smokeywren

The only 2015 F-150 with E3.5L Ecoboost engine and 3.55 ratio with 16,000 GCWR is a SuperCab 4x4 with 145" wheelbase. Your SuperCrew 4x2 should have GCWR of 17,000.

Don't forget about hitch weight. If the truck is loaded to 7,050 pounds GVWR without the trailer tied on, then you'll be overloaded over the GVWR of the F-150 when you add the 1,125 pounds hitch weight of the trailer.

But the more likely scenario is you'll be loaded to the 7,050 GVWR including hitch weight, and the trailer axles will then be hauling 9,000 minus 1,125 pounds of hitch weight for a total of 7875 pounds. 7050 plus 7875 trailer axle weight = 14,925 GCW, or well below the GCWR of 17,000.

So the pickup will be loaded to the GVWR (including hitch weight), and the trailer will be loaded to the GVWR of 9,000 pounds. But you don't add the GVWR of both the truck and trailer to get GCW. You must subtract the hitch weight. A TT loaded to 9,000 pounds with an average hitch weight of 12.5% will have 1,125 pounds of hitch weight (or tongue weight).

No. Completely wrong. GCWR has nothing to do with payload.

Assuming your numbers are correct:

GVWR 7050
Actual truck weight (curb weight) 4925
---------
max payload would be 2,125
==============

But that assumes absolutely nothing is in the truck. No driver, passenger, pets, tools, extra fluids, campfire wood, trailer hitch, nothing.

So count on the wet and loaded truck weighing around 5,700 to 6,000 pounds and then having around 1,050 to 1350 pounds of payload capacity available for hitch weight.

GCWR (minus weight of the wet and loaded truck) tells you the max trailer weight you can pull. But it ignores the hitch weight you can haul.

GVWR (minus weight of the wet and loaded truck) tells you the max hitch weight you can haul, but ignores the max trailer weight you can pull. So you must use both to match tow vehicle to trailer.


And almost always the GVWR will be your limiter.

smokeywren

But his F-150 is a 2015 aluminum bodied 4x2 pickup with different numbers than the your 2013 4x4 model, and his doesn't have the max tow pkg that yours does. The pickup is lighter, so it can have less GVWR and still have the same or higher payload capacity as an older truck with the heavier steel body. My 2012 has GVWR of 7,100, so his 2015 with 7,050 GVWR has more payload capacity than mine.

boatdriver1790

smokeywren, thanks very much. Great info!

I guess I didn't specify before that I am indeed looking at the 4x4. That'll change the numbers a bit.

So I went to the dealer again today to add the max payload. As you guys said, you have to move up to the 6.5' bed, which I don't like but could live with. The thing that I really dislike is that I can't add the sport appearance package which turns all the chrome to base color. It also means I have to lose the center console as well.

So I'm back to considering this....what's the MAX trailer you WOULD consider towing with the truck I'm interested in?

2015 F150 4x4 SuperCrew cab with 5.5' bed
3.5 Ecoboost w/ Max Towing Package

I think I'd rather keep the truck I want and perhaps get a bit smaller travel trailer, even though I really won't be towing it often.

king nothing

I think you will be fine without the HD payload package but with max-tow. The math that smokeywren did shows you with 2125# payload. If your tongue weight is 1125 that leaves you with 1k# for passengers and cargo. Put whatever you can in the trailer. We put all luggage, coolers, etc in the camper and only put dirty stuff (firewood, grill, and my daughter's 3 wheeled bike) in the bed. I have 1760# payload and i wouldnt hesitate to hook up to the trailer you are looking at. I would be 3-400# over payload on my truck with my family in the truck, but that doesn't concern me a bit. Make sure you order the truck with LT tires so you dont have to buy new tires immediately

smokeywren

The GCWR of 17,000 and tow rating of over 11,000 are plenty for any trailer that grosses 9,000 pounds. The GVWR and payload rating of that truck with the Max Tow Pkg will probably be maxed out. If you pay attention to the weight you haul in the pickup and trailer, you may squeeze by without exceeding the GVWR of the pickup. I hate being that close to the max weight ratings, so I would spend the money for the HD Payload pkg and then not worry about overloading the tow vehicle. But if you cannot live with the 6.5' bed, then realize you'll be right on the borderline of being overloaded when you're on the road with the wet and loaded rig. Just be Certain you order both the max tow pkg and the tow mirrors.


I don't have the GVWR of any 2015 F-150 without the HD Payload pkg, so I can only guess. If you get the Max Trailer Tow pkg, then my guess is the GVWR will be around 7,400 pounds and the wet and loaded F-150 4x4 SuperCrew shorty will gross around 6,000 pounds. That results in a max payload capacity of 1,400 pounds. 1,400 pounds of payload capacity available for hitch weight of a TT that has 15% hitch weight is a max trailer GVWR of 9,333 pounds, which is a hair more than the 9,000 pounds max weight of your trailer. So be sure you use an excellent WD hitch, properly adjusted, and then confirm your weights on the CAT scale.

A7B2FX4

If you're going to full time in the RV I've never heard anyone doing that and wishing they had a smaller TT. Just because a unit has a mega GVW doesn't mean you'll be at that weight. I also look at the available trailer payload. Only you can decide how much weight you'll be adding.
If you are staying mostly in one spot I'd go big on the TT pushing the limit. A final thought is to make sure the trailer is well insulated. Mississippi will tax the output of the air conditioner and insulation helps.

Underfly

Just because you can pull it does not mean that you should pull it. Pulling that close to the max weight will not be good.

boatdriver1790

Again, excellent feedback. I've decided to put the horse before the cart and order the truck I really want and then find a trailer to suit. I'll be onboard a ship 50% of the time so I don't think a smaller trailer will be that bad. It's only for a year anyway. After the year of living in it full time it'll just be for the occasional weekend trip.