Dara Altadonna

Hi all! i'm new! so i went to look at a used 2014 F 150 Supercrew 4X4 5.0L V8FFV with tow mode and towing package. 145" wheelbase. 3.55" axle ratio/#7350 GVWR. I need help in deciding if i should get this truck!

i don't have a trailer yet but i'm looking for something under 20' and less than 5000 lbs.

i looked up the towing capacity of this truck and found its about 7700. Do you think i'm safe as long as i get something under 5000?

i also got a price of $28500 for the truck. It only has 23000 miles on it. It seems to be good price.

Gene K

What's the payload sticker on the door say?

How much weight in people, cargo and accessories (like spray in Bedliner, cover or topper).?

Make sure you have enough payload for that and tongue weight. Use Trailer GVWR x 15% of the trailers you are interested in to calculate tongue weight.

A 6000 lb Trailer + 50 lb bed liner + 600 lb of people means you need 1550 lb of payload. You will get a little back when you hook up your weight drisbuting hitch which will transfer some weight to the trailer axles but don't depend on that when you buy.

Hopefully trailer will run a little lighter, tongue percentage a little lower and you will end up with lots to spare but planning for the worst is the best policy.

smokeywren

Hi, Dara. And WELCOME to our campfire.

Depends on what that 5,000 is, and your definition of "safe". My definition of safe is not exceeding any of Ford's weight ratings. If that 5,000 is dry trailer weight, then you probably won't be safe per my definition. If it's the GVWR (or dry shipping weight plus cargo carrying capacity - CCC) then it depends on the other weight in the truck other than a skinny driver and the hitch weight of the trailer.

That 7,700 towing capacity is a myth. It assumes no options on the truck and absolutely no weight in the truck except a skinny driver. A more realistic real-world tow rating would be about 6,000 pounds gross trailer weight if your F-150 does NOT have heavy options such as tonneau cover or camper shell, bed rug, spray-in bed liner, cab steps, bed steps, tailgate step, etc. If your F-150 4x4 has those options plus you haul a toolbox full of tools and jacks and jack stands, then even 5,000 pounds tow rating may not be real world for you. If you insist on hauling a bed load of campfire wood, then you're going to be overloaded.

Example: My F-150 has towing capacity of 8,400 pounds, but I'm overloaded over the GVWR (and payload capacity) of my F-150 when towing my small (19.5' box) TT that grosses only 4,870 when wet and loaded on the road. Just me and Darling Wife and Sugar (Border Collie) and Marguerita (Chiquaqua) in the truck.

My F-150 has a payload capacity of 1,550 pounds (GVWR 7,100 minus 5,550 unloaded truck weight). My F-150 has a bunch of nice (heavy) options such as Leer cap, spray-in bedliner, bed mat, cab steps, bed steps, tailgate step. (Us old folk need all the help we can get.) As a result, I'm overloaded over the GVWR (and payload capacity) of my F-150 when towing my small TT that grosses only 4,870 when wet and loaded on the road. So ignore than 8,400 tow rating. Even a real-world tow rating of 6,000 pounds is not real world for my F-150. 5,000 is close, but no cigar. With gross trailer weight of 4,870, I exceed the GVWR of my F-150 by 100 pounds.

Expound: The tow rating is GCWR minus the weight of an unloaded tow vehicle. The GCWR indicates the max combined weight of truck and trailer you can have without overheating anything in the drivetrain, and without being the slowpoke holding up traffic when climbing hills and mountain passes. But almost always, the GCWR and tow rating is not your limiter.

Assuming your receiver hitch tongue weight (TW) rating is not your limiter, then GVWR and payload capacity is your limiter, and is not part of the calculation of GCWR or factory tow rating.

When you weigh the rig on a CAT scale, add the weight on the front and rear axles of the tow vehicle to get GVW. Then compare GVW to the GVWR of the tow vehicle. If GVW exceeds GVWR, you'll overloaded.

BTW, travel trailers with GVWR less than 5,000 pounds are rare. Good luck in finding one. There are lots of TTs with dry weight around 5,000 pounds, but don't allow that dry weight to fool you. Go by the GVWR (max wet and loaded weight) and ignore dry weight.

mark waller

Welcome aboard. Smokeywren gave you the lowdown and you should be good to go. If you are out in California we are getting ready to sell our 19 foot travel trailer. 4000 lbs. dry weight. You don't even know its behind you.