I'm looking to purchase either a 5th wheeler or travel trailer and I'm not sure what the towing capacity is of my truck. Here are the specs for my truck. Thanks.Vehicle Name Ford F-150 Body Style Crew Cab Drivetrain Four Wheel Drive Gross Axle Wt Rating - Front 3900 lbs Gross Axle Wt Rating - Rear 3850 lbs Curb Weight - Front 3214 lbs Curb Weight - Rear 2372 lbs Gross Vehicle Weight Rating Cap 7350 lbs Gross Combined Wt Rating 13500 lbs Dead Weight Hitch - Max Trailer Wt. 7700 lbs Dead Weight Hitch - Max Tongue Wt. 770 lbs Wt Distributing Hitch - Max Trailer Wt. 7700 lbs Wt Distributing Hitch - Max Tongue Wt. 1155 lbs Fifth Wheel Hitch - Max Trailer Wt. 7700 lbs Maximum Trailering Capacity 7700 lbs Engine Type Regular Unleaded V-8 Displacement 5.0 L/302 Trans Type 6 Trans Description Cont. Automatic w/OD Spring Capacity - Front 3900 lbs Spring Capacity - Rear 3850 lbs Axle Type - Front Independent Axle Type - Rear Rigid Axle Axle Capacity - Front 4050 lbs Axle Capacity - Rear 4100 lbs Axle Ratio 3.55 Front Tire Capacity 4050 lbs Rear Tire Capacity 4050 lbs Wheelbase 145 in

Read my lips.... no fifth wheels with a f150/1500 series truck. Unless it is 20 feet or less long. Its not a matter of towing, but rather a matter of loading. A typical fifth wheel will load approx 20% of its loaded weight directly over the trucks rear axle. 1500 type trucks tend to have P metric tires with very low load carrying capacity.To prove my point, load your truck up like your going to go camping and drive across a set of scales. Subtract your scaled weight from the GVWR as posted on your drivers door post.

Say the 5th wheel is 7000 lbs and the rear tires are rated at 4050 lbs max. The 20% is only 1400 lbs.

scolson wrote:Say the 5th wheel is 7000 lbs and the rear tires are rated at 4050 lbs max. The 20% is only 1400 lbs.what number is the 7000lbs.?GVWR or UVW(unloaded yellow/white sticker weight) or fictional website/brochure dry weight?

The 7000 would be shipping weight which I guess is dry weight.

Towing capacity | Good Sam Community

phillyg
Explorer II
Aug 05, 2015
There's a recent long thread on 1/2t and FW towing; search for it. Yes, some smaller FWs can be towed with the right 1/2t (donn0128 is incorrect; he is correct about p-rated tires). Yes, you have to be very careful to not overload the FW. Your problem is the 5.0 motor and 3.55 axle that are very limiting. I towed an 8,400lb FW for years with an '04 F150, 5.4 and 3.73 axle. No problems on the flats but I never went mountain climbing.
campigloo
Explorer
Aug 04, 2015
Someone said it would only be 1400# pin weight on the truck. Go put 1400# of sand in it and see what you get. I don't think you will like the handling.
donn0128
Explorer II
Aug 04, 2015
Keep your search to travel trailers, and keep your search to those under 7000 GVWR and you will be OK. You might be able to up that a bit, you the higher you go the less happy you will be.
Remember, your towing rating was originally based on a base level truck with 1/4 tank of gas and a 150 pound driver.
scolson
Explorer
Aug 04, 2015
That leads back to my original question. Given the truck I have what would be the max gvwr of a 5th wheel or travel trailer I should be looking at.
IdaD
Explorer
Aug 04, 2015
GVWR would likely be around 9k lbs for 7k dry trailer. That's pushing it for a travel trailer with a heavy equipped half ton, and isn't doable as a fifth wheel. You live in Oregon so mountains are going to be part of your towing experience, so keep that in mind too.
scolson
Explorer
Aug 04, 2015
The 7000 would be shipping weight which I guess is dry weight.
donn0128
Explorer II
Aug 04, 2015
7K dry or gross?
bikendan
Explorer
Aug 04, 2015
scolson wrote:
Say the 5th wheel is 7000 lbs and the rear tires are rated at 4050 lbs max. The 20% is only 1400 lbs.

what number is the 7000lbs.?
GVWR or UVW(unloaded yellow/white sticker weight) or fictional website/brochure dry weight?
scolson
Explorer
Aug 04, 2015
Say the 5th wheel is 7000 lbs and the rear tires are rated at 4050 lbs max. The 20% is only 1400 lbs.
donn0128
Explorer II
Aug 04, 2015
Read my lips.... no fifth wheels with a f150/1500 series truck. Unless it is 20 feet or less long. Its not a matter of towing, but rather a matter of loading. A typical fifth wheel will load approx 20% of its loaded weight directly over the trucks rear axle. 1500 type trucks tend to have P metric tires with very low load carrying capacity.
To prove my point, load your truck up like your going to go camping and drive across a set of scales. Subtract your scaled weight from the GVWR as posted on your drivers door post.

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