Im new to the rv trailer world. I am currently in the market for my 1st travel trailer. The idea is to eventually find a full time/seasonal campground that has full amenities. I have small children and thought it would be a good time to start the process. I currently drive a 2018 f150 xlt supercrew 4x4. The max towing capacity is 7400 lbs and max payload is 1990 lbs. I do want a nice size trailer that we won’t put outgrow anytime soon, so my question it’s what is my max trailer weight? Would it be the 7400 lbs? So ideally, I would want my dry weight to be around 5000 to 6000 lbs? Thanks

Most will say dry weight is meaningless, me included.The trailers I've owned and weighed always came in just shy of the GVWR stamped on trailer and considerably exceeded the dry weight or UVW.You still have quite a few trailers to choose from with all the ultra lights on the market but maxing out towing capacity is never wise.Look at the trailers GVWR and it's tounge weight.....add up tounge weight and all passengers and gear in truck and deduct tally from the 1990 payload.

If you are looking for a seasonal place to just park it, just go for a sesonal allready on site. It will cost more now but maybe less in the long run.

Any trailer in the 5-6k dry weight range is within your trucks capacity for the most part. Towing rating sounds low though. What engine?I wouldn’t want to pull 6-7k with the base V6 but any other engine will pull it smartly. First time, go easy on the length. Makes everything easier for a new person. Have fun with it and don’t get bogged down in the folks who’ll try to make you worry about every pound of gear you bring and over analyze the c rap out of it.

I do want a nice size trailer that we won’t put outgrow anytime soon, so my question it’s what is my max trailer weight? Would it be the 7400 lbs? So ideally, I would want my dry weight to be around 5000 to 6000 lbs? Thanks What is your trucks GVWR and its RAWR ?? Some F150 has some low RAWR numbers which is carrying most if not all the weight. Your 5k-6k dry weight sounds like a good plan for the F150. I've found its best to use dry weights and the trailers GVWR/CCC when making math numbers. That 7400 lbs tow rating seem a bit low for a F150 with almost 2000 lb payload. However for 1/2 ton trucks I wouldn't tow over Fords tow ratings.

JIMNLIN wrote:I do want a nice size trailer that we won’t put outgrow anytime soon, so my question it’s what is my max trailer weight? Would it be the 7400 lbs? So ideally, I would want my dry weight to be around 5000 to 6000 lbs? Thanks What is your trucks GVWR and its RAWR ?? Some F150 has some low RAWR numbers which is carrying most if not all the weight. Your 5k-6k dry weight sounds like a good plan for the F150. I've found its best to use dry weights and the trailers GVWR/CCC when making math numbers. That 7400 lbs tow rating seem a bit low for a F150 with almost 2000 lb payload. However for 1/2 ton trucks I wouldn't tow over Fords tow ratings.He has a 3.3L engine with the 3.73 gears, which is an interesting combination. The 7,400 I'm sure comes from the power (290/265) of the 3.3L as with that small engine that payload is probably legitimate. It's the one 1/2 ton configuration where you can probably load up the family and pull a trailer at max tow rating and be safe from a vehicle dynamics perspective because you're going to tow slower but be well within the payload capacity unless you're really, really loading the bed up.

Tow weight | Good Sam Community

GrandpaKip
Explorer II
Jul 23, 2020
nickthehunter wrote:
GrandpaKip wrote:
Ejraste wrote:
afidel wrote:
Correct, J2807 is based on full fluids, a 150 pound driver, and 10% tongue weight using a flat deck trailer with heavy weights adjusted to give the desired tongue weight. It's not at all representative of what real users tow or how most of us use our vehicles. I've talked to several people in the industry about a more realistic tow test using an average family of 4 with 2 teenagers and a few hundred in the bed and a max frontal area but because it would result on smaller numbers everyone has said it would never fly as marketing would kill it.

Honestly I think the test they do, especially the 11 mile Davis dam test is much harder and more demanding than the normal person would pull. Over 3000 feet of elevation over a short 11 mile stretch going a minimum of 40 mph. So for example, if the 2020 Silverado pulled the 9500 lbs through that stretch of elevation and demand without any issues, I would say that pulling 7000 to 7500 lbs would be no issue. And they actually use a 150 lb passenger as well on their runs.

But they are not pulling a wall through the air. As has been said, for RVs, tow weight is basically useless as you will not hit that number before running out of payload.
Tow weight is fine if you are pulling a flatbed full of lumber. Build a front facing wall from that lumber and the result is totally different.
They do test the frontal area, from 12 sft through 60 sft - Read the Standard so you know the facts instead of relying on hearsay.

