SAE J2807 calls for a 10% tongue weight, hence the 500/5000 rating. Ford specs all their trucks at 500 pounds ball weight regardless of the receiver installed. That is the maximum before the truck will have handling issues. That doesn't mean though that the receiver is only rated at 5000 pounds towing, it will handle up to its maximum for towed weight without WDH as long as ball weight does not exceed 500 pounds. Once ball weight goes above 500 pounds, then a WDH is required to return weight forward for proper handling. It's a Class IV receiver. Would be dumb to require a WDH on a 7K boat if it only has 400 pounds of ball weight. Heck some of those trailers aren't even capable of handling a WDH on them.

 

What truck do you actually have? If it's a regular cab short bed, you may be best off shortening the spring arms to work with your trailer. IF it is a long bed, 4x4 crew, it wont even notice 700 pounds on the ball with a WCH as long as you have proper rear suspension. 700 pounds on the ball with a long WB F150 will take well under 300 off the front axle. That's the equivalent of removing 4wd and a sun roof from the option list. All this chatter about removing too much weight from the front end is a joke if you actually do that math and look at the actual differences in front end weight given different F150 configurations and options. 700 pounds with a WCH takes a lot less off the front than 1300 with a WDH at Fords recommended 25% FALR. So don't try to tell me this creates a handling problem on the F150s rated for 1300 WDH.

If your question is will the hitch handle 700 pounds tongue weight, the ford manual tells you to drop your 1300 pound tongue weight hitch onto the ball and take measurements without weight distribution. So the hitch is holding 1300 pounds tongue weight in a weight carrying configuration with a hitch shank that this much longer than the typical WCH shank. My WDH shank is a foot from pin to the center of the ball. My WCH shank is 7" to the center of the ball. I'd have to put over 2000 pounds weight carrying with my 7" receiver to put the same torque on the receiver as I have during set up with a WDH maxed to the rating. So don't tell me the receiver can't handle 700 pounds tongue weight in WCH configuration.

 

My truck is a '16 2wd crew cab short bed with the factory tow package. I currently have no hitch for the heavier trailer. I just have the standard WCH rated at 600/6000 which is more than enough for my 5x8SA enclosed trailer rated at 3000lbs GVW. The trailer I'm considering is a 7x12TA with a GVW of 7000lbs. About 99% of the time I might only have about 2000lbs of cargo in the trailer. The other 1% it will be about 4000lbs where a WDH would be needed. The trailer is about 2000lbs empty. If it wasn't a v nose a WDH would be a no brainer but I have yet to find one with springs short enough. I did find this and might give it a try.

 

Dude do what you want but don't drive near me. I could use a large settlement.

 

I tow safe and within the ratings. I have a better idea of how to set up a safe tow rig than most people on this site. I'm also not a "Karen" and realize that there are some discrepancies in the way Ford does their ratings. I'm not going to get on someone for towing with 700 pounds of tongue weight and a WCH. Now the OP's F150 is an "in the middle" F150. It's not the longest or shortest. Not the heaviest or lightest. A WDH would certainly be preferred if he can figure out how to install one on his trailer.

 

One of these two will work in my case.

 

...wrong fckn thread...