Mike Up

The main problem with a pickup, is that the GVWR doesn't account for all the extras people like to add. For that reason, I would never put on a topper/cap because ARE and Leer Toppers for a short bed are about 190 lbs right there. You also should not be carrying all your tools with you when you tow with a 1/2 ton. If you want a topper plus carry all your tools (Im guessing an under rail tool box), Plus tow a heavy trailer with a heavy hitch weight, you will most certainly need at least a 3/4 ton truck. You can carry a heavy load, and keep your topper as part of the load, but don't expect to tow with a heavy hitch weight as well. With 1/2 tons, it's either OR. You take the good with the bad. The good, much better gas mileage than a 3/4 ton truck so you can use it as a daily driver/commuter vehicle.

Also, don't forget to include your WDH (Weight Distribution Hitch) equalizing. On most correctly loaded Travel Trailers, you'll have an average hitch weight of 13%. Also with a correctly adjusted WDH, with the 100 lbs weight of the WDH already calculated in, they usually distribute 80% of that hitch weight to the truck and 20% back to the trailer's axles. These are averages I've seen for years at www.rv.net from weigh slips.

All of my families weight and all of the gear we put into the truck comes to about 750 lbs. My trailer is loaded to about 6500 lbs. My factory truck payload is 1582 lbs. I intend on buying the Dual Liner bedliner (~30 lbs) and the Extang Classic Platinum snap tonneau cover (~30 lbs).

So here's some of the math to give an "AVERAGE". Best off weighing the rig to know exactly.

6500 X 13% = 845 lbs hitch weight. 845 lbs X 80% = 676 lbs goes to the truck GVWR. 676 lbs + 750 = 1426 lbs . Now that 1582 lbs payload will be subtracting that weight of the bedliner and the tonneau cover. 1582 lbs - 30 lbs - 30 lbs = 1522 lbs. 1522 true payload - 1426 lbs of hitch weight, people, and gear = 96 lbs of left over. With my rig, I can lower the truck weight even more by not carrying 90 gallons of fresh water in the trailer's tanks, and taking some of my gear out of the truck. Since I have the extra payload now, I can take more without being overloaded.

Of course you do have to take in consideration of your axle rating so getting it weighed is still a good idea.

1800Beatdown

Check out this link. It should say. Unless I misread, it should handle 9200lbs of trailer properly equipped of course.

https://www.f150forum.com/f82/towing-guides-170171/

smokeywren

You misread it. The F-150 SuperCrew has a tow rating of over 9,000 pounds ONLY when equipped with the factory towing pkg. His doesn't have the factory towing pkg, so his tow rating is 5,000 pounds.

Back up a few pages from the F-150 tow ratings and you'll see:
"Trailer Towing Equipment
REQUIRED EQUIPMENT

F-150
• For Trailers Over 5,000 Pounds – Trailer Tow Package or Heavy Duty Payload Package. "


Also, the F-150SuperCrew with 5.4L engine, 3.73 axle and towing pkg can pull a trailer that weighs over 9,000 pounds without exceeding the GCWR. But unless it also has the heavy duty payload pkg, it will probably exceed the GVWR of the pickup because of hitch weight of a 9,000-pound tandem-axle TT.

tuvok42

Thanks, just what i thought 5000lb 500 tongue. Now i must make the decision of either making improvment of the truck, buying another truck or towing within my limits:/

Franny K

Do what you want, without the tow package you don't get a socket in the rear for a trailer with brakes. You still need add stuff to tow over 3000 pounds and my bumper on 2012 isn't good to tow anything. If you think you can bump your rating by making improvements how do you decide if the wiring and bolt on hitch gets you far enough?

spelasr

So, I was once in a situation where I had to make a quick decision.

I had a 1998 F150 Regular Cab with 4.6 Ltr V6, Don't have it anymore but loved the truck. Had a reciever mount welded to the underside of the rear bumber, no tow package because I could not really afford one. My Daughter found herself stranded about 6 hours from home with her small car and had no way to get home. I had to go get her and the car. I rented a Car Hauler from U-Haul, Loaded her car onto it and pulled that car and trailer all the way home with no problem what so ever. I know it probably was not legal and the U-Haul renter probably should not have rented it to me because I had no real class trailer hitch, but he did anyway. I kept that truck for 190,000 miles beforeI sold it and never had a problem wiith the trans or anything. I pulled many trailers after that, enclosed with motorcycles and all - easy pulling. I have since realized the error in my ways and now own a brand new 2013 Ecoboost SCREW with tow package, Brake assist, anti-sway, 3.31, Gears, GCWR 14,900lbs. Waiting to test it out. On the other matter, I was probably just lucky and it was all Flat Roads, No Hills.

spelasr

Oops, i meant 4.2 V6, not 4.6

Don Stringfellow

I got a 1995 f-150 xL engine is a 5.0 L and a 3.08 rear end. I do have a receiving hitch and a brake set up for a trailer which I put on it. I also got a set of bubby help springs on it. Because I carry my motorcycle in the bed and tow a 4000 lb trailer. Now I'm looking at a 30ft toy hauler which is 5227 lbs dry weight. My question's are how much could I tow this safety and what would my Max be towing with this set up. Thanks for any help.

smokeywren

Hi,Don amd WELCOME to F150 FORUM.




Your F-150 is now 21 years old. I don't have specs for anything that old. The oldest I have is the '97 model. The trailer towing guide for the '97 F-150 states


"Towing a trailer over 2,000 pounds is not recommended with 3.08 axle ratio."


So forgetabout towing more than you're already towing.





According to Ford, you're already overloaded with you current setup.

pilotpip

So, I'm not a lawyer, nor am I a towing expert. I do, however, work in an industry that is heavily scrutinized, and when someone messes up, everyone gets sued.

Everyone, legal liability, and civil liability, are two completely different things. Why do you think Ford, GM, Dodge, etc put all those little disclaimers at the bottom of the screen during commercials that say things like "when properly equipped"?

You don't think it can happen, but what happens when you hit the wrong person with a truck that is loaded beyond what it's equipped for and that person happens to sue? The burden of proof is on the defendant (you). You sit on the stand, and say you knowingly overloaded the truck, or modified it to carry more than it's rated for and you're done. You're not a vehicle manufacturer, you're not an engineer. You lose everything.

We live in a litigious society. Do your homework, and buy the vehicle you need, and tow what you're capable of towing.