jp360cj

Those towing guides do have some useful information, like what equipment comes with different tow packages and frontal area limitations. The max towing capacity charts are only useful in determining what your GCWR is. The trailer weights listed are completely useless as they are not based on your specific truck.

Greg Owen

So tell me then, where CAN you get accurate information...? Gotta link you would like to share with the rest of us so we have that accurate and non-misleading information?

Ricktwuhk

There is none.

In the TOWING SECTION of the forum, https://www.f150forum.com/f82, there are hundreds of posts where people ask about their capacities. The vast majority of time it comes down to Payload, which is not found on a chart on a website or in a book, but on a sticker on the door of the actual truck. Then, subtraction of any mods made to the truck, and another 75 to 100 pounds for a weight distribution hitch. Finally, subtracting the passengers, pets, and their stuff. The remaining payload, divided by .13 for average tongue weight, yields the max LOADED trailer that can safely be towed.

Of course the true indicator is to actually weigh the truck, weigh the trailer, weight the tongue, etc.

All these charts do is give people a false sense of confidence.

And even on the towing section, where post after post, after post, after post goes through the same math, you get posts every day asking the same questions, because people need to be led through the process to understand it.

jdunk54nl

This right here is the only real way to get what you can legally tow. Legally being the key. Your truck can most likely tow/stop more, just not within the legal limits of the law. I am not here to judge what you decide to do with your truck as people break laws everyday.

But every trailer is going to be slightly different based on axle placement, tongue length, etc so the tongue weight needed for it to be pulled smoothly will be different. There are very few of the same exact trucks on the road because people modify them which adds/removes weight. That sticker is only good for a truck that is still identical to how it was from factory. Those tow guides are only applicable for unicorn trucks with ideal trailers. Weigh your truck, weigh the trailer dry, weigh the trailer loaded (Yes the rv dealerships will let you do this if they want to make the sale) and see if after all of that you are over any of those limits.

All of those other calculations can get you in the ballpark but you might be slightly over. I personally am ok with that. My legal limit is right around 5500lbs with nothing in the truck except my wife, dog, and I, and everything in the trailer. I would be fine pushing that up to 6000lbs and maybe a little more.

Greg Owen

Exactly!! And if you READ what is in the link I posted, it explains all that! But you have to READ it! It explains how to do all the math--tongue weight and fifth-wheel/gooseneck weight; passenger weight, driver weight, etc. But again, you can't just look at the charts, you have to READ the notes and other information.