Tongue weight

[fs_ar]

What is the max tongue weight for a 2001 F150 Screw? I have a 24 foot trailer with 370# and wanted to make sure I was not over too much.

[APT]

There is no such thing. Well, you want to stay under GVWR of your truck, which means less than about 1500 pounds including yourself, passengers, bed cargo, and tounge weight.

Most trailers tow best with 10-15% tounge weight.

[kingfish51]

Actually there is too much tongue weight. Your hitch/truck is rated at 500lbs tongue weight WITHOUT a weight distribution hitch. It is rated probably to at least 750 WITH a WD hitch. As far as payload, that is definitely not your rated tongue weight.
As far as your trailer, depending upon actual weight of the trailer, might be too low. You want at least 8% of trailer weight and no more than 15% of trailer weight. If you do not know the weight of the trailer, use it's GVW as a base.
Even at less than 500lbs tongue weight, a WD hitch could be useful, with keeping the truck more level and if it has it, sway control.

[MitchF150]

In general, a class 3 hitch has a #500 tongue and #5000 GTW (Gross Trailer Weight) rating.. I've seem some aftermarket class 3 hitches that have 750/7500 respectively..

My factory tow package hitch is the 500/5000 variety, but it also has a 1000/10,000 rating when it's used with a WD (Weight Distribution) setup (class 4).. I think even that aftermarket hitch was the same rating when using WD.. (in other words, it just gives you a bit more capacity on the class 3 side).

Now, all that being said, you should still be mindful of what your trucks GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) is and also your trucks rear GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating).. You could bolt on a class 5 hitch (1200/12,000 all by itself), but if that amount of tongue weight exceeds either of the above trucks GWR, then you are overloading your other ratings, so it does not matter what the hitch rating is...

For example, if you tossed in a yard of sand in the back of your truck and also wanted to tow a trailer, you would be SOL... Because the load in the bed all by itself is going to exceed your trucks GWR's before you even hitch up!

What APT is saying is that you also have to be mindful of the weights that are already on your truck, then figure if you still have enough capacity for the tongue weight of a trailer..

What kind of 24' trailer is going to have a #370 tongue weight?? Must be a car hauler, or a boat trailer?? My 22' Travel Trailer has a #600 tongue weight! I'm a "tad" over my trucks GVWR when I'm all loaded up for a long weekend camping trip, but it's not 'that' much over, and the truck does not 'look' overloaded, so I don't get bothered with it! Yeah, yeah, I know the Weight Police would be all over me, but I know my truck and you don't, so blah, blah, blah!

We need a bit more info to tell you what you should do, so give us your truck specs, the trailer you are hauling and if it's just a trip around the block or a 1000 mile adventure!

Mitch

[fs_ar]

Originally Posted by MitchF150

What kind of 24' trailer is going to have a #370 tongue weight?? Must be a car hauler, or a boat trailer??

We need a bit more info to tell you what you should do, so give us your truck specs, the trailer you are hauling and if it's just a trip around the block or a 1000 mile adventure!

It is a car hauler

Just take the car to the track. Both tracks I will be going to are within 75 miles

The tongue weight is empty. After loading I figure it will be around 500# or 600#. I am adding a WDH also. The trailer will be a bit heavy after loading, but not crazy heavy. With everyone loaded it will be about 1000 over. Truck, trailer, and car weighs about 7300#. Add people and equipment and it should be about 9500 to 9800.

The reason I ask about the tongue weight is all the equipment goes in the front of the trailer. I didn't want to cause problems.

Steve

[MitchF150]

You should be fine with a WD setp IMO.. Keeping the heavy stuff up front is the way to go too!

Good Luck,

Mitch