TedinMa

Hi all, Thanks for the wealth of info here that helped me decide to buy my new (used) truck...

But, I have a question. I see lots of references to “the limited has much lower towing capacity but I can’t figure it out from the manual.

it is a 2018, 3.5EB with short bed, 4x4. 22” wheels and 3.31

Also, window sticker has two things that I don’t understand...
-at the top says “10 speed automatic with tow mo” but appears cut off. I assume this is the selectable tow mode?


-6750# GVWR package. What is this?

any clarity you can provide would be appreciated. I tow a boat at about 6,500#

thanks in advance, Ted

kehyler

Hi Ted,

We'll need a few more more things.

First, what is the payload of your truck as specified by your yellow doorjam sticker? It says something like the weight of cargo and occupants should never exceed...

Second, please as accurately as you can, let us know how much extra weight you have added to your truck. (Including everything you, family, gear).

Third, download the 2018 ford f150 brochure, and look up your GCWR, the chart is near the end of the brochure.

TedinMa

Thanks. The yelllow sticker says should never exceed 1107 lbs.

i normally have max 3 adults (let’s say 700# total) and some gear @100# in the truck. No accessories mounted on the truck.

Owners Manual says GCWR is 16,100#

kehyler

Oh man, I'm really sorry. These numbers are going to be harsh...

You have 1107 lbs before the truck weighs more than the maximum that Ford rates it for (that is, before the truck would exceed its GVWR). If you add 700+100=800 lbs to the cab, that means you only have 307 lbs left over for tongue weight before exceeding your GVWR. Therefore at 10% tongue, I would not tow over 3k lbs in the setup you described.

If you tow a 6k lb boat, please understand that you are likely exceeding the maximum weight Ford says your F150 is rated to carry. Please be considerate of the safety of the other people on public roads, and reconsider if you have the right tool for the job.

Jeff1024

As others have said with 1,100lbs you are going to be tight on payload. Our boat is a little heavier, around 6,750 - 7,000 and we have 525lbs on the ball, verified w/ a scale. Boats are usually 7-8% on the tongue so you may be closer to 450 - 500lb tongue weight. Weigh it to verify.

With your 800lb of people and stuff in the truck plus ~500lbs on the ball you are over payload. I don't see you towing that boat with your truck unless you only have the driver in the truck.

Heated massaging seats are heavy lol.

Just as a reference my 2015 platinum has 1545lbs of payload. We tow our boat under payload as follows:

1545lb - 100lb in bed cover and bed liner - 525lb on the ball - 500lb in passengers. Leaves us about 400lbs to play with.

marshallr

That means your truck + anything you put in it including tongue weight from a trailer should not exceed 6750 lbs. GVWR = Gross Vehicle Weight Rating. If you subtract your 1107 from 6750 that means your truck weighed 5643 lbs when it rolled off the assembly line.

Most travel trailers will put 13-15% of the trailer weight on the tongue. Boats are usually closer to 10%, so figure 650 lbs tongue weight leaving you about 460 lbs for passengers or other gear in the truck. Your truck won't have any trouble PULLING the weight of the boat. Your trucks suspension is borderline for the job. Pack carefully. Every 100 lbs you can move from the truck to the boat only adds 10 lbs of tongue weight.

The higher end trim packages cause the weight of the truck to go up. Super crews are heavier than regular and crew cabs, and 4X4 adds about 200 lbs. The "typical" payload for an XLT Supercrew 4X4 is 1600-1800 lbs. Some XL's with a regular or crew cab can be 2000 lbs +, especially 4X2 models. The GVWR is the same, or very nearly the same on most all of them. But the Lariat and Platinum Supercrew trucks are heavier, eating into usable payload.

You can move a boat around on the trailer to change tongue weight and yes it is possible to reduce it. BUT... trailers with LESS than 10% of their weight on the tongue can be unstable and are hard to tow.

A good video showing how important this is

Jeff1024

All good info on the travel trailer front and the importance of correct weight on the ball.

I have found that boats are almost always around 8% on the tongue. Since most of the boat weight is over the back rear trailer axles they really are not as susceptible to sway as a travel trailer. They are also a ton more aerodynamic than a travel trailer which makes them tow way better.

Your mileage may vary, and really best way to figure it all our is to get to a scale and see what you are looking at.

sholxgt

Everything said above is true. The short answer is that you're fine towing the 6500 lb boat, but the 2 passengers and gear will need to ride along in the boat. LOL

schmenke

Very demonstrative video. Thanks for that!

Brad34

That Limited is a very nice truck, but it really isn't meant to be a work vehicle. As another comparison, my '19 XLT Supercrew 4x4 SB has 1885 lbs of payload. Your truck has about 700 lbs of extra goodies included from the factory.

With how much you guys pay for a Limited, I don't understand why Ford doesn't beef up the frame and suspension a bit so you can have the best of both worlds.