pjazz

Hi all,
I recently bought my first truck and have no idea what I can tow with it.
I know I should have done the research before I bought the truck but I bought it for all the wrong reasons.
Specs
2016 F150 4x4 Super Crew 157" XLT
3.5L Eco Boost 331 rear.
Truck has a hitch but it has no labels on it I can see.
I'd like to be able to tow a car trailer approx. 3600 lb + my 3200 lb Corvette.
Any help much appreciated.

smokeywren

Your limiter as to max trailer weight without being overloaded is probably the GVWR of your F-150. GVWR minus the weight if the truck when it left the assembly line = 1,770 pounds payload capacity. Ignore tow rating, GCWR and any other weight limiter of your F-150. If you don't exceed the GVWR of your F-150, you probably won't exceed any other weight rating. Add a bit more weight to your guesstimate of 6,800 pounds gross trailer weight, and use 7,000 pounds. Hitch weight of a properly-loaded 7k trailer will be about 1,010 pounds, including the required weight-distributing (WD) hitch. 1,770 payload minus 1,010 pounds = 660 pounds max weight of driver and passengers and any other weight in the truck.

Any hitch weight more than 500 pounds requires a WD hitch. So don't even dream about dragging that trailer without a good WD hitch. Good WD hitches with good sway control include:
Equal-I-Zer 4P
Blue Ox SwayPro
Reese Strait-Line
Husky Centerline HD 31390 (not the cheaper Centerline hitches)

So your truck can handle a 7k trailer without being overloaded only if you are very particular about the weight you add to the truck. Aftermarket add-ons, such as bed rug and tonneau cover or camper shell add up in a hurry. So does a well-stocked tool box. And don't even dream about adding an auxiliary gas tank. If your Vette is a race car, then how much does the spare parts such as wheels, tires and fuel weigh? And a race car indicates a need for an even heavier tool box.

The proof in the pudding will be the CAT scale ticket when on the road with a wet and loaded rig. "Wet" means full of gas. "Loaded" means with the trailer tied on and the spring bars adjusted. Add the weights on the front and rear axle of the F-150 to get gross vehicle weight (GVW), and compare to the GVW to the GVWR of the F-150. If GVW exceeds GVWR, you're overloaded.

pjazz

Thanks. Any recommendations on how I could improve my towing capacity say for under $1500.

Flamingtaco

Getting a weight distribution hitch and staying within your rating is about the only thing you can do. Anything you can add to your truck will at best improve rear end stability while reducing payload. To increase payload, you have to get the thicker frame, and everything else that goes with the HDPP package. Not going to get all that for $1500, and you will never be able to sell the truck as a HDPP model unless you have tens of thousands to get the truck rated.

If you want more payload legroom, you need to trade for a HDPP equipped 150, or a 250.

smokeywren

No. GVWR is your limiter, and as Flamingtaco indicated, officially changing the GVWR to provide more payload capacity will cost you an arm and a leg and your firstborn son. It would probably be less expensive to trade up to a truck that has adequate payload capacity for your needs.

pjazz

Thanks I think i should be able to stay under the limit. I'm not a hard core racer and don't take extra tires or a lot of equipment to the track. I will definitely look into an HD hitch. I haven't bought a trailer yet so I'll keep this all in mind when i do. Going to rent some open trailers first.

Ricktwuhk

That's a WDH, a weight distribution hitch, not an HD (heavy duty hitch).

pjazz

That's what I meant dyslexia kicked in.

chimmike

You have pretty good payload. If you have some cash to spare, swapping the 3.31s to 3.55s or 3.73s will help a ton with that 6sp auto trans.

pjazz

So swapping gears would not really help getting over my towing limit but would help with acceleration correct? Would that also decrease my gas mileage? I just found the hitch tag under some paint and since my wife works for ford was able to get the window sticker it looks like It has the trailer tow package.I also think I see a trans cooler in front of the lower radiator. With this info am I still limited to about 7k to tow?