I just spent 10 minutes trying to read the standard with no luck. I’ll just take your word for it. I guess that’s where the frontal limit in my manual comes from. Thanks for the correction.
ppine
Explorer II
Jul 23, 2020
There seems to be an ongoing theme that people want to pull stuff with just enough truck. Join the winning team and either get a larger truck of a smaller trailer.
TomG2
Explorer
Jul 23, 2020
Even the mighty F-150 has these "Frontal Area Considerations"

55 sq. ft. Any Powertrain with Trailer Towing Package or Payload Package and
Trailer Towing Ratings Between 5,001 and 7,700 lbs.
60 sq. ft. Any Powertrain with Trailer Towing Package or Payload Package and
Trailer Towing Ratings 7,701 lbs. and Greater

From the 2020 Ford Towing Guide.
nickthehunter
Nomad II
Jul 22, 2020
GrandpaKip wrote:
Ejraste wrote:
afidel wrote:
Correct, J2807 is based on full fluids, a 150 pound driver, and 10% tongue weight using a flat deck trailer with heavy weights adjusted to give the desired tongue weight. It's not at all representative of what real users tow or how most of us use our vehicles. I've talked to several people in the industry about a more realistic tow test using an average family of 4 with 2 teenagers and a few hundred in the bed and a max frontal area but because it would result on smaller numbers everyone has said it would never fly as marketing would kill it.

Honestly I think the test they do, especially the 11 mile Davis dam test is much harder and more demanding than the normal person would pull. Over 3000 feet of elevation over a short 11 mile stretch going a minimum of 40 mph. So for example, if the 2020 Silverado pulled the 9500 lbs through that stretch of elevation and demand without any issues, I would say that pulling 7000 to 7500 lbs would be no issue. And they actually use a 150 lb passenger as well on their runs.

But they are not pulling a wall through the air. As has been said, for RVs, tow weight is basically useless as you will not hit that number before running out of payload.
Tow weight is fine if you are pulling a flatbed full of lumber. Build a front facing wall from that lumber and the result is totally different.
They do test the frontal area, from 12 sft through 60 sft - Read the Standard so you know the facts instead of relying on hearsay.
Grit_dog
Navigator
Jul 22, 2020
Most of you remember back before the internet, fuel injection, disk brakes and maybe seatbelts.
Don’t over complicate things.
TomG2
Explorer
Jul 22, 2020
What does the fine print say about frontal area limitations? A huge consideration when towing with a marginal tow vehicle.
GrandpaKip
Explorer II
Jul 22, 2020
Ejraste wrote:
afidel wrote:
Correct, J2807 is based on full fluids, a 150 pound driver, and 10% tongue weight using a flat deck trailer with heavy weights adjusted to give the desired tongue weight. It's not at all representative of what real users tow or how most of us use our vehicles. I've talked to several people in the industry about a more realistic tow test using an average family of 4 with 2 teenagers and a few hundred in the bed and a max frontal area but because it would result on smaller numbers everyone has said it would never fly as marketing would kill it.

Honestly I think the test they do, especially the 11 mile Davis dam test is much harder and more demanding than the normal person would pull. Over 3000 feet of elevation over a short 11 mile stretch going a minimum of 40 mph. So for example, if the 2020 Silverado pulled the 9500 lbs through that stretch of elevation and demand without any issues, I would say that pulling 7000 to 7500 lbs would be no issue. And they actually use a 150 lb passenger as well on their runs.

But they are not pulling a wall through the air. As has been said, for RVs, tow weight is basically useless as you will not hit that number before running out of payload.
Tow weight is fine if you are pulling a flatbed full of lumber. Build a front facing wall from that lumber and the result is totally different.
Ejraste
Explorer
Jul 21, 2020
afidel wrote:
Correct, J2807 is based on full fluids, a 150 pound driver, and 10% tongue weight using a flat deck trailer with heavy weights adjusted to give the desired tongue weight. It's not at all representative of what real users tow or how most of us use our vehicles. I've talked to several people in the industry about a more realistic tow test using an average family of 4 with 2 teenagers and a few hundred in the bed and a max frontal area but because it would result on smaller numbers everyone has said it would never fly as marketing would kill it.

Honestly I think the test they do, especially the 11 mile Davis dam test is much harder and more demanding than the normal person would pull. Over 3000 feet of elevation over a short 11 mile stretch going a minimum of 40 mph. So for example, if the 2020 Silverado pulled the 9500 lbs through that stretch of elevation and demand without any issues, I would say that pulling 7000 to 7500 lbs would be no issue. And they actually use a 150 lb passenger as well on their runs.
afidel
Explorer II
Jul 21, 2020
Correct, J2807 is based on full fluids, a 150 pound driver, and 10% tongue weight using a flat deck trailer with heavy weights adjusted to give the desired tongue weight. It's not at all representative of what real users tow or how most of us use our vehicles. I've talked to several people in the industry about a more realistic tow test using an average family of 4 with 2 teenagers and a few hundred in the bed and a max frontal area but because it would result on smaller numbers everyone has said it would never fly as marketing would kill it.
JIMNLIN
Explorer III
Jul 21, 2020
Yeah, from what I’m reading, most new trucks are tow rated Based on j2807 standards. So if a truck is rated for 10,000 lbs then that means it passed every single test towing towing 10,000 lbs.

The 10000 lb tow rating is for all types of trailers....not just rv trailers. Tow = carry and pull weight.
Many 1/2 ton trucks can have a 10000 lb tow rating however depending on the trailer type may not have the rear suspension to carry fixed hitch loads from A TT or 5th wheel trailer.

Other trailer types like car haulers/cargo trailers/stock trailers/equipment trailers/etc, the load can be arranged to determine a hitch load for any truck/trailer combo.