I have 2007 F150 V6 w/manual transmission.

I've read the specs & which say I can tow 2500 lbs. ??!!

My old '93 toyota corolla could tow 1500 lbs!

This can't be correct...

I want to haul a 3400 lb travel trailer. Unbelievable I can't with this truck!

Any opinions? Thank you...

 

Your weak link, is the Manual Transmission, & then the V-6.
If you look in the Transmission Forum there are several Threads regarding Towing Capacities.

I have the same Drive-Train Combo you have, I didn't purchase mine for towing more then a small trailer, as I knew going in, the V-6 doesn't come close to the old 4.9L Straight 6.

 

The 5 speed tranny used in the F-150 wasn't very good and that is your weak link. The auto would be rated for a lot more even with the 4.2L. Having said that I know guys with the 4.2/5 speed combo that have pulled a lot more weight then the sticker shows. I would not recommend overloading it very often though.

 

Is the 5 speed really that weak?

Or does Ford just not want to replace clutches under warranty when people try backing a 5,000 lb trailer up a steep driveway?

I have no idea, but the V6 F150 manual has always had a far lower tow rating than the automatic.

Here is a chart for the '99 model year that shows ratings for various combos of transmission, motor, gear ratio and cab (heavier cab = lower tow rating). 4.2 Reg cab auto with 3.55 gears rated at 5,800 lbs.

https://www.f150online.com/forums/to...ght-chart.html

 

Yes. The M5OD that is used in the F-150 was made by Mazda and also used in the Ranger. It works fine behind a 2.3L 4 pot in a Ranger since the engine doesn't have enough guts to break it. The 4.2L puts out more power and when hooked to a bigger truck it can fail when really pushed. There's a good reason Ford never offered it behind anything bigger than the 4.2L, it just can't handle it. I forget the exact size but the clutch is also pretty small and doesn't have a ton of holding power. The tranny itself is small enough that an average size guy can easily pick it up and carry it around. I had to put one in a Ranger once. We didn't even use a jack to get it in and out. A friend bench pressed it while I lined up the input shaft and bell housing dowels/bolts.

 

Didn't they put that same trans behind the 4.6 V8??

But, it was still rated pretty low for towing.. I think the V6/Auto was about the same or more, tow rating wise??

To the OP, is that #3400 TT it's DRY weight or it's MAX weight?

I think there is a member, GLC, that has a V6 5 speed? Maybe he'll chime in and give you his take...

Good luck!

Mitch

 

I've been waiting on him to chime in as well he is the tow rating master.

 

The M5OD was also offered with the 4.9 I6 and 302 in the pre-97 trucks and the 4.6 from 97-03.

In reality, you can tow up to about 5000# with your truck, but at risk of going through clutches and transmissions. Do not use 5th gear if you are over 2500#, you will kill the tranny. The biggest trailer I've towed with mine is a fully loaded enclosed 5x8 lowboy and I don't think I'd want to try anything bigger.

You may also have legal issues if you are over ratings and something happens.

 

Well, I think I'm going to have to trade up! When I bought this in '08, I didn't buy for towing. But now that I want to... it's disappointing.

The 3400# is dry weight. I want to tow a TT around the USA rather than short bursts. So I've got to get a bigger truck or a smaller TT.

Are there any upgrade packages out there I can buy? Or am I simply stuck?

Pretty dumb of Ford to make such a weak truck, yes?

 

The V-6 manual trans truck was sold as a price leader commercial work truck, not as a tow vehicle.

If you want to tow a TT around the USA, you need an upgrade (new truck) that has a V-8 or turbocharged V-6 and a real towing package.

 

I had a Brand X truck; I towed some sod on a low boy trailer and put 100,000 miles on the clutch in a 30 mile trip. I'm making up the 100K miles, as there isn't a way to figure it out without a tear-down, but it definitely aged it, and accelerated my motivation to get my F-150. I didn't dare use the overdrive and I used 4X4 Low to get moving as a 4X2 1st gear start was torture. It was one of the few times I felt sorry for metal.

 

Actually, numberswise, the v6 does basically everything a 300 can and moreso when you need to hit the gas. A friend of mine runs his own shop and was a wrecker driver, too. He'd rather tow with a 302 than the 300 that was in his wrecker. His words.

The problem is that those 04-08 regular cabs are probably as heavy as those "bullnose" supercab trucks and that definitely takes away from towing capacity and 3.55 gears or steeper just adds to the fun.