towing capacity
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Cross-Country
Joined: Jul 2016
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From: New York
towing capacity
I know I am going to hear a lot of comments, but, I have a 10,000lb camper to tow. I know the new F150 with the max tow package will tow 12,500. Unfortunately a new one is out of the question. I was curious to know what your comments would be about purchasing a used one with the 7200lb package and being able to tow 11,700. Any and all comments welcome, whether good or bad. Thanks for the help.
More Turbo
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 539
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From: San Mateo, CA
Ummm Not a good idea unless a one time shot on a deserted road driven slowly
a few reasons:
Liability: Many state highway patrols will specifically look into that tow rating and trailer weight if there is an accident. You don't want negligence assigned to you in an accident.
Safety of others should come into play somewhere along the line as well.
Towing my 7000lb toy hauler with my 2010 w/ 9700 capacity is not too bad but definitely a little bit of the tail wagging the dog when conditions are a little unsettled even with a WD system.
You might try moving up to a used 250
I thought I read something about somebody's lift kit raising the tow capacity by like 5k- i think that was on a 350 though. Perhaps a combination of suspension upgrades can help.
a few reasons:
Liability: Many state highway patrols will specifically look into that tow rating and trailer weight if there is an accident. You don't want negligence assigned to you in an accident.
Safety of others should come into play somewhere along the line as well.
Towing my 7000lb toy hauler with my 2010 w/ 9700 capacity is not too bad but definitely a little bit of the tail wagging the dog when conditions are a little unsettled even with a WD system.
You might try moving up to a used 250
I thought I read something about somebody's lift kit raising the tow capacity by like 5k- i think that was on a 350 though. Perhaps a combination of suspension upgrades can help.
Mountain Pass
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 104
Likes: 21
Some 2012's with Max Tow are rated north of 10k lbs. from the factory, why not look for one of those? With that said, that's a lot of weight for an F150, you should look for a 3/4 Ton truck as pilot10 mentioned.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Oct 2004
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From: FL
More Turbo
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 539
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From: San Mateo, CA
"The caravan climbing out of the deep Snake River canyon in the predawn is an impressive sight. Morgan is in the lead with his 2013 F-350 Lariat Ultimate Super Duty Crew Cab. It’s a 4x4 with a 6.7-liter Power Stroke® diesel V-8 that boasts 400 horsepower and 800 foot-pounds of torque. He has added a few custom touches, such as two-inch suspension lifts that add 5,000 pounds to the Super Duty’s considerable towing capacity.*"
Again I am in no way saying you are wrong and personally I am not completely comfortable on 300-400 mile hilly trips at even 70% capacity so I would not consider towing regularly near capacity. The obvious solution is getting a bigger truck.
edit: http://www.myfordmag.com/seedo/chopper-support
Tim
Last edited by pilot10; Mar 10, 2017 at 11:26 PM. Reason: forgot link to verify info
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2008
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From: Morehead, Ky.
I would not tow with that combination. Too much trailer and not enough truck, for safety of the family. I had a 10,000 lb 5th wheel and I used a F250. Gross cargo weight of the F150 will probably kill your idea.
Super Moderator
Joined: Aug 2003
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From: Isanti, MN
I know I am going to hear a lot of comments, but, I have a 10,000lb camper to tow. I know the new F150 with the max tow package will tow 12,500. Unfortunately a new one is out of the question. I was curious to know what your comments would be about purchasing a used one with the 7200lb package and being able to tow 11,700. Any and all comments welcome, whether good or bad. Thanks for the help.
F150s have been rated to pull 11,000 lbs since the 2009 redesign. My '13 with the Max Tow package was rated for 11,200 lbs towing capacity. The 7,200 lb "package" is GVWR, which has little to do with towing capacity. You can find towing capacities for different years in the Ford Towing Guide:
RV & Trailer Towing Guides | fleet.ford.com
My '13 F150 had 12,000 lbs behind it and it did a fine job. There are a LOT of folks that believe that you can't approach the rated capacity of a half-ton truck safely...my experience would disagree with that.
