photomankc

I've been trying to read up on towing in the F-150 (2015) and I will say I'm getting close to wanting to stomp puppies. This seems unnecessarily complicated.

So I purchased an on-lot 2015 SCREW near the middle of the 2016 year looking for a good deal and I found one I really liked. At the time I did not think there was an enormous difference between "trailer tow pkg" and "max tow pkg" but I had assumed based on the numbers I saw that "trailer tow pkg" got me away from the 5,000lb limit of the "standard tow". I recall coming up with 11,600lbs MAX glancing through the manual based on transmission and engine. Recently I was enlightened while working near the trailer hitch receiver and noting the 500/5000 1110/11000 numbers differentiating the weight carrying and weight distributing hitch capacities.

So, I apparently only got away from the 5,000lb trailer limit if I have a WD hitch setup for anything heavier that I might tow. I don't really have a constant need to tow but a couple of things have come up that make me want for more capacity minus the WD hitch. One is the potential to use a borrowed travel trailer on some hunting property. A friend's mother offered it up as a possibility since she parked it and never really uses it on the road. Yeah I know there are a myriad of things I need to check out first but the description leads me to think this is in the 20-30 foot length range and thus not a lightweight. The other is the need for some simple skid steer work on the hunting place to fixup creek fords, push some branch piles around, scrape off a little level spot for camping, and *maybe* start some work on a rifle berm for scoped shooting. The rental place I talked to has some small ones they are willing to let a 1/2 ton take if they have brake controller and such but they are still 8500 to 9000lbs trailer weight.

Obviously one will greatly exceed 500lbs tongue weight, and the travel trailer probably will too. I had already started on upgrading by buying the OEM brake controller with plans to install it next week myself. I know I will need a dealer to activate that option in the computer. However, now I'm not sure I have any options to upgrade the hitch capacity.

So question is, I have seen some aftermarket CURT receivers that spec 1,000/10,000lb weight carrying capacity for the hitch. Assuming that I were to remain within the limits of GVWR and the ~1700lb payload capacity, would installing that 3rd party hitch make it possible to carry 6000 to 9000lb load without the WD hitch or would I run into other problems that would still leave me limited to 5000lbs? I'm just not sure I want to be attempting to setup a WD hitch at a rental place given they seem to be spec out according to the trailer being towed and not really simple to just use on the next trailer if it's weight is substantially different.


Truck is
2015
Crew CAB
6.5' Bed
3.5L EB
3.55 Rear Diff
FX4
Trans Cooler
Oil Cooler
Class IV hitch

Adding IBC next week.

I do not have HD payload.

tcp2

It has less to do with the actual capacity of the hitch. torsion bars cause a lot more strain than just weight on the ball. It has more to do with the cantilever action that a tongue weight over 500lbs puts on the truck along with the weight on the rear axle. trailer tongue weight should be 10-15% of the trailer weight to keep things stable. That can lighten the front axle and cause squirrely steering and an overloaded rear suspension/axle.

dlbb

from what i understand, we are supposed to use a wd hitch if over 5k period. we are looking at getting a livin lite. and there are mixed suggestions on a wd on them. some have said they twisted the frame with wd. i am looking for the same answers as you. even though i already have max tow and hdpp.

Ricktwuhk

What is your Payload? Payload sticker on the door jamb. It's not ~1,700, it's an exact number.

smokeywren

https://www.etrailer.com/hitch-2016_...-10000_lbs_GTW


That receiver will do the job for you. The "other problems" you'll have is too much weight on the rear axle and not enough on the front axle of the F-150. That means squirrely steering. I wouldn't do it.



Your fears are without reason. If your WD hitch bolts onto the tongue of the trailer with no drilling required, then "setting up" the hitch is easy and shouldn't require more than a few minutes time. You do need the correct weight rating of the spring bars of the WD hitch, but if you get 1,000 pound spring bars, that should be good for tongue weight of anywhere from 600 to 1,000 pounds.


On level ground:


1] Tow vehicle without a trailer: Measure from the front fender well to the ground.


2] Hitch up the trailer and tighten the spring bars to where you think they should go.


3] Measure from the front fender well to the ground. Goal is the same distance with the trailer and WD hitch as without, or the front end not more than one-half inch higher with the spring bars tight as without a trailer.


4] If you aren't at the goal of front fender well height, then tighten or loosen the spring bars a notch or two and measure again.


5] Now you're safe enough to drag the trailer home. After you have the rig at home, fine-tune the setup per the hitch instructions, or page 34 of the Ford instructions in the 2017 RV and Trailer Towing Guide.

photomankc

Mucho Thanks! In looking for WD hitches I was hearing that you would need to budget a hour or more to adjust it 'properly'. That procedure seems much easier and would allow me to hookup in a reasonable time considering that I'm on the clock once it's rented. The travel trailer I'll just get more detail on when I see it finally but there I would have no serious time pressure to setup whatever.


That is the CURT hitch I saw as well. So would you say that would let you bend the rule maybe 100 or 150lbs for a short haul? I really didn't expect to be able to haul 10,000 just bolting on a different receiver but I just am not completely clear if the 500lb OEM hitch limit has to do with the mounting, just the limits of all the truck components, or just it's too light at the front end beyond that. I guess I'm curious if you risk the hitch failing mechanically past the 500lb mark? From what I hear you saying it's the transfer of weight to the rear making the steering less positive that is the main issue which the receiver would not fix. TCP2 adds that it may be overloading the rear axle because it's leveraged out behind the rear wheels. So a little of both.



ETA: This looks like a clamp-on design that would fit the bill?
https://www.etrailer.com/Weight-Dist...PqgaAhgt8P8HAQ

photomankc

1742lbs

smokeywren

Why bend the rules? Ignore GTW rating and concentrate on TW rating of the receiver. That receiver has a max TW rating of 1,000 pounds without a WD hitch. If you need a bit more TW capacity, then add the WD hitch and then you have up to 1,200 pounds TW capacity. If your trailer has a wet and loaded TW more than 1,200 pounds, then your poor little F-150 is probably going to be overloaded.

The purpose of a WD hitch is to distribute TW off the rear axle and onto the trailer axles and the front axle of the tow vehicle. Ideal max weight distribution is 20% to 25% to the trailer axles, 20% to 25% to the front axle, and 50% tp 60% remaining on the rear axle. So with a TW of 1,000 pounds, about half of that gets distributed off the rear end of the tow vehicle.

The WD hitch would fix a lot of that.

Again, that's why you need a WD hitch for TW more than 500 pounds. As far as I can find, Ford does not approve of any TW more than about 650 pounds for an F-150 without a WD hitch, regardless of the receiver.

Yep, and that's a good sway-control hitch. The Equal-I-Zer is a bit more problem to change the tightness of the spring bars than my Reese Strait-Line, but with the right tools you can do it in a few minutes.

photomankc

Thanks! I think that clears it up. I appreciate it!

dlbb

wow smokeywren, you sure make it easier for us newer ppl to towing rvs easier to understand.

not to hijack, but what is your thoughts on the reese?
https://jet.com/product/detail/02732...a:2&code=PLA15 with this livin lite? https://www.livinlite.com/products/q...8.5x26FBR.html

my payload is 2287 with 11k rated with wd. for us the rv is perfect, and fits well within my comfort level of towing. would not be hauling anything but bicycles in it for beach trips.


also thank you photomankc for asking for an answer i have been reading and attempting to understand for a few weeks.