I'm That Guy!
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Junior Member
Joined: Jan 2021
Posts: 3
Likes: 1
I'm That Guy!
So, I'm going to be "that guy", but I have no choice. Take it easy on me lol. I did research through this forum and couldn't find specifically what I need to know and I am trying to educate myself on everything there is to know about towing. I am looking at purchasing a travel trailer camper. The GVWR of the TT is 8600lbs with a hitch weight of 708lbs. Here are the specs on my truck.
2020 F150 XL SXT
5.0 V8
Towing package
3.31 gears
7050 GVWR
14,299 GCWR
2200 Payload
9100 Towing capacity.
I have factory trailer brakes installed and I will be buying a WDH.
Is my truck set up to haul the travel trailer that I am interested in? Thanks in advance!
2020 F150 XL SXT
5.0 V8
Towing package
3.31 gears
7050 GVWR
14,299 GCWR
2200 Payload
9100 Towing capacity.
I have factory trailer brakes installed and I will be buying a WDH.
Is my truck set up to haul the travel trailer that I am interested in? Thanks in advance!
Save the Manuals!
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 1,951
Likes: 1,344
From: Delaware
Send it.
Seriously though while you are coming close to pushing the upper limit of your truck you are still within the specs so you should be good. However speaking from experience the 5.0 with 3.31 gears is a dog when towing compared to the 3.5 Ecoboost. It will handle it fine but the EcoBoost just seems to do a better job.
Seriously though while you are coming close to pushing the upper limit of your truck you are still within the specs so you should be good. However speaking from experience the 5.0 with 3.31 gears is a dog when towing compared to the 3.5 Ecoboost. It will handle it fine but the EcoBoost just seems to do a better job.
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 14,975
Likes: 6,035
From: SE Michigan
Your yellow payload sticker says 2,200 pounds exactly?
You know you have the factory trailer brake CONTROLLER, not brakes, right?
The 9,100 pounds is a near meaningless number.
The 8,600 lb trailer does not have a hitch weight of 708 pounds, you would have seen that in many posts. If you load to max weight, 8,600 would be 1,118 pounds tongue weight. Read the white sticker on your hitch receiver to see the max load it can take with a wdh. Remember that the hitch itself will be around 100 pounds.
You know you have the factory trailer brake CONTROLLER, not brakes, right?
The 9,100 pounds is a near meaningless number.
The 8,600 lb trailer does not have a hitch weight of 708 pounds, you would have seen that in many posts. If you load to max weight, 8,600 would be 1,118 pounds tongue weight. Read the white sticker on your hitch receiver to see the max load it can take with a wdh. Remember that the hitch itself will be around 100 pounds.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Jan 2021
Posts: 3
Likes: 1
Your yellow payload sticker says 2,200 pounds exactly?
You know you have the factory trailer brake CONTROLLER, not brakes, right?
The 9,100 pounds is a near meaningless number.
The 8,600 lb trailer does not have a hitch weight of 708 pounds, you would have seen that in many posts. If you load to max weight, 8,600 would be 1,118 pounds tongue weight. Read the white sticker on your hitch receiver to see the max load it can take with a wdh. Remember that the hitch itself will be around 100 pounds.
You know you have the factory trailer brake CONTROLLER, not brakes, right?
The 9,100 pounds is a near meaningless number.
The 8,600 lb trailer does not have a hitch weight of 708 pounds, you would have seen that in many posts. If you load to max weight, 8,600 would be 1,118 pounds tongue weight. Read the white sticker on your hitch receiver to see the max load it can take with a wdh. Remember that the hitch itself will be around 100 pounds.
Correct, I have the trailer controller that came factory. I had Ford install trailer brakes after i had already purchased the truck.
The specs from the manufacturer's spec page is where the tongue weight for the travel trailer was listed.
I will take a look at the sticker on the hitch.
Thank you for the info!
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Jan 2021
Posts: 3
Likes: 1
Send it.
Seriously though while you are coming close to pushing the upper limit of your truck you are still within the specs so you should be good. However speaking from experience the 5.0 with 3.31 gears is a dog when towing compared to the 3.5 Ecoboost. It will handle it fine but the EcoBoost just seems to do a better job.
Seriously though while you are coming close to pushing the upper limit of your truck you are still within the specs so you should be good. However speaking from experience the 5.0 with 3.31 gears is a dog when towing compared to the 3.5 Ecoboost. It will handle it fine but the EcoBoost just seems to do a better job.
5 Year Member
Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 152
Likes: 52
From: Missouri
XL SXT with 2050 GVWR - I'd say payload is probably 2200 lbs or close if I had to guess.
With a published tongue weight of 700 lbs, plus WDH, plus battery/ies, plus propane, plus a portion of whatever is in the trailer - tongue weight will likely be over 1,100 lbs if I had to guess. I believe 1,100 lbs or so is what the hitch is rated at. My TT tongue weight is listed at 570 lbs. Loaded for a trip with one battery and only one propane tank, it's just under 900 lbs.
We don't load our trailer to the max. We carry plenty and it's about 1,000 lbs over the trailer's listed dry weight.
I'd say you're pushing the limits with that trailer with a half-ton. Mine is a 26 ft box, 32 ft tip to tail and weighs just shy of 7,000 loaded. It tows beautifully, but I wouldn't want to push it to the point of only towing OK, as OK in good conditions can deteriorate quickly in bad conditions.
