Towing capacity
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Joined: Aug 2017
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Towing capacity
I have a 2016 F150 super crew with the 2.7 liter eco boost motor. The towing capacity of my truck is 8100 lbs. I am planning on purchasing a travel trailer soon and have been doing some research. The one we like weighs 5145 lbs. I'm not exactly sure how much weight we will be adding with tools kitchenware food etc. but I am giving myself 1000 lbs. That brings me to 6145 lbs which is 75% of the 8100 lbs towing capacity. Is that a reasonable weight to be pulling? Mostly we will be planning small 4-5 day trips not far from home but we are saving for a month long cross country trip next year and want to make sure I'm not making a mistake. Thank you all in advance for your advice.
Official HTT Greeter
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 2,055
Likes: 328
From: Montana
First off,
What do your door stickers say?
GVWR?
GAWR?
Cargo Carrying Capacity? (from the yellow sticker)
2nd, tell us a little more about your truck and what/if you've made any mods that weren't there at the factory.
What do your door stickers say?
GVWR?
GAWR?
Cargo Carrying Capacity? (from the yellow sticker)
2nd, tell us a little more about your truck and what/if you've made any mods that weren't there at the factory.
Grumpy Old Man
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 3,129
Likes: 887
From: Midland County Texas, just west of the star in my avatar
Hi, Dgrumbley, and WELCOME! to our campfire.
Misleading, worse than useless info. You will run out of payload capacity way before you get anywhere near the tow rating.
No. Your drivetrain can pull that much weight, but your payload capacity available for hitch weight will be exceeded with that much trailer. My F-150 exceeds the payload capacity when towing my wet and loaded TT that grosses only 4,870 pounds.
Distance doesn't matter. An accident 5 miles from home is just as bad as an accident 2,000 miles from home.
Since you have the truck, here's the drill to determine the actual max weight of any travel trailer (TT) you can tow without being overloaded.
1] Load the truck with all the people, pets and other weight that will be in he truck when towing. Don't kid yourself - include EVERYTHING that will be in the truck when towing. Tools, jacks, jack stands, campfire wood, toys, generator?, everything.
2] Drive to a truck stop that has a certified automated truck scale, fill up with gas, and weigh the wet and loaded truck. Be sure all the people and pets are in the truck when you weigh it.
3] Subtract the weight of the wet and loaded truck from the GVWR of the truck. The answer is the payload capacity available for hitch weight.
4] Next, compare the TW capacity of your receiver hitch with a weight-distributing hitch to the payload capacity available for hitch weight. Then use whichever weight is less in the next step.
5] Subtract 100 pounds from the payload capacity available for hitch weight. The answer is the payload capacity available for trailer tongue weight (TW).
6] Subtract the actual weight on the rear axle of the truck from the rGAWR of the truck. The answer is the rear axle weight capacity available for hitch weight.
7] Divide the payload capacity available for TW or the rear axle weight capacity available for hitch weight - whichever is less - by 0.13 and the answer is the approximate max weight of any tandem-axle TT you can tow without exceeding the payload capacity of your truck. That's "approximate" because TW of a properly loaded TT usually ranges from 12% to 14% of gross trailer weight, with 13% being average.
Math purist would argue that computing the rear axle weight capacity available for hitch weight per the above is not accurate, because actual hitch weight doesn't effect GVWR and rGAWR by exactly the same amount. But it's "close enough for Government work" to estimate the max trailer weight you can tow without being overloaded.
Misleading, worse than useless info. You will run out of payload capacity way before you get anywhere near the tow rating.
I am planning on purchasing a travel trailer soon and have been doing some research. The one we like weighs 5145 lbs. I'm not exactly sure how much weight we will be adding with tools kitchenware food etc. but I am giving myself 1000 lbs. That brings me to 6145 lbs which is 75% of the 8100 lbs towing capacity. Is that a reasonable weight to be pulling?
Mostly we will be planning small 4-5 day trips not far from home but we are saving for a month long cross country trip next year and want to make sure I'm not making a mistake.
Since you have the truck, here's the drill to determine the actual max weight of any travel trailer (TT) you can tow without being overloaded.
1] Load the truck with all the people, pets and other weight that will be in he truck when towing. Don't kid yourself - include EVERYTHING that will be in the truck when towing. Tools, jacks, jack stands, campfire wood, toys, generator?, everything.
2] Drive to a truck stop that has a certified automated truck scale, fill up with gas, and weigh the wet and loaded truck. Be sure all the people and pets are in the truck when you weigh it.
3] Subtract the weight of the wet and loaded truck from the GVWR of the truck. The answer is the payload capacity available for hitch weight.
4] Next, compare the TW capacity of your receiver hitch with a weight-distributing hitch to the payload capacity available for hitch weight. Then use whichever weight is less in the next step.
5] Subtract 100 pounds from the payload capacity available for hitch weight. The answer is the payload capacity available for trailer tongue weight (TW).
6] Subtract the actual weight on the rear axle of the truck from the rGAWR of the truck. The answer is the rear axle weight capacity available for hitch weight.
7] Divide the payload capacity available for TW or the rear axle weight capacity available for hitch weight - whichever is less - by 0.13 and the answer is the approximate max weight of any tandem-axle TT you can tow without exceeding the payload capacity of your truck. That's "approximate" because TW of a properly loaded TT usually ranges from 12% to 14% of gross trailer weight, with 13% being average.
Math purist would argue that computing the rear axle weight capacity available for hitch weight per the above is not accurate, because actual hitch weight doesn't effect GVWR and rGAWR by exactly the same amount. But it's "close enough for Government work" to estimate the max trailer weight you can tow without being overloaded.
