Wife keeps wanting to buy a travel trailer and I keep telling her we have to get a small one. Like oil and water. So like so many other threads, here's my situation:2011 F150 AWD6.2L v83.73 axletow package with receiver, integrated brake controller, trans cooler (not max tow or HD payload)22" wheelsMichelin Premier LTX tires 285/45R22 (2601 lb load rating)GVWR: 7350 lbsF&R GAWR: 3850 lbsGCWR: 13500 lbsScaled weights with full tank of fuel, wife, and misc stuff in the bed. Pretty close to what it would weight ready to camp, minus the WD hitch.Steer axle: 3780 lbsDrive axle: 3100 lbsGross weight: 6880 lbsThat only leaves me 470 lbs available payload for tongue weight and hitch. Other than a tiny TT or popup, no way I'm going to stay under that. But I am 750 lbs under the RGAWR. If I aim to say under my axle ratings, my options open up some. Thoughts on exceeding my GVWR by ~300 lbs but not exceeding any other ratings?? It will just be the wife and I. Kids are grown. And this will be a temporary solution because she wants a MUCH bigger trailer. Dually territory big.

Buy the dually now and save for that fancy 5er.

Sounds like you have permission to get a bigger truck!

Well Andrew, we all know it is best to stay under all ratings. Many tow over their GVWR by a little. You should not tow over RAWR, or tire rating. IMO, you could tow a TT with a loaded to camp weight of around 5K. This would be a tongue wt of about 650, plus another 100 lbs for the WDH.You are wise to hit the scales, and are right, in figuring your actual limits.Good luck, hope you find a nice TT.Jerry

Sounds like you're trying to talk yourself out towing... I've been towing with F150s (4 of them) for years: Keystone sprinter 31 w/3 slides 9K miles, Cougar 321RLS w/3 slides 39K miles, Reflection 313RTS w/3 slides 5K miles. I have upgraded to F250 since the tongue weight of the 313RTS exceeded the F150 rating with the W/D in it. I've regretted the upgrade as the F150 was a much better truck and towed so good. All my trucks were the Lariat model with tow, HD and snowplow package. Don't sell the F150 short, they are a very capable trucks.

On top of that, remember that a weight distributing hitch will shift some weight away from the rear axle. Since we're empty nesters now, we don't need nearly as much stuff in the bed of the truck either. Additionally, you can try loading as much of that stuff as practical into the trailer instead.

F150 - Over GVWR | Good Sam Community

APT
Explorer
Jun 07, 2016
Buy the dually now and save for that fancy 5er.
wildtoad
Explorer II
Jun 07, 2016
Sounds like you have permission to get a bigger truck!
MFL
Nomad II
Jun 07, 2016
Well Andrew, we all know it is best to stay under all ratings. Many tow over their GVWR by a little. You should not tow over RAWR, or tire rating. IMO, you could tow a TT with a loaded to camp weight of around 5K. This would be a tongue wt of about 650, plus another 100 lbs for the WDH.

You are wise to hit the scales, and are right, in figuring your actual limits.

Good luck, hope you find a nice TT.

Jerry
Thomas_NH
Explorer
Jun 07, 2016
Sounds like you're trying to talk yourself out towing... I've been towing with F150s (4 of them) for years: Keystone sprinter 31 w/3 slides 9K miles, Cougar 321RLS w/3 slides 39K miles, Reflection 313RTS w/3 slides 5K miles. I have upgraded to F250 since the tongue weight of the 313RTS exceeded the F150 rating with the W/D in it. I've regretted the upgrade as the F150 was a much better truck and towed so good. All my trucks were the Lariat model with tow, HD and snowplow package. Don't sell the F150 short, they are a very capable trucks.
TurnThePage
Explorer
Jun 07, 2016
On top of that, remember that a weight distributing hitch will shift some weight away from the rear axle. Since we're empty nesters now, we don't need nearly as much stuff in the bed of the truck either. Additionally, you can try loading as much of that stuff as practical into the trailer instead.
WNYBob
Explorer
Jun 07, 2016
What are the weights marked on the hitch it self?
AndrewM
Explorer
Jun 07, 2016
WNYBob wrote:
What are the weights marked on the hitch it self?

Typical F150 non-max tow hitch:

500/5000 non-WD
1050/10500 WD
Grit_dog
Navigator
Jun 07, 2016
6.2. 6 speed, 3.73 gears?
Sounds like the F250. Sweet truck and will tow well.
Throw some springs under it, lose the brodozer tires, or not, lol and have a very well equipped truck to pull reasonable size TTs. I wouldn't think twice about a 7-8000lb trailer.
nohurry
Explorer
Jun 07, 2016
Grit dog wrote:
Are you kidding me?
6.2. 6 speed, 3.73 gears?
Sounds like the F250 y'all brag about how well it pulls xx,xxx over hill n dale, even mountains!
Throw some springs under it, lose the brodozer tires, or not, lol and have a very well equipped truck to pull reasonable size TTs. I wouldn't think twice about a 7-8000lb trailer.

This. You'll be fine until you get the bigger truck. Especially if your trips aren't long, and/or over mountain passes. I towed our current TT (7K+ lbs) with my 2003 F150 5.4, 3:55's no problem. The equal-i-zer hitch helped a lot.
Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Jun 07, 2016
Sum of F/R axles never equals GVWR ---- GVWR is lower then sum
I have never found a formula that explains how GVWR is figured.

So.......
I go by axle ratings OR rear tire MAX Load Ratings

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F150 - Over GVWR

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