What’s up with the Built Ford Tough Super-Duty hitch? They advertise 12.5K when properly equipped, but the sticker on the hitch says only 6K weight carrying capacity. The lightest thing I own is 6K! What do most of you do, order truck without hitch and install you own 10K weight carrying hitch? Thank you. Philip.

 

Man 6k...NOPE, my truck won't see anything that light on the hitch...

 

I installed my onw 10k hitch. It cost less then the facory one, too.

 

I have an '01, and there was no sticker on it saying I couldn't go up to 10K with it. Pretty sure my owner's manual says 10K on the factory hitch... of course, they may have done something different lately...

Now I have to go check ...

 

The 'weight carrying' designation will be quite a bit less than 'weight distributing'.

Weight carrying is just that...how much you can put on the hitch ball. It is less because all the load is on the ball, stinger and hitch tube. A weight distributing setup will take some of the load off the ball and distribute it throughout the hitch and frame of the truck. You can crank those stabilizer bars down and level out the truck.

Your hitch can handle the 12.5K just fine, it just needs the right setup. So yes, it is Built Ford Tough.

 

That's normal weight carrying capacity for that receiver. Ford recommends that you use a weight distributing hitch with heavy loads anyway.

 

I checked my factory hitch on my '01, and it's 10K w/weight-distributing, 1000 tongue, 5K normal, 500 tongue.

Oh well... it's even less than the original poster's !

Thankfully, I've only pulled a 900lbs trailer for my Honda NX650 enduro!

 

My main point here is, why put such a wimpy hitch on an 3/4 or 1 ton truck? It should be rated a minimum 1K/10K weight carrying and 1.2K/12K weight distributing. Philip.

 

Why do you need so much weight carrying capability?
Even if you were allowed a 25% tongue load on your truck, with 6,000lbs tongue load - that's a 24,000lb trailer. Fact is that even a 350SRW is only rated to carry 4410lbs - and even that rating is only good for a reg cab 2wd gas engine model. Diesel engine, 4x4, and/or Supercab, can bring this rating down a WHOLE lot.
Of course the truck can handle more than it's paper payload rating says it can, but even if you loaded 6000lbs in the box - some of that weight is going to the front axle, and 6000lbs is more than I'd want on both axles with SRW to be honest.
Your hitch is fine.

 

My small tractor and trailer weights 6000 pounds combined. Assume 10% tounge weight at 600 pounds. My large tractor and trailer weights 10000 pounds conbined. Assume 10% tounge weight at 1000 pounds. All of our trucks and trailers are set up for weight carrying, not weight distributing. That is why I am disappointed with the rating on the Built Ford Tough Super-Duty hitch. Sinister73, I am not sure where you are getting your numbers from. Philip.

 

I totally agree, I was sure this hitch was rated 10K without weight distribution. I'm glad you brought up this subject.

Hey, at least your's is rated 6K, mine is only 5K!

I'm going to be renting some equipment to clean up my yard this spring, and this kinda limits the size of what I can rent

 

The 5k that is on the hitch is total weight not tongue weight. If you ook carefully it states clearly that the max tongue weight is only 500 lbs.

 

Um, and your point is what?

 

Krewat, Draw-Tite has a 1K/10K WC 1.2K/12K WD class IV hitch that I am picking up today for $209. I feel like Ford is leading people astray by supplying such a light duty hitch on these 'Super-Duty' trucks. It could be due to liability, but that is a weak cop out. Philip.

 

Not bad! I see them on-line for $160 and up...

If I need it, I'll be switching over ...