What is the maximum weight I can tow?
02-18-2017, 05:36 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
What is the maximum weight I can tow?
Hey
What is the maximum tow weight and tongue weight for my truck? Attached are my door stickers.
2015 F-150 scab 4x4 2.7L
What is the maximum tow weight and tongue weight for my truck? Attached are my door stickers.
2015 F-150 scab 4x4 2.7L
02-18-2017, 06:04 PM
#2
All F150 max tongue is 500 lb without WDH.
Without 53A HD Tow Package - 5000/5100 lb (descrepency in various listings)
Assuming you have either the 53A HD Tow Package or 53B Class III/IV Hitch:
1110 lb Tongue with WDH (Hitch Limit).
With 53A HD Tow Package.
3.55 = 7600 lb (12700 GCWR)
3.73 = 8200 lb (13300 GCWR)
PS Would your truck by chance be a XLT 301A without FX4? The payload looks right.
Without 53A HD Tow Package - 5000/5100 lb (descrepency in various listings)
Assuming you have either the 53A HD Tow Package or 53B Class III/IV Hitch:
1110 lb Tongue with WDH (Hitch Limit).
With 53A HD Tow Package.
3.55 = 7600 lb (12700 GCWR)
3.73 = 8200 lb (13300 GCWR)
PS Would your truck by chance be a XLT 301A without FX4? The payload looks right.
Last edited by Gene K; 02-18-2017 at 06:07 PM.
02-18-2017, 09:28 PM
#3
Grumpy Old Man
Hey back at you. 
Let's change the question slightly to make it more realistic.
What is the maximum trailer weight you can tow WITHOUT EXCEEDING ANY OF FORD'S WEIGHT LIMITS for your tow vehicle.
The best answer is "it depends". It depends on what other weight you are hauling in the F-150 while towing, assuming you have a weight-distributing hitch.
Without a weight-distributing (WD) hitch, your max hitch weight is 500 pounds, which converts to a max trailer weight of about 3,850 pounds for a receiver hitch RV trailer (TT) with 13% tongue weight.
With a WD hitch the max hitch weight goes up to 1,110 pounds, which converts to a max TT weight of about 8,550 for TT with 13% hitch weight. But you will probably exceed the GVWR and payload capacity of your F-150 long before you reach the hitch limit with a WD hitch.
For almost all F-150s without the heavy duty payload package (HDPP), GVWR (and thus payload capacity) is probably the limiter as to how heavy a trailer you can tow. So that's why "it depends". With nothing but a skinny driver in the F-150 with no options other than the 2.7L EcoBoost engine, you can almost tow the "tow rating". But with normal options on the F-150, and hauling a family, pet(s), toolbox, campfire wood, jacks and jackstands, etc, you may not be able to tow a 5,000 pound TT without exceeding the GVWR and payload capacity of your F-150. (My F-150 is overloaded with my TT that grosses only 4,870 pounds when wet and loaded on the road.)
To get a good estimate, you need to load the F-150 with everybody and everything that will be in it when towing, including a full tank of gas. Weigh the wet and loaded F-150 on a CAT scale. Subtract the wet and loaded weight of the F-150 from the GVWR of the F-150, and the answer is the payload capacity available for hitch weight. Subtract about 100 pounds for the weight of a good weight-distributing hitch and the answer is then the max tongue weight of any TT you can tow without exceeding he payload capacity of your F-150.
Divide that max tongue weight by 0.13 and the answer is the max wet and loaded weight of any TT you can tow without being overloaded.
Example:
Your wet and loaded F-150 weighs 5,800 pounds. GVWR is 6500. So you can have max hitch weight of 700 pounds, which is max trailer weight of 5,385.
Let's change the question slightly to make it more realistic.
What is the maximum trailer weight you can tow WITHOUT EXCEEDING ANY OF FORD'S WEIGHT LIMITS for your tow vehicle.
The best answer is "it depends". It depends on what other weight you are hauling in the F-150 while towing, assuming you have a weight-distributing hitch.
Without a weight-distributing (WD) hitch, your max hitch weight is 500 pounds, which converts to a max trailer weight of about 3,850 pounds for a receiver hitch RV trailer (TT) with 13% tongue weight.
With a WD hitch the max hitch weight goes up to 1,110 pounds, which converts to a max TT weight of about 8,550 for TT with 13% hitch weight. But you will probably exceed the GVWR and payload capacity of your F-150 long before you reach the hitch limit with a WD hitch.
For almost all F-150s without the heavy duty payload package (HDPP), GVWR (and thus payload capacity) is probably the limiter as to how heavy a trailer you can tow. So that's why "it depends". With nothing but a skinny driver in the F-150 with no options other than the 2.7L EcoBoost engine, you can almost tow the "tow rating". But with normal options on the F-150, and hauling a family, pet(s), toolbox, campfire wood, jacks and jackstands, etc, you may not be able to tow a 5,000 pound TT without exceeding the GVWR and payload capacity of your F-150. (My F-150 is overloaded with my TT that grosses only 4,870 pounds when wet and loaded on the road.)
To get a good estimate, you need to load the F-150 with everybody and everything that will be in it when towing, including a full tank of gas. Weigh the wet and loaded F-150 on a CAT scale. Subtract the wet and loaded weight of the F-150 from the GVWR of the F-150, and the answer is the payload capacity available for hitch weight. Subtract about 100 pounds for the weight of a good weight-distributing hitch and the answer is then the max tongue weight of any TT you can tow without exceeding he payload capacity of your F-150.
Divide that max tongue weight by 0.13 and the answer is the max wet and loaded weight of any TT you can tow without being overloaded.
