smokeywren

There are several types of trailer hitches.

Most new pickups come with a "rear step bumper". The step in the back center of the rear bumper includes a plastic cover with a 2" plug in the center of the step. Cut out that plug and you'll have a hole where you can install a ball hitch. With a ball installed in the bumper, that is literally a "bumper pull" hitch, with a maximum hitch weight of 500 pounds.

Optional on lesser trim models but standard on others is a frame-mounted "receiver" hitch. The receiver will include a sticker or embossment that shows the weight limits of the receiver. Common weight limits for a receiver is 500/5000 weight carrying (WC) and 1,000/10,000 weight distributing (WD).


The 500/5,000 means a max of 500 pounds hitch weight and 5,000 pounds gross trailer weight. The 1,000/10,000 means up to 1,000 pounds hitch weight and 10,000 pounds gross trailer weight with a WD hitch.

A WC hitch is a simple shank and ball mount with a trailer ball on it. Like this one:

A weight-distributing hitch is much more complicated, but it includes a shank that fits into the same receiver as the WC ball mount.


Some OEM receivers include WC rartings of 650/6,500 WC and 1,250/12,500 WD. Aftermarket receivers can be rated up to 17,000 pounds WD.

Another common RV hitch is a fifth wheel. Those are mounted in the bed, centered a few inches ahead of the center of the rear axle. Those are available with weight ratings from 15,000 to 30,000 pounds. Here's mine:

Farmers, ranchers and construction companies also tow trailers that have a gooseneck hitch. A gooseneck hitch in the bed is simply a big ball in a frame-mounted fixture. Most gooseneck hitches are rated for 30,000 pounds. I have a light-duty gooseneck hitch called "The Goose". It uses the same frame-mounted base rails as the Reese 5er hitch above.

So in your case, for towing an RV trailer with an F-150, you probably want a receiver with a weight-distributing hitch. Study the specs of your ordered pickup carefully and be certain it includes a receiver hitch.

Ignore the gross trailer weight rating and go the max hitch weight (or tongue weight) - because the ratings assume 10% of the gross trailer weight is on the tongue, but in real life most travel trailers (TTs) have tongue weight of 12 to 15%. If your TT has tongue weight of 15% and your receiver has a WD weight limit of 1,050/10,500, then your max tongue weight is 1,050 pounds and your max trailer weight is 7,000 pounds. (More than 7,000 pounds trailer weight will exceed your reciver's the 1,050 max tongue weight.

QuickM3

@smokeywren Thank you very much for taking the time to post such a thorough explanation. That was extremely helpful and very much appreciated!