New to the forums here, and I have a question about towing. I've learned that payload capacity is usually exceeded before tow capacity, and this is almost surely the case for me as well.
1. I have also heard many folks suggest allowing some "safety margin" in your payload (as in, don't max out your payload capacity when towing). Is this true? How much payload safety margin should I allow?

Family/dog + cab supplies (food, car seats, etc) + gear + hitch
600 lb + 100 lb + 200 lb + 80 lb = 980 lb without attached trailer

I am looking at a travel trailer to replace our pop-up. Here are the two options I am considering:

Forest River Salem 178BHSK
Hitch Weight 430 lb
Dry Weight 3749 lb
GVWR 4830 lb

Forest River Salem 263BHXL
Hitch Weight 736 lb
Dry Weight 6406 lb
GVWR 7736 lb

2. Assuming about 1000 lbs of immediate payload capacity reduction with passengers/cargo/hitch, what payload capacity should I have to safely tow each of these vehicles?

I have looked at 2011-2014 F150s, whose payload capacity generally falls in the 1600 lb range and then shifted my focus to 2015+ because of the aluminum body panels that automatically grant an extra ~700 lbs of payload capacity. I am currently under the impression that I need this extra payload capacity.

3. Also, I know the towing specs of each engine for 2015+ models - but from a real-world perspective (not just on paper), could I easily tow either of these trailers with the 2.7 Ecoboost?

 

How much cushion you decide to leave is entirely up to you and often based on experience. Ford manufactured these trucks to specific Gross Vehicle Weight Ratings (GVWR) I have no problem going up to the GVWR on my truck and I don't personally feel a need to leave a 10% margin or 15% I have heard as high as 25% margin. When towing my fifth wheel with a full load I don't have a lot of cushion left. I'm not planning on adding anything else while out on a trip.

 

You won't find 700 pounds more capacity...

Do you plan on your children and dog gaining weight?

Have you read some of the many threads?

 

1,000 pounds in the truck
100 pound WDH
430 to 736 dry tongue
I'd estimate 600 to 1000 pound wet and loaded tongue weight.

So you need 1,700 pounds payload for the lighter trailer and 2,100 pounds for the heavier one.

Will a 2.7 work? I wouldn't advise it. Most are well under 1,700 payload and are sprung for ride comfort not hauling. However, if you can find one that has the "2.7 Ecoboost payload package." you can get close to 2,000 pounds payload with a lightly optioned model and that might work quite well for you. The 2.7EB could be a good option if you're not towing often or long.

For decent payload in a more commonly found used truck, an XLT with 5.0L or 3.5 EB lightly optioned will have around 2,000 pounds. If you are towing more often or longer distances, these engines are better suited to that duty than the 2.7.

The 5.0 and 3.5EB trucks can come as HDPP trucks with payloads in the mid 2000 range for crew cabs. But these are very rare and you're unlikely to find one used as their owners tend to like them.

I was in a similar situation to you. I had a Jeep grand cherokee and a 6,600 GVW trailer that I got down to about 700 pounds tongue weight. I wanted to take a lot of stuff with us (Family of 4, 4 bikes, 2 tandem kayaks, firewood, etc). I thought I'd need about 2,000 pounds payload. I eventually found a new HDPP on a dealers lot. Had been there 6 days. Now when we camp, we typically use 2,200 pounds of our 2,399 pound payload. Unless I take the dirt bikes and then we use 2,399 pounds of our 2,399 pounds of payload. I do not subscribe to the buffer theory. The truck feels just fine at it's max rating.

 

Opening your owners manual will give you an idea how much influence lawyers have on safety. The manual could easily be 1/3 less pages if you dropped all the warnings.
That said you can be sure there already is a safely margin on the load ratings that makes the lawyers comfortable. Myself I have no problem running my truck when towing loaded to 7050lbs. In fact I think it rides great like that, sort of a nod to the weight police that tell you you need a heavy dog so the tail doesn't wag you.

 

I will be at max gvwr (7050) when towing this November, 10 hour drive. My TT will be 5840 lbs with 800 on the tongue.

I have added better shocks, air bags to accompany the wdh to restore rake and will be adding tires with 117 load rating to minimize tire flex.

I belive it will better when fully loafed.

Of course after the first 10 miles I will be below gvwr😀

 

The 2.7 would easily pull either one, but your truck will be overloaded weight wise with the heavier one.
You dont even need a WDH for the lighter trailer. Probably wouldnt be a bad idea though.

 

To expand on this, Ford set about to drop weight to improve CAFE. The weight loss was mostly in the body, and the weight loss let them them increase the tow ratings, but not payload. Payload increases were achieved by increasing the ratings of the frame and suspension. Also, it's one of the crew cabs that lost the 700lbs, probably the 6.5ft bed, not all trucks lost the whole 700lbs.

I'm going to recommend against the 2.7L, even with the payload package, because of what the 2.7L is not designed to do... pull a trailer with over 75sqft frontal area. The smaller of those two trailers is at the upper end of the F150's frontal area range, with the intended use being 5ths and goosenecks that sit closer to the truck, presenting less drag than bumper pulls. The issue is not power, which the 2.7 has in spades, it's cooling. There is no heavy duty cooling package for the 2.7 designed for trailers like those.

Taking a short trip across a flat state, the 2.7 will get you there, but if you have any thoughts of taking big cross-country vacations, rolling through the smokies, rockies, or northeast, you will save yourself a lot of headache by getting the truck and options that will best handle that size trailer. Biggest radiator, biggest tranny cooler, larger roll bar for handling that maxed out truck, you are definitely in 3.5 max tow territory for the early 13th gen trucks. Lightly optioned XLT or XL trims, will get that 1700+ payload. There are even some 2WD Lariats that can get you that much payload.

Personally, I like about 400lb of breathing room for towing long miles. The truck can do it and I can handle it, but the more weight you place on the bumper the greater the chance of a snap oversteer, and I like leaving extra safety margin because people drive like asshats.

 

My payload sticker is 1640lbs, but I removed the "side steps" on the bed (not the running bars) and those weighed 65 lbs. So now I am at 1705...woo hoo!

 

If you factory order it you can even get a 4X4 Lariat Supercab with a 1903 lb payload <cheers>