help an idiot out

[thatdjguy]

I have a 2007 f150 supercab. It has a 4.6 engine V8 and 144.5 inch wheelbase. It is 2wd. Would you be so kind to tell me how much total weight I can take down the road including occupants, trailer, and gear...and how much trailer you would purchase given 75% flat towing...maybe 6-8 times a year staying within 300 miles of home.

I'm not a car or truck guy--not even a technical camper fella--I just love to tow it down the road and set up shop!

[Seabee]

Is that wheel base a supercab 6' bed? If so, a 3:55 gear will give you a max trailer weight of 6400. A 3:73 gear will give you a max trailer weight of 6900. Check your owner's manual for your specific GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating) for a total max weight of truck and trailer.

[Javi]

Run outside, open the driver's door and there should be a sticker there like this and in the top right corner it will have the max payload of your pickup.
subtract the weight of any people, cargo, tools etc. you added or will add... from that number . Then subtract another 100 pounds for a W/D hitch... whatever is left is the max tongue weight you can tow. Tongue weight of a tow behind trailer is generally 10% to 15% of the GVWR of the trailer.. Example... 5000 trailer = tongue weight of 500 to 750 pounds.

[hankaye]

thatdjguy, Howdy;

Here's a link to get you an Owner's Manual;
https://owner.ford.com/tools/account/how-tos/owner-manuals.html?gnav=header-owners
There should be a page or more that will give you the limits.
there are also codes on the sticker door sticker with the VIN
Number and other info that will decode into rear end gearing
and all that stuff.
What part of Md. ?

hankaye

[Festus2]

and how much trailer you would purchase given 75% flat towing...maybe 6-8 times a year staying within 300 miles of home.


If you want to tow your trailer safely from Point A to B and stay within the truck's towing capacity/payload, then it doesn't make much difference whether the roads are flat, whether you tow it twice or twenty times or whether you travel 30, 300 or 3000 miles. If you truck is overloaded when you leave home, it will be overloaded while you are driving and when you get there.

People seem to think that everything will be ok if I drive slowly, if I don't go uphill or down or if I go only a few miles up the road.

The sticker on your tow vehicle will pretty much determine "how much trailer you can purchase". The other "stuff" really doesn't matter.

[thatdjguy]

I'm located on the Eastern Shore close to Ocean City. I'm a bit confused over the towing capacity being 6500...and the total capacity being 11500 (I believe). I'm pretty sure that tow capacity and the weight of the truck would be over the gross...unless you don't count the actual vehicle. So many things!

[thatdjguy]

The GVWR on the sticker states 6700. Is that trailer plus 'stuff/people' in the truck? Is the GVWR the max amount the truck plus cargo can way IN ADDITION t the tow capacity of 6500...meaning the entire rig can weigh 13000 plus?

[Javi]

The GVWR on the sticker states 6700. Is that trailer plus 'stuff/people' in the truck?

That is the maximum the vehicle can weigh.. including all cargo including the tongue weight of the trailer.

[thatdjguy]

That is the maximum the vehicle can weigh.. including all cargo

So this is IN ADDITION to the tow capacity?

[Javi]

So this is IN ADDITION to the tow capacity?

Tow capacity is how much weight the truck can pull, that has nothing to do with how much it can carry.. The GVWR is the total weight of the truck with all cargo and any tongue weight from the trailer.

[thatdjguy]

In my defense...I told y'all I was an idiot. So dumb this down even more for me: If the trailer towed can be 6500...and the GVWR is 6700--I could load up and tip the scales at 13200 and be at the capacity of the entire weight of every thing?

[Seabee]

So this is IN ADDITION to the tow capacity?

It's not in addition. If you max out your GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating), it will most likely lower what your max trailer weight can be. For instance the max trailer weight of my truck is 10,500 lbs. The GVWR of my truck is 7300 lbs. The GCWR of my truck is 16,000 lbs. Again GCWR is what the truck and trailer hooked together can weight. Well, if I max out the trucks weight at 7300 lbs. and still try to tow a trailer that weighs 10,500, I would be overweight by 1800 lbs.

[Javi]

In my defense...I told y'all I was an idiot. So dumb this down even more for me: If the trailer towed can be 6500...and the GVWR is 6700--I could load up and tip the scales at 13200 and be at the capacity of the entire weight of every thing?

See your private message

[thatdjguy]

See your private message

JAvi is a gentleman. Thank you sir. Have a beer for me!

[Steve S]

If you want to tow your trailer safely from Point A to B and stay within the truck's towing capacity/payload, then it doesn't make much difference whether the roads are flat, whether you tow it twice or twenty times or whether you travel 30, 300 or 3000 miles. If you truck is overloaded when you leave home, it will be overloaded while you are driving and when you get there.

People seem to think that everything will be ok if I drive slowly, if I don't go uphill or down or if I go only a few miles up the road.

The sticker on your tow vehicle will pretty much determine "how much trailer you can purchase". The other "stuff" really doesn't matter.

Good points Festus, we took a drive to Horsefly on Friday andI was amazed at how many trucks were way below their limits.
I saw so many f150's towing 28 plus units just struggling to get up the hills and watching them going down gave me shivers as they didn't have the brakes and they were all over the road.
So many people don't have a clue about towing and safety!
My trailer has 1/2 ton stickers on it and I would never attempt towing with a half ton.

[GMcKenzie]

Good points Festus, we took a drive to Horsefly on Friday andI was amazed at how many trucks were way below their limits.


More important question is did you catch anything?

[Steve S]

More important question is did you catch anything?
We arrived a bit late but I did get some fly fishing in but I caught nothing!
It's a beautiful lake and it's very quite up there. Such a nice place to camp. :)