I am hoping for some advise for hauling a 500 lb. ATV. I have a 2001 F150 Supercrew 4x4. I poeriodically take the ATV to west Texas ( about 4 hours each way) to the deer lease.

It rides decently with the stock suspension and the ATV in the bed, but I am wondering if anybody that hauls this much weight has added a helper spring, an add-a-leaf, or anything else that they could recommend.

Thanks

 

thats nothing for your truck its a 1/2 ton remember

 

Hauled my Blaster(330) in the rear of my Expedition and had no problems at all

 

i only have blocks in my rear no add a leaf and it hauls just fine with the stock springs i don't see why 500lbs would be to much weight. my outlaw 500 425lbs trailer plus 600lb grizzly

 

I go four-wheeling every other weekend with my quad (Rincon 650) and I throw it right in the back of the pickup and tow a trailer with a Polaris 500 and it's absolutely fine. You don't need to add anything to your truck for only 500 lbs.

 

I put more weight than that in the back every time I go to the home improvement store ;-). 70 mph on the highway all the way home, no change in ride or acceleration.

 

You can put anywhere from 1,875 - 3,180 lbs in the back of you truck depending on the model, per the 01 owners manual, 500 lbs should be no problem. The only thing that would help if needed would be new shocks, preferably the adjustable type.

 

I used to haul a quad or mx bikes around in trucks with stock springs, worked out fine (99 f150, now a 2005). We have never had any trouble with the 99's springs holding up to the weight in the bed, or haulin a trailer. I recently put on a 1.5" skyjacker add-a-leaf on the 05 and I now have a 16' enclosed racing trailer and it hardly sags under the weight of the trailer now, rides and handles great. We stuff the back of the truck with misc. stuff and the trailer is loaded to the brim, no problems!!

 

I carry 600# of sand bags in the bed of my 04 Screw every winter for about 4 months. I have had 2150# of ceramic tile and 600# grout and morter at the same time. The butt was sagging but by no means in danger of damage. Your tires are really what will hold you back.

 

I carry an ATV in the back all the time. No problem. It doesn't ride any different at all.

 

I tow 4 atv's behind my screw. I also tow my friend's mitsubishi evo to the track. It tows better then I thought it would. It sags a bit but handles good. I also have a 6" fabtech w/35's. No helper springs, still uses the stock springs.

 

I hauled mine once, it was a short trip so i just set the park brake... big mistake. That one short trip someone pulls out in front of me and practically stops to turn about 100 feet ahead, BAM! the fourwheel slammed into the front of the bed and dented the crap out of it, smashed it all the way against the cab... Yea i was pretty mad. So when you haul one, TIE IT DOWN!