I have a 2007 with 4.30 gears and auto trans and I am pretty sure the max trailer weight on the hitch is 12,500. And that is with a weight distribution hitch obviously.

 

Pappy19: What is Mike's 5 Star programmer with the 89 octane performance/tow setup?

Super 6.8: Thanks. I don't have a weight distribution hitch. I'll look into this.

 

Holy resurrected thread, Batman!

As much as I have thoroughly enjoyed my 5 star tuner, I doubt you're going to observe any meaningful improvement in towing performance with that much weight hanging off the back. Then again, I've not attempted any where near those weights. Others here surely have, though. And I'm sure they'll be chiming in shortly.

 

With a manual transmission, the improvement will also be less evident. It is an improvement, but less dramatic. I doubt, with extreme weight/towing, that any measurable difference will be experienced.

 

Thanks ya'll. This info has been very helpful. I'll be getting actual weights this weekend on truck and trailer.

 

Hi,

I will talk to your question on the truck hitch if you are pulling a 13,000# trailer. This is the sticker off my 2005 F350 in my sig. I had to change the stock Ford receiver to a Reese 3" receiver and weight distributing hitch to handle the 1,600# loaded tongue weight of my 10,000# loaded travel trailer. In my case I had to upgrade due to the trailer loaded tongue weight (TW). I could tow a 12,500# trailer if the trailer TW was only 1,250# or 10% of the receiver pull rating in a weight distributing mode.


Since yours is a 2006, I do not think Ford yet changed to the 3" receiver until maybe 2008 ish. If yours is a 2" receiver (the square hole the drawbar goes in) then yours would be like my picture I posted above.

When you use a "weight distribution" (WD) hitch the truck receiver hitch equipment is rated to pull, 12,500# with a max of 1,250# loaded tongue weight. But you have to be using an aftermarket WD hitch in order to use that rating. You should not use a standard draw bar even it if was rated which your not going to find much in a 2" draw bar rated that high anyway.

By your picture, I am not seeing any spring bars or likes of a weight distributing hitch on your truck and boat. With no WD hitch that means the truck receiver hitch equipment is then rated to pull 5,000# in a "weight carrying" mode. Just stick a 2" draws bar in rated to 5,000# pull and 500 # TW and your good. But that small rating is all it is good for even if the truck is sized to tow larger trailer. This is not about what the drivetrain of the truck can pull, but what the hitch equipment Ford sized and installed when they shipped it. If your stock truck receiver hitch was to ever fail while towing a 13,000# boat and not using a WD hitch setup, you are way over the hitch equipment Ford installed. I'm not saying it is illegal, I'm saying it is over the manufacturers rating. If a lawyer ever gets involved and someone was hurt, they could argue you were exceeding the hitch equipment on the truck and put you in bad spot. Don't feel bad, in this same era, Dodge would only put a 5,000/500# hitch weight carrying hitch on their 1 ton dually back then too. In WD mode, the Dodge could pull 10,000# with a 1.000# tongue weight in WD mode.

Since the towing wars of the big 3 have come so far since 2005/2006, all the of them now offer 3" truck receivers to be able to handle the new tow higher ratings. But still, most of them have to use a WD hitch to be able to get the high numbers.

That said you can upgrade the receiver on the truck to get higher ratings and then not be overrunning the manufacturer spec's for hitch equipment. This is the sticker off the Reese 3" receiver I installed to deal with my travel trailer.


The Ford OEM one on the left, Reese Towbeast (now Titain) on the right


These are direct bolt on receivers. Your issue will be getting the old bolts out holding the OEM hitch to the frame. Come equipped with 3/4" drive tools. 1/2" will not cut it between the rust and the loctite Ford used on them. This is what my receiver looks like with a weight distributing hitch and anti sway controls being used.


Since you have a boat you may not need the anti sway portion like I do on a travel trailer. In that case, see my 10,000# rated flatbed trailer with a WD hitch and no anti sway. This setup can handle 1,200# of loaded tongue weight due to the size of the WD bars I use and that's all I need. Reese makes them in different sizes. 600, 800, 1,200, 1,500 and 1,700# bars to fit your loaded trailer tongue weight. Also, the tow ball has to be rated to handle a full 13,000#. You can buy a 2 5/16" gooseneck tow ball rated at 25,000# for less then $30, The ball should be stamped with the rating in the top.

Notice the difference at the chains area verses the hitch above with the dual cam anti sway controls.





