I originally posted this in the 2009-10 F150 forum but was (rightfully) told i may have better success here.

First some background:

My truck is a 2010 FX4 screw with 5.5 foot bed (145" wheelbase) and factory trailer brake controller but without the max towing package. From the Ford towing site I see the following specifications for this truck:

Maximum tow rating is 9,600 pounds.
Maximum payload is 1,510 pounds.
GCWR = 15,500 pounds

So, last weekend we were at a large RV show in Green Bay looking at various 25-30 foot long travel trailers to use for short-ish trips (< 300 miles). The trailers we're looking at have a tongue weight between 700-800 pounds, total dry weight between 5,500-6,000 pounds and a GVWR between 8,500-9,500 pounds. We intend on pulling with the fresh, grey and black water tanks empty but most likely the two propane tanks full. The weight for the four of us and our dog is about 500 pounds (I'm about 220 lbs but I'd better not break it down any further between my wife and two girls ).

My kids loved a 35 foot 5th wheel we saw that had a loft above the kid's bedroom. Of course it weighed about 12,000 pounds and cost more than $60,000. Uh, no thanks.

We had one dealer there trying to sell us on a trailer that had a dry weight of 8,000 pounds by itself and he said as long as we put no more than 1,600 pounds in it we'd be fine. Hmmmm, really? Seems way too heavy to me.

Another dealer was pushing us towards a 27 foot or so 5th wheel that weighed about 6,500 pounds and had a dry hitch weight of almost 1,400 pounds. This dealer also said although the short bed was definitely not ideal if would be ok because of the special shape of the front of the trailer and also as long as I used something like the Pullrite SuperGlide hitch. I'm really not comfortable with the idea of trying to tow even a relatively small 5th wheel with this truck so I think that can be taken off the table. Anyone here tow a small 5th wheel with a short bed truck?

I don't want a white-knuckle experience every time we go away for a weekend trip but I do want to utilize the truck's capacity as the main reason we bought it was for eventually towing a travel trailer. Part of me regrets not getting the max towing package when I ordered the truck but what can you do?

Do you think towing a trailer with a dry weight of about 6,500 pounds, tongue weight of 750 pounds and a GVWR of 9,000 pounds is too much for this truck to handle?

Are there any aftermarket parts you've used that would help with the towing? Any specific weight distribution products you'd recommend?

Thanks in advance.

 

Hopefully this will help you do the math. The maximum tow rating is under unrealistic conditions. There are other load ratings you have to be concerned with, and the odds are great that you will exceed one or more long before you hit the max tow rating.

The 3 ratings below can be found on your door sticker:

GVWR - gross vehicle weight rating
GAWR (Front) and (Rear) - gross axle weight rating

GVWR is the total weight of the truck, loaded as you will be driving it. This includes the tongue weight of the trailer. GAWR is similar.

Load up the truck with everything you will be taking with you, including people and a full tank of gas. Go run it over a truck scale and get the weight slip. Subtract the total weight from GVWR and that will tell you your maximum rated tongue load. NOTE that the tongue weight will NOT be the same with the truck loaded as it is unloaded, and you do not want a tongue load less than 8% of the trailer weight, with 12% being ideal. This will be very dependent on exactly how you load the trailer. Also, subtract the total weight from your GCWR (15500) which will tell you the heaviest trailer you are rated to pull. This will give you a good starting point, and is about all you can do unless the dealer will let you test tow a trailer.

Now, if they will let you test tow, follow what I posted in this thread:

https://www.f150online.com/forums/4062709-post16.html

Just how much you want to exceed any ratings is your decision.

 

glc,

Thanks for the help. Whatever I do I want it to be safe for my family and everyone else on the road around me.

There are a few scales on my way to work but I don't know if they allow non-truckers like me to weigh their private vehicle or not. All I can do is ask them and the worst they can say is no. The three girls here do not travel lightly so they may need to travel separately in my wife's V8 Mountaineer!

The more I hear the more it sounds like my 2010 FX4 screw is just not enough truck to safely and reliably tow a 7,500 pound (fully loaded, not dry weight) trailer. That is definitely not the information I was getting from Ford when I configured and ordered the truck. Maybe I should have waited and got a F250 or a Silverado 2500HD!

 

I tow a 7500 lb. loaded 27' TT having 875 lbs tongue weight with an '08 KR 4x4 3.73LS 150" WB. With me, my wife, my young daughter, and 2 small dogs in the truck, I am exactly 1 lb. over GVWR. I am well within GCWR as well.

I load everything in the TT and nothing in the bed of the truck. The only thing I have added for stability and extra safety is air bags. I tow through the Sierra mountains all the time and have made several 1000+ mile trips with no issues whatsoever.

