Are My TV & TT a Good Match?

[hotpep1]

Last year we bought a 2007 Ford F150 King Ranch Supercrew 4x2 to haul a trailer for us to dog shows. A few months later we bought the trailer, a 2008 Coachman Captiva 288FKS.

We've been towing all around Florida (where we live) without problems but I'm always worried. Three Ford service advisors have told me that truck can easily tow our trailer but I still worry. Ford towing guides state the truck can tow 8500 lbs.

Truck specs:
5.4 FFV V8
3.55 ratio axle
18" wheels
139" wheelbase
7050# GVWR package
front GAWR: 3450 lbs.
rear GAWR: 3850 lb.

Additional information: the truck did not have a towing package. Last week the torque converter broke down (just as we were backing into the yard when we got home!) so we had the tranny rebuilt with a new HD torque converter and they added an HD tranny oil cooler.

Trailer specs:
6580 lbs. (as purchased)
tongue: 860 lbs.
carrying capacity: 1,1813 lbs.

I know we need to weigh the set-up but I wanted to hear from the experienced folks here.

Thanks!

[Walaby]

According to what I found online, your max payload is 1770 lbs. Add weight of passengers and cargo, subtract from 1770. The remaining amount is what you have avail for tongue weight and WD hitch.

I think you will find yourself real close, if not above, payload, when you are done.

But, best answer is weigh what you have.

Mike

[Walaby]

Whats your payload for the truck? Don't see that number.

Weighing your config, loaded ready to camp, is the right answer. Short of that, start with Payload for the truck. Subtract what you have in the truck (passengers, cargo etc). Remaining cargo capacity is what you have available for tongue weight and the WD hitch weight.

The fact you burned up the torque converter shows you were not a good match. The fact you upgraded that component, to include the tranny cooler is great, but that does nothing for payload/cargo capacity.

Cargo Capacity can be found on the door jamb on the yellow sticker.

Mike

[mkirsch]

Just going with a typical options + provisions + your stuff trailer weight "bloat" you're looking at a trailer that weighs around 8000lbs loaded and ready to camp. Tongue weight will be a minimum of 1000lbs, and I would not be surprised if it's around 1200lbs.

That's borderline for ANY F150, except for the 7-lug HD payload package version. If you carry much in the way of people and/or stuff in the truck, odds are you are overloaded.

Hopefully I'm erring a bit to the heavy side here for my armchair quarterbacking. You will definitely want to get it weighed to get a clear picture.

[BurbMan]

hotpep1 wrote:
I know we need to weigh the set-up but I wanted to hear from the experienced folks here.

Thanks!

The experienced folks here say get it weighed. Without real #'s we are just talking what-ifs.

[Old-Biscuit]

Ford states max tow at 8500# ....course that is just mfg. marketing hype with a few *** fine print caveats ---150# driver and 20# cargo.
Anything/everything added reduces it's real world towing capacity.

You already know how poorly it tows.

YES you really do need to get combo weighed!!!

Trailer weight 6580# as purchased........haha. Nobody tows trailer empty except hot-shot driver that delivered it from factory to dealer.

Tongue weight....860#.....haha. THat is dry weight. Real tongue weight is probably closer to 1000#

With trailer loaded up to go camping and truck full of passengers/stuff to go camping you are most likely over trucks GVWR and RAWR....and over GCWR

GCWR is 14,000# (Total truck trailer)

Really need to go get weighed so you have REAL numbers vs mfg. bogus marketing numbers.
Weigh truck only (with all passengers/stuff/fuel)
Weigh truck trailer combo with WDH/bars hooked up
Weigh truck trailer combo w/o bars hooked up

Good step forward was the rebuilt tranny and cooler added
That 5.4 is good motor just a bit lacking in torque for towing

[Grit_dog]

5.4l is a little anemic compared to the newer engines but a safe enough chassis to tow an 8000lb trailer.