I know you all get this all the time. But I wanted to give my setup and see if folks think this is OK. I weighed my 2011 Keystone Passport Ultralight. It is 5764 lbs shipping weight which I assume is dry. When I travel it is right around 6500-6700 lbs depending on gear. We have a 2010 Ford F150 XLT SCrew w 5.4L V8 4x4. Towing capacity of the truck is supposed to be 9600lbs. I did not look at the tongue weight of the trailer when I weighed it because I always seem to have someone in a hurry behind me to unhook the trailer on the scale. We have a WD hitch too.When we are in the car, it is me (200 lbs), wife (not going to tell you), two kids (150 lbs total), fido (40 lbs) and some stuff in the rear of the truck that comes in at about 500 lbs at the absolute max. (small amount of firewood, 2 bikes, water hose, etc)It seems to tow OK, but I wanted to see if this seems like enough cushion between the max capacity of the truck versus what I have in the trailer. You all are the experts or at least you have more experience than I. Does this setup seem ok?

What you are towing is not a problem but I do think you need to look at what you are loading on the truck.The trailer is probably going to have around 800# tongue weight.With you in the truck, plus DW (let's say 100#:W) and almost 200# of kids plus dog, you are close to 500#. IF you are carrying ANOTHER 500# of "stuff" you are asking your truck to carry 1800#.Some F-150s have a payload capacity of only 1300#, some (the HD package) can carry over 3000#.You need to look at the "Occupant and Tire Loading Information" yellow sticker on or near your driver's door frame.It will tell you what your truck can carry. If it's more than 1800#, you are golden. If less you are going to have to reduce the "stuff" you are putting in the back.

Good to know. I just looked at the truck sticker says 1400#. So you are correct, we will need to reduce the amount in the rear. Actually, I shouldn't put anything back there if my trailer is indeed 800# tongue weight. I guess I do need to get that verified.

kaydeejay wrote:What you are towing is not a problem but I do think you need to look at what you are loading on the truck.The trailer is probably going to have around 800# tongue weight.With you in the truck, plus DW (let's say 100#:W) and almost 200# of kids plus dog, you are close to 500#. IF you are carrying ANOTHER 500# of "stuff" you are asking your truck to carry 1800#.Some F-150s have a payload capacity of only 1300#, some (the HD package) can carry over 3000#.You need to look at the "Occupant and Tire Loading Information" yellow sticker on or near your driver's door frame.It will tell you what your truck can carry. If it's more than 1800#, you are golden. If less you are going to have to reduce the "stuff" you are putting in the back.This. You are going to limited by what you can carry (which includes trailer tongue weight) long before you reach manufactures tow rating

Hi,The easy way to figure out the trailer hitch weight is to leave the trailer at home, check the weight of the truck alone. You don't have to bring the family, but if you are going to dinner . . . . You can also just estimate their weight and add that to the truck weight, subtract the "Loaded and towing" weight from your results and come up with a Guestimate of the hitch weight.You can also use a bathroom scale. While mine will not read 600 pounds that will be on your hitch jack, it can be done with a 4X4 and some blocks. Place a 2X4 across the top of the scale. Place a 4X4 about 6" long on the ground about 12" from the hitch jack. Place the scale about 48" from the jack, and a 4X4 in between those two points. Your hitch weight will show up on the scale. If the separation was 12" to each side, then the scale would read 1/2 the weight on it. If 12" and 24" than 1/3 the weight will be on the scale. 12 and 48" will mean that 1/6 of the weight will be on the scale, and 5/6 will be on the other 4X4 on the ground. So a weight on the scale of 120 pounds = (120X6) 720 hitch weight. If you have a 300 pound capacity scale (from a garage sale, not the nice glass top one in your bathroom) then you can move in the 4X4 to 12" and scale to 24", you will get a closer guess at the hitch weight. Take the results and X3. This will work up to 900 pounds of hitch weight with a common 300 pound dial scale. Electronic scales normally can not take a reading while you lower the jack into place, unless you can put on the weight really quickly. Fred.

Cargo capacity usually includes a 150 lb passenger. Don't worry about how big the cushion is. The trucks are designed so that what they say it can handle is where people feel comfortable towing that amount. My friend is an engineer in the auto arena and his buddy works on Super Duties. He said that the limits are what most people would feel comfortable towing. If you have towed with it and it feels good, then you are probably ok. We have all seen old POS trucks with 3 tons of steel or rocks in the back and they still work....no I am not in support of that but some seem to think that if you go 1 lb over, the truck will disintegrate on you.

Confirm Towing Capacity Is OK? | Good Sam Community

Need-A-Vacation
Explorer
May 31, 2014
When you hit the scales, run through with the trailer, then drop it and run through with the truck only!

As mentioned, 2 weights w/ the trailer, 1 with the wd "latched up", 1 without wd, but put the bars in the bed of the truck, or leave them in the hitch if they will not fall out.
hbensley
Explorer
May 30, 2014
Don't worry about anyone being in too much of a hurry when you are at the scales. Just keep working at getting your weights correctly without taking extraextra time on things you don't need to be doing.
You are paying to use the scale service just like the other guys are.
If they think you are slowing them down on while you are on the scales just think about how much they will be slowed if you have a catastrophic failure out on the highway in front of them.
The key is to know what you are going to do before you get to the scales. Execute the weighing plan and get off the scales as soon as you are done. Don't dilly dally and you will be OK.
JIMNLIN
Explorer III
May 29, 2014
op says wrote:
t seems to tow OK, but I wanted to see if this seems like enough cushion between the max capacity of the truck versus what I have in the trailer. You all are the experts or at least you have more experience than I. Does this setup seem ok?

