Towing loaded car hauler question;
06-03-2015, 11:38 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Towing loaded car hauler question;
Hey guys, couple questions regarding towing over long distance.
I have a 2013 F150 FX4 SCrew, with the 5.0l and 3.55's. According to Ford, the tow rating on it is 7,700lbs.
I track my Mustang, and I would really like to start towing so I don't have to worry about breaking something and not having a way to get home...
My car weighs 3600lbs. The trailer weighs 2,200lbs, for a grand total of 5800lbs.
Obviously, completely safe to physically tow as per the weight ratings, however my question is this; I have the hitch and trailer brake as installed from the factory, is that safe to use with that weight? I keep hearing weight distributing hitch thrown around, do I need one, and by any chance did my truck come with one?
Other question, I will be towing mostly on relatively flat interstate, but have a pass I need to go through... Will I have issues pulling that much weight at a reasonable speed?
Thanks guys,
I have a 2013 F150 FX4 SCrew, with the 5.0l and 3.55's. According to Ford, the tow rating on it is 7,700lbs.
I track my Mustang, and I would really like to start towing so I don't have to worry about breaking something and not having a way to get home...
My car weighs 3600lbs. The trailer weighs 2,200lbs, for a grand total of 5800lbs.
Obviously, completely safe to physically tow as per the weight ratings, however my question is this; I have the hitch and trailer brake as installed from the factory, is that safe to use with that weight? I keep hearing weight distributing hitch thrown around, do I need one, and by any chance did my truck come with one?
Other question, I will be towing mostly on relatively flat interstate, but have a pass I need to go through... Will I have issues pulling that much weight at a reasonable speed?
Thanks guys,
06-03-2015, 11:47 PM
#2
I was also confused by this as well. From what I understand, the factory hitch on our trucks has a maximum capacity of 5000lbs and 500lb tongue weight so judging by your load you would need a weight distributing hitch yet I think you can get away with not having sway control since you probably don't get much windage. My boat and trailer weight a little less than 5000 pounds and I've never had problems with trailer sway and don't use WDH.
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McCarthy (06-04-2015)
06-04-2015, 12:05 AM
#3
Senior Member
The tow weight from Ford is as about as accurate as the MPG on the Window sticker. It all depends on what you are doing. Look at the sticker inside the driver door with the weights on it. It also depends on what you have in the truck (cargo). If you go to any trailer dealer that is doing things by the book they will be more than happy to explain what you can tow with what vehicle.
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McCarthy (06-04-2015)
06-04-2015, 10:54 AM
#4
Look under your rear bumper and you'll see a sticker like this (the pic is of the sticker on my 2013 standard tow package):
Like it says, without a WDH the hitch is rated for a max trailer weight of 5000 lbs with a max tongue weight of 500 lbs, and with a WDH up to a 10,500 lb trailer with a max tongue weight of 1050 lbs. The max tow pkg adds about 100 lbs, and the 2015 is a little different.
That 7700 lb max trailer weight for your truck is with a stripped down/zero options truck with nothing in it but a skinny 150 lb driver.
YOUR truck (if you have any options at all) may be less than that, although that's a pretty low max trailer weight.
Like STSCDave said, look on the stickers on your driver's side door for the weight limits for your truck - one label has the GVWR and GAWR's on it; another (the tire pressure sticker) has your "PAYLOAD CAPACITY" on it.
The payload capacity is the empty weight of your truck (completely empty except for a full tank of gas) subtracted from your GVWR. In other words, it's the max amount of weight you can put in the cab and bed before you're at your GVWR.
A trailer should be loaded so that the tongue weight is 10% to 15% of the weight of the trailer, with a good realistic weight at 12%.
At 5800lbs your trailer will need a WDH, and with 12% of that on the tongue, you tongue weight will be about 700 lbs.
Also, below is a picture of a WDH before it's hooked up to the trailer:
You can see that, depending on the WDH, the hitch head of the WDH will probably weigh from 50 lbs to 100 lbs or so.
So.....what is your payload capacity???
Let's say your tire sticker says your truck has a 1400 lb payload capacity. With a 50 lb WDH head and a 700 lb tongue weight pushing down on your hitch receiver, that uses up 750 lbs of your payload capacity, and that leaves 650 lbs available for other stuff in the cab and bed.
BTW, anything that was added to the truck after it came off the assembly line will reduce your payload capacity - like a bed liner, tonneau cover, etc.
What will you be carrying in the truck when you tow??? Let's say two 170 lb people (standard airline weight
), plus 60 lbs of luggage and snack cooler. That will reduce your payload by another 400 lbs, and leave only 250 for tools, jack, chairs, umbrella, and other track support stuff. If you plan on carrying a set of wheels with rain tires then you won't be able to carry anything else in the bed (unless you have a tire rack on the trailer).
