your tongue weight must be 900 to 1350 lbs. then the WDH will redistribute some of that weight forward to the truck's front axle (which won't help with your payload capacity), and back to the trailer's axles (which will help a little, as mentioned above).

Also, lay down under your rear bumper and look up to see a sticker with the hitch rating limits for your truck. You'll see that the tongue weight is limited to 500 lbs without a WDH, and 1050 lbs with a WDH.

Bottom line - to stay within limits, it looks like your GVWR/payload capacity will probably be the limiting factor, and a 5000 lb trailer will be about max to keep within the limits.

If you'll only occasionally tow the heavy trailer that short distance, I'd keep the load in the truck down (less people and nothing in the bed), keep the tongue weight to 10%/900 lbs, use a good WDH, and you'll probably be fine.
.

f3user

That's good to know! Coincidentally, the rubber bedliner (40lbs) and ARE X series Camper shell (175lbs) I am considering would add back the exact weight of a full tank of gas. Looks like pulling a 3500 lb car with the heavier trailer I was looking (Big Tex 14cc-18 @ 2790 lbs w/out spare) would result in a 925 lb tongue wt (TW) at 13% transfer rate (with half of weight of camper shell and bedliner located behind the rear axle). The tractor load could be as much as 1,250 lbs TW, but knowing what I do now, I don't think I would carry more than one implement with it and get that weight down more. Most of towing would be with car behind so I am researching WDH systems with about 1,100 lbs TW to sort of split the difference and allow for weight of WDH itself. I hope that would be a suitable compromise.


-- One other thought, I just spoke a trailer salesman and he pointed out that if I were carrying a bush hog, it would be behind the tractor well back of the trailer centerline, so while total weight is still a factor, the tongue weight may not as much as I thought....

KR Kodi

iTrader: (1)

Yes, you can adjust the load fore/aft on the trailer to increase/decrease the tongue weight.

However....you still need to have a minimum of 10% (real world min is usually 12% to 13%) of the loaded trailer weight on the tongue.

If the tongue weight is too light you risk excessive uncomfortable and possibly dangerous swaying of the trailer.
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