I purchased an '08 F150 FX2 SuperCrew. It states, on the door panel, that my GVWR is 7,050lbs. If I understand GVWR correctly, that is the combined weight of my truck and all it's payload...including trailer. The owner's guide says I have a max GCWR of 13,500lbs and a max trailer weight of 8,000lbs.....WTF! What is that 7,050lb figure. I don't get it. I'm new to understanding what I can pull, but not new to pulling a trailer. Can someone please explain this for me? Thnks

 

Still needing an explanation, but read my owner's guide a little further. It states that the GCWR is the amount of the F150 and trailer combined............So then if I take GCWR and subtract the GVWR, that still means (I think) that my trailer can be no more than 6,450lbs. But the guide still stated MAX TRAILER WEIGHT IS 8,000 LBS...

 

Forget all about the stated "max trailer weight"... That only comes into play if you do not load your truck anywhere near it's GVWR....

What you have to do is get your truck weighed as it sits in the driveway with you and however many other 'beings' you will normally be hauling. Take this weight and subtract it from that GVWR your truck has and that's how much 'payload' you have left to load up the bed with, or add a trailers tongue weight to.

For examples sake, lets say you weigh your truck and it comes in at #6000. That means you can load up an additional #1050 to match your trucks GVWR. You still need to be conscience of the fact that you can still exceed your rear axle weight rating, but lets stick with only one thing at a time for now!

Ok, so you find a trailer you like and it has a tongue weight of #500. What this means is when you hitch up that trailer, it will be putting an additional payload on your truck of #500. Now, you should weigh #6500. Now, you only have #550 of stuff you can put in the bed or the cab, or add to the trailer, which will then add some more tongue weight..

Lets say you load up a couple of coolers filled with beer! With ice and all, that could equal another #200 (you have a lot of beer!).. Now you are at #6700. Bubba, your best friend wants to come along, but since there is no more room in the SC, he sits in back and he just happens to weigh #350.. Now you have matched your trucks GVWR.

Now, whatever your trailer weighs, will determine what your GCW is..

The only answer to 'how much will my truck tow' is it depends on what it weighs right now.... Meaning, all the manual states is it's max ratings, if you didn't have anything loaded in the truck.. They don't know how much beer you take, or how many people ride with you and if you are a Bubba or not...

Most "1/2 ton" trucks do very well with around a 6-7,000 pound trailer. This will give you anywhere from #600-#1000 of tongue weight depending on the trailers design and intent.

Once you start getting over #500 of trailer tongue weight, then you are in Weight Distribution Land and that's another chapter all in itself!

So, what kind of trailer are you looking at getting? Travel Trailer, Utility Trailer, Car Hauler, Boat?? All of these come in different flavors and specs, so each has to be evaluated differently..

If none of this makes sense and you revert back to the "max trailer weight" again, then it's gonna take more 'splaining!

Mitch

 

GVWR is just the truck. If your truck weighs 5500 and you have a 5000 lb trailer with 500 lbs of tongue weight, the truck is at 6000 lbs, not 10,500.

GCVW is gross combined vehicle weight which is usually more like 12,000. That is total weight of the truck, cargo, and trailer.

 

Appreciate the response, Mitch & curtis. I think I understand better now. Mitch....you said a 1/2 ton truck could pull a 6-7,000 lb trailer. Isn't a 1/2 ton trailer an F250?....i.e. 1/4 ton (F150), 1/2 ton (F250) & 3/4 ton (F350), or do I have that wrong. If that's right, what size would the F150 pull? Apologize for my towing ignorance...

As far as what I'm looking for......probably a toy hauler, because I want to buy some dirt bikes. I'd like to be able to sleep 5-6. Thanks again.

 

No... F150 is a 1/2 ton. F250 is a 3/4 ton. F350 is a 1-ton.

but that has nothing to do with actual weights. They are old nomenclatures from the 1920s. Way back in the day, a 1/2 ton truck had a payload of 1000 lbs (half a ton.) Those numbers today mean nothing. Just because its called a 1/2 ton truck doesn't mean squat these days.

I think you're a bit confused. Ignore absolutely everything you've ever thought about 1/2 ton, 3/4 ton, and whatever-ton. Those words mean nothing. Trailers are not called 1/2 ton or 3/4 ton trailers. They are simply rated for a maximum weight.

So, I have an F150. that's a half ton truck... but it has a payload of more than 1000 lbs, so calling it a 1/2 ton is dumb. I use it to tow an 18' flatbed with a max weight of 9000. Period. The trailer isn't called a 4.5 ton trailer, its just a trailer on which I can haul X lbs of weight.

