F150 towing capabilities

[Rlisby]

Hi, I have been pulling my hair out for a week trying to make sure I have the correct weight I can haul and the total hitch weight and hitch payload weight.
Could someone please verify these numbers or correction them.
Pickup
2016 F150
145” wheel base
5.0 V8
6 Speed with Tow mode
XLT
3.73 electronic RR axle
Trailer Tow Package

?????
GCWR 16200
Curb weight 4850
Max trailer weight 10800
Max payload 1787

[tuffr2]

Nice and simple, get a trailer with a GVWR of no more than 7,000lbs. A GVWR of 6,000 would be a more comfortable tow.

[Skip426]

Welcome to iRV2.

What can I tow is the most asked question here in the forums.
The numbers aren't easy to deal with , and there a several things to remember.
1. The max trailer weight is calculated with the BASE truck empty , and only a 150 lb. driver in the vehicle. So every pound of weight in the truck ; passengers, pets and other gear , has to be deducted from the payload and the max trailer weight.
2. Not all the payload capacity is available where you need it the most ; at the rear axle ; where most of the trailer tongue weight will be added.
3. Factory curb weight isn't always accurate; doesn't include dealer added options and other owner added items.
4 Most owners going through this process , find they are way over the trucks RAWR ( Rear Axle Weight Rating) before they get anywhere close to the , max trailer weight.
Load your truck , with your family and go out , fill it with fuel and have it weighed , front axle , rear axle and total. Then you can compare , those numbers to the trucks ratings to get more of the info you need.
5 When shopping for a trailer , always consider the GVWR of the trailer , NOT the empty ( curb ) weight, other than home from the dealer , the trailer will never be empty.

For more reading on the subject , click this link.
http://www.irv2.com/forums/f45/tow-v...ors-89375.html

[SmokeyWren]

Hi, Rilsby, and and to our campfire.

Originally Posted by Rlisby

GCWR 16200
Max trailer weight 10800

Those are the correct specs for your F-150, but they are extremely misleading. The GCWR tells you the max weight your drivetrain can PULL without overheating anything in the drivetrain, and without being the slowpoke holding up traffic o hills and passes. But GCWR ignores hitch weight and the weight you haul in the truck.

If you attempt to tow a travel trailer that grosses 10,800 with your F-150, you're probably going to be severely overloaded.

Max payload 1787

That's probably the practical limiter as far as determining the max trailer weight you can tow with your F-150 without being overloaded, but it's also misleading.

With the trailer tow pkg, by adding a weight-distributing (WD) hitch then the receiver is not the limiter as to how heavy a trailer you can tow. Without a WD hitch, the receiver is your limiter with max tongue weight of 500 pounds, which is a max trailer weight of around 3,850 pounds.

Payload capacity available for hitch weight is probably your limiter. You can guesstimate that number by subtracting all the weight that will be in the truck when towing. But most people are not good at accurately estimating that weight.

So the best strategy is to weigh the wet and loaded F-150 on a certified automated truck scale. "Wet" means full of gas, "Loaded" means including everybody and everything that will be in it when towing. Adults, kids, pets, tools and jacks, cooler, toys, campfire wood, grill and fuel for the grill, generator and gas for the generator, EVERYTHING that will be in the pickup when towing.

After you have it loaded, then drive to a truck stop that has a certified automated truck scale and fill up with gas. Yes, DW and the kiddos and Fido and Fluffy have to be in it when you weigh it. Then weigh the wet and loaded F-150.

Subtract the weight of the wet and loaded F-150 from the GVWR of the F-150. The answer is payload capacity available for hitch weight. Subtract 100 pounds from the payload capacity available for hitch weight and the answer is payload capacity available for tongue weight.

Divide the payload capacity available for tongue weight by 13% and the answer is the maximum GVWR of any travel trailer (TT) you want to tow with that F-150 when loaded with your family and stuff. It probably won't be anywhere close to your tow rating. Hope for 7,000 pounds but settle for 6,000 pounds. And my F-150 is slightly overloaded with my TT that weighs less than 5,000 pounds when on the road.