While my truck is at it's maximum capacity, I am very satisfied with the control and stability of the combination. Having the right hitch setup, brake controller, and proper tires (my F150 came with LTs) makes for a very stable towing experience, as well as good control during panic stops and unanticipated maneuvers.

I am only wishing for more power when going over many of the 7-8000+ ft. passes I frequent. But most any naturally-aspirated gassers, no matter how tuned they are, will struggle at high altitude. It's the nature of the beast.

I can only give you my experience with my combination. I trust it and have no problems taking my family camping with this setup. They are my world and I, like you, go for safety first. I did the research, the math, and the testing, and arrived at what I think will work a long time for me and my family.

Good luck with your decision!

 

You should be close enough to the ratings with a 7500# fully loaded trailer to be fine. You are gonna want more engine but it should be stable and safe. 7500# is right about at the point where I'd prefer a F-250 with a V-10.

You can drive anything you want across the scales at most truck stops. The best scales are CAT. A run across one should cost you about 10 bucks.

 

We were out looking at several Palamino Puma travel trailers.

The sales guy was directing us towards the 30-KFBDS. It was really nice and would have been a good fit for us but it weighs 7,900 lbs dry, has a dry hitch weight of 1,350 lbs and a GVWR of 11,500 lbs. That sounds like a sizable task for a stout F250, not a F150.

We were hoping to get something like a 30-DBSS (dry weight 6,670 lbs, hitch weight 800 lbs, GVWR 9,600 lbs) but have been told by non-trailer sales experts the truck can't safely handle it. The quad bunks were the biggest thing we like about a trailer this size so our girls can bring a friend or two and we can still be comfortable.

So now we're looking at something more the size of the 26-FBSS (dry weight 6,165 lbs, hitch weight 705 lbs, GVWR 9,505 lbs). Is this a reasonably sized trailer to pull?

 

first dont listen to the quacks selling you the trailer. they will do whatever to sell it to you.

second, stick with rear pull (not 5th). you'ld be maxing the payload with it empty.

third, 6500 lb, 750 tongue, 9000 max is the up most max i would pull. you should be fine with it. a weight distributing hitch is a must. just be aware of where cargo goes, might be a good idea to put it in the back of the trailer to manage tongue weight. it can tow alittle more but the longer the trip the more safety concerns me. mostly overworking the powertrain and braking. 300 miles is a trip. short-50 could be more like the 8000 but thats pushing it.

fourth, dont go chevy. no, no ,no. wait, no, no, no!

p.s. Go Packers

 

and the last is the best trailer for our trucks with no worries.

 

That right there makes it unsuitable for any 1/2 ton truck.

 

make sure you get you a load equailizing hitch, if you get a travel trailer...

As far as the trailer weight goes, you can pull it, but if you plan on pulling it through the mountains it will be a struggle on the truck. My travel trailer weight is almost identical to what you are looking at and i have pulled it with my F150 several times, but it cost me a small fortune in gas. On small trips i don't mind pulling it with my F150 but on long trips i always use my f250 diesel. I would recommend keep the gvwr on the travel trailer at around 8000 or close to that and it will pull just fine.

 

I think it's all been said stay with a small trailer.
If you want a big trailer (or 5th wheel) buy a big truck

 

I dont want to hijack your thread, but does anyone have any experience towing a Jayco jayflight 27bh? Im looking at one and the specs say 4950lbs dry, 635lbs tounge weight, 7500lbs gvwr, the actuall exterior length is 29feet. Im just not sure how my 2009 F-150 FX4 super crew would handle it.

 

havent towed it but from what you say, you'll be just fine. your at an adequate weight for a 1/2 ton to even tow long trips without worries.

 

One thing that often is left unsaid in these threads is "How far are you going to tow it?" The farther you are planning to tow, the lower percentage of your vehicles overall capacity you should utilize. Why? Towing satisfaction. We take lots of 3,000 mile trips pulling of 5,000 pound travel trailer. The truck handles it fine but I wouldn't want to tow any more than that at that kind of distance. If you are towing a couple of hours to the nearest state park, you can tow more; especially if you are patient and careful.

 

This is very simple. Read the driver's door or B-pillar sticker for payload ("The combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed: "). Take off the weight of your family and anything you plan to put in the cab and bed. Then find a trailer that will give you less than that tongue weight when loaded. For most 1/2 ton trucks and a family of 4-5, you want less than 800 pounds. That leaves a trailer weight of under 5400 pounds loaded at 15%, 6700 pounds for 12% tongue weight where bumper trailers pull the best.

RV trailers under 7000 pounds GVWR and 5500 pounds unloaded are appropriate for family with a half ton pickup.