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First towing experience with F150 XLT SCREW 3.5EB, Max Tow, 3.55 gearing.
This weekend, I towed my jeep to and from the off-road park. 300 mile round trip.
Did a lot of research prior to this with respect to towing capacity, hitch capacity, payload, axle rating, tongue weight, etc etc.
The trailer figures to be 2100-2200 lbs. The jeep was altered so I'm estimating 3300-3400 lbs. 5500-5600lbs total. Clearly over weight carrying capacity.
I will catch heat for this, but I did it anyways. Spent some time adjusting the jeep on the trailer to my liking. Slightly more weight in the front. Went for test drives and settled on the right position. (I did not place as far forward as the uhaul trailer allows - too much tongue weight with such a short wheel base vehicle)
Verdict: Plenty of power going up mountainous areas. Ranged 60-75 mph. Spent most of my time with cruise control at 68 mph. Plenty of braking power. Stable as ever. Did not get yanked around. Zero sway. Felt as safe as when no trailer is attached. Avg 11mpg. Couldn't be more pleased.
I will keep going with this set up until I get my own trailer. I will use a WDH on my own set up.
… The trailer figures to be 2100-2200 lbs. The jeep was altered so I'm estimating 3300-3400 lbs. 5500-5600lbs total. Clearly over weight carrying capacity.
Weight carrying capacity of what?
U-Haul car hauler trailer:
Max load: 5,290 lbs. and your Jeep weighs a max of 3400, so nowhere near carrying capacity of the trailer.
Gross vehicle weight: 7,500 lbs. max. and your estimate of GVW is 5,600, so nowhere near carrying capacity of the trailer.
If you load the Jeep to result in 13% tongue weight (TW), that's 728 pounds TW. Surely your F-150 can handle 728 pounds TW without exceeding the payload capacity of the F-150. (Payload capacity available for hitch weight = GVWR minus the weight of the wet and loaded tow vehicle.)
With GVWR 0f 7,200 pounds and TW of 728 pounds, than leaves 6,472 pounds for the weight of the wet and loaded F-150 without the trailer. 6472 pounds from GCWR of over 14,000 pounds leaves over 7,500 pounds max trailer weight before you exceed the tow rating of your F-1-50.
So I suspect you were not near any of the weight capacities of your F-150. Unless you were also hauling a heavy toolbox full of tools, cab full of NFL linebackers and several Jerry cans full of fuel for the Jeep.
Last edited by smokeywren; 06-17-2018 at 03:39 PM.
Max load: 5,290 lbs. and your Jeep weighs a max of 3400, so nowhere near carrying capacity of the trailer.
Gross vehicle weight: 7,500 lbs. max. and your estimate of GVW is 5,600, so nowhere near carrying capacity of the trailer.
If you load the Jeep to result in 13% tongue weight (TW), that's 728 pounds TW. Surely your F-150 can handle 728 pounds TW without exceeding the payload capacity of the F-150. (Payload capacity available for hitch weight = GVWR minus the weight of the wet and loaded tow vehicle.)
With GVWR 0f 7,200 pounds and TW of 728 pounds, than leaves 6,472 pounds for the weight of the wet and loaded F-150 without the trailer. 6472 pounds from GCWR of over 14,000 pounds leaves over 7,500 pounds max trailer weight before you exceed the tow rating of your F-1-50.
So I suspect you were not near any of the weight capacities of your F-150. Unless you were also hauling a heavy toolbox full of tools, cab full of NFL linebackers and several Jerry cans full of fuel for the Jeep.
All this knowledge and you didn't think of the hitch receiver's 5000lb max weight carrying capacity.
Max load: 5,290 lbs. and your Jeep weighs a max of 3400, so nowhere near carrying capacity of the trailer.
Gross vehicle weight: 7,500 lbs. max. and your estimate of GVW is 5,600, so nowhere near carrying capacity of the trailer.
If you load the Jeep to result in 13% tongue weight (TW), that's 728 pounds TW. Surely your F-150 can handle 728 pounds TW without exceeding the payload capacity of the F-150. (Payload capacity available for hitch weight = GVWR minus the weight of the wet and loaded tow vehicle.)
