Towing Capacity
#1
10-08-2017, 07:57 PM
Towing Capacity
I have a 2004 F150, 5.4l Triton V8, RWD, 4dr, 17" tires. I am considering installing a fifth wheel and purchasing a camper. My wife is taking a position as a travelling nurse and I'm retiring and hitting the road with her. Does a fifth wheel actually increase the weight I can tow?
#2
10-09-2017, 11:12 AM
You don't even want to tow a 5th wheel with a 14 year old 1/2 ton truck, especially if it has the 5.5' bed. If you want a 5th wheel, trade the truck in on one that's built for doing that - a F250 or F350 with a 8' bed. You don't necessarily need a diesel but you need more than a 5.4.
Just the pin weight on a properly set up 5th wheel will put your truck over its max payload capacity. It's not how much weight it can PULL, it's how much weight the truck can handle in the cab and bed.
Officially, the 2004 SuperCrew is not rated for 5th wheel towing with either bed. Your conventional tow limit is in the 8000# range, but again, there's payload considerations - the tongue weight counts against max payload rating.
Just the pin weight on a properly set up 5th wheel will put your truck over its max payload capacity. It's not how much weight it can PULL, it's how much weight the truck can handle in the cab and bed.
Officially, the 2004 SuperCrew is not rated for 5th wheel towing with either bed. Your conventional tow limit is in the 8000# range, but again, there's payload considerations - the tongue weight counts against max payload rating.
#3
10-09-2017, 12:34 PM
You don't even want to tow a 5th wheel with a 14 year old 1/2 ton truck, especially if it has the 5.5' bed. If you want a 5th wheel, trade the truck in on one that's built for doing that - a F250 or F350 with a 8' bed. You don't necessarily need a diesel but you need more than a 5.4.
Just the pin weight on a properly set up 5th wheel will put your truck over its max payload capacity. It's not how much weight it can PULL, it's how much weight the truck can handle in the cab and bed.
Officially, the 2004 SuperCrew is not rated for 5th wheel towing with either bed. Your conventional tow limit is in the 8000# range, but again, there's payload considerations - the tongue weight counts against max payload rating.
Officially, the 2004 SuperCrew is not rated for 5th wheel towing with either bed. Your conventional tow limit is in the 8000# range, but again, there's payload considerations - the tongue weight counts against max payload rating.
#4
10-10-2017, 12:56 AM
[QUOTE=kmay;5224533 Does a fifth wheel actually increase the weight I can tow?[/QUOTE]
Who told you that?? Hope it wasn't the salesman..
It's all about the payload that any truck has... Some have more, some have less..
While it's said 5th wheel trailers "tow better" than a regular trailer, they also have a lot more "pin weight" then a regular trailers "tongue weight".
Most 5th wheels have 20-25% of their total weight as pin weight. Most conventional travel trailers have between 10-15% as tongue weight.
You only have so much payload on your truck, so gotta decide how much you are willing to use up for the RV of your dreams..
It's not all about the "tow rating".. There are other weight ratings that every truck has and you just gotta look at too, but most don't, so there you go...
Good luck!
Mitch
Who told you that?? Hope it wasn't the salesman..
It's all about the payload that any truck has... Some have more, some have less..
While it's said 5th wheel trailers "tow better" than a regular trailer, they also have a lot more "pin weight" then a regular trailers "tongue weight".
Most 5th wheels have 20-25% of their total weight as pin weight. Most conventional travel trailers have between 10-15% as tongue weight.
You only have so much payload on your truck, so gotta decide how much you are willing to use up for the RV of your dreams..
It's not all about the "tow rating".. There are other weight ratings that every truck has and you just gotta look at too, but most don't, so there you go...
Good luck!
Mitch
#6
10-10-2017, 09:31 PM
Yep, glc has the correct answer. While the F150 regular cab and Supercab were rated for the 5th wheel trailers, the Supercrews, 4 door, are not. Looks like maxed out you'd only be looking at a 7000lb trailer and that's not much trailer for any length of time on the road if you have a 2 door truck. You need a heavier duty truck. The biggest issue is not pulling it, stopping it is the issue. The brakes are far too small on the F150 trucks for any kind of live in trailer. Frankly, I have issues with most truck/trailer combinations on the road. I've pulled trailers a lot over the span of my life. Even the Super Duties, with most trailers out there, are far too small. Move up to something like an F550 or F650 and you don't even know a 10,000lb trailer is back there including when stopping. Just cause it will pull it down the road doesn't mean it's safe.
2004 Towing Guide:
https://www.fleet.ford.com/resources...s/2004_All.pdf
2004 Towing Guide:
https://www.fleet.ford.com/resources...s/2004_All.pdf