Might be in the market for a travel trailer. So doing my truck homework first but seeing conflicting info regarding the numbers. In the owners manual .pdf it says my configuration has a max combined weight of 14,000 lbs. In an online .pdf of a Ford towing brochure it gives the same configuration a max gross combined weight rating of either 14,900 or 15,100 with a 9,200 lbs max trailer weight listed under the 15,100. With what I've read it has gotten a little confusing. I expect there to be limitations on what this configuration can do, after all it's only a 1/2 ton, was just hoping it would be a little easier to find out what its capabilities are.

Truck configuration:
3.5L, 4x4, 145" wheelbase (screw with 5.5' bed)
9.75 axle with 3.31 non l/s
7200 gvwr
Base payload package
Heavy duty trailer towing package

 

Do you mind posting a photo of the manual where it provides the conflicting information? 2013 Tow guide says 15,100.

 

I wouldn't be too fussed about the GVWR, or GCVWR. These are rarely the limiting factor when determining what your truck can safely tow. Typically, for a 1/2 ton truck, this will be determined by the maximum payload rating, especially as you mention, when not equipped with the heavy duty payload package.

The first thing you need to do is refer to the yellow sticker on the inside of the driver's door. It will read "The combined weight of occupants and cargo should not exceed XXXX lbs".
From this subtract the estimated (or better still, from a weigh scale) weight of yourself, wife/significant other, kids and any other cargo you'd normally have in your truck when camping. Also remember to subtract the weight of any post-factory accessories (e.g. tonneau cover, heavier wheels, etc.). The remaining figure is what is available for the trailer tongue weight.

The tongue weight of your average TT is about 13%, so use this to calculate the total maximum allowable trailer weight.

 

To clarify. GVWR and GAWR are the legal limits in most states. The yellow sticker is calculated by Ford as GVWR minus curb weight with a full tank of gas all other fluids and nothing else in the vehicle. If you remove your tailgate (reducing the weight of the truck), or don't have a full tank of gas, you can now add back in more weight than the max listed on the yellow sticker and still be legal. Just don't go over GVWR and GAWR. Other limits may apply state to state (hitch ratings for example).

I would guess that either GVWR or rear GAWR will be your limiters regardless of which GCWR that you cited is indeed correct. And if it's that hard for you to figure out the right GCWR, who else is going to give you a problem with going with any number from an official ford document that applies to your truck.

As for all the other ratings. All can be brought up to deny warrantee work (shouldn't be an issue for OP given year of the truck) or liability in case of an accident. So the best practice is to never exceed any of them.

And keep in mind that stability may be an issue before you get to any of Ford's ratings. Travel trailers are typically the least stable of any type of trailer because they catch a lot of air and don't weigh much. Not the best type of trailer to try to max out your limits with. I'll max out my limits with an equipment trailer with a low bed between the wheels, Probably a goose neck or 5th wheel would tow fine at the max, I wouldn't think about maxing out with a travel trailer.

 

Confusing, because you're trying to use GCWR and tow ratings. But those are drastically overstated for the normal family dragging a trailer on a camping trip, so ignore them all.

Instead, the GVWR is usually the limiter as to how heavy a trailer you can tow without being overloaded. The payload capacity is GVWR minus the curb weight of the truck, but using the factory published payload capacity requires a lot of guessing and estimating the weight you will haul in the truck. Most folks are lousy guessers and estimators, and the result is an overloaded tow vehicle, so use the CAT scale instead of guestimating.

So if you want to know the max weight of any trailer you can tow without being overloaded, you must know the weight of the wet and loaded tow vehicle. Subtract the weight of the wet and loaded tow vehicle from the GVWR of the tow vehicle and the answer is the payload capacity available for hitch weight.

For a travel trailer, subtract 100 pounds for the weight of a good WD/sway-control hitch from the payload capacity available for hitch weight and the answer is the payload capacity available for tongue weight. Divide the payload capacity available for tongue weight by 13% and the answer is the max weight of any travel trailer with average tongue weight that you can tow without being overloaded.

Complication #1: Your receiver hitch must be rated for at least the payload capacity available for tongue weight (TW). If TW is more than 500 pounds, a weight-distributing hitch is required. Any TT that weighs more than 3,850 pounds and that has average TW will have TW of more than 500 pounds.

Complication #2: On some tow vehicles, the rGAWR will be exceeded before the GVWR is exceeded. But tying to determine max trailer weight you can tow without exceeding the rGAWR is beyond my pay grade, so use the GVWR to determine payload capacity available for hitch weight. If you don't attempt to squeeze the last ounce of towing capacity out of your F-150, you'll probably be okay.

For fifth wheel RV trailer, subtract 200 pounds for the installed weight of a good 5er hitch from the payload capacity available for hitch weight and the answer is the payload capacity available for kingpin or "pin" weight. Divide the payload capacity available for pin weight by 20% and the answer is the max weight of any 5er with average pin weight that you can tow without being overloaded. Because of that difference of 20% pin weight vs.13% tongue weight, you will see very few 5ers towed by an F-150 without the F-150 being overloaded.

It's as simple as that, but requires you to load the tow vehicle up with everybody and everything that will be in it when towing, drive to a truck stop that has a CAT scale, fill up with gas, then weigh the wet and loaded tow vehicle. "Wet" means full of gas and normal fluids such as oil, coolant and ATF that are always in the tow vehicle. "Loaded" means everybody and everythingthat might be in the tow vehicle when towing. People, pets, tools and jacks, campfire wood, toys, generator?, gas for the generator or toys?, everything.

And happy camping!

 

 

Clarifying my post above.

GCWR (and the calculated tow rating) tells you the max weight the tow vehicle can PULL without overheating anything in the drivetrain and without being the slowpoke holding up traffic on hills and passes. But GCWR and tow rating are not the limiter as to how heavy a trailer you an tow without being overloaded. Almost all tow vehicles with a decent powertrain can PULL a lot heavier trailer than it can carry the hitch weight of that trailer.

GVWR (and the calculated payload capacity) tells you the max weight that can be on the tires of the tow vehicle. And GVWR is usually the limiter.

The combined weights of 14,000, 14,900 and 15,100 you posted are the GCWR of various F-150s, depending on engine, axle ratio, drivetrain, and wheelbase of the tow vehicle. The 9,200 lbs max trailer weight assumes your wet and loaded F-150 weighs only 5,900 pounds and has GCWR of 15,100 pounds (15,100 minus 9,200 = 5,900). But if you weighed the wet and loaded F-150 as explained in my earlier post, you know it weighs more than 5,900 pounds.

Your F-150 cannot tow any of those weights without being overloaded, so they are interesting numbers, but useless for your use. You need to know the payload capacity available for hitch weight, and the only way to determine that is to weigh the wet and loaded F-150.

 

Everyone is supplying good information. Based on your GVWR, I'd guess that you have a fairly low payload as it came from the factory (check the yellow door sticker). Your empty truck is probably in the neighborhood of 6,000 pounds and you reported your GVWR as 7,200 pounds. The difference ~1,200 pounds is your payload for you, other people, cargo and hitch weight. This payload will limit travel trailer size to far below the Max trailer weight in the brochure. If it's just you and you pack nothing in the truck, you could potentially get the weights to work with a 7,000-8,000 GVW travel trailer. However, if you have a family of 4, you may be looking at much smaller trailers. Like others said, the first thing to do is put that truck on a scale.