Bottom line - If you have less than that 1400 lb payload capacity in the example above, then you may be VERY limited as to what you can carry in the truck after hooking up your trailer.
.
Like it says, without a WDH the hitch is rated for a max trailer weight of 5000 lbs with a max tongue weight of 500 lbs, and with a WDH up to a 10,500 lb trailer with a max tongue weight of 1050 lbs. The max tow pkg adds about 100 lbs, and the 2015 is a little different.
That 7700 lb max trailer weight for your truck is with a stripped down/zero options truck with nothing in it but a skinny 150 lb driver.
YOUR truck (if you have any options at all) may be less than that, although that's a pretty low max trailer weight.
Like STSCDave said, look on the stickers on your driver's side door for the weight limits for your truck - one label has the GVWR and GAWR's on it; another (the tire pressure sticker) has your "PAYLOAD CAPACITY" on it.
The payload capacity is the empty weight of your truck (completely empty except for a full tank of gas) subtracted from your GVWR. In other words, it's the max amount of weight you can put in the cab and bed before you're at your GVWR.
A trailer should be loaded so that the tongue weight is 10% to 15% of the weight of the trailer, with a good realistic weight at 12%.
At 5800lbs your trailer will need a WDH, and with 12% of that on the tongue, you tongue weight will be about 700 lbs.
Also, below is a picture of a WDH before it's hooked up to the trailer:
You can see that, depending on the WDH, the hitch head of the WDH will probably weigh from 50 lbs to 100 lbs or so.
So.....what is your payload capacity???
Let's say your tire sticker says your truck has a 1400 lb payload capacity. With a 50 lb WDH head and a 700 lb tongue weight pushing down on your hitch receiver, that uses up 750 lbs of your payload capacity, and that leaves 650 lbs available for other stuff in the cab and bed.
BTW, anything that was added to the truck after it came off the assembly line will reduce your payload capacity - like a bed liner, tonneau cover, etc.
What will you be carrying in the truck when you tow??? Let's say two 170 lb people (standard airline weight
), plus 60 lbs of luggage and snack cooler. That will reduce your payload by another 400 lbs, and leave only 250 for tools, jack, chairs, umbrella, and other track support stuff. If you plan on carrying a set of wheels with rain tires then you won't be able to carry anything else in the bed (unless you have a tire rack on the trailer).Bottom line - If you have less than that 1400 lb payload capacity in the example above, then you may be VERY limited as to what you can carry in the truck after hooking up your trailer.
.
06-04-2015, 12:01 PM
#5
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Look under your rear bumper and you'll see a sticker like this (the pic is of the sticker on my 2013 standard tow package):
Like it says, without a WDH the hitch is rated for a max trailer weight of 5000 lbs with a max tongue weight of 500 lbs, and with a WDH up to a 10,500 lb trailer with a max tongue weight of 1050 lbs. The max tow pkg adds about 100 lbs, and the 2015 is a little different.
That 7700 lb max trailer weight for your truck is with a stripped down/zero options truck with nothing in it but a skinny 150 lb driver.
YOUR truck (if you have any options at all) may be less than that, although that's a pretty low max trailer weight.
Like STSCDave said, look on the stickers on your driver's side door for the weight limits for your truck - one label has the GVWR and GAWR's on it; another (the tire pressure sticker) has your "PAYLOAD CAPACITY" on it.
The payload capacity is the empty weight of your truck (completely empty except for a full tank of gas) subtracted from your GVWR. In other words, it's the max amount of weight you can put in the cab and bed before you're at your GVWR.
A trailer should be loaded so that the tongue weight is 10% to 15% of the weight of the trailer, with a good realistic weight at 12%.
At 5800lbs your trailer will need a WDH, and with 12% of that on the tongue, you tongue weight will be about 700 lbs.
Also, below is a picture of a WDH before it's hooked up to the trailer:
You can see that, depending on the WDH, the hitch head of the WDH will probably weigh from 50 lbs to 100 lbs or so.
So.....what is your payload capacity???
Let's say your tire sticker says your truck has a 1400 lb payload capacity. With a 50 lb WDH head and a 700 lb tongue weight pushing down on your hitch receiver, that uses up 750 lbs of your payload capacity, and that leaves 650 lbs available for other stuff in the cab and bed.
BTW, anything that was added to the truck after it came off the assembly line will reduce your payload capacity - like a bed liner, tonneau cover, etc.
