5.4 towing
10-10-2017, 02:02 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
5.4 towing
2004 5.4 4x4 FX4. What is the towing capacity as far as camping trailers? Looking at about 4 to 6000lb camper to tow and need to know if that is too much for the F150?
10-10-2017, 02:12 PM
#2
Senior Member
It would depend on the gearing of the truck. Also, is the 4k to 6k unloaded or loaded? That will make a big difference too. If unloaded, add about 1k to the total weight.
One more thing, what is the payload capacity (yellow sticker inside the drivers door) of your truck? That will help factor in what the truck can carry as far as tongue weight.
One more thing, what is the payload capacity (yellow sticker inside the drivers door) of your truck? That will help factor in what the truck can carry as far as tongue weight.
10-10-2017, 02:33 PM
#4
Senior Member
Looks like 8200 lbs
10-10-2017, 04:23 PM
#6
Senior Member
I googled "2004 F150 Tow Capacity".
Ford is good about putting up charts and tables regarding 2 or 4 wheel drive, cab/bed configuration, gear ratio and engine size to determine max trailer weight.
If the truck had stock 3.73, your tires will likely decrease the towing ability. If it was changed to 3.73 from 3.55 or so, it should pull similar to stock.
Ford is good about putting up charts and tables regarding 2 or 4 wheel drive, cab/bed configuration, gear ratio and engine size to determine max trailer weight.
If the truck had stock 3.73, your tires will likely decrease the towing ability. If it was changed to 3.73 from 3.55 or so, it should pull similar to stock.
Last edited by clarkbre; 10-10-2017 at 04:26 PM.
10-10-2017, 05:01 PM
#7
Grumpy Old Man
Per 2004 Ford RV and Trailer Towing Guide, 2004 F-150 SuperCab 4x4 with 5.4L engine and 3.73 axle ratio and 132.5" wheelbase (short bed), tow rating is 7,800 pounds. Same F-150 but regular cab and 126" wheelbase, tow rating is 8,200. So I suspect clarkbre grabbed the wrong column in the chart to see 8,200.
GCWR of your F-150 is 13,500 pounds. So your tow rating is 7,800 pounds ONLY when your wet and loaded F-150 grosses less than(13,500 minus 7,800 =) 5,700 pounds before you tie onto the trailer. So forgetaboutit towing 7,800 pounds. You'll probably exceed the GCWR with a TT that weighs less than 7,500 pounds.
And GCWR (and the resulting tow rating) is probably not your limiter as to how heavy a trailer you can tow without being overloaded. GVWR (and the resulting payload capacity) is probably your limiter.
For a good estimate of the max trailer weight you can tow without being overloaded, load the F-150 with all the people, pets, tools and other weight that will be in it when towing. Campfire wood? Charcoal? Toys? Generator? Jack and jack stands? Drive to a truck stop that has a CAT scale, fill up with gas, then weigh the wet and loaded F-150 (with you and everyone else in it). Subtract the weight of the wet and loaded F-150 from the GVWR of the F-150. The answer is the maximum payload capacity available for hitch weight.
Any trailer you tow with hitch weight over 500 pounds requires a weight-distributing hitch, so subtract another 100 pounds from the maximum payload capacity available for hitch weight to determine the maximum payload capacity available for tongue weight.
Divide the maximum payload capacity available for tongue weight by 0.13 (13%) to get the max weight of any tandem-axle travel trailer with average tongue weight you can tow without being overloaded.
Word to the wise: If you're like most of us, your max trailer weight will be less than 6,000 pounds without exceeding any of Ford's weight limits (GCWR, GVWR, rear GAWR, receiver hitch weight rating). My F-150 with tow rating of 8,400 pounds is slightly overloaded with my TT that has 19.5' floor length, 650 pounds hitch weight, and that grosses only 4,870 pounds when wet and loaded on a camping trip.
On edit: When I wrote the above, you had not yet included the photo that shows a lifted truck with big tires. The big tires change your GCWR and effective rear axle ratio by a lot, perhaps enough to result in GCWR of 12,000 pounds or less. So you don't have a tow rating of 7,800, but probably closer to 6,000. Assuming you didn't screw up your payload capacity with the lift, then the procedure above to weigh the truck and compute max trailer weight should still work. Just don't try to tow any TT that weighs more than 6,000 pounds, and I would limit it to 5,000 pounds.
GCWR of your F-150 is 13,500 pounds. So your tow rating is 7,800 pounds ONLY when your wet and loaded F-150 grosses less than(13,500 minus 7,800 =) 5,700 pounds before you tie onto the trailer. So forgetaboutit towing 7,800 pounds. You'll probably exceed the GCWR with a TT that weighs less than 7,500 pounds.
And GCWR (and the resulting tow rating) is probably not your limiter as to how heavy a trailer you can tow without being overloaded. GVWR (and the resulting payload capacity) is probably your limiter.
For a good estimate of the max trailer weight you can tow without being overloaded, load the F-150 with all the people, pets, tools and other weight that will be in it when towing. Campfire wood? Charcoal? Toys? Generator? Jack and jack stands? Drive to a truck stop that has a CAT scale, fill up with gas, then weigh the wet and loaded F-150 (with you and everyone else in it). Subtract the weight of the wet and loaded F-150 from the GVWR of the F-150. The answer is the maximum payload capacity available for hitch weight.
Any trailer you tow with hitch weight over 500 pounds requires a weight-distributing hitch, so subtract another 100 pounds from the maximum payload capacity available for hitch weight to determine the maximum payload capacity available for tongue weight.
Divide the maximum payload capacity available for tongue weight by 0.13 (13%) to get the max weight of any tandem-axle travel trailer with average tongue weight you can tow without being overloaded.
Word to the wise: If you're like most of us, your max trailer weight will be less than 6,000 pounds without exceeding any of Ford's weight limits (GCWR, GVWR, rear GAWR, receiver hitch weight rating). My F-150 with tow rating of 8,400 pounds is slightly overloaded with my TT that has 19.5' floor length, 650 pounds hitch weight, and that grosses only 4,870 pounds when wet and loaded on a camping trip.
On edit: When I wrote the above, you had not yet included the photo that shows a lifted truck with big tires. The big tires change your GCWR and effective rear axle ratio by a lot, perhaps enough to result in GCWR of 12,000 pounds or less. So you don't have a tow rating of 7,800, but probably closer to 6,000. Assuming you didn't screw up your payload capacity with the lift, then the procedure above to weigh the truck and compute max trailer weight should still work. Just don't try to tow any TT that weighs more than 6,000 pounds, and I would limit it to 5,000 pounds.
Last edited by smokeywren; 10-10-2017 at 05:24 PM. Reason: New info from OP
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10-10-2017, 05:12 PM
#8
Senior Member
I stand corrected. 7800 is correct. I was looking at the slide in camper table.
