F150 Supercrew 3.73 rear real world towing

[trjohnston]

You definitely made the right move. My F-150 is rated for 11k, my trailer comes in around 8k totally loaded. For a first timer, I'm glad I didn't over do it for our first rig and you'll appreciate having a little extra power when you need it. My last F150 had a 5.4 and it dogged along at times. My new F-150 has the 6.2L and I love all the extra power that one generates. You'd never forgive yourself if you got into a situation where the trailer was too much for the truck and you wiped it out.

[whj77372]

I would not pull a 5er with a F150, unless it was one of those 16 ft ones by Scamp or Cosita. I have lot of experience with 5th wheel trailers and a number of u'all would call me the weight police and say that I don't know what I am talking about and if Ford says you can then it should be ok. It is not and if you push the upper limits on what the tow guides say you will not be happy and you will put to much stress on the transmission etc.
I have found that 15-20 % of trailer weight on the pin will ride better and you will have less chucking and a far easier ride. I would not want to pull much more then the 9,950 GVWR 5er that I have with my 2011 F250, diesel, CC, longbed, RWD and the Ford tow guide states that I could pull a 16,200 lbs 5er. Additionlly, I have read on this and other RV forums that " you don't even know that it is back there" and wonder why I have never had that feeling. You can never have to much truck!

[dretired]

Heres my F150 ..2010 supercab. 4x2.... 5.4.. 6 1/2 foot box...did the job going from Michigan to Florida and back this last winter..mines rated to tow 9,800 lbs .5th wheel or TT ..

[OldCoot]

About all that can be said is "To each his own" Have towed a 33' Flagstaff over 25,000 miles with a 1/2 T and 3.23 rear end and will continue only with a 5ver now. Even if I blow the tranny, replacing the tranny is cheaper than a new truck.

BTW, we've towed thru the Smokeys more times than I care to remember, but I definitely do not set speed records and hold to a max of 3500 rpm/2nd or 3rd gear.

[crocus]

This is one of those discussions that never really gets anywhere.
If one is towing on basically flat land, it is surprising what a 1/2 ton can pull. But for those of us who venture into the mountains, I would never dream of trying to haul a camper beyond the capacity of my truck.
It is indeed a personal decision.

[TURBS]

Originally Posted by crocus

This is one of those discussions that never really gets anywhere.
If one is towing on basically flat land, it is surprising what a 1/2 ton can pull. But for those of us who venture into the mountains, I would never dream of trying to haul a camper beyond the capacity of my truck.
It is indeed a personal decision.

amen to that !

[dretired]

Planning on going out west ??

[BlakeB]

I own a 2010 F150 SCAB w/3.55's and a 5.4L and tow package. The SCREW is rated at a lower tow capacity than the SCAB obviously because of weight. It's crazy that the dealer would say "you will be fine"... You might be fine if you dont take your family or any gear with you.

I looked at fifth wheels and did my homework before I decided to go with a TT w/a dry weight under 6k. I actually did bring up their thoughts on a 5er just to get thier reaction and they said they "would not sell me one".

Better hope all the campgrounds you visit dont have gravel roads w/hills...

[BlakeB]

You sure you dont have the max tow package w/that gearing? Do you have the towing mirrors? Just curious because it sounds like you may have the max tow pkg.

Still....the 5.5' bed would be sketchy.. And when you figure payload, Ford was nice enough to include a 150lb driver.. (still tryin to lose weight so I can drive)

[prof_fate]

Pull? Sure. Stop? Handle winds or emergency maneuvers? And do it for how long? And how comfortably?
What if you do have an accident...if you're overloaded will your insurance pay? Will you get a big nasty ticket?

I did a lot of reading last year when folks here said i needed more vehicle than the dealer said. I learned a lot...and am still on the edge with a truck that 'can' pull 8900 lbs with a trailer that is 'mid size suv towable' at 5500lbs dry/empty. What? At the edge of what?

Well...the trailer is 5500 empty..plus gas and battery, dishes, bath stuff, food, misc things in the kitchen, CDs,bedding, chairs, mat, lights for the awning, pool toys, grate for the fire, hose for the pooptank, etc. 1000 lbs? More? Less? I don't plan to travel with the tanks filled but you never know for sure.

Ok, the truck...owners manual is a LOT more specific that towing guides. If I had a 2wd base truck and i weighed 150lbs sure, 8100 is a real number. But I go 240..the kids, dog, wife, firewood, iPods, etc add up...700ish is my rough guess. Oh, and there's a WD hitch to add in to the total weight of either hte truck or camper - 150 lbs or so.
My truck is 4x4, loaded with (heavy) options, got the options 17" wheels (that lower GCWR by 500lb, as does the 4x4 setup) So my GCWR is 12,500 - total weight rolling down the road (which the trans, rear end, cooling system have to contend with)

OK, 6500ish trailer which is well under the 8100 'potential'..which is 7300 for my particular truck the way its optioned.. From 12,500 that leaves 5150...for the TOTAL weight of the truck with gas in it. I've not weighed it by the specs I find say it's around 5450lbs.

So much for the numbers...how does it actually do on the road? I think its fine..I can accelerate up hills, keep up with traffic, stop well. I can run the A/C loaded in 95F/90% humidity and have no issues. And I do run up some hills like the 8% grade to get home from anyplace.

But I know in my mind I'm at the edge and drive conservatively. We don't plan on any 1000 mile treks. And I'd not recommend to anyone that they live on the edge.

I do plan to hit some scales this year and get a real reading on what I"m doing.