Help with the towing math

camp-n-family wrote:

Maximum Loaded Trailer Weight assumes a towing vehicle with any mandatory options, no cargo, tongue load of 10-15% (conventional trailer) or king pin weight of 15-25% (5th-wheel trailer) and driver
only (150 pounds).

Weight of additional options, passengers, cargo and hitch must be deducted from this weight. Also check Required and Recommended Equipment.

Basically Ford HAS deducted the driver weight of 150 lbs from the cargo weight since it has already been deducted from the GCWR..

What you're reading in the above is the TOW RATING, says nothing about payload. It just says that the max tow rating is calculated with a base truck, with no cargo or passengers other than 150lbs for the driver. The tow rating decreases pound for pound with weight added to the truck.

What it does say about payload is;

"Make sure vehicle payload (reduced by option weight) will accommodate trailer tongue load weight and weight of passengers and cargo added to towing vehicle."

That's ALL passengers, driver too.

Read it any way you like to..

You are quibbling about 150 lbs.

IF YOU DON'T BUY TOO HEAVY OF A TRAILER IN THE FIRST PLACE YOU WOULD NOT BE COUNTING THE AMOUNT OF CRACKERS YOU CAN TAKE WITH YOU, PERIOD.

When you buy a trailer which excess capacity OVER your available TV cargo you TEND to find yourself in a situation just like the OP is in now..

Basically empty they ARE extremely NEAR their cargo rating BEFORE EVER putting a piece of clothing in it...

So perhaps you should lighten up a bit, the plain fact is the OP clearly DOES NOT HAVE ANY extra cargo capacity regardless if you want to count the driver weight or not. To me that is way to close for my comfort and the very reason I buy and continue to buy properly equipped F250s..

My current 2013 F250 super cab short bed has a little over 3,400 lbs of AVAILABLE CARGO WEIGHT RATING.

This means I can EASILY tow a 12,000 GVWR trailer with 15% tongue weight (1,800 lbs) and STILL have 1,600 lbs OF AVAILABLE vehicle CARGO left I can easily haul in the back of my truck..

OR I could even go with a 10,000 lb GVWR 5th with a 25% pin weight (2,500 lbs) and STILL have 900 lbs of available vehicle CARGO left

But instead, I have a 26ft TT which has 7,200 GVWR and a 18' open deck flat bed utility trailer with 9,900 GVWR.

I PURPOSELY BUY TRAILERS that have GVWR RATINGS either at or BELOW my vehicles ratings..

It IS GREAT TO KNOW I DO NOT NEED TO WORRY if I am at or above my trucks capacity.

I don't HAVE to count crackers, bread slices or even if I can take a ice cube, no hassles, no countless hrs of math to do.. Simple and quick..

I don't lose sleep and the combo tows extremely well. The extra few bucks it cost and the less comfy ride and the little less mileage it gets IS WELL WORTH IT TO ME... :B

As always.. you mileage may vary... quibble if you like..