This is how you figure how much trailer you can tow:
1. Add weights of driver and all passengers who will ride in vehicle while towing
2. If tonneau cover or topper, add its weight
3. Add weight of WD hitch you will use (100# is a good general estimate)
4. Add estimated weight of all "stuff" you will carry in vehicle while towing, including but not limited to, generators, grills, firewood, chairs, tables, bicycles, whatever
5. Subtract whatever sum you got from the
PAYLOAD RATING on the sticker inside the vehicle's driver's side door.
6. That is the payload left for your tongue weight. Since the trailer should have 12% to 15% of its weight as tongue weight, divide the number from step 5 by 13%. Whatever THAT number is should be the approximate GVWR (not dry weight) of the largest trailer you can tow.
MY truck's numbers. (Ford says I have a "tow rating" of 11,800# and a "payload rating" of 1,895#.)
1. 400#
2. 200#
3. 100#
4a. 150# (portable boat we carry)
4b. 150# (everything else)
5. That 1000# subtracted from our 1895# payload rating leaves 895# for tongue weight
6. 1895#/13%=6884# (approximate)
I would consider going as high as 7500# GVWR maybe, MAYBE. We actually bought a trailer with a 6000# GVWR so we have about a 13% cushion between what we tow and the truck's maximums. I like some cushion.
Bobbo and Lin
2017 F-150 XLT 4x4 SuperCab w/Max Tow Package 3.5l EcoBoost V6
2017 Airstream Flying Cloud 23FB