JohnB101

The way I'm looking at this, is that 100-200lb will be the contingency. I want to have this spare capacity so that I don't push the truck to the limit. Hence I need every lb I can get.

RightYouAreKen

2012 fx4

willieboy

This is exactly backwards.

Trailers are rated by the dry weight: no water or cargo on board. The way they rate them has changed. Five years ago, the cargo rating sticker was only required to be posted on the front road side corner of the trailer. It was the GVWR or the axles - the actual weight of a base model trailer. That has changed today in the case of Towable RVs. They now have that same DOT weight sticker. But, inside the trailer will be a cargo capacity sticker which will list the actual dry weight of the trailer as it left the factory and the actual cargo carry capacity(payload). Since an RV does require a water to operate on the road, any on board fresh, grey and black water has to be considered as cargo.

Trucks/Cars are rated at their wet weight: The payload is calculated on the vehicle as it leaves the factory ready to operate on the road with a full tank of fuel. Driver and passengers, extra accessories, all cargo, and any tongue/pin weight all have to be considered as "payload"

smokeywren

Lots of misinformation in this thread. Don't use the payload rating on the door sticker or you're guaranteed to be overloaded when wet and loaded on the road.

To estimate the max weight of any trailer you can tow, you must first weigh the wet and loaded tow vehicle. Include driver, passengers, pets, "stuff", tools and toolbox, trailer hitch, and any options you've added such as bedliner or bed rug. The trailer hitch includes either the entire install kit and 5er hitch for a 5er trailer, or the receiver, shank and ball mount for a tag trailer. Go to a truckstop that has a truck scale an fill up with gas. Then weigh the wet and loaded tow vehicle (TV).

Subtract the weight of the wet and loaded TV from the GVWR of that TV and the answer is the remaining payload capacity you have for max hitch weight.

Most 5ers that can be towed by even the most heavy duty of late-model F-150s have pin weight (hitch weight or weight on the kingpin) of about 17 or 18 percent. So for a 5er, divide that max hitch weight by 0.17 and the answer will be a good estimate of the absolute max weight of any 5r you can tow without being overloaded. If you don't want to come even close to the max capacity of your TV, then divide the max available hitch weight by 0.18, then don't look at any 5er with a GVWR more than that max trailer weight.

If your F-150 doesn't have the HD Payload Pkg with 8,200 pounds GVWR, you can just about forget about towing any 5er without being overloaded. And even with the HD Payload Pkg, you'll still be limited to only the smaller 5ers. That's why they make F-250s and F-350s and F-450s.

If you can't tow a suitable 5er without being overloaded, then consider a TT. Most TTs have tongue weight (hitch weight) of 12 to 15 percent, with average being about 12.5% to 13%. So divide the available max hitch weight by 0.125 and the answer is a reasonable estimate of the max weight of any TT you can tow without being overloaded. Just hope your TT doesn't have over 15% hitch weight like mine does. But to be certain, then divide the max available hitch weight by 0.15.

Ignore those who want you to worry about some weight rating other than GVWR. If you don't exceed the GVWR on an F-150, then you won't exceed any other of the weight ratings, such as rear GAWR or GCWR. The GVWR will be your limiter, even with those funky 17" 7-lug wheels of the HD Payload Pkg.

Buck50HD

You are adding some misinformation (you also have some great info). The truck door sticker is based on WET weight so filling it up with gas does not put you at a disadvantage. Sure, aftermarket tonneau cover, running boards, etc will reduce it. But several have confirmed that the door sticker is accurate with a truck off the lot. If you know the weight you've added, there is no problem keeping track of available payload.

Also, you can overload the rear axle on some F150's before you reach the GVWR. There are some configurations that you can't and some you can. The HD and base models are least prone to it while the max tow's are at highest risk. In addition, 4x4 models and lariats are less prone to this due to more weight on the front. Beyond that, if you have a bumper pull with an improperly adjusted WDH, that 1000 tongue weight could easily put much more on the rear axle with the hitch cantilevered way out back. Not with a 5th wheel. Pin is directly over the axle. Plus, as far as handling and safety, I would much rather have a 5th and be 150 over GVWR than a TT and 150 under GVWR.

Also, just for another data point, my 5th has a dry pin just over 18%.

Buck50HD

Don't let anyone make you sweat it. I would bet nearly every F250 is at least within a couple hundred pounds if not over the GVWR with the size 5th's they tow. If you get a bigger truck, you just end up getting a bigger trailer and all your margin is gone.

HoustonRider

For some reason I typed that out backwards, lol. Idk why.

Trailers-dry
Trucks-wet.


Just weigh the truck with yo stuff in it. Then pick out a trailer. Weigh em both. weigh em again.

Now weigh em.

willieboy

No worries, happens to the best of us...

smokeywren

I've heard that claim, but never met one of those F-150s. Can you give an example, with GVWR and front and rear GAWRs of a late-model F-150?

Improper setup of a WD hitch doesn't count. If you cannot properly set up and adjust your WD hitch - or have it done by a dealer - you have no business towing a trailer on a public highway.

My GVWR is 7,100 with 3750 FGARW and 3850 RGAWR, with 14,000 GCWR. One CAT scale ticket shows 3360 front axle and 3840 drive axle, for GVW of 7,200. But that's overloaded by 100 pounds over the GVWR, and I still haven't reached the rear GAWR of 3,850.

Another example to show how effective my WD hitch is: Before the spring bars are tightened, 3040 front, 3880 rear and 3480 trailer axles for 6,920 GVW and 10400 GCW. So that shows the rear axle was 30 pounds overloaded before the GVWR was reached. But no idiot should tow without the spring bars tightened and adjusted, and after I tightened the spring bars my weighs were 3280 front, 3520 rear, and 3620 trailer axles, for a GVW of 6,800 and GCW of 10,420.

So the WD hitch moved 360 pounds off the rear axle and onto the front axle and trailer axles. That's what it's for.

ecobeest

Bloody well said