keith.a.schaal@gmail

I have a 2016 F-150 2.7l Ecoboost. It has the 3.73 rear axle, 8100# max tow, 13100# gcwr and 6500 payload package. The truck empty with full tank of gas is 5100#, leaving 1400# left for payload. My wife, me and dog combined weight is 355# leaving 1005# for additional payload. We are considering a travel trailer with empty weight 6500# and dry hitch weight of 812#. Not including full propane tanks and battery we would add another 500# of clothing and gear to trailer. We would not tow with anything in any of the tanks. The RV dealers tell me that I can handle this trailer with no problems. I can see that I am under all of my limits but am I too close to my towing capacity with this trailer? The question is not can I tow this trailer but instead should I tow this trailer across country?

old_programmer

I have a similarly equipped 2015. Our payload from the yellow sticker is 1450 lbs. This is the empty truck with a full 36 gallon tank of gas. Adding my wife, myself and the WDH of 100 lbs we have 1000 lbs left for tongue weight and anything else we will be putting in the truck bed. For the sake of argument add another 100 lbs to the truck bed for fire wood, cooking tools/coolers, tools, etc and we are down to 900 lbs. Adding your 500 lbs of stuff to the trailer given the current ratio of trailer dry weight to dry hitch weight will put you at or over the available payload with my numbers and assumptions. Leaving no room for error.

We regularly tow a small TT that weighs in at 3100 lbs with a tongue weight of a little over 400 lbs. The truck pulls this fine and doesn't really know the trailer is back there. Even though the math says I could pull more I think the practical max to keep our current performance would be somewhere between 5K-6K GVWR for the trailer. This would also keep us enough under the mathematical limits that we have room to bring a guest along or if we want to add bikes to our payload.

In a nutshell I think the trailer you are looking at is likely too much for your truck. Others more knowledgeable than me will hopefully chime in if I am too far off base or to correct anything I've missed.

As for RV dealers saying you could pull the trailer. Yes you could. I could also pull the same trailer with our previous tow vehicle, a 2001 Explorer 4.0L with tow package a 4.10 rear end. However we would have had issues with stopping in a panic and untold wear and tear issues. We also would have be very slow getting to the top of the Black Mountain pass on I-40. IMO RV salesmen make used car dealers look honest. I'm not saying there aren't some good ones out there but many don't know what they are talking about when it comes to towing capacities.

Ricktwuhk

There are posts like this daily.

What does your Payload sticker say (although you did weigh it and do the math)? Subtract 100 pounds for the wdh.

The tongue weight should be assumed at 13% of the wet and loaded weight. Ignore the dealers, weigh it yourself.

You should not tow it cross country, you are over payload.

Nighthawk87

Check my posts out. I have practically the same truck and tow a 6100 pound trailer that's about 7000 load. I only wish the ride were a bit stiffer but it tows pretty well.

My payload sticker says 1718. Haven't weighed or yet

Velosprout

Welcome to the forums. To best be able to answer your question, we need to know what the figure is that is posted on your driver's door frame...the maximum weight of all occupants and cargo should not exceed "xxxx", as that number will be your limiting factor. Also, in addition to the trailer, what will be the weight of all of the passengers and stuff in your truck bed that you intend to take while towing?

smokeywren

Your truck has weight ratings for GCWR and GVWR.


GCWR indicates the weight you can PULL without overheating anything in your drivetrain, and without being the slowpoke holding up traffic when climbing hills and mountain passes.


GVWR indicates the weight you can carry on the two axles of the tow vehicle without overloading the suspension or brakes.


GVWR is almost always the limiter as to max trailer weight. You can pull a lot heavier trailer than you can carry the hitch weight of that trailer without being overloaded.


You can probably pull that trailer with no problems. But you probably cannot carry the hitch weight of that trailer, along with the other weight in the tow vehicle when towing, without exceeding the GVWR and payload capacity of your tow vehicle.



You're guessing and estimating. That's a good way to wind up overloaded when on the road. The only way to know for sure is to load the pickup with all the people, pets, tools, jacks, jack stands, campfire wood, toys and anything else that will be in the truck when towing. Drive to a truck stop that has a certified automated truck scale, fill up with gas, then weigh the wet and loaded tow vehicle. Add 100 pounds to that scale weight if you don't have your weight-distributing hitch in the truck when you weigh it. Be sure the driver and all passengers are in the truck when you weigh it. If little Suzi went to the restroom, wait until she returns before you get on the scale.


Then subtract the weight of the wet and loaded tow vehicle from the GVWR of that tow vehicle. The answer is the maximum tongue weight of any travel trailer (TT) you can tow without being overloaded.


Divide that maximum tongue weight by 0.13, and the answer is the maximum GVWR of any TT you should consider towing. That 0.13 (13%) is the average of tongue weight of most TTs you might consider towing. Actual wet and loaded tongue weight varies from about 12% to about 15%. So if you want to be sure you won't have too much tongue weight, then divide by 0.15 instead of 0.13.


Using dry weights is a good way to wind up overloaded on the road. Instead use the GVWR of the trailer and assume 13% wet and loaded tongue weight. So if that trailer has GVWR of 8,000 pounds, assume 1,040 pounds tongue weight plus another 100 pounds for a good WD hitch, or total hitch weight of 1,140 pounds.


If you don't exceed the GCWR (tow rating) or GVWR (payload capacity) of your tow vehicle, and provided you have a good weight-distributing hitch with built-in sway control (not a cheap hitch that uses sway bars) there is no reason you should not tow that trailer cross country. I've done it frequently for dozens of years.

Karbean

Keith: I too tow with a 2016, 2.7EB. Traded a .2011, 3.5EB to get it. The TT is 4800# dry, 630lbs of tongue. I am very comfortable being well within published limits. In my experience, folks who start pushing the envelope generally ask for trouble. Just because you CAN tow something cross country, doesn't mean you SHOULD. I like knowing I can pass uphill or stop abruptly even climbing out of Durango Co on a 7% grade. The fact that you are asking the question suggests your little voice is talking to you. I think you should listen.