2013 F150 XL V6 3.7 wt towing travel trailer

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..

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

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.

"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.

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.

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.

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

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!!