Towing with our truck- what too heavy

mandmhunter wrote:
Confused here!---

Our truck is a 4x4, has a trailer package (factory), the largest cab ford makes (supercrew), 5.4 triton off-road, short bed (5.5 feet I think),not sure about the HP . So should we be going with the door sticker on the truck for max GVWR? (is that sticker customized just for our truck, OR is that the GVWR for all F150 for that year whether they are regularcab, crew cab, 4x4 or not). Rely on the truck sticker for weight or the Ford 2008 towing brochure???

Also if we are equipped with a trailer package (with all other factors being the same) - does that give us the ability to towe more????

Your truck stickers are specific to your exact truck. These and only these are the numbers that matter.

The very best thing that you can do is load up your truck like you were going camping (all passengers, stuff in the cab, stuff in the truck bed, etc.) and go to a scale to get weighed. Subtract that weight from the truck's gross vehicle weight (that GVWR number on the sticker). What is left over is what you have available for tongue weight.

The tongue weight is typically 10%-15% of the loaded camper's weight. (Not the fictionally low "dry weight".)

NOW- as for what happens if you go over GVWR? (Read this in jest.) The truck literally falls apart. It starts with trim work, then the tailgate falls off, the bed falls apart in 5 pieces and finally the doors come off. Your insurance will deny all claims the instant you go over by 1 pound. And, cops everywhere have a trained eye for overweight rigs. They'll pull you over, arrest you, compound the truck and camper.

In reality, many people knowingly and unknowingly tow over their trucks ratings. For many, for some reason, they've decided that the rear axle weight and tire load capacities are more important and those are the "gospel" to not be exceeded.

For me, I want to be within all of my truck's ratings. For others, a little over should be OK. However, a lot over is not OK.