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Logistics Pro
Joined: Oct 2004
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From: FL
This is from the Ford Promo magazine (asterisk is typical modification disclaimer)
"The caravan climbing out of the deep Snake River canyon in the predawn is an impressive sight. Morgan is in the lead with his 2013 F-350 Lariat Ultimate Super Duty Crew Cab. It’s a 4x4 with a 6.7-liter Power Stroke® diesel V-8 that boasts 400 horsepower and 800 foot-pounds of torque. He has added a few custom touches, such as two-inch suspension lifts that add 5,000 pounds to the Super Duty’s considerable towing capacity.*"
edit: My Ford Owner Magazine | CHOPPER SUPPORT
Tim
"The caravan climbing out of the deep Snake River canyon in the predawn is an impressive sight. Morgan is in the lead with his 2013 F-350 Lariat Ultimate Super Duty Crew Cab. It’s a 4x4 with a 6.7-liter Power Stroke® diesel V-8 that boasts 400 horsepower and 800 foot-pounds of torque. He has added a few custom touches, such as two-inch suspension lifts that add 5,000 pounds to the Super Duty’s considerable towing capacity.*"
edit: My Ford Owner Magazine | CHOPPER SUPPORT
Tim
Thanks for providing the link. I don't know if the my Ford magazine isn't monitored by the legal department or if the disclaimer covered it however that is misinformation. It may "raise" the limit for off-road use, but not legally on road travel. I am not trying to give you a hard time, really just trying to stop the spread of misinformation out there and prevent someone from thinking they can raise tow limits with modifications. If you do a Google Search on raising tow limits, there are several articles about it.
Now, you can certainly upgraded to make towing up to the limit safer and easier on the engine (e.g. aux. Coolers, changed gearing, etc..) however there will not change what OEMs have certified as safe for on the road travel.
Sorry to get off topic from the OPs question.
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Mar 2017
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From: Vancouver, BC
Is 10,000 lbs the GVWR of the camper, or the empty weight? What's the loaded tongue weight?
F150s have been rated to pull 11,000 lbs since the 2009 redesign. My '13 with the Max Tow package was rated for 11,200 lbs towing capacity. The 7,200 lb "package" is GVWR, which has little to do with towing capacity. You can find towing capacities for different years in the Ford Towing Guide:
RV & Trailer Towing Guides | fleet.ford.com
My '13 F150 had 12,000 lbs behind it and it did a fine job. There are a LOT of folks that believe that you can't approach the rated capacity of a half-ton truck safely...my experience would disagree with that.
F150s have been rated to pull 11,000 lbs since the 2009 redesign. My '13 with the Max Tow package was rated for 11,200 lbs towing capacity. The 7,200 lb "package" is GVWR, which has little to do with towing capacity. You can find towing capacities for different years in the Ford Towing Guide:
RV & Trailer Towing Guides | fleet.ford.com
My '13 F150 had 12,000 lbs behind it and it did a fine job. There are a LOT of folks that believe that you can't approach the rated capacity of a half-ton truck safely...my experience would disagree with that.
Just an idea for folks wanting to pull weight, take it over a scale and see where the load is.
Moderator
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 6,506
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From: Sioux Falls Area
For me it would depend on frequency.
If we are talking once a month for half the year and close to home, then id probably be fine with just about any f150.
But longer distance or more frequently, id consider something bigger, or a max tow or a HD payload package (if you can find one) just for a margin of safety.
Just me talking about what I would do.
YMMV.
If we are talking once a month for half the year and close to home, then id probably be fine with just about any f150.
But longer distance or more frequently, id consider something bigger, or a max tow or a HD payload package (if you can find one) just for a margin of safety.
Just me talking about what I would do.
YMMV.
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