Hello, my family and I are looking to get a travel trailer. I have never really had to worry about towing capacity and payload. I usually use it for Home Depot runs or a random U-Haul every once in a while.

Ideally, I would like to get a trailer between 21-26 feet and 4.5k to 7-8k range.

This is where I went on a three-hour ADHD Adderall fueled Google dive, which is still going on as I type this out.

I have a 2021 Platinum PowerBoost with Tow Package and FX4 w/ 3.73 gears. The specs below are according to Ford's guides and my door jam stickers.

I have used the Ford Towing Calculator and Towcalculatorapp.com, and unless I am entering data incorrectly, the Ford calculator says I can tow significantly less.

I have attached pictures of the two calculators.

The question is, how do I know what is right and what I can tow?

Thank you.

Guide Specs
GCWR - 17,000
4x4 Super Crew Towing Column - 11,000
GVWR - 7350
Payload - 1830
Tongue Weight
Weight Carrying Hitch - 500
Weight Distributing Hitch - 1400

Door Jam Specs
GVWR - 7350
Payload - 1338

Trailer Specs
Hitch - 659
Dry - 6406
Gross - 7850








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I fail to see a discrepancy in the calculation values.
GCWR - (vehicle curb weight with gas full + 150# driver [+ 150# passenger starting in 2021] + 100# for a weight distribution hitch) = towing capacity
GVWR - curb weight = payload capacity.
All people are included in payload capacity.

 

The way the calculators read to me is that with the F150 calculator, my max trailer can only be about 7400, but with the calculations on the other one, my trailer can be 2-4k more than that. I could be reading them wrong for sure.

 

I think you'll find that however you do the calculations the real limiting number will be your payload (1338). A 5000 lb. trailer will have anywhere from 500 to 750 lbs of tongue weight if set up right. Let's say 600. Add 100 for a WD hitch. 70 for a tonneau cover. 65 if you added a spray in liner. Any other accessories you've added (wheel wells, mud guards, cargo box, extra tie downs, etc) say 50 or so. Passengers (including driver) weight 350. That totals 1235. That gives you about 100 for any other cargo (tools, tire inflator, tow rope and shackles, 4-in-1 emergency hitch, dog, etc.) Leaving you room for a six-pack cooler, but no ice or drinks! If you up the trailer to 7000 full, and keep the tongue weight to the minimum 700, you don't get any cargo (not even the empty cooler!).

 

IMO, published tongue weights on most trailers will be understated, alot. Your Platty is a pavement princess with a good size trunk, not a towing machine. Ford's towing numbers are for wagons, or flat bed steel, not real world non-aerodynamic boxes in the wind. I highly encourage you to rent a trailer for a weekend trip and see for yourself, rent close to what you wish to buy. Good luck!

 

Forgetting calculators and most of the factory charts.
Go weigh your truck loaded similar to when camping.
Subtract that value from your GCWR. What remains is your true towing capacity.

Another confusing issue. RV trailers’ GVWR include the tongue weight (carried by the tow vehicle​​​​​​), often having the trailer GVWR exceeding the trailer’s Gross Axle Weight Ratings (GAWR).

 

You're doing your homework and hats off to you for doing that.

As @Boomerweps says the book weights and reality are very different.

One test I need to do at the Cat scale is put the one of my truck's axles on each of the front two pads with the unhitched trailer 100% on the third. Then hitch it back up and see the weights again again front and rear truck axle one on each pad with the trailers axles on the third.

I typically run around GCWR of 11,000lbs ( I go solo) but have in the high 12,000lbs with wife and more stuff on board.

You can twist your brain cell like a pretzel playing with numbers "in theory". But its reality on the tarmac. If you undersize the RV, you'll end up trading it and the truck for something better. So get the RV that is right first time and go with what you got. So you only have to trade the truck if usage tells you that's the right thing to do. Remember, you learn something every time you tow.