well I did the "impossible" thats right i towed a 753 series bobcat with my 99 4x4 ORP 5 speed 4.6, it was a lil hairy from the start but I Love My Truck, i would not do it everyday but now i know it can be done........i believe i surpassed the recommended tow rating for the truck but i do not know how much the bobcat weighed with the trailer....just a lil story for ya'll thumbs up to Ford

 

Hi W

I could have told you that.

Always good to know what your truck can/can't do. Sounds like you did ok and safely.

Good luck and keep it on the road. OT

 

You are damned lucky you didn't burn your clutch or blow the tranny.

 

Be careful with that thing! Those little suckers weigh quite a bit. I'm sure you had a bit of a problem going up some hills. How'd it do under the load?

-Flea

 

My 4.6 5-speed pulled an '89 Regal on a single axle trailer from upstate New York to central Illinois. It was right after I got married, so we were hauling all my wife's stuff, thought for sure I'd be going 55 in 4th all the way across the country but had no problem getting up to 70 and going in overdrive. Pulled onto a scale at a grain elevator and found the total weight of truck, trailer and cargo was 11,020 lbs. My truck weight 4700.

 

to be honest i barely got outa 3rd gear, the trailer only let me go 40 mph. then it would start to fish tail. so i stayed off the interstate and used side roads, took me 45 minutes for what a normal drive is about 15. i really dont plan on doing that again. i think i will have it delivered next time.

 

Not enough tounge weight. Ford doesn't consider their suspension when they list towing capacities as 15% or so itounge wt. is actually required for a trailer to tow properly. F-150's suspension just wont handle it. It would have actually pulled easier too (like you had more power) and braked easier if you'd of had more tounge weight.

 

yea, the bobcats are heavy. Forklifts are also kinda heave. The suspencion isn't all that great. when we pulled the sporttrac on the trailer behind my truck, the front end of the truck was being pushed forward slightly.

Note to all,,,,,,
if you are going to tow a heavy object (such as forklift) make shure the floor of the trailer will support the weight. If it cant, it will fall through and land on the axles. you will then have to get another forklift to get yours out. Then you place some plate metel. And, be shure and tie it down even when backing up 10 feet. Them oil leeks + steel + hard rubber + stoping = forlkift going through tailgate in trailer and landing on the concrete 1 foot down. Its loud, so have ear plugs ready.