New Trailer Towing is scary
#11
Senior Member
Max Tow is good, but if you have "all the bells + whistles", a lot of heavy options really cuts into your payload capacity. I know in the case of my King Ranch that I have a 1020 lb payload capacity - a full 500 lbs less than the max payload weight rating of 1520 lbs for a SCrew 4x4 with standard tow pkg in the "sales" brochure.
Running the #'s that comes awfully close to the 11,100 lbs Ford says it can tow.
#12
Senior Member
iTrader: (1)
Best bet is to check the payload sticker on your door. My Lariat with "all the bells and whistles" except sunroof, nav, and Sony audio has 1860 lbs or so of payload according to the yellow sticker.
Running the #'s that comes awfully close to the 11,100 lbs Ford says it can tow.
Running the #'s that comes awfully close to the 11,100 lbs Ford says it can tow.
I know what my payload sticker says, you know what your payload sticker says, but I'm trying to find out what TedF150's payload sticker says!!
Butt....I'm curious what you mean by "1860 lbs or so of payload". Your sticker will be precisely what the payload capacity of the truck is as it came off the assembly line. You should know exactly what your payload capacity is - and if you've added some aftermarket stuff (tonneau, bed liner, bullbar, etc., etc.) then you can subtract their weights and come up with your current payload capacity.
My King Ranch has all the bells and whistles, including a moonroof, nav, and Sony audio - which all add a lot of additional weight. It also has the off-road package. My sticker says 1115 lbs, and with my after delivery mods of bed liner, tonneau, and bed extender, I'm down to 1020 lbs (weighed on my local CAT scales).
If TedF150's Lariat is like yours but has the moonroof, nav, and Sony audio, I bet its payload is closer to the 1700 lb example I used than it is to the 1860 lbs of your truck.
However, regardless of payload capacity, the hitch receiver has an 1150 lb limit. With a 50 lb WDH head, an 11,100 lb trailer with the minimum of 10% of that on the tongue, would be right at the limit of the hitch (actually 10 lbs over, if the hitch head really weighs 50 lbs).
If TedF150's Lariat doesn't really have all the bells and whistles, and like yours has an 1860 lb payload capacity, then that would give him 710 lbs that he (or you) can carry in the cab and bed when towing.
So - If you hook up an 11,000 trailer with a WDH and tongue weight of 1150 lbs to your truck, subtract that from your 1860 lb payload capacity and you'll have a max payload remaining of 710 lbs. That's perhaps three adult passengers and a couple hundred lbs of other stuff in the cab and bed.
However - weigh it at your local CAT scales and you may find you're quite a bit over your rear GAWR.
Also - what about GCWR??? I don't know the configuration of your truck (RCab, SCab, SCrew, 4x2, 4x4, bed length, etc.), but assuming you have a 7700 GVWR, subtract your payload capacity of 1860 lbs and your truck weighs 5840 lbs empty (the yellow sticker value, completely empty as it came off the assembly line, except for a full tank of gas). Add three 170 lb adults and 200 lbs of tools, firewood, camping stuff, or track support stuff, plus your 50 lb WDH head, and the truck weighs 6600 lbs before you hook up your trailer. If you hook up an 11,000 lb trailer your rig will weigh 17,700 lbs, and that is over any GCWR published for an F150.
Bottom line - Unless it has the HD package, even with the Max Tow pkg you generally can't hook up a trailer much more than 9000 lbs and still be within the weight limits of an F150.
The "sales" brochure and towing guide will tell you mythical numbers that are there simply to look good compared to the competition. The max trailer weight numbers are with nothing in the truck except for a skinny 150 lb driver, and the truck they use to get those max trailer weights are a plain Jane/no frills/zero option truck. When you get a truck with any normal comfort and convenience options the payload capacity and max trailer weight you can tow go WAY down from those fictitious "sales" brochure numbers.
Every truck is unique and has its own payload capacity that is generally the most limiting weight rating. Do the math on your trailer's tongue weight and what you'll be carrying in the cab and bed of the truck when towing to get YOUR truck's real limits. Then go to the CAT scales to confirm.
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#13
Loadlifter 5000's will definitely help in towing that much weight, and get rid of the pogoing effect-period. Sure the WDH needs to be adjusted correctly with a good sway mechanism., but those bags will level that beast out and make for a stress free trip.
#14
Senior Member
Butt....I'm curious what you mean by "1860 lbs or so of payload". Your sticker will be precisely what the payload capacity of the truck is as it came off the assembly line. You should know exactly what your payload capacity is - and if you've added some aftermarket stuff (tonneau, bed liner, bullbar, etc., etc.) then you can subtract their weights and come up with your current payload capacity.
However - weigh it at your local CAT scales and you may find you're quite a bit over your rear GAWR.
