If you read the specs 3/4 ton trucks won't pull a trailer much heavier than a 1/2 ton. The difference is payload. Most 1/2 tons have 1600-1800 lbs of payload. Most 3/4 ton trucks have 3000 lbs of payload. You can often pull the same weights, but with the 1/2 ton you may have to leave your wife and family home and just have the driver in the cab. If you move up to a 3/4 ton you can pull the same trailer, put your ATV in the bed along with some firewood and take your whole family with some room to spare.

I think you're borderline. You'll have to load both the trailer and truck light. If you were to max out the trailer payload of 7600 lbs. you'd have close to 1100 lbs on the hitch leaving under 600 lbs for you and your family in the cab. Forget the tongue weight listed in the specs. Calculate 13% of the loaded trailer weight then add 100 lbs for the WDH.

But that's a 6000 lb empty trailer. Even pulling an empty trailer will only leave you around 800 lbs for passengers and cargo. That may sound like a lot but my wife and I are 360 combined. When my kids were young they were small, but kids grow. My son was 5'3 and 130 lbs in 7th grade. By the 10th grade he was 6'3 and 230 lbs.

 

My understanding, the payload on the yellow payload sticker includes truck and fluids (includes gas). The towing capacity includes full of fluids and 150# driver. But imo, no one should be splitting hairs like this, the downfall will be a long tail wagging the dog.

 

Is there a recommendation for length limit on the F-150? What about F-250 max trailer length?

 

Plus larger brakes that improve stopping capability with 3/4 ton trucks, that is a big plus when towing heavy trailers.

 

in 2021 IIRC, Ford started allowing for ONE 150# passenger. Hazy memory thinks they allowed for 100# WDH, but I repeat, hazy on that

 

It is definitely a grey area. EX: a 30' Airstream will pull very different than a 30' xyz ultralight. The better the stance on the truck, better the tires on truck and trailer, in general the better the towing outcome. Also the longer beds seem to do much better. There are some that have small mods to their trucks and tow 30' trailers no problem. My 2020 shortbed maxtow, 28' tongue to bumper, under 7k loaded would be at the top of my comfort zone, after that a windy day, heavy traffic can wear on one.

 

And a 150# passenger.

 

One number Ford needs to add to the stickers on each vehicle is GCWR. For you with the 3.73 rear axle and long wheel base its 13,800lbs. You can't do better in F150 land.

Use Gross weight ratings. I've been over 13,000lbs on my 21 (GCWR 14,800) and believe that 8000lbs is the max F150 towing weight. So you are close to the edge.

I'm guessing 450lbs for you and family, 160 for dogs, 100lbs for stuff and another 100lbs for WDH, that trailer between 800 to 1600lbs...... Ooops we have a problem

If you compromise on the trailer you could end up taking a bath on that trading it for the bigger trailer that you are looking at today. Could renting a similar one be an option for 2025?

What would I do... if buying is the only option.

Buy the trailer of your dreams....tell the partner that you'll tow it behind the F150 this year and look at getting a new truck if experience proves its needed. Get the Weigh Safe WDH.

 

General rule (I think it's based on physics but I can't explain how) is that For the first 110" of wheelbase, this allows you 20' of trailer. For each additional 4" of wheelbase, this gets you 1' more of trailer. So for trucks with a 5.5 foot bed you want to be around 28 feet (this includes the tongue). For 6.5 foot bed you can go to 31 feet. Even these "safe" lengths will tow with incrementally less stability than shorter trailers, so everyone's comfort level will be different. Biggest difference between a 6.5ft bed half ton and 3/4 ton is the weight of the truck itself, the 3/4 ton weighs a lot more and will be pushed around less by the longer trailers.

 

do you know where that’s specifically stated?

for a 13th gen, only thing I could find was in the tow guide and it said “150lb driver”