Too much time on my hands under semi house arrest ;)Based on reviews of a few Ford Towing Guides:The tow rating for a truck plus it's EMPTY weight equals it's GCWR!Example: my truck, 2019 F150 5.0 3.55 axle towing package SuperCrew 145" WBGVWR 7000# CC 1990#Tow rating by chart 9100# BUT per that same chart GCWR 14500#GCWR minus GVWR equals 7500# left for towing if the truck is fully loaded.Since GVWR minus Cargo Capacity should equal truck empty weight (with gas full tank), 7000 - 1990 = 5010.So empty weight 5010 plus tow rating 9100 equals 14110, close to the GCWR listed at 14500.This also explains why my same trailer towed the way it did with my Explorer, struggling half the time.2008 Explorer V6 3.73 axle towing package GVWR 6180#, CC 1452#, tow rating 5225# GCWR 10000#. CAT Scaled rig at 9600#.So empty Explorer is 4728# plus tow rating equals 9953#, close to the GCWR OF 10000#. So as weighed, I was pretty close to GCWR towing with the Explorer!This is all with a trailer that has a GTWR of 3877#, trailer axle was 3600# at the CAT. Bought this trailer figuring I had a decent safety & capacity margin with a trailer at that GTWR & a tow rating of 5225#. GUESS NOT!

Oh yeah, if they calculate it without a driver, that would be dumb, lol.Too much time here too,

Boomerweps wrote:Too much time on my hands under semi house arrest ;)Your thinking too hard. Stick with GCWR and be done.

Yes. Factory tow ratings are typically for empty tow vehicles and assume only a 150 pound driver.

and add to that:TV mfg assume 10% tongue weight and around 20% pin weightAnd the hitch weight needs to be added to the truck empty weight as well further reducing payload. Then Trailer mfg typically design for 15% tongue weight and around 25% pin weight further upsetting the calculations.So, it's pretty hard to be able to tow the max rated trailer even without anything else in the vehicle without going over GVWR and still be way under GCWR.My duramax when loaded with typical bed stuff, firewood, firepit, cooler etc. along with a 9,000lb bumper pull with 1400lbs on the tongue and either 5 passengers, or my son and an additional motorcycle in the back is right at 10,000GVWR.

Yes...other than assuming driver and full tank of fuel, it makes sense. The max tow capability would be with an empty truck. Doesn't matter if you load 1 ton of cement blocks in a trailer or the bed of the truck...the engine will struggle just as much climbing the same hill.If you read the posts on the forum, you will find this is well known and as often as not, the tow rating doesn't come into play. Particularly for 5th wheels it's payload that is the limiting factor and most people just laugh when they see 1/2 ton trucks with 10,000lb tow ratings because under normal circumstances it's near impossible to tow that much and keep the tongue weight high enough not to create a sway issue without exceeding payload capacity.

Factory tow ratings apparently assume empty tow vehicle

blt2ski
Moderator
May 14, 2020
Best way to figure out max trailer, is loaded truck from gvw. divide that mumber by HW % you need. if you have a 1000 lbs, 10% hw, gives you a max 10,000 lbs trailer. if pulling a 5W with say 25%hw, you have a whopping 4000 lbs max trailer!
Them advertisers are great at their jobs, leaving a lot of details out of the fine print!

Marty
blt2ski
Moderator
May 14, 2020
No options, a fully loaded leather crew cab can add 500-100 lbs of wieght to the truck too!

Marty
valhalla360
Navigator
May 14, 2020
Yes...other than assuming driver and full tank of fuel, it makes sense.

The max tow capability would be with an empty truck. Doesn't matter if you load 1 ton of cement blocks in a trailer or the bed of the truck...the engine will struggle just as much climbing the same hill.

If you read the posts on the forum, you will find this is well known and as often as not, the tow rating doesn't come into play. Particularly for 5th wheels it's payload that is the limiting factor and most people just laugh when they see 1/2 ton trucks with 10,000lb tow ratings because under normal circumstances it's near impossible to tow that much and keep the tongue weight high enough not to create a sway issue without exceeding payload capacity.
ktmrfs
Explorer II
May 14, 2020
and add to that:

TV mfg assume 10% tongue weight and around 20% pin weight

And the hitch weight needs to be added to the truck empty weight as well further reducing payload.

Then Trailer mfg typically design for 15% tongue weight and around 25% pin weight further upsetting the calculations.

So, it's pretty hard to be able to tow the max rated trailer even without anything else in the vehicle without going over GVWR and still be way under GCWR.

My duramax when loaded with typical bed stuff, firewood, firepit, cooler etc. along with a 9,000lb bumper pull with 1400lbs on the tongue and either 5 passengers, or my son and an additional motorcycle in the back is right at 10,000GVWR.
KD4UPL
Explorer
May 14, 2020
Yes. Factory tow ratings are typically for empty tow vehicles and assume only a 150 pound driver.
theoldwizard1
Explorer II
May 13, 2020
Boomerweps wrote:
Too much time on my hands under semi house arrest ;)

Your thinking too hard. Stick with GCWR and be done.
Yosemite_Sam1
Explorer
May 13, 2020
Oh yeah, if they calculate it without a driver, that would be dumb, lol.

Too much time here too,

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Factory tow ratings apparently assume empty tow vehicle

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