Every truck is unique and has its own payload capacity that is generally the most limiting weight rating. Do the math on your trailer's tongue weight and what you'll be carrying in the cab and bed of the truck when towing to get YOUR truck's real limits. Then go to the CAT scales to confirm.
#15
Senior Member
And if you add up the GAWR of both axles, they are usually greater than the GVWR so it works ok.
But trailers put all the weight on the rear axle (or more depending upon your WDH settings) . So you gotta watch the rear GAWR when you get close to maxing out payload. Currently I'm 2% under GVWR but 2% over the rear GAWR.
#16
Senior Member
Re adjust your hitch and bars.
My experience is that 'P' rated tires belong on Grandma's car...
I would either change to 'D' rated or 'E' rated tires.
Truck tires take the 'Spooky' out of towing.
My experience is that 'P' rated tires belong on Grandma's car...
I would either change to 'D' rated or 'E' rated tires.
Truck tires take the 'Spooky' out of towing.
The following users liked this post:
homeskizzle (06-30-2015)
#17
^^^ This. It is amazing the difference a rubber bag and some air will make. You will feel like you have a completely different truck while towing. Let me know if you have any questions!
#18
Member
I don't understand why you wouldn't get a 3.4 ton for towing this heavy. Being just barely in the legal range to tow makes me edgy. I always go overkill when towing heavier loads. I don't get the half ton towable 5th wheel trailers either. Makes no sense to have a trailer just barley under your max towable weight but none of this helps so I will add a properly setup wd hitch will help as will airbags for stabilizing the truck.
#19
Aha!! Then you're probably OK if you don't carry much in the cab and bed when towing.
What's your payload capacity (look on the sticker on your driver's side door)? What's the tongue weight of your loaded trailer?
Max Tow is good, but if you have "all the bells + whistles", a lot of heavy options really cuts into your payload capacity. I know in the case of my King Ranch that I have a 1020 lb payload capacity - a full 500 lbs less than the max payload weight rating of 1520 lbs for a SCrew 4x4 with standard tow pkg in the "sales" brochure.
And, your Max Tow hitch receiver will be limited, with a WDH, to a weight of on the receiver of 1150 lbs. The WDH head you mount on the receiver probably weighs around 50 lbs, so your max tongue weight will be 1100 lbs.
In order to prevent uncomfortable sway and pogoing, the tongue weight should be 10% to 15% of the loaded trailer's weight. So....you'll be limited to 11% if you want to stay within the rating of your hitch.
Let's say, for example, that you have a very nice 1700 lb payload capacity. With 1150 lbs of that taken up on your hitch, that would leave 550 lbs for people and stuff in the cab and bed when towing. That might be good for 2 people in the cab and a couple hundred lbs of tools and track support stuff in the bed.
The EcoBoost will pull the trailer with no problem, but as you have experienced, 10,000 lbs is a heavy load to be towing with a 1/2 Ton pickup. As has been mentioned in other posts, you'll really need to load up and go to your local CAT scales to see what the weight is on the axles of your truck - if the weights are way over the rated limits you may have maintenance, longevity, and reliability concerns, not to mention the safety and towing comfort problems you're already experiencing.
Let us know what the stickers on your door say for GVWR, and especially payload capacity.
.
What's your payload capacity (look on the sticker on your driver's side door)? What's the tongue weight of your loaded trailer?
Max Tow is good, but if you have "all the bells + whistles", a lot of heavy options really cuts into your payload capacity. I know in the case of my King Ranch that I have a 1020 lb payload capacity - a full 500 lbs less than the max payload weight rating of 1520 lbs for a SCrew 4x4 with standard tow pkg in the "sales" brochure.
And, your Max Tow hitch receiver will be limited, with a WDH, to a weight of on the receiver of 1150 lbs. The WDH head you mount on the receiver probably weighs around 50 lbs, so your max tongue weight will be 1100 lbs.
In order to prevent uncomfortable sway and pogoing, the tongue weight should be 10% to 15% of the loaded trailer's weight. So....you'll be limited to 11% if you want to stay within the rating of your hitch.
Let's say, for example, that you have a very nice 1700 lb payload capacity. With 1150 lbs of that taken up on your hitch, that would leave 550 lbs for people and stuff in the cab and bed when towing. That might be good for 2 people in the cab and a couple hundred lbs of tools and track support stuff in the bed.
The EcoBoost will pull the trailer with no problem, but as you have experienced, 10,000 lbs is a heavy load to be towing with a 1/2 Ton pickup. As has been mentioned in other posts, you'll really need to load up and go to your local CAT scales to see what the weight is on the axles of your truck - if the weights are way over the rated limits you may have maintenance, longevity, and reliability concerns, not to mention the safety and towing comfort problems you're already experiencing.
Let us know what the stickers on your door say for GVWR, and especially payload capacity.
.
GVWR is as follows 7700lbs - 3900lbs front + 4050lbs rear
#20