Can I tow right at truck's capacity safely?
 

I've got the '07 Screw with the 4.6L with a published tow capacity of 6400 lbs. I want to tow my Dad's 22' sportboat with a total weight including trailer of about 5500-6000 lbs. Does Ford really mean I can tow 6400 lbs. like it's published or will I kill my truck? Thanks.

You're good to go! :thumbsup:

I thought it was over 10,000lbs? or is that with the 5.4 only?

Relative to motor, trans, suspension, other options... 10K is a bare bones 2wd regular cab w/5.4.

Towing right at capacity is do-able, with trailer brakes it is "safe" - you will be able to stop and control the load. Starting and moving the load is the questionable part. If you are on the flat, you're probably fine. If you're in the mountains, not even close if you expect to see and hold speed limits. Short hauls are better than long hauls... etc, etc, etc.

I have strapped alot more than that to my 4.6 with the drag of my 4x4 system and only 3.55 gears. Also your boat will be much more aerodynamic than what I was hauling around. you wont have a problem

I am just giving here what I have been towing with my 06, F-150, 4X4, short bed, 5.4, Lariat. I do not want to make any enemys, so this is just what I have found. Specs say, my truck can tow 7800 LBS. I tow fully loaded 5600 lbs. I can tell you for the most part here out west, I don't worry about getting speeding tickets while towing. If you are at altitudes of 5000 ft or higher, on up grades, make sure you have a sandwich in the cab, because it ain't gonna happen very fast. And on down grades going slow, make it so you will not need a brake job when you get home. (yes my trailer brakes are set properly)

Don't get me wrong, this is the truck I chose, knowing what it can and cannot do. I love my F-150. It is a great truck. It is a half ton and does its job as rated. Personally I think the people pulling 9000 lb or better trailers with this truck, are doing so down hill both ways! :) Or maybe the altitude is much lower than where I tow. This weekend I am towing to a campground at 9100 ft.

yeah the elevation is killing you. Here in tx I can drag around 7500-8500 at 75 even up mild grades in third without a problem and sometimes on shallow grades even in OD

I had no trouble with 8,000# on slight grades, but if you get any kind of real hill!!! The other thing is third at 70 is screaming, so you won't get there fast... there was a point with 8,000# in Utah, that I was losing speed in first gear - it was the interstate, but probably a 6% grade. I unloaded the rocket out of the trailer and made some high speed passes while the F150 caught up.

Exactly! This last weekend at one point my wife asked "are we going backwards". I still love my F-150 Lariat. But it may have to grow up to a F-350 Lariat someday. :)

Yes
 

It sounds like you're asking whether the truck can handle it, not whether you can do burnouts... :-) The short answer is, definitely yes. I have a few times accidentally hauled and/or towed even more than what Ford said was the max for my truck. The first two times, I was hauling landscaping rocks and mulch that was loaded based on sight: I had them dump some in until the suspension compressed to the point where I figured it was loaded without going over. Truck handled it fine. Then one time I hauled what I figure was about 2000 in the bed with 7000 in trailer and it's load. About 9K total for my truck rated at 9200. I wasn't passing Mustangs and my haul was flat ground, but it managed well enough from stops that I wasn't pissing anyone off behind me.

All these times I had no idea I was over payload capacity--not until I hauled stuff to the dump and got weighed (full and empty) and found out I'd been hauling 2200 lbs. Looking at the truck, you would have guessed 1/2 that.

So, in my non-professional opinion, the truck can easily handle it's specs. I think it's conservatively rated and can handle more. However, I don't advocate that (to be safe and sure) and know that I know better, I'll be more careful.

My father has ALWAYS towed and hauled more than what his Fords have been rated for. Right now his F350 and 5th-wheel has a combined weight of over 27,000 lbs going down the road... about 9k more than what his is 'rated for'.

The main question is do you have enough power?

grabbing a tuner would help, also let ya keep an eye on trans temp