What will you be carrying in the truck when you tow??? Let's say two 170 lb people (standard airline weight), plus 60 lbs of luggage and snack cooler. That will reduce your payload by another 400 lbs, and leave only 250 for tools, jack, chairs, umbrella, and other track support stuff. If you plan on carrying a set of wheels with rain tires then you won't be able to carry anything else in the bed (unless you have a tire rack on the trailer).
Bottom line - If you have less than that 1400 lb payload capacity in the example above, then you may be VERY limited as to what you can carry in the truck after hooking up your trailer.
.
Like it says, without a WDH the hitch is rated for a max trailer weight of 5000 lbs with a max tongue weight of 500 lbs, and with a WDH up to a 10,500 lb trailer with a max tongue weight of 1050 lbs. The max tow pkg adds about 100 lbs, and the 2015 is a little different.
That 7700 lb max trailer weight for your truck is with a stripped down/zero options truck with nothing in it but a skinny 150 lb driver.
YOUR truck (if you have any options at all) may be less than that, although that's a pretty low max trailer weight.
Like STSCDave said, look on the stickers on your driver's side door for the weight limits for your truck - one label has the GVWR and GAWR's on it; another (the tire pressure sticker) has your "PAYLOAD CAPACITY" on it.
The payload capacity is the empty weight of your truck (completely empty except for a full tank of gas) subtracted from your GVWR. In other words, it's the max amount of weight you can put in the cab and bed before you're at your GVWR.
A trailer should be loaded so that the tongue weight is 10% to 15% of the weight of the trailer, with a good realistic weight at 12%.
At 5800lbs your trailer will need a WDH, and with 12% of that on the tongue, you tongue weight will be about 700 lbs.
Also, below is a picture of a WDH before it's hooked up to the trailer:
You can see that, depending on the WDH, the hitch head of the WDH will probably weigh from 50 lbs to 100 lbs or so.
So.....what is your payload capacity???
Let's say your tire sticker says your truck has a 1400 lb payload capacity. With a 50 lb WDH head and a 700 lb tongue weight pushing down on your hitch receiver, that uses up 750 lbs of your payload capacity, and that leaves 650 lbs available for other stuff in the cab and bed.
BTW, anything that was added to the truck after it came off the assembly line will reduce your payload capacity - like a bed liner, tonneau cover, etc.
What will you be carrying in the truck when you tow??? Let's say two 170 lb people (standard airline weight
), plus 60 lbs of luggage and snack cooler. That will reduce your payload by another 400 lbs, and leave only 250 for tools, jack, chairs, umbrella, and other track support stuff. If you plan on carrying a set of wheels with rain tires then you won't be able to carry anything else in the bed (unless you have a tire rack on the trailer).Bottom line - If you have less than that 1400 lb payload capacity in the example above, then you may be VERY limited as to what you can carry in the truck after hooking up your trailer.
.
Thanks for all the help. I'll check what the stickers say in a couple minutes here...
Never thought i'd have issues with a 5800lb trailer on my truck... But that's why I ask!
06-04-2015, 12:27 PM
#6
im in your boat right now, loaded car hauler right at 6k or under. who would have thought that a truck wasnt supposed to tow that kind of weight. pretty weak on fords part for the rating. i dont think i have ever seen a wd hitch on an open car hauler
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McCarthy (06-04-2015),
Wannafbody (06-06-2015)
06-04-2015, 05:47 PM
#7
Senior Member
Thread Starter
In other news I took a pic of the stickers, kinda low ratings... ****.
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06-04-2015, 05:59 PM
#8
Senior Member
Thread Starter
EDIT:
Well it's a good thing I looked at this before I bought a trailer, I found one that suits my needs and weighs 1300lbs. Car weighs 3600lbs. 3600+1300 = 4900lbs. No WDH needed.
Well it's a good thing I looked at this before I bought a trailer, I found one that suits my needs and weighs 1300lbs. Car weighs 3600lbs. 3600+1300 = 4900lbs. No WDH needed.
06-05-2015, 12:19 PM
#9
something to keep in mind when we get upset about our payloads... all trucks advertise their towing capacity this way, by not referencing payload and very few 1/2 ton trucks have any more payload than these unless they get a special order payload package... with the hd payload packages, you can have the payload of most 3/4 ton trucks
06-05-2015, 01:09 PM
#10
Senior Member
What kind of car hauler are you shopping for? If open deck, I would suggest at least 18ft tandem axle with e-brakes and full steel deck. Also I would use a weight distribution hitch (no need for the added sway control with an open trailer). The weight distribution helps to give you a stable ride and keep the rear end of the tow-vehicle from sagging *** from the tongue weight. Here's an example:
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McCarthy (06-05-2015)