94slowbra

iTrader: (1)

ive been reading alot of threads here about towing but most all them seem to involve campers. my truck is a 12 harley with 6.2 and 3.73s with tow package (what level im not sure). i swapped tires out to a heavier load tire and have a set of timbrens to help keep it all level. i know the hitch says 5k trailer/ 500 lb tongue weight, but can i tow this trailer with out a wdh? my ball mount id good to 10k. ive never used a wdh. trailer is open so catching wind shouldnt be a problem. thanks

WestsydeGuy

Many will argue but in my opinion a mere 6k is so light that its good to just hook up and go.
Several are paranoid to tow any weight.
The reality is that these trucks are so underrated by fords legal dept its almost comical.

Happy towing.

Ps. Since it was long ago so no one should freak out now.
My f150 towed home a long distance over extremely steep mountains a backhoe and 2 buckets on a huge trailer.
It did great and would be over double what the legal dept said it can tow.

smokeywren

The 2012 Ford RV and Trailer Towing Guide says your Harley Davidson 4x4 can PULL a travel trailer that weighs up to 7,500 pounds with a weight-distributing hitch without overheating anything in the drivetrain and without being the slowpoke holding up traffic when climbing grades. But then it also says you should NEVER exceed the GVWR of your pickup.


You will run out of GVWR (payload capacity) long before you reach 7,500 pounds tow rating, so forgetabout that 7,500 pound number. But you can probably tow a 6k trailer without exceeding the GVWR if you don't load the pickup down with a lot of heavy weight such as tools, spray-in bedliner. campfire wood, etc.


Ford engineers (not lawyers) say you should not tow any trailer that grosses more than 5,000 pounds or has 500 pounds hitch weight without a weight-distributing hitch. I like to comply with the engineers when possible.


You can get an excellent WD hitch for around $600 complete. That includes the Reese Strait-Line, Husky CenterLine, Blue Ox Sway Pro, and Equal-I-Zer. Buy one of those. Those four retail for around $1,000. If a new WD hitch is available for less than $500 from any on-line retail source, then it's probably not one of the good WD hitches. Lots of companies make cheap WD hitches that don't work nearly as good as the better hitches. Reese, Curt, Drawtite, Husky and others all make WD hitches you can order from discount online retailers for $200 to $400.. But you probably cannot buy a new Strait-Line, Centerline, Sway Pro or Equil-I-Zer for less than $500.

Your limiter is the weakest link in your setup. A 10k ball does not turn a 5k hitch into anything but a 5k hitch.

An open or closed trailer has nothing to do with the tongue weight of the trailer. If your tongue weight exceeds 500 pounds, then you need a WD hitch for any type of trailer.

The reality is that Ford's legal department has zero input in establishing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) and gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of Ford vehicles. Chasssis engineers lead by professional engineers (PEs) do that. But engineers are known to include a little bit of fudge factor in their specs. Perhaps you've heard of the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers). The SAE has been in the news lately because they evolved more consistant formulas for determining GCWR and therefore tow ratings.

BAM298

94....hope you don't mind I piggyback off this, lmk if so and I'll delete this post.

Smokey...Is there somewhere on the truck that says what it weighed when new/orginal? I've modified it slightly and added some tools/misc stuff I always have with me so I want to know what my remaining payload is....but not sure how to calculate it as some things are not removable. TIA

Ricktwuhk

Stickers on door jamb...

meaz93

smokeywren

Ricktwuhk gave you a good hint, but it's not obvious.


On the driver's doorframe, there is a sticker that includes GVWR and payload capacity of your F-150. GVWR minus payload capacity = the weight of the truck when it left the factory.



The payload capacity per the sticker is not very useful to me. The only way to determine actual payload capacity of a wet and loaded truck is to weigh the truck with a full tank of gas, hitch installed, and all the people and things that will be in the truck when towing. GVWR of the truck minus weight of the truck = remaining payload capacity of the truck.

94slowbra

iTrader: (1)

thanks for all the info guys. im coming froma 06 f350 dually, so weights wer never a problem. what confuses me is why our hitch is so weak? a standard class III hitch has a weight rating of 6k. so is our hitch less than a class III? i may jsut swap the hitch itself out for a class IV and be done with it. thats pretty weak on fords part to put a hitch on a truck that can only carry 5k. i know i could use a WD hitch but to me it seems easier to install a new hitch that is rated for some weight and be done. the most i haul is my car carrier and like i said before im in th neighborhood of 6k or less

BCMIF150

Swapping out the hitch will not change anything. The truck should only tow/haul what it was designed and built for regardless of what we think it can do.

meaz93

The problem is that the F150 is a lot lighter than the 250 or F350's. ...obviously. Sounds like you have plenty of experience towing, but a newbie could get into trouble, endanger others or could cause an accident....especially when the trailer is not setup and or loaded properly.