Ricktwuhk

Post the picture of this sticker:

gopackgo12

I hope this works. You are all right. I don't know where I got the 3100 from. Here are the images (which I hope will load right...)

tomb1269

1st bagging the truck will not give it any more capacity, maybe upgraded shock from factory just to better handle the load. However, being a new truck this not really needed. Any easy estimation of how much trailer you can buy can be calculated with to formulas. 1st the truck to estimate add the weight of the occupants (leave room for kids to grow as they grow like weeds) plus any gear you will be carrying in the truck (fyi, the more you put in the truck the less you can tow. The more you put in the trailer only deducts 12 to 15lbs from what you can tow.) finally any add ons (i.e. Tonnue cover, bed liner, etc) and subtract from your max payload listed on the door sticker.
Example;
People and pets 750lbs
Bed liner and Tonnue 250lbs
misc. gear 150 lbs
Total 1150lbs
Payload rating 2100lbs
Remaining payload 950lbs
or
Load it up with everything and everyone and get an actual weight and subtract from the trucks GVWR
With that remaining weight you can calculate the max GVWR for the trailer you would want to buy (or at least the max you would be able to tow)
Max towable weight is the remaining payload 950lbs (from example above) divided by 15% (estimated tongue % of trailer weight for a regular TT, toy haulers are balanced differently) for a total of 6333lbs gross trailer weight.


Now you can also looking at a trailers specs and determine if it is something you can most likely tow by determining the dry % of tongue weight and then multiplying that by the trailers GVWR or but something you determine between the dry weight and the gross weight, by taking the listed tongue weight of the trailer and dividing it by the dry weight of the trailer and dividing it by the trailers dry weight. example
Tongue weight listed = 750lbs
Dry weight of trailer = 6500
% of actual trailer weight transferred to truck = 750 / 6500 = 11.5%
Therefore if the GVWR of the trailer is 8500, depending on how much you load up the trailer (most TT owners add at least a 1000lbs in gear/food and then if you load the water tanks that's another 8lbs per gallon), your tongue weight would range between 750lbs dry and 980lbs which would be 30lbs over the example truck above, but still a very do able trailer. The example truck above with this trailers configuration (i.e. 11.5% tongue weight) would allow you to pull up to 8260lbs or nearly is GVWR.


Good luck....Enjoy your truck and happy trails when you find the TT that makes you and the family happy.


FYI; with your payload of 1544lbs, and using the example family/truck above
People and pets 750lbs
Bed liner and Tonnue 250lbs
misc. gear 150 lbs
Total 1150lbs
Your Payload 1544lbs
Remainder is 394lbs
With a trailer having a 13% tongue weight transfer (tends to be very common % in TTs) you would be able to tow a trailer with a GVWR of only about 3100lbs.
Loss the 150lbs of misc gear and you jump up to 4200lbs.

gopackgo12

Wow, that was quite the info! Thanks!

Ricktwuhk

You'll be luck to end up close to 1,000 lbs payload after your wife, 3 kids, and gear are included..

See the thread in my signature, has a good post in it.

tomb1269

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but the Outbacks are to big. The lightest ones DRY tongue weight is 785lbs (model 310TB, & the 301BQ is 790lbs) with a 1000lbs of gear/water (& extras added to the trailer) you'd be looking at a hitch weight of just about 900lbs, leaving you only 644lbs for people, pets, etc. in the truck.

tomb1269

You could look at something like Jayco's 28DSBH as it would max out with a hitch weight under 900lbs. More than likely you'd be looking at about 780lbs in hitch weight (trailer dry - 5460lbs plus 1000lbs load = 6500lbs wet weight x 12% tongue weight) also their Jay Flight SLX models and White Hawk look to be very light. Here's Jayco's website;
http://www.jayco.com/products/travel-trailers/
Good luck..... No I do not work for Jayco. I have owned their popups and my parents have had a Jay Flight
Floorplan 28 DSBH UVW 5,460 lbs Dry Hitch Weight 635 lbs GVWR 7,500 lbs CCC 2045 Exterior Length 31'11" Exterior Height with A/C 131" Interior Height 81" Fresh Water Capacity 42 gal Grey Water Capacity 45 gal Black Water Capacity 30.5 gal

smokeywren

Okay, your GVWR is 7050 pounds. That's the only spec you need to worry about. If you don't exceed the GVWR of your F-150, then you probably won't be overloaded over any other weight limit of your F-150.


Since you have the truck, the answer to your question is simple. Load the truck with everybody and everything that will be in it when towing, including your toolbox and the head from your weight-distributing hitch. Don't have the hitch yet? Then add 50 pounds to the scaled weight you get below.


Drive the loaded truck (without trailer) to a truckstop that has a certified truck scale (usually called a CAT scale). Fill up with gas, then weigh the wet and loaded truck, with everybody (including you and any pets) and everything in the truck,.


Subtract the weight of the wet and loaded truck (including hitch head) from the 7,050 GVWR and the answer is the maximum tongue weight you can haul without being overloaded.


Divide that max tongue weight by 0.15 and the answer is the maximum GVWR of any tandem-axle travel trailer (TT) you want to consider.


Example: If your wet and loaded truck weighs 5,800 pounds, then that leaves 1,250 pounds for max tongue weight. 1,250 divided by 0.15 = 8,333 pounds. So don't even look at any TT with GVWR of more than 8,333 pounds. If the trailer specs do not include GVWR, then add dry trailer "weight" plus cargo carrying capacity to get max wet and loaded trailer weight or GVWR.


Your numbers will vary from the above example, but don't cheat yourself by using some other formula, or by "forgetting" to include weight you will have in the pickup when towing - such as campfire wood, floor jack and plywood jack base for changing a trailer tire in a muddy barditch during a rainstorm, cooler?

A7B2FX4

My rule of thumb is up to 26' TT might work well. Above that it is normally too much for a non HD F150. Somewhere around the 26' mark and the truck starts to get overwhelmed by the trailer. The Lance 2185 is definitely OK while the Lance 2612 would be a no go. The 3.5 EB has great strenghts but the rest of the towing parts don't match it. You can dream of the 30-32' TT's and plenty of people have them with F150's but you won't enjoy towing them!

gopackgo12

Loved the post. Funny! Do you have experience changing a tire in the muddy ditch during a rainstorm?? LOL