Jason,
As you probably have learned from your research, you need to consider both how much weight the TV can PULL and how much it can CARRY.
How much the TV can PULL is defined in the owner's manual:
Maximum Loaded Trailer Weight – is the highest possible weight of a fully loaded trailer the vehicle can tow. It assumes a vehicle with only mandatory options, no cargo (internal or external), a tongue load of 10–15% (conventional trailer) or king pin weight of 15–25% (fifth wheel trailer), and driver only (150 lb. {68 kg}).
This means the loaded trailer weight must be limited to (in your case) 10,500# MINUS the combined weight of: driver in excess of 150#, weight of other occupants, weight of optional factory-installed equipment, weight of after-market installations, and any other cargo carried in/on the TV including weight of a WDH.
For example, if the combined weight of the items listed above is 800#, Ford is saying your TV can PULL 10,500-800 = 9300# which is 89% of the published MLTW.
However, what the TV can PULL is only part of the towing criteria.
For most TVs, there is a maximum tongue weight limit for the TV and/or receiver.
The max TW limit might be listed in the owners manual and/or printer on the receiver's weights limit label.
In some cases, the TV/receiver determines the TT's max TW.
In other cases, the amount of vertical load imposed by the TT, is limited by the TV's maximum payload and weight of the TV's occupants and cargo defined above.
The maximum payload minus the weight of occupants and cargo is the amount of remaining payload available for vertical load imposed by the TT.
If your maximum payload is, say, 1700# (actual value is "COMBINED WEIGHT OF OCCUPANTS AND CARGO" printed on the Tire Label on the driver's door edge), that means the combined weight of occupants and cargo listed above PLUS the vertical load imposed by the TT cannot exceed 1700#.
If the combined weight of items listed above is, say, 800#, then the maximum vertical load imposed by TT cannot exceed 1700-800 = 900#.
When using a properly sized and adjusted WDH, the vertical load imposed on the TV typically is equal to about 80% of the TW.
This means, for the above assumptions, the TT's TW (based on payload consideration) could be about 900/0.8 = 1125#.
If the receiver's TW capacity is greater than this value, the corresponding max TT weight (assuming TW% of 13%) would be about 1125/0.13 = 8654#.
The factory-delivered "dry weight" for the 30WRLIKS as listed on two dealers' web sites was 7435# and 7428#.
Therefore, it seems you would not have a problem staying below the hypothetical value of 8654#.
The foregoing is a realistic (IMO) procedure for estimating TT loads versus TV ratings. You can substitute you own estimates and known values.
Of course, the best way to know where you stand on loaded weights versus ratings is to weigh the loaded TV and TT.
You also should compare the TV's rear axle load with the rear GAWR. If you're really close to the TV's GVWR, you might be exceeding the rear GAWR -- depending on how the payload is distributed in/on the TV.
For the 2011 F-150s with MAX Tow Package, the available rear axle load capacity tends to be about 300# less than the maximum allowable payload.
Ron