With a published tongue weight of 700 lbs, plus WDH, plus battery/ies, plus propane, plus a portion of whatever is in the trailer - tongue weight will likely be over 1,100 lbs if I had to guess. I believe 1,100 lbs or so is what the hitch is rated at. My TT tongue weight is listed at 570 lbs. Loaded for a trip with one battery and only one propane tank, it's just under 900 lbs.
We don't load our trailer to the max. We carry plenty and it's about 1,000 lbs over the trailer's listed dry weight.
I'd say you're pushing the limits with that trailer with a half-ton. Mine is a 26 ft box, 32 ft tip to tail and weighs just shy of 7,000 loaded. It tows beautifully, but I wouldn't want to push it to the point of only towing OK, as OK in good conditions can deteriorate quickly in bad conditions.
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Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 643
Likes: 201
From: Twin Cities, MN
With a camper I like shooting for 13% tongue weight. That way you have some wiggle room. So 13% of your 8600# is 1118# tongue weight. Call it 1200# with the WD hitch.
You still have nearly 1000# for you, passengers and stuff in the truck or things that you have added to the truck.
You still have nearly 1000# for you, passengers and stuff in the truck or things that you have added to the truck.
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 14,975
Likes: 6,035
From: SE Michigan
2123 is what the sticker stinformally! The manual stated 2200.
Correct, I have the trailer controller that came factory. I had Ford install trailer brakes after i had already purchased the truck.
The specs from the manufacturer's spec page is where the tongue weight for the travel trailer was listed.
I will take a look at the sticker on the hitch.
Thank you for the info!
Correct, I have the trailer controller that came factory. I had Ford install trailer brakes after i had already purchased the truck.
The specs from the manufacturer's spec page is where the tongue weight for the travel trailer was listed.
I will take a look at the sticker on the hitch.
Thank you for the info!
Ford dealer installed a trailer brake controller, not trailer brakes. You keep saying brakes.
After you read the sticker, subtract 100 pounds from that number. Divide what's left by 0.13, and that is the absolute max loaded trailer you can have.
5 Year Member
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 2,357
Likes: 1,186
From: Franklin, PA
You gain 100# load capacity over my somewhat similarly equipped 2019 STX. Is yours a 2x4 or 4x4?
The 10 speed transmission allows sightly lower gearing to be used for towing.
Even a light RV trailer load results in a 2-300# increase in true tongue weight. Factory trailer tongue weights are for an empty trailer as it left the factory with does not include a battery (44# average weight) or actual propane (tanks shipped empty). Most weight distributing hitches (WDH) average about 100#, NOT tongue weight but eats into your load capacity.
708# factory tongue weight likely means near 7080# GVW as delivered. 8600# GVWR. IMHO 7-7500# is the sweet spot for the 5.0 F150 with standard tow package. Loaded for camping, you’ll be just above that.
Your truck will tow that trailer adequately.
Stronger gearing would make the towing easier. Try what you have before paying $$ for what ifs. If you do decide you need more grunt and staying with your current truck, skip the 3.55 and jump right to the 3.73. It appears that’s what Ford did in 2021 with the 5.0. Bottom line, it’s not worth effort & $$ for a one notch jump in gearing. Forscan changes can easily adjust for factory available changes.
As most will recommend, once you have trailer, get thee to a CAT (or other) Scale & take three weights (original $12.50, 2 reweighs at $2 each IIRC), once with trailer with WDH, once with WDH disconnected, once just truck with WDH attached or placed far back in the bed. From that you can determine your tongue weight, how your WDH pushes the weight to the various axles, and your truck load for camping. Also, axle weights with and without WDH related to GAWC & GVWR & GCWR. NOTE: your curb or factory weight is basically the GVWR minus the load capacity with a full tank.
The 10 speed transmission allows sightly lower gearing to be used for towing.
Even a light RV trailer load results in a 2-300# increase in true tongue weight. Factory trailer tongue weights are for an empty trailer as it left the factory with does not include a battery (44# average weight) or actual propane (tanks shipped empty). Most weight distributing hitches (WDH) average about 100#, NOT tongue weight but eats into your load capacity.
708# factory tongue weight likely means near 7080# GVW as delivered. 8600# GVWR. IMHO 7-7500# is the sweet spot for the 5.0 F150 with standard tow package. Loaded for camping, you’ll be just above that.
Your truck will tow that trailer adequately.
Stronger gearing would make the towing easier. Try what you have before paying $$ for what ifs. If you do decide you need more grunt and staying with your current truck, skip the 3.55 and jump right to the 3.73. It appears that’s what Ford did in 2021 with the 5.0. Bottom line, it’s not worth effort & $$ for a one notch jump in gearing. Forscan changes can easily adjust for factory available changes.
As most will recommend, once you have trailer, get thee to a CAT (or other) Scale & take three weights (original $12.50, 2 reweighs at $2 each IIRC), once with trailer with WDH, once with WDH disconnected, once just truck with WDH attached or placed far back in the bed. From that you can determine your tongue weight, how your WDH pushes the weight to the various axles, and your truck load for camping. Also, axle weights with and without WDH related to GAWC & GVWR & GCWR. NOTE: your curb or factory weight is basically the GVWR minus the load capacity with a full tank.