Example:
Your wet and loaded F-150 weighs 5,800 pounds. GVWR is 6500. So you can have max hitch weight of 700 pounds, which is max trailer weight of 5,385.
Last edited by smokeywren; 02-18-2017 at 09:35 PM.
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bedebe (02-19-2017)
02-18-2017, 11:34 PM
#4
Hey back at you.
Let's change the question slightly to make it more realistic.
What is the maximum trailer weight you can tow WITHOUT EXCEEDING ANY OF FORD'S WEIGHT LIMITS for your tow vehicle.
The best answer is "it depends". It depends on what other weight you are hauling in the F-150 while towing, assuming you have a weight-distributing hitch.
Without a weight-distributing (WD) hitch, your max hitch weight is 500 pounds, which converts to a max trailer weight of about 3,850 pounds for a receiver hitch RV trailer (TT) with 13% tongue weight.
With a WD hitch the max hitch weight goes up to 1,110 pounds, which converts to a max TT weight of about 8,550 for TT with 13% hitch weight. But you will probably exceed the GVWR and payload capacity of your F-150 long before you reach the hitch limit with a WD hitch.
For almost all F-150s without the heavy duty payload package (HDPP), GVWR (and thus payload capacity) is probably the limiter as to how heavy a trailer you can tow. So that's why "it depends". With nothing but a skinny driver in the F-150 with no options other than the 2.7L EcoBoost engine, you can almost tow the "tow rating". But with normal options on the F-150, and hauling a family, pet(s), toolbox, campfire wood, jacks and jackstands, etc, you may not be able to tow a 5,000 pound TT without exceeding the GVWR and payload capacity of your F-150. (My F-150 is overloaded with my TT that grosses only 4,870 pounds when wet and loaded on the road.)
To get a good estimate, you need to load the F-150 with everybody and everything that will be in it when towing, including a full tank of gas. Weigh the wet and loaded F-150 on a CAT scale. Subtract the wet and loaded weight of the F-150 from the GVWR of the F-150, and the answer is the payload capacity available for hitch weight. Subtract about 100 pounds for the weight of a good weight-distributing hitch and the answer is then the max tongue weight of any TT you can tow without exceeding he payload capacity of your F-150.
Divide that max tongue weight by 0.13 and the answer is the max wet and loaded weight of any TT you can tow without being overloaded.
Example:
Your wet and loaded F-150 weighs 5,800 pounds. GVWR is 6500. So you can have max hitch weight of 700 pounds, which is max trailer weight of 5,385.
Let's change the question slightly to make it more realistic.
What is the maximum trailer weight you can tow WITHOUT EXCEEDING ANY OF FORD'S WEIGHT LIMITS for your tow vehicle.
The best answer is "it depends". It depends on what other weight you are hauling in the F-150 while towing, assuming you have a weight-distributing hitch.
Without a weight-distributing (WD) hitch, your max hitch weight is 500 pounds, which converts to a max trailer weight of about 3,850 pounds for a receiver hitch RV trailer (TT) with 13% tongue weight.
With a WD hitch the max hitch weight goes up to 1,110 pounds, which converts to a max TT weight of about 8,550 for TT with 13% hitch weight. But you will probably exceed the GVWR and payload capacity of your F-150 long before you reach the hitch limit with a WD hitch.
For almost all F-150s without the heavy duty payload package (HDPP), GVWR (and thus payload capacity) is probably the limiter as to how heavy a trailer you can tow. So that's why "it depends". With nothing but a skinny driver in the F-150 with no options other than the 2.7L EcoBoost engine, you can almost tow the "tow rating". But with normal options on the F-150, and hauling a family, pet(s), toolbox, campfire wood, jacks and jackstands, etc, you may not be able to tow a 5,000 pound TT without exceeding the GVWR and payload capacity of your F-150. (My F-150 is overloaded with my TT that grosses only 4,870 pounds when wet and loaded on the road.)
To get a good estimate, you need to load the F-150 with everybody and everything that will be in it when towing, including a full tank of gas. Weigh the wet and loaded F-150 on a CAT scale. Subtract the wet and loaded weight of the F-150 from the GVWR of the F-150, and the answer is the payload capacity available for hitch weight. Subtract about 100 pounds for the weight of a good weight-distributing hitch and the answer is then the max tongue weight of any TT you can tow without exceeding he payload capacity of your F-150.
Divide that max tongue weight by 0.13 and the answer is the max wet and loaded weight of any TT you can tow without being overloaded.
Example:
Your wet and loaded F-150 weighs 5,800 pounds. GVWR is 6500. So you can have max hitch weight of 700 pounds, which is max trailer weight of 5,385.
Sprayin Bedliner (Used Ford weight) - 45 lb
Loaded Toolbox - 200 lb
Estimated Driver and Passenger (estimated 2 since its a Scab) - 400 lb
Estimated Unladen Weight - 5379 lb
6500 GVWR - 5379 lb = 1121 lb
13300 GCWR (3.73) - 5379 = 7921 lb
12700 GCWR (3.55) - 5379 = 7321 lb
1110 lb (Hitch Weight) - 80 lb (WDH Weight) = 1030 lb
1030 lb / 0.13 = 7923 lb
Looks like he may be GCWR limited not GVWR limited. Especially once you take trailer axle transfer from the WDH into consideration.
Keep a close eye on that R. Axle Weight with a 3300 lb GAWR.
My truck is very similar to his and with 630 lb in the truck I am GCWR limited not GVWR limited.
Last edited by Gene K; 02-19-2017 at 12:38 AM.