Help! I have a 2002 4x2 Supercab F150 truck (4.2 L; 3.55 rear axle ratio). We are wanting to have a hitch installed in the bed of my truck to be able to pull a goose neck camper trailer. However, I need clarification on my towing capacity. My owner's manual (yes, I actually read it) says the Maximum trailer weight is 5500 pounds). The camper we are looking at is 6400 pounds GVWR.
This puts us at 900 pounds over. However, since we are pulling it as a goose neck it should distribute the weight differently than a bumper pull. Any suggestions? Does anybody know if that would make a difference? I won't be pulling it more than 500 miles round trip (no mountains). Any advice/assistance is greatly appreciated!

 

A gooseneck makes it worse. The pin weight on those things is higher than the tongue weight on a bumper pull trailer. You will be WAY over the max GVWR of the truck and it will also bring that 4.2 to its knees.

Wrong truck for towing anything except a lightweight bumper pull - no more than 5000# fully loaded, and that assumes automatic trans. If you have a 5 speed, it's half that. Any significant cargo in the truck will lower that figure.

I see a 3/4 ton truck in your near future if you really do want to tow that trailer.

 

You will be over the rating by 600lbs if you have a regular cab or 900lbs if a supercab.

Scroll to the bottom for fith wheel ratings (will be same for gooseneck).
http://www.fordf150.net/specs/02f150.php

Note that this is for an automatic transmission. My 99 owners manual says that the 4.2 / 5 speed isn't rated to tow 5th wheel / gooseneck.

 

And that's figuring your camper GVWR empty. By the time you add all of your camping junk or fill the water tank you are way over gross.

 

I've seen it done, and it's not pretty

 

You will be over truck GVWR long before you hit the max tow rating, especially with a gooseneck.

 

DO NOT GO BY WHAT YOUR BOOK SAYS.
It's Gross Combined Weight only.
With the other technicalities involved.
Such as bed weight , tire load capacity, rear springs etc.
It's just not the setup you should do.
Consider an F250 with the 5.4L motor.
You will be living on the edge of safety, reliability, transmission life etc, beside having a hard time pulling that trailer.
Good luck.

 

I have a 3/4 ton for sale haha. You will kill that poor truck if that is what your trying to pull. Plus I could maybe see a fine coming your way if you get caught with that much weight. Maybe you should look for a 7700 or a F250. I got the 7700 for sale! Just throwing that out there

 

More than likely, your truck doesn't even have LT tires which means the load rating on the tires alone will be exceeded. Please, PLEASE don't do it.

 

I sold my 5th wheel(16k lbs ) and right after it my Chevy 3500 crew cab dually with a 502 and even this was not enough truck. DO NOT try to pull a gooseneck with a 1/2 ton with any engine , much less a 4.2. Nothing wrong with a 4.2, that what I drive now, just not for the application you propose.( For those aghast that I had a Chevy my new to me motorcoach is on a F450 Super Duty commercial chassis with the V10)

 

I like the V10.

Ford should have made it available in the 150. It fits just fine.

 

Without even looking at numbers, there's not a chance in HELL I would even attempt to pull a trailer that heavy (any gooseneck) with a little old 4.2. I wouldn't want to do it with MAX tow Ecoboost, but at least that truck can handle it.

Since when?! What are you looking at getting and why are you selling? You just can't stay in one vehicle for too long, can you?

 

LOL no I cant. I figure since I might be saving some money here now that I can get a newer F150. Either that or Im getting me a new motorcycle. Either or, decisions decisions HAHA.

 

Haha you don't even move "forward" either, you jump around! 7.3 to 04-08 to 97-03, and who the hell knows what all you've had before that or will have after

I can't even afford to keep up with mods on my one toy, can't imagine if I had a bike that was too stock for its own good