With GVWR 0f 7,200 pounds and TW of 728 pounds, than leaves 6,472 pounds for the weight of the wet and loaded F-150 without the trailer. 6472 pounds from GCWR of over 14,000 pounds leaves over 7,500 pounds max trailer weight before you exceed the tow rating of your F-1-50.
So I suspect you were not near any of the weight capacities of your F-150. Unless you were also hauling a heavy toolbox full of tools, cab full of NFL linebackers and several Jerry cans full of fuel for the Jeep.
Assuming he meant the 500/5000 WC Capacity of the hitch. People usually get jumped on for exceeding those limits without some form of Weight Distribution.
I have a 2011 F150 with 190,000 miles on it. I own a auto facility and performance shop and were a Roush Performance Center. I have a 10250 5th Wheel and the hitch weight is 1800 lbs I have modified the rear suspension, 6 piston brakes in front, heavy duty in rear, rear suspension ahs springs equal to F250, Roadmaster active rears suspension, cold air intake, extra load tires 33" and tuner. The truck pulled the 5th wheel with no problem. Braking was great no sway at all and never felt uneasy. Acceleration was great and I too cruised at 65 plus. So what your pulling si nothing what that truck can handle. However having the proper hitch and anti-sway equipment is always the best way to go, especially with a trailer on bumper hitch. I will add my truck doesn't squat at all and rides great
All this knowledge and you didn't think of the hitch receiver's 5000lb max weight carrying capacity.
You have the max tow pkg, so your receiver has a lot more trailer weight capacity than 5,000 pounds. But your tow vehicle needs to be "properly equipped" to have tongue weight of more than 500 pounds. With a weight-distributing hitch, your max tongue weight goes up over 1,000 pounds and max trailer weight goes up to over 10,000 pounds. You will exceed the max tongue weight way before you reach the max trailer weight, so I usually ignore the max trailer weight. With your car hauler trailer loaded to have the industry average of 13% tongue weight, that loaded trailer at 5,600 pounds should have hitch weight of about 725 pounds, which is nowhere near the weight limit of the receiver with a weight-distributing hitch.
You have the max tow pkg, so your receiver has a lot more trailer weight capacity than 5,000 pounds. But your tow vehicle needs to be "properly equipped" to have tongue weight of more than 500 pounds. With a weight-distributing hitch, your max tongue weight goes up over 1,000 pounds and max trailer weight goes up to over 10,000 pounds. You will exceed the max tongue weight way before you reach the max trailer weight, so I usually ignore the max trailer weight. With your car hauler trailer loaded to have the industry average of 13% tongue weight, that loaded trailer at 5,600 pounds should have hitch weight of about 725 pounds, which is nowhere near the weight limit of the receiver with a weight-distributing hitch.
Right - but UHaul Trailers don't come /w a WD Hitch - so that 725lbs was Weight Carrying in this case and over the 500/5000 limit on the F150. That was his point, he was over on WC capacity and was expecting to get yelled at for it but said the truck handled it ok.
No flaming from me... You're barely over and for all anyone knows on this site, your set up might do better in SAE testing than the same truck and trailer combination would with a WDH. I'd love for someone to take a longer heavier variant of the F150 with an equipment trailer at say 800/8000 and run it through the SAE test. I'd put money on it passing.
Totally agree - we tow 525/7000 every weekend over the summer and the F150 handles it fine.
I understand why they dont, but I do wish Ford would put just a bit more stiffness in the rear suspension of the F150. I know it would upset me on days I drive the truck to get groceries, but it sure would be nice when it was being used as a truck. Maybe just one more spring in the rear pack?
No flaming from me... You're barely over and for all anyone knows on this site, your set up might do better in SAE testing than the same truck and trailer combination would with a WDH. I'd love for someone to take a longer heavier variant of the F150 with an equipment trailer at say 800/8000 and run it through the SAE test. I'd put money on it passing.
ford blankets the entire F150 line with the 500/5000 lb limit which seems silly. a RCSB 2x4 is obviously going to be affected far more than a 4x4 supercrew 6.5's bed. Much less weight up front and far less distance between the axles.
I think GM does vary their WC tongue weights on different configs.
06-17-2018, 12:33 PM
First towing experience with F150 XLT SCREW 3.5EB, Max Tow, 3.55 gearing.