 

You'll find very few toy haulers that do not put a 1/2 ton truck over GVWR. Ignore GCWR. With 5-6 guys in the cab, you won't be close to the combined weight of the truck/trailer/cargo/people limit. And 5 guys, 5 bikes, and 5 beds is not going to be 1/2 ton territory.

Have you looked into hybrid trailers with open decks like this? How far do you travel? Any chance you can get a buddy to pull a light trailer with the bikes and you a regular RV? 5 bikes, single axle trailer is well under 3000 pounds for any minivan or small SUV. Then you can find an RV for you to pull that weighs somthinge like 5000 pounds dry, 7k GVW and happily sleep your friends.

 

That's Super Duty territory.

 

I'm actually more interested in a travel trailer. I have not looked at hybrids. They're interesting looking. I did need to hear opinions on the whole toy hauler thing though. My family and I are wanting to purchase some dirt toys, and even though I'm not up on this whole towing thing, I thought it would be abit heavy. We have friends that can pull heavier loads and we would probably have to put the toys with them. I looked at the Nitrous Hyperlite, online. But as you've said...most toy haulers look abit heavy for the F150.
Thanks again for the explanations. You all are really helping me out with understanding.

Any additional help and explanations will be greatly appreciated. I just purchased the Prodigy brake controller...

 

when I hear stories like this I feel better about my little enclosed trailer that with my quads weigh about 2700lbs. I guess this is cake like some have stated b4 but with my 23" wheels and 3.55 gear ratio I guess that makes a difference, lol.

 

I'd look at trailers with a GVWR of around 6500-7000 to be towed by an F150. Do you have the 5.4 and tow package? Assuming you do, then this weight trailer will do well with your truck. People always say that they won't ever load up that much weight in a travel trailer, but you'd be surprised how fast the weight does add up and over time, you will find that you load more and more into the rig before a trip!

Also, forget about the 'dry' weights the trailer has listed on it's sticker on the cabinet door.. This is how much the trailer weighed as it came off the factory line. It does not include whatever else the dealer added later on.. Like the propane tanks, battery, awning, ac, etc...

You want to keep a trailers tongue weight at a minimum of 10% of the trailers total weight.. Saying that, I prefer 12% or more. This will give you a much more stable tow for the most part and when used with a WD hitch setup, gives you a decent, level ride too.

If you go to a RV dealer, the first thing they are going to ask is "what are you going to tow with?" You'll tell him your '08 F150.. He'll go look at the specs, or simply say, "well those are now rated to tow #9000 with no problem..." Then he'll start showing you rigs that are in exceess of 30' long and have GVWR of over #8000... When you mention "that rig looks a little big", he'll point you to the "UVW" of the rig and say, "it's WAAAY under what your truck is rated for....." You then have to either say, "I'm more interested in ones that are a little lighter.."

Sure, you could tow that #8000 beast, but it won't be fun and you will wear out the truck just that much faster...

Good luck with the shopping and when you get some more models in mind, post them up and we will all give you our opinions!! ha, ha!!

Mitch

 

The Hyperlite 230FSX looks okay for your truck, but you won't fit 5 bikes or sleep 5 people. The 260FSX will be too heavy for your truck and still only has 4 bed unless you want to sleep in the same bed with your buddy.

Look at this list. KZ Rock Climber and Starcraft Thrillseekers are also options.

Personally, I would not want to sleep in the same space I store or park my machines. Dirt, gas, oil near the food I prepare or sleep does not sound like fun. That puts all the small TH's out of 1/2 ton range with 10k+ GVWs. Hybrid/Expandables offer more inside space as the beds are under canvas and pop out of the main shell of the RV. It will be louder so if you camp where people drive late at night, they might not have enough sound control for you. If you are used to tent camping, these will be a tiny bit better.

With prices today, I bet you can find a great used small Class C motorhome that can tow any single axle landscape trailer you desire.

 

Thanks everyone. I appreciate the input. BTW, Mitch, I do have the 5.4 with the tow package. The Forest River Expandables are kinda cool. I've also found myself looking at the Pioneer. I really need to go to the next RV show @ Pomona. I'm going to go to Mike Thompson RV this week and look around.....JUST LOOKING. Don't want to jump into anything too quick. Exciting stuff! Thanks again.......

 

JUST AN OBSERVATION....I took a look at the thread "Show us what your towing with your F150". To me, it seemed as though alot of those F150 owners were towing some pretty big stuff. I will follow everyone's advise from THIS thread. My F150 doesn't need to pull anything that will make her work harder than she has to. I know there are lighter trailers out there that will do the job I seek. There's just so much to chose from....

 

Yes, and a lot of them are towing stuff they really should not be towing.