[Rlisby]

Without a scale and per ford sticker on the door the max cargo weight is 1787#.
With a base curb weight of 4850# (found on ford web site) that adds up to 6637#. If I subtract that from 7000 GVWR that leaves me with max hitch weight of 363#. Divide that by .13% and that just leaves me with a max trailer weight of 2,792#.
I’m not questioning you but I’m thinking my truck can pull more that that. I must be doing something wrong! Frustrating

[Freqz]

Originally Posted by Rlisby

Without a scale and per ford sticker on the door the max cargo weight is 1787#.
With a base curb weight of 4850# (found on ford web site) that adds up to 6637#. If I subtract that from 7000 GVWR that leaves me with max hitch weight of 363#. Divide that by .13% and that just leaves me with a max trailer weight of 2,792#.
I’m not questioning you but I’m thinking my truck can pull more that that. I must be doing something wrong! Frustrating

Forget the published curb weight: the 1737 sticker number is closer. (But trucks gain weight as they age in my experience)

From 1737, subtract your weight, your spouse's weight, the weight of anything else in the truck, 100 pounds for a hitch, and another couple of hundred pounds for margin. Divide that by .13 to get a nice conservative max GVWR. If you want to be less conservative with the number, spend $11 and get your truck weighed. [emoji4]

[Fl2GaScotts]

The GVWR being referred to above is for trailer, not your truck. Truly the easiest method and most accurate is as above load your truck, fill tank of gas, get weighed. Subtract that number from GVWR of TRUCK. Subtract anothert 100# for hitch.

Example.

Truck GVWR 7000
Loaded wet weight 5800
Result 1200 PAYLOAD
subtract 100 for hitch
Result 1100# left for tongue weight
Divide 1100 by. 13 for max GVWR of TRAILER
RESULT 8460 GVWR for trailer

[bneukam]

I agree with tuffr2.....for a comfortable tow stay close to 6k. But I wouldn’t go much over 7k.

[SmokeyWren]

Originally Posted by Rlisby

Without a scale and per ford sticker on the door the max cargo weight is 1787#. With a base curb weight of 4850# (found on ford web site) that adds up to 6637#.

Then that proves you're using faulty numbers. Weight of the unloaded truck plus cargo carrying capacity (CCC) = GVWR of the truck. If your weight of the unloaded truck plus the CCC does not total 7,000 pounds, then something is wrong with the numbers. Probably the "base" curb weight is understated by 363 pounds, because your F-150 is not a base model. It has XLT trim and other options.

If I subtract that from 7000 GVWR that leaves me with max hitch weight of 363#.

Faulty logic alert! The max cargo weight includes the hitch weight. So that 363 pounds you calculated is the sum of the errors in your numbers.

I’m not questioning you but I’m thinking my truck can pull more that that. I must be doing something wrong!

Yep. Your calculation of the payload capacity available for hitch weight is faulty. Stop trying to guess at the weights without weighing the F-150. "Without a scale" is no excuse. I gave you the path to success, but you ignored it and came up "Without a scale". :( If you don't know how to find a CAT scale near you, then click on this link. https://catscale.com/cat-scale-locator/

[Demiles]

With only 145inches of wheelbase and about 5300 of TV gvw, a trailer GVWR of 5000lbs is the most I would even consider regardless of what Ford rates it.

[66joej]

Is the payload sticker on the door post for the particular truck as equipped from the factory without dealer options?
Reason I ask is because recently saw the same model as mine without XTR option and his payload was 200# higher than mine.

[SmokeyWren]

Originally Posted by 66joej

Is the payload sticker on the door post for the particular truck as equipped from the factory without dealer options?

Yes.

Reason I ask is because recently saw the same model as mine without XTR option and his payload was 200# higher than mine.

There must have been a difference in factory options. Tailgate steps, bed steps, running boards, etc.

[chunker]

Every factory option added subtracts from the cargo capacity on the Tire Loading Information sticker in the door jamb. A Ford Limited weighs more than an XL, one with sun roof, skid plates, bed liner, etc. weighs more and guess what, has less CCC. I looked at F-350 SRW Lariat crew cabs that varied from 3100-3400 Cargo capacity. I ended up getting a Ram 3500 SRW crew cab, Laramie LB, 4WD with the cargo capacity of 4207. All those amenities cost you towing and cargo capacity.

[Threads]

This site will help.

RV Tow Check App | Salesperson Fact Checker Not only will you find out what you can tow in pounds but how much your truck can carry! That is also important and most people don't pay attention to that. They overload their truck!!

KV