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Good question, mine is the same, just the standard rear bumper. I've got no towbar placards (I think they pre-dated the requirement), no tyre placard either.
But my grandfather got this ute new to tow his horse float and racehorses, and occasionally his fishing boat from its mooring to dry-dock it. The bumper looks brand new still, so I'd guess its at least 2000-2500 pull and 200-250 down.
There's no way I'd put any more than that on it, that's when I would go for one of the Hayman Reece square hitch bars.
Yep, as i said 2000kg shouldnt be a problem. And just thinking, Pa didn't have an electric brake controller, just hydraulic overide brakes on the float so it was set up for 2 tonne.
Here's what the US version of the 1981 owner's manual says on Page 95:
Use a good weight carrying hitch which uniformly distributes the trailer tongue loads through the bumper and frame (single-point bumper hitches are not recommended, nor should safety chains be attached to the bumper or ball hitch platform) for trailers up to 2000 lbs (907 kg). For trailers over this weight, use a frame-mounted weight distributing hitch.
So, it does look like 2000 lbs/907 kg is the break point.
Here's what the US version of the 1981 owner's manual says on Page 95:
Use a good weight carrying hitch which uniformly distributes the trailer tongue loads through the bumper and frame (single-point bumper hitches are not recommended, nor should safety chains be attached to the bumper or ball hitch platform) for trailers up to 2000 lbs (907 kg). For trailers over this weight, use a frame-mounted weight distributing hitch.
So, it does look like 2000 lbs/907 kg is the break point.
Depending on how you read the above statement, they don't recommend using the bumper to tow at all?
US market F100's pretty much werent recommended for towing at all. Engine/transmission and gearing were all about fuel economy.
However Australian F100's are essentially F150's under a different name with some interesting engine options.
My one and only truck that still has a factory bumper on it is an F250 but the bumpers are the same. It has stamped in the bumper max trailer weight 5000 lb, max tongue weight 500, which far exceeds the capability of an F150 of this era without a weight distribution hitch, so they conveniently followed the rating with "bumper capacity only, not vehicle capacity, see owners manual."
US market F100's pretty much werent recommended for towing at all. Engine/transmission and gearing were all about fuel economy.
However Australian F100's are essentially F150's under a different name with some interesting engine options.
My one and only truck that still has a factory bumper on it is an F250 but the bumpers are the same. It has stamped in the bumper max trailer weight 5000 lb, max tongue weight 500, which far exceeds the capability of an F150 of this era without a weight distribution hitch, so they conveniently followed the rating with "bumper capacity only, not vehicle capacity, see owners manual."
Your right, I didn't catch that he was from Australia. We can't help him much with specs since their trucks were different in several ways.
I realize that the Aussie trucks were different than the U.S. trucks in many ways. However, the statement in this owner's manual, which applies to trucks from F100 to F350's, seems to say the bumper is good to 2,000 lbs - regardless of which truck you have. And I would expect the Aussie trucks to have a similar, if not the same frame and bumper setup.
Brad, you don't have an owner's manual?
(I just noticed the bullnose on the manual as well as in my sig pic. )
No I don't have the owners manual/handbook, but i do like that cover art
I agree that the bumper and frame should be the same as the US utes, and the dealer here ( in Geelong where it was assembled) would have known what it was going to be doing, so I will have to just have a good look at the bar itself.
I know it's a different animal, but the step bumper on my '85 F-250 was marked for 5,000 lbs max trailer weight / 1,000 lbs max tongue weight. Most bumpers are not rated for that much (and yes, that was on an F-250). But it's not completely a one-size-fits-all with bumper hitches.
07-11-2015, 12:13 AM
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