Hope this helps

John

PS, My 2005 F350 with the V10, auto tranny, 4.10 rear axle on 16" tires has a GCWR (Gross combined weight rating) of 21,000#. That is the pull rating the truck is built too which includes the combined loaded weight of the truck and camper. While the tow rating of this vintage was 12,500#, that is with a moderately loaded truck. As long as I do not overload the truck GVWR with is 11,000# on mine, I can then only pull a 10,000# trailer with a full 11,000# on the truck. But if the truck weighs 8,500# which is very doable, then I could pull the full 12,500# of trailer. In your case for a 13,000# boat, the truck could only weigh loaded 8,000# and be at the limits for my truck. I'm giving up truck bed weight for extra trailer weight. My truck with no camper, 3/4 tank of gas, 2 well fed adults, no trailer hitched up and some tools in the cab weighs 7,680#. So you can tow your boat, just watch the truck bed weights and your boat tongue weight does not exceed your GCWR or your truck GVWR. Your F250 most likely has a 10,000# GVWR so you have to watch the truck bed weight closer, but the pull rating could be the same pending the tires, rear axle and what engine & transmission. A manual shift is usually lower than the automatic tranny. I'm not sure what rear axle and tires you have to know the GCWR on yours. The owners manual has your GCWR. Look in the back part of the book under towing for a ratings chart.

 

Hello All,

Thank you again for your replys. It's really help me understand.

This is the current status after being introduced to the Cat Scale. The total weight of loaded truck and trailer is 18,060lbs. I over estimated.

The GCWR of my truck is 20,000 with the manual trans, V10 & 4:10 rear axle according to the manual. GVWR = 9600lbs

Front GRAW: 3860 lbs (max = 4800 )
Rear GRAW. 4780 lbs (max = 6100 )
Trailer Weight: 9420 lbs
Tongue weight around 800 lbs.

My trailer's is a single beam for about 4 feet from the hitch until it meets the rest of the trailer. I was unable to find a WD hitch with 4 foot arms.

Thanks again.

 

OK, I forgot about the boat single beam tongue and most likely you have surge brakes. There are at least 2 solutions for this. Since you know you have 800# of tongue weight,

1. You can change the truck receiver to handle the full loaded tongue weight of the boat. And buy a solid draw bar rated for the full loaded tongue weight. Reese and Curt make truck good aftermarket truck receivers. Just make sure the "Weight carrying" rating is above the 800#.

2. You can use what they call a pole tongue adapter on the boat to hook the chains of the WD hitch too. They make them. Read and see here. https://www.etrailer.com/p-RP58393.html and here on how they explain it https://www.etrailer.com/question-57594.html You may want to confirm with the boat trailer maker it can handle the pole tongue adapter. Also ask the trailer maker if their surge brake can work with a standard WD hitch. Many can, but not all. I'm assuming you have surge brakes and not electric as there is no issues with electric trailer brakes and a WD hitch.

Option 1 will be cheaper as you are not buying a WD hitch. Option 2, you do not change the truck but need the pole adapter and a WD hitch, cost more most likely. Either of these allows you to be inside the manufacturers ratings for hitch equipment.

Hope this helps

John

 

I have a 2008 F250 V10, pulling a 11.5K FT. Nothing much in the way of performance upgrades except exhaust. With a family of 5 in the cab and not much in the bed except 1800 pin weight, truck lugged up the hills, badly. 4.10 gears seems to be my problem. I don't think 4.30s would make that much of a difference, should I be looking at other options in gearing? Also, this may be a newbie question, but I've never owned a Ford product. What/How is the best method to get the torqshift to help hold downhill speeds?

 

I can't imagine why your truck outfitted as you describe with no more load isn't handling hills better. If the engine doesn't have issues with bad plugs/COP's or running on poor quality fuel

Perhaps you might look into one of the 5 Star tune packaged Mike offers? Those who've used one speak volumes how such a great and quick "upgrade" they are.

 

MQuinn,
You say it lugged up the hills. Lugging typically implies low RPM so I'll ask for clarity - what sort of engine RPM were you seeing when it was climbing?
The V10 is designed to spin and that's where it makes its power. Mine usually runs 4000-4500 on the steepest grades in my neck of the woods (8 percent grades up to 8000 or 9000ft elevation) hauling my camper and quads in tow behind.

 

Definitely get a Mike's 5 Star 89 octane performance/tow programmer. Wakes up that V10, better mileage and you can still run 87 octane as well. I also recommend an AFE intake system and Magnaflow exhaust setup.

 

The shifting in the 5 star will definatly help.
I had 4.10 with stock tires and is wasnt that bad. Once i jumped up a couple tire sizes mine got real doggy. Final tire size now is 34.1 and I went to 4.88s and it pulls better than the 4.10s and mileage empty is same, loaded better.
My experience if tire is stock 4.10 is ok, and tuner will help the most. If you have bigger tires by a couple sizes, then gears would help more.