dangerousdan132

I am new to travel trailers and I am just starting to shop for one. I hear all different stories and conflicting numbers from the salesmen that just want to convince me to buy what they have. Currently I am trying to determine if my new truck can handle this trailer I am interested in. I just bought a 2018 F150 5.0L Crew 4x4 3.31 145" with 53B towing option. The Ford brochure shows max towing at 9,000#. I am looking at a trailer that has an unloaded dry weight of 8,150#. Not sure what my payload will be but assuming an average typical payload, is this too much trailer for my truck?

Thanks for the help!

jeffinthebag

Others are going to tell you that you will need to post more information. Take a picture of the payload sticker and the other one with all the numbers. Couple guys here are real knowledgeable and others are not.
But real quick, it's way to much trailer. I have a 2013 5.0 with a 3.73 rear HDPP. If the unloaded weight is 8,000 for the trailer. Realistically it will weight in at least 1000 more when your ready to go. Especially with a 3.31 rear. Others will chime in, but not knowing any other numbers. Try to stick with a unloaded trailer weight of 5000 to 6000 .

PerryB

Jeff's right. That trailer is going to significantly over-tax a 150. Not only in terms of hitch weight, but the first time you point it up a hill you're going to be very unhappy.

Maury82

If you don't know the payload of your truck, you don't have enough truck, especially with that rear end.

If you want a 1/2 ton with that trailer, you need to know what type of 1/2 ton you are getting...don't flip a coin and hope it works out.

I tow a heavier trailer than that with a 1/2 ton, but I wouldn't tow your trailer with that truck, and probably not even with a Max Tow with a 2,000 lbs payload and 3.55 rear end,.

smokeywren

Sorry, Charlie, but you bought the wrong truck for towing more than 5,000 pounds. So that trailer is way too heavy to tow with your F-150.

The 2018 Ford RV and Trailer Towing Guide says:
"Towing Equipment
Required Equipment
F-150
For trailers more than 5,000 pounds, Trailer Tow Package or Max Trailer Tow Package."

You have 53B, Class IV Trailer Hitch. The Trailer Tow Package is 53A and the Max Trailer Tow Package is 53C.

Even if your F-150 had the Trailer Tow pkg, a TT with dry weight of 8,150 pounds is too heavy a trailer for any F-150 that does not have the heavy duty payload package (HDPP).

I would not want too tow that trailer with my 2019 F-150 that has the max tow pkg. Normally loaded for family camping, it's probably going to gross more than 9,000 pounds.

You can probably "get by" with towing a TT that grosses up to about 6,000 pounds, but you'll be overloaded and probably have a white-knuckle driving experience.

Flamingtaco

I think a WDH with sway would solve any white-knuckle issues pulling a 6k TT, but there are other issues that come into play that will result in a poor towing experience here.

3.31... great for gas mileage (I've been told, my 3.5eco begs to differ), not so great for getting 6k moving off the line and pulling heavy things up steep hills. The 5.0 and 3.5eco are no slouches, but you'll be placing more stress on your driveline trying to get 6k+ up to speed quickly, and pulling it up inclines. If you are ok with taking your time, and dropping an extra gear Vs the 3.73's on steep climbs, no worries, except...

Non-Tow Package... no tranny cooler. No oil cooler, too? I want both for anything over 3500Lb, for longevity. At 6k you will exceed the vehicle's ability to shed heat in some situations. You'll probably have no issues with 6k over flat ground if the frontal area is not huge, but as you're wanting to pull a TT, you probably will. For ANY 6k load up a grade... gotta hawk the temps and be ready to bail to the slow *** truck lane without delay. Even with interstate hwy grade passes, probably best to just let her drop into 3rd, switch to manual to lock up the TC, then lay down the law to maintain speed. If you try to keep up with the Jones's in their Expedition hauling 6 kids on vacation at 75, you'll be having a bad time, in no time at all.

acdii

For that truck, stay under 7600 GVWR trailers with more than 2500 pound cargo capacity, IE Non Slideouts. Fully loaded, unless gone overboard with stuff, you can realistically look at 6400 pounds of trailer. It will tow it, as long as you are watchful of the temps. It won't tow it well due to the 3.31 gears though.

For slideout trailers, they have much lower cargo capacity, so you will want to look at trailers that are 6500 pounds GVWR.

Always go by GVWR when trailer shopping because that is the heaviest that the trailer can get, and it is very easy to load up to the max.

The trailer you mentioned puts you in SuperDuty territory, 8150 pounds dry weight is easily a 10K trailer when ready for the road, which puts it over the receiver rating on all but Max Tow equipped trucks. Even behind an HDPP, 10K is a lot of weight.

chimmike

so a dry weight within 800lbs of your 'max trailer weight' tow rating? even with a 'loaded weight' of 8500lbs (which is definitely light) your minimum tongue weight with WDH will be 1100 lbs, not including WDH. figure on a tongue weight closer to 1275lbs, plus 100 for WDH. so 1375 just in the camper. Then add weight of driver/passengers/truck cargo, and see how far over the truck's payload (and therefore truck's GVWR) you are.

5.0GN tow

The oil cooler is standard on all 5.0l engines, or at least it used to be. The transmission cooler was not. You don't have a true towing package only the hitch. I would suggest a lighter trailer, or add the transmission cooler and upgraded radiator. The 3.31 axles with slow you down some. A 3.55 would be better. I towed a GN horse trailer of that weight with my 13 with no issues at all.