tsteinmuller

Thanks Steve. Let me ask a question to the group just want to make sure I'm not out there. I have a new F150 Super Crew with the 3.5 ecoboost. Weight is 4471.
Trailer is 7550 dry weight, 8930 gross weight. The Ford spec sheet looks like with my wheelbase i can tow 10,700 with a GCWR of 15,800. According to my addition I am within my limit with 13,401. I know I have to include fuel etc. Am I missing something here with the post that say I am way over my limit? Inquiring minds want to know.

5.0GN tow

The one area you are either probably very close to or over would be truck payload. Now just for a legal issue here, with regard to payload, the sticker in the truck does not say exceed this and you will die. It says passengers and cargo "should never exceed" read word should as a recommendation. As retired LE I don't think you can write a citation based on should as the definition of should is adviseable, recommended, best practice etc in the context of how it's used on the sticker.

brulaz

I really wouldn't listen to the Ford or RV salesmen.

Am towing 8K to 8.5K lbs and 1200# tongue weight. But the travel trailer is only 28.5 ft long. And the rig handles very, very well. So it can be done with a MaxTow only truck.

BUT I really did need to stiffen the suspension and upgrade to LT tires, and have spent a fair amount of time at the CAT scales and adjusting my WDH.

And still I'm maybe 2% over the rear GAWR which I don't like, but under the GVWR and GCWR.
Because my truck is a 4x2 SCab, with few options, I have a high payload for only a 2011 MaxTow.
With the Al bodied 2015s it might be easier to get a high payload without the HD Payload option, but they've also lowered the GAWRs, so that might limit you sooner.

smokeywren

Yes, you're missing he fact that there are two important weight limits for your F-150. Your question indicates you want details, so here is a very long reply with the details you seek.


You are quoting the GCWR and the overstated "tow rating" that is based on the GCWR minus the weight of the empty F-150 with no options and nothing in it but a skinny driver.


The GCWR is a real limit, but the tow rating is a myth, because nobody tows an RV trailer with an F-150 that has no options and no people, pets, tools, nothing except a skinny driver. The GCWR minus the actual weight of a wet and loaded F-150 would give you a realistic tow rating. but nobody publishes a realistic tow rating. You have to determine it yourself by loading the F-150 with all the people and other weight that will be in it when towing (including the head from your weight-distributing hitch), filling the F-150 with gas, then weighing the wet and loaded F-150. Subtract the weight of the wet and loaded F-150 from the GCWR and the result is a realistic tow rating.


But a realistic tow rating tells you only the weight you can PULL without overheating anything in the drivetrain and without being the slowpoke holding up traffic on hills and mountain passes.


What you are missing is the other important weight limit, which is the payload capacity of your F-150. The payload capacity tells you the maximum weight of people, other cargo and hitch weight you can HAUL without exceeding the GVWR of your F-150. The payload capacity of your F-150 is the GVWR minus the weight of the wet and loaded F-150 before you tie onto the trailer. The Ford RV and Trailer Towing Guide which publishes your overstated tow rating also includes a footnote that says something to the effect of "NEVER exceed the GVWR or GAWR of your F-150 when towing".



Almost all F-150s can PULL a lot heavier trailer than they can HAUL the hitch weight of that trailer without exceeding the GVWR of the F-150. So the realistic tow rating is not your limiter as to how much trailer you can tow. GVWR is your limiter.


When wet and loaded with a trailer tied on, the CAT scale will tell you the weight on your front axle, rear axle, trailer axles and gross combined weight. Add the weights on the front and rear axles and compare to the GVWR of your F-150. With a trailer that has 7550 dry weight, 8930 gross weight, your wet and loaded trailer is probably going to gross about 8,500 pounds. Average hitch weight of a TT is around 12,5% of gross trailer weight. So assuming your trailer grosses 8,500 pounds and has average wet and loaded hitch weight, you can estimate around 1,063 pounds of hitch weight. So you'll have about 7,437 pounds on the trailer axles plus another 1,063 pounds on the hitch for a total of 8,500 gross trailer weight.


People are warning that you'll be grossly overloaded because of experience. My 20' TT weighs only 4,870 with 650 pounds hitch weight when wet and loaded on the road, but I'm overloaded by 100 pounds over the GVWR of my F-150. If I had 1,063 pounds of hitch weight, I'd be 513 pounds overloaded.


My EcoBoost drivetrain can pull a lot heavier trailer than my 8,400 pounds tow rating, but I'm overloaded with my TT that grosses less than 5,000 pounds. Word to the wise.

5.0GN tow

A lot of where you are depends on the options of your truck. Mine is a more basic stx package with not too many options so I have a higher payload. I can have my empty (no horses, but full of tack and camping gear)GN hooked up and have 1060lbs of pin weight and still have plenty of capacity for passengers on both axle and payload numbers. All our gear is in the trailer. Also when the horses come aboard, the pin weight goes down to around 900lbs which makes it even better. You need to keep an eye on how you load things with a 150, but set up right you will be fine.

I get about 10 to 11mpg pulling my trailer at 7800lbs going around 70mph. I do use load range f truck tires on the trailer as that was how it was set up at the factory. This helps tow easier as it has very low rolling resistance, and better high speed rating on the tires. The trailer is way over built with a max gvw of over 16k, and dry empty weight of under 4550lbs. Towing with the 5.0 and this trailer is very easy, and not stressful at all. Once you get yours all adjusted out, I am sure you will feel the same way. Maybe try the bikes and such on the rear of the trailer to help move weight off the truck

Tundra Dweller

My 2000 supercab lariet full box 5.4 Triton, tow & off road package pulling a smallish 15 ft. Coachman Blast toy hauler gets 7.5 mpg. The trailer didn't even have motorcycles in it. Also kept in around 65 on the Freeway. Hummmmph.

stainlessman

I towed my 5' x 8' enclosed trailer today for the first time. Maybe a 1000 lbs in it plus the trailer weight itself. My 5.0 got a constant 15-17 mpg on the screen graph I was using. I'm very impressed with the mpg. A lot better then my 4.6 3v,

Ricktwuhk

You never once have said what your Payload sticker says...

Read Smokeywren's posts over and over until you understand.