Can my truck pull this trailer with limits

Rob92266 · 10-02-2021, 10:44 AM

i have a 2012 f150 ecoboost, 3.5, this probably has been discussed before but here it goes.

truck weighs 5867 lbs
my f150 gvwr is 7650 lbs
my rear end axel is a 3:73
max payload is 1900 lbs
payload including cargo is approx 1100 lbs (people, gas, hitch, cargo)

Keystone cougar 22rbiwe
trailer dry is 5820 lbs
trailer gvwr 7200 lbs
payload 1380 lbs
tongue weight is 690 lbs
cargo in trailer approx 400 lbs
also using weight distribution hitch

now im getting confused with all the numbers and hope someone could help me out, am i still good to pull safely with my ecoboost, i have tried numerous trailer load calculators and its greek to me

rob

notanlines · 10-02-2021, 11:11 AM

Rob, without going line by line, you have 800 pounds to allow for tongue weight of your trailer. Use 13% of the trailer’s gross (936 pounds) for calculated tongue weight. You are about 136 pounds over.
I highly recommend loading everything just like a camping trip and run over your local CAT scale. You will probably be in the envelope, but just barely.
Did you swap to LT tires? A good start for you.

**sourdough** · 10-02-2021, 11:42 AM

Have not gone thru this prior to posting so lets look;

Payload of truck will be 1783 not 1900; gvwr 7650 minus truck weight of 5867 = 1783. Trailer gvw 7200lbs. Tongue weight estimation 13% of gvw = 936lbs. + hitch estimate 100lbs. = 1036lbs. 1783 payload - 1036 = 747lbs. remaining. From that you need to subtract what's loaded in the truck; people, tools, etc. I see you said 1100 including hitch so let's take that off the above number = 936 instead of 1036. So we have a payload of 1783 - 936 tongue = 847lbs. remaining. Your numbers indicate that the load in the truck is 1100lbs. with hitch (removed above) so 1100lbs. load in truck - 847 remaining payload = (253lbs.) over payload.

That's simplistic and a guestimate. A trip over the scales will tell you exactly. You said 400lbs. of gear to load in the RV vs the carrying capacity of 1380. Will you load 1380 in a 22rbi? I doubt it. Will it be over 400lbs.? I would suspect so. There's where the scale is invaluable. I will say that I don't remember anyone that had loaded their trailer for actually camping and came away from a scale and said "wow, it wasn't nearly as much as I thought", it's usually considerably more than what you think. DWs 38 pairsof shoes and those 2 sets of cast iron cookware add up....

Rob92266 · 10-02-2021, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by notanlines

Rob, without going line by line, you have 800 pounds to allow for tongue weight of your trailer. Use 13% of the trailer’s gross (936 pounds) for calculated tongue weight. You are about 136 pounds over.
I highly recommend loading everything just like a camping trip and run over your local CAT scale. You will probably be in the envelope, but just barely.
Did you swap to LT tires? A good start for you.

I have Starfire Solaris ap truck tires. 275/55/20

Rob92266 · 10-02-2021, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by notanlines

Rob, without going line by line, you have 800 pounds to allow for tongue weight of your trailer. Use 13% of the trailer’s gross (936 pounds) for calculated tongue weight. You are about 136 pounds over.
I highly recommend loading everything just like a camping trip and run over your local CAT scale. You will probably be in the envelope, but just barely.
Did you swap to LT tires? A good start for you.

I have Starfire Solaris ap truck tires 275/55/20

**sourdough** · 10-02-2021, 11:55 AM

Do they specify LT on them? What are the rest of the numbers on the tires? The Starfire Solarus comes in both passenger and LT designations from what I could pull up. You will want LT tires vs passenger for towing.

Rob92266 · 10-02-2021, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sourdough

Do they specify LT on them? What are the rest of the numbers on the tires? The Starfire Solarus comes in both passenger and LT designations from what I could pull up. You will want LT tires vs passenger for towing.

they are the lt tire, 10 ply

Rob92266 · 10-02-2021, 12:09 PM

lt tires, load index 123/120 10 ply

travelin texans · 10-02-2021, 01:32 PM

Just to clarify!
The title of your post is "can my truck "pull" this trailer within limits?", the simple answer is YES your truck can "pull" that trailer, but the questionable part is can it "carry" the weight imposed by that trailer within the limits, there is a big difference in the 2.
From the weights you've posted you will be right at the max payload of that truck. If you add more people or more stuff to either the truck or rv you'll likely be beyond the posted limits.
For any rv owner to make claims such as "we always travel light", "we only travel XX miles from home" or "we don't carry full tanks" are only fooling themselves, at some point, typically sooner than later, you will do all of those.

cchristo · 10-02-2021, 08:06 PM

I was furloughed from work last year and like many others, decided to buy a travel trailer and make use of the unexpected free time. Over the course of almost three months last year, we took an approximately 7000 mile trip from San Antonio, TX up to Missoula then Glacier National Park, Montana, over to Anacortes, Washington, down the coast of Oregon, then across over to Boise Idaho, down to Moab, UT, Ruidoso, NM, and back home. Very little of it was on the interstate. Most of it was just meandering two lane roads.

I did this in an F150 with the 2.7L Ecoboost. My weights were not much different than yours. Right at the limits, and almost certainly were sometimes over, depending on water and waste tank, gas tanks, and grocery levels. I was carrying a KTM dual-sport motorcycle in the pickup bed along with a generator, compressor, and other stuff. In the toy hauler trailer, I had my very large and heavy Victory Vision Motorcycle.

I don't remember my exact weights, but I did hit the scales twice while on the road, and I really was pushing the absolute limits of that truck. I did have a weight distributing hitch but relied on the trucks built in electronic Anti-sway system. (it seems to work pretty good)

I hit just about every imaginable road and weather condition you could have. The little engine that could, did, but it was working WAY too hard. Aside from the power, the truck seemed very small and unsubstantial in crosswinds, steep downhill sections, heavy traffic, and the like.

I have a fair amount of experience pulling various types of trailers, including a very brief time while getting my military Tractor/Trailer Combination (18 wheeler) license, but I'd never done a substantial trip like this pulling a bumper hitch recreational camping trailer with a pickup.

So now, when I hear the question "can I pull that trailer with that truck?", my answer is usually, "yes you can, but you're not going to enjoy it". There were just too many white knuckle moments, and it took away some of the enjoyment of what was otherwise an epic trip.

Pushing any vehicle to it's absolute limit is a sketchy thing to do. Yes, you can do it. Yes, the engineers that calculate the limits put a safety margin in to the equation. Yes, it's legal.

Just remember that the closer you creep towards those limits, the higher the risk becomes. Everything is great. Until it isn't.

One of the very first things I did upon returning home was to sell the F150 and buy an F250. I also bought a nicer trailer! Now, the thought of unnecessarily staying in a motel sends shivers down my spine! We did another trip earlier this year that lasted a couple of months and covered over 5000 miles. This stuff is very addictive!

Ya'll have fun and enjoy yourselves out there but please; be careful.

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