nole_trainer wrote:
Why would Ford (or any of the manufactures) state one number vs what other would tell me. From campgrounds to several forums? Then for a year I would drive down the road looking at FW that were obviously too heavy for the truck? Something must be off, and really what do the "weight police" have to gain from stating some of the obvious numbers?
There is a lot more to towing than what can be covered in one 30-second commercial. That's why.
Ford is giving you a "best case" number because there is no way for them to predict what you are going to add to the truck, how many people you are going to haul, how much stuff you are going to load before hitching up the trailer, etc. etc..
In your case you have 3450lbs of payload capacity left on the rear axle and 570lbs of payload capacity left on the front axle.
A properly hitched 5th wheel has no effect on the front axle, so you're concentrating on the rear axle numbers.
A 5th wheel hitch sits directly over the rear axle, so that puts you down to 3200lbs. That's pretty much your limit on paper, which puts you in up to a 16,000lb (20% pin weight) 5th wheel, though a <12,800lb (25% pin weight) rig would be much more likely.
Putting 10-ply tires on half ton trucks since aught-four.