Looks like another good match when we look at your numbers (not exaggerated numbers) and your actual experience of how it tows. Remember the truck has a small engine so don't expect to keep up with a diesel or the newer high hp gassers.

As far as having a cushion you won't get a straight answer on that one as not everyone agrees on that point. I bought a truck to use so I use 100 percent of what I bought and paid for. And no my trucks don't wear out prematurely or break down more often.

Actual weights are preferred over estimating. Time to drop by your local CAT scales/feed store scales/recycle center scales/grain elevator scales and gets some front and rear axle weights. A single gross weight doesn't tell the whole story.
owenssailor
Explorer
May 29, 2014
rhagfo wrote:
kaydeejay wrote:
trublupsu94 wrote:
I just looked at the specs for my trailer. It shows a tongue weight of 605lbs. Does this include propane and battery? If not, I would guess that the tongue weight is closer to 650lbs.
That is probably the "Dry" tongue weight. It includes nothing but the empty trailer.
If the loaded trailer is 6500# to 6700#, then the tongue weight is going to be 13% to 15% of those numbers, or between 845# and 1005#.
That is a LOT more than the 605# you are working with.
Have you figured in the weight of your WD hitch gear?

You can sit a fiddle with guesstimates for weight of this and that all you want the ONLY truth comes from a trip to the scales!!!! Take the truck loaded as for camping along with family.
You can go to Cat scales pay your $$ and do the two trips.
1. Truck alone separate front and rear axle weights.
2. Truck with trailer attached wo/ WD three plates, front rear and trailer.

Math time.
Tongue weight = (#1 front + Rear) - (#2 front +rear)
Trailer weight = tongue weight + Trailer axles.
Available TV payload = (GVWR) - (#1front +#1 rear)

By doing a third pass with the WD hooked up you can see what the load is on the rear axle and also how much weight has been restored to the front axle.
rhagfo
Explorer III
May 29, 2014
kaydeejay wrote:
trublupsu94 wrote:
I just looked at the specs for my trailer. It shows a tongue weight of 605lbs. Does this include propane and battery? If not, I would guess that the tongue weight is closer to 650lbs.
That is probably the "Dry" tongue weight. It includes nothing but the empty trailer.
If the loaded trailer is 6500# to 6700#, then the tongue weight is going to be 13% to 15% of those numbers, or between 845# and 1005#.
That is a LOT more than the 605# you are working with.
Have you figured in the weight of your WD hitch gear?

You can sit a fiddle with guesstimates for weight of this and that all you want the ONLY truth comes from a trip to the scales!!!! Take the truck loaded as for camping along with family.
You can go to Cat scales pay your $$ and do the two trips.
1. Truck alone separate front and rear axle weights.
2. Truck with trailer attached wo/ WD three plates, front rear and trailer.

Math time.
Tongue weight = (#1 front + Rear) - (#2 front +rear)
Trailer weight = tongue weight + Trailer axles.
Available TV payload = (GVWR) - (#1front +#1 rear)
kaydeejay
Explorer
May 29, 2014
trublupsu94 wrote:
I just looked at the specs for my trailer. It shows a tongue weight of 605lbs. Does this include propane and battery? If not, I would guess that the tongue weight is closer to 650lbs.
That is probably the "Dry" tongue weight. It includes nothing but the empty trailer.
If the loaded trailer is 6500# to 6700#, then the tongue weight is going to be 13% to 15% of those numbers, or between 845# and 1005#.
That is a LOT more than the 605# you are working with.
Have you figured in the weight of your WD hitch gear?
Francesca_Knowl
Explorer
May 29, 2014
trublupsu94 wrote:

Does this setup seem ok?

Depends on why you're asking.

If it's that you want to buy a new truck, you may tell your wife that yes, of course, your family is Doomed unless you do so.
kaydeejay
Explorer
May 29, 2014
Campinfan wrote:
Cargo capacity usually includes a 150 lb passenger...............
Not true. The number on the "Occupants and Tire Loading" label includes EVERYTHING in the truck.
Perhaps you are confusing the Max Tow rating which DOES include a 150# driver in the calculation.
lawrosa
Explorer
May 29, 2014
You cant go over your axle ratings..

Go to the scale and get truck and trailer weighed with WD activated.

We need front axle, rear axle , and trailer.

Then unhook the WD hitch bars only and let them hang. Get the same weights as above...

Then drive off, disconnect the trailer and weigh the truck alone. Put the WD bars in the back of the bed. Give us that weight..

Then post that info with your door sticker info. Front axle, rear axle rate, and GVWR..

With all that info we can tell you exactly what your dealing with...Toungue weigh, and if you are over your limits. Also if you have the WD set properly..

You want to do this. Over axle ratings can have serious catastrophic failures while driving down the highway...

Whats you family's safety worth to you...

This is the best advice you can get. All other guesses are assumptions period. Know your numbers!!!!!!
ScottG
Nomad
May 29, 2014
ktosv wrote:
I would use the bathroom scale and double check it to know for sure.

Those are notoriously wrong (at least according to my wife).

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