2013 F150 XL V6 3.7 wt towing travel trailer

[waterbrook]

We have a 2013 F150 XL V6 3.7. Any suggestions as to the weight of a travel trailer this can pull. Having trouble finding information. If so about what size travel trailer to look into. Any brands or models?

[way2roll]

This topic is 10 years old and the op hasn't been on here since.

[Rspeed1987]

So factory says 5100-6400lbs depending on trim level. But I wouldn’t tow a camper that weighed any more than 5000lbs due to the wind resistance you feel. I towed over 9000lbs of flat stock steel like nothing but my 16ft camper that weighs 5000lbs feels the wind resistance pretty good. You will see high rpm’s and be in 2nd-4th gear most of the time but don’t worry it was designed to rev high like that. The first time it downshifted into 2nd on a steep hill at 6700 scared me but it took it like a champ. You’ll drop from 60-50mph but for a v6 that’s still impressive!!!

[samhain7]

Gdetrailer wrote:


NO, NO, NO.

That might "work" with GM but it does not work with Ford.

That guide DOES NOT INCLUDE "OPTIONS" which may be installed on the OPs truck, hence the reason it is called a GUIDE.

DOESNT work with Dodge either..

[TrevorL]

i tow with my 2011 F150 SuperCab with the 3.7 V6, 3.73 gears, and tow package.. my KZ frontier 2505 is around 4900lbs empty and i tow it no problem. max recomended towing weight is 6400lbs according to the manufactures guide. load leveling hitch and sway control is a must in my opinion. i will say that my Camper is 25 feet long and thats probably the biggest i would go with my truck. also if you can get a light weight TT in the same same size, it would be a benefit.. but from experience, i can tell you that the 3.7 V6 F150 can tow my 4900lb 25 fott TT just fine.

http://www.ford.com/resources/ford/general/pdf/towingguides/13flrv&tt_f150.pdf

[rbpru]

The problem with towing guide is the only gives you the max towing capacity.

What you will run into is the max cargo limit. Since the max cargo varies with the options on the vehicle, you need to find the number on one of the door stickers.

For example my 2011 F-150 with towing package has a max towing of over 9000 lbs. but with the extra features it has, the max cargo is only 1411 lbs.
Once I subtract 600 lbs. tongue weight, the truck cap weight, two adults and a dog; that does not give me a lot of excess cargo capacity.

It is not an issue for my DW and I because we travel light.

[tatest]

"Maximum tow weight" will be somewhere between 5100 and 6400 pounds, depending on just which F-150 you have (size, trim, final drive) if and only if you have the factory trailer towing package or "Max Tow" package. Real world limit will be something less, reduced by weight of trim packages, optional equipment, passengers and cargo.

Google "2013 Ford Towing Guide" to get the PDF of Ford's 64 page document. The information is also in the F-150 Owner's Manual, but you still have to know your equipment. I'm not where I can copy and paste the link.

Without the towing package, there is still a towing capacity, but for the 3.7 it is something quite a bit lower.

If I already owned the truck, I would set my sights on something with modest frontal area and a GVWR under 3500 pounds, like an "egg" trailer 17-foot or under, or a folding camper. This is where I was with a V-6 Ranger and why I traded that for a one-ton van.

[APT]

I'm not sure you'll be happy towing anything high walled. The 3.7L makes good power, but you'll cruise at 3000rpm and jump to 5000-6000 on hills. While that is perfectly fine for the truck, the people inside often do not feel comfortable with that.

[Rspeed1987]

I tow a 5000lb camper with my 3.7. And everything is true. Very rarely do I see 5th and 6th gear. Usually 4th at 3000 rpm and 3rd or even 2nd on some hills at 6500 rpm. 

[Gdetrailer]

skipnchar wrote:
You can pick up a towing guide from your Ford dealer which will tell you exactly the maximum trailer weight (which includes all passengers, cargo and towed weight) your truck is rated for. My best guess would be something like 7,000 to 7,500 lb. PROVIDED you don't go over your GVWR (listed on the door post). Good luck / Skip

Skip, sadly you incorrect.

You do not "need" to go to the dealer.

The towing guide for the F150 IS ONLINE.

HERE

Additionally you are also incorrect that the ACTUAL towing weight is listed in that guide.

READ THE FINE PRINT AT BOTTOM OF PAGE 2 (I will post that fine print for you.. Please kindly NOTE the text that I have bolded below..


Select column with transmission, cab design and drive system (4x2 or 4x4) you prefer. Read down column to find the trailer weight that can be towed with engine/axle ratio combinations
listed at left.

GCWR column shows maximum allowable combined weight of vehicle, trailer and cargo (including passengers) for each engine/axle ratio combination.

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

End of text..

The towing weight listed is BASED on the BASIC BARE BONES truck and often the highest towing numbers will be for a regular cab 4x2. Anything else and you will have less towing capacity due to options weights..

It is IMPOSSIBLE for anyone to know the exact weights of each and every option that the truck was ordered with, nor is there anyway you could figure out every possible GVWR package in order to come up with what each truck can tow.

Therefore the BEST way to determine is STUCK ON THE DRIVERS DOOR JAMB.. Ford HAS DONE ALL THE WORK and stuck it on the drivers side door sticker.

[skipnchar]

You can pick up a towing guide from your Ford dealer which will tell you exactly the maximum trailer weight (which includes all passengers, cargo and towed weight) your truck is rated for. My best guess would be something like 7,000 to 7,500 lb. PROVIDED you don't go over your GVWR (listed on the door post). Good luck / Skip

[waterbrook]

Thanks for all the input. I will check further but looks like we will be looking at hybrids. Or something not over 5500lbs. Thanks again to everyone!!

[Gdetrailer]

DougE wrote:
2013 Towing Guide Look on their page 26.

NO, NO, NO.

That might "work" with GM but it does not work with Ford.

That guide DOES NOT INCLUDE "OPTIONS" which may be installed on the OPs truck, hence the reason it is called a "GUIDE".

As Love2camp mentioned, the DOOR STICKER will list the ACTUAL CARGO weight rating.

OP simply takes the cargo weight rating subtract passenger and other gear which will go in the truck. The leftover is the max tongue weight allowed.

The tongue weight of a bumper pull trailer should be a min of 10% up to 15% of the TRAILER WEIGHT.

So, if you have a trailer weighing 5,000 lbs you should have a tongue weight of 500 lbs to 750 lbs.

6,000 lbs you will have tongue weight of 600 lbs to 900 lbs

7,000 lbs you will have tongue weight of 700 lbs to 1,050 lbs

Remember, your tongue weight COUNTS as "cargo" for your vehicle.

[love2rvcamp]

This example has a cargo capacity of 2051 pounds.

Look at the yellow sticker on your drivers door. These are specific ratings for your truck. There will be a number that shows you the max cargo capacity of your truck. This number is how much cargo your truck can handle. This number includes a tank of gas (26 gallons) and the driver weight. Any other weight you add will have to be deducted from this weight. So that is weight in the bed of the truck, other passengers and the hitch weight of the trailer and the weight of any WDH you will add. There will also be weights for front and rear axle. You will find you will run out of cargo weight way before you run out of trailer weight on some of the 1/2 tons. You can figure the hitch of the trailer will be any where from 13 - 15% of the GVWR

[DougE]

2013 Towing Guide Look on their page 26.