Towing numbers
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Mar 2020
Posts: 66
Likes: 23
From: Paola, Kansas
Grumpy Old Man
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 3,129
Likes: 887
From: Midland County Texas, just west of the star in my avatar
Ford requires a weight-distributing hitch for any trailer weight more than 5,000 pounds or any TW more than 500 pounds
5315 is more than 5,000, and 691 is more than 500, so you need a weight-distributing hitch to safely tow that trailer.
As to setting up and adjusting the hitch, Ford has changed their recommendation over the years. For my 2012 F-150, Ford said reduce the rise in the front end caused by hitch weight to between zero and one-half inch. IOW, measure the distance from a spot on the front wheel well to the ground with the wet and loaded truck without the trailer Then hook up the trailer and notice the front end will rise and the rear end will sag. Then adjust the spring bars of the WD hitch to return the rise in the front end back to almost where it was without the trailer. Ignore the sag in the rear end. If you get the front end right, the rear end will take care of itself. If you don't like the stance of the truck with the hitch properly adjusted to nearly eliminate the rise in the front end, you can adjust the sag with with air bags or different rear springs, but not with the WD hitch.
Fiord has different recommendations for my 2019, but I still go by the way I set up my 2012. About 36,000 mostly-towing miles on my 2019 now, and It tows great with about a half-inch of rise in the front end.
Last edited by smokeywren; Sep 5, 2020 at 11:14 PM.
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Mar 2020
Posts: 66
Likes: 23
From: Paola, Kansas
Got from Kansas to Ohio with no issues that I could tell anyway. Seems I felt the trailer moving a bit more as we went along. Could be psychosomatic. According to my curt weigh sense tongue weight was 500-600 lbs and the front end went from 35 1\4 to 35 3\4 inches hitched up. Overall a good trip so far.
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 2,880
Likes: 707
Your trailer AXLE weight was 4620. But add tongue weight (TW) of about 695 pounds and your trailer weight was about 5315. 13% of 5315= 691 TW for a properly-loaded trailer.
Ford requires a weight-distributing hitch for any trailer weight more than 5,000 pounds or any TW more than 500 pounds
5315 is more than 5,000, and 691 is more than 500, so you need a weight-distributing hitch to safely tow that trailer.
As to setting up and adjusting the hitch, Ford has changed their recommendation over the years. For my 2012 F-150, Ford said reduce the rise in the front end caused by hitch weight to between zero and one-half inch. IOW, measure the distance from a spot on the front wheel well to the ground with the wet and loaded truck without the trailer Then hook up the trailer and notice the front end will rise and the rear end will sag. Then adjust the spring bars of the WD hitch to return the rise in the front end back to almost where it was without the trailer. Ignore the sag in the rear end. If you get the front end right, the rear end will take care of itself. If you don't like the stance of the truck with the hitch properly adjusted to nearly eliminate the rise in the front end, you can adjust the sag with with air bags or different rear springs, but not with the WD hitch.
Fiord has different recommendations for my 2019, but I still go by the way I set up my 2012. About 36,000 mostly-towing miles on my 2019 now, and It tows great with about a half-inch of rise in the front end.
Ford requires a weight-distributing hitch for any trailer weight more than 5,000 pounds or any TW more than 500 pounds
5315 is more than 5,000, and 691 is more than 500, so you need a weight-distributing hitch to safely tow that trailer.
As to setting up and adjusting the hitch, Ford has changed their recommendation over the years. For my 2012 F-150, Ford said reduce the rise in the front end caused by hitch weight to between zero and one-half inch. IOW, measure the distance from a spot on the front wheel well to the ground with the wet and loaded truck without the trailer Then hook up the trailer and notice the front end will rise and the rear end will sag. Then adjust the spring bars of the WD hitch to return the rise in the front end back to almost where it was without the trailer. Ignore the sag in the rear end. If you get the front end right, the rear end will take care of itself. If you don't like the stance of the truck with the hitch properly adjusted to nearly eliminate the rise in the front end, you can adjust the sag with with air bags or different rear springs, but not with the WD hitch.
Fiord has different recommendations for my 2019, but I still go by the way I set up my 2012. About 36,000 mostly-towing miles on my 2019 now, and It tows great with about a half-inch of rise in the front end.