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Towing Capacity Help Needed!

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Old Apr 23, 2015 | 10:15 PM
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Default Towing Capacity Help Needed!

I need to know how many pounds a specific F150 will pull…I am looking at a new 2014 5.0 V8 FFV engine with 3.73 electronic lock rr axle...and a GVWR of 7100 lbs. It has a wheelbase of 157", and according to the dealer (I have only seen the sticker but not the truck since it is another city) it has a heavy duty tow package and therefore a 6.5 foot bed…I do see on the window sticker where it has "integrated trailer brake cont"…anyway, before buying this truck I want to know how much I can safely pull since we are looking at travel trailers and don't want to buy a truck that won't pull it…the travel trailer range we are looking at is around 7000 pounds fully loaded.
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Old Apr 23, 2015 | 10:27 PM
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Read.. . Answered multiple times a day.
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Old Apr 24, 2015 | 08:15 AM
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Rick is right.

But in short, you need to know what that specific truck's payload is.
It's on the yellow label on the door-jamb.
Knowing that, and the weight of gear and people you intend to carry in the truck, you can calculate what's left over for the trailer's loaded tongue weight. And from that, estimate what loaded weight trailer you can handle.

Half-tons are limited more by a travel trailer's tongue weight and the truck's payload more than they are by the truck's towing capacity.
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Old Apr 24, 2015 | 08:28 AM
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Where's KR Kodi with his boiler plate response...

Here's a preview: PAYLOAD
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Old Apr 24, 2015 | 10:26 AM
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157" wheelbase and only 7100 GVWR? Something's not adding up. Max tow package bumps the GVWR on the 9-14 trucks up to the neighbourhood of 7700, and HD payload pack bumps it further to 8200 and gives it 7 bolt wheels. Need more info if we're going to try and help here, bud.
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Old Apr 24, 2015 | 12:43 PM
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Originally Posted by xcntrk
Where's KR Kodi with his boiler plate response...

Here's a preview: PAYLOAD


Huh, what, who me? - I wasn't sleepin'!!


But, yeah - PAYLOAD!!


Wordty - first, welcome to the forum!!


Second, the truck you're considering DOES NOT have the Max Tow or Heavy Duty packages.


You say it is a 5.0L and has a 157" wb and 7100 GVWR. Take a look at the 2014 F150 brochure:


http://www.ford.com/services/assets/...stalCode=65613




Scroll down to page 27. I looked on there, and the only truck with 157" wb and 7100 GVWR is a SCrew 4x2.


If the truck you're looking at had the Heavy Duty package it would have an 8200 lb GVWR.


The "sales" brochure says the MAX payload for a truck like you're looking at is 1700 lbs. That would be for a truck with ZERO options. A normal truck with a normal load of comfort/convenience options will have a 1500 lb or less payload capacity.


There's another table on page 27 that shows the max loaded trailer weight. For a truck like you're looking at with a 3.37 rear end, it says 9300 lbs with a 14,900 GCWR. HOWEVER - you can fergidaboud towing a 9300 lb trailer. The weight they publish is for a truck with no options and nothing at all in the truck except for a skinny 150 lb driver.


So....you need to have the guys at the dealership tell you what the PAYLOAD CAPACITY is on the sticker on the driver's door of the truck you're considering. That payload capacity is based on a completely empty truck except for a full tank of gas. It tells you how much weight you can add to the empty truck before it reaches its 7100 lb GVWR.


If that truck has a payload capacity in the range of 1500 lbs, let's see if you could tow a wet&loaded trailer of 7000 lbs.


The tongue weight of the trailer must be between 10% and 15% of the loaded trailer weight - with a realistic minimum of 12%.


12% of 7000 is a tongue weight of 840 lbs.


Your WDH (Weight Distributing Hitch) head weighs, let's say, 60 lbs.


That's a total of 900 lbs pushing down on your hitch receiver, and it's part of your payload, so subtract it from the example 1500 lb and it leaves 600 lbs for people and other stuff in the cab and bed of your truck.


If it will just be a couple people and limited luggage in the cab, and some lightweight firewood and tire changing tools in the bed, and it all weigh less than 600 lbs then you may be right up at the max weight limits for the truck, but okay.


You'd also need to take the truck/trailer rig to your local CAT scales to make sure everything is within limits, and make sure you're not exceeding your rear axle GAWR.


Bottom line - if the payload capacity of the truck you're considering is 1500 lbs or more, and you can keep the load in the cab/bed down to less than 600 lbs, you may be okay. Personally I'd rather have a little bit of margin on the conservative side rather than being right up at the weight limit ratings. I'm sure you want to tow with a comfortable and safe rig as well.
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