pulling a camper

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May 24, 2017 | 07:27 PM

ronbo1957

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pulling a camper

i have a 2014 f150 xlt v8 3.55 gvw is #7350 how close to that can i be ? the dry weight of the camper is #6400 is this to much ?

May 24, 2017 | 10:25 PM

glockholiday

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From: AZ

GVW is not you trucks towing capacity it is the most the truck can weigh fully loaded on its' 4 tires.

We need a little more info on the truck to determine it's towing capacity, like cab configuration , 2 or 4 wheel drive?

But "dry" weight in a trailers brochure is never accurate, it doesn't take into consideration options like A/C, batteries, etc. Use the trailers gross weight rating for your weight calculations.

My toyhaulers "dry" weight was listed as 7750, when I took it to the scales exacty as I got it from the dealer it weighed 8350, loaded ready for camping it is around 13,000 #s.

May 25, 2017 | 06:19 AM

ronbo1957

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sorry it is a supercab 4x4. The ford towing guide has max @ 7800lbs. I have not purchase the camper yet, so what would be a safe weight to start with ?

May 25, 2017 | 11:18 AM

Chuck's First Ford

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From: very South Texas

fyi. my trailer has 2 tags... both say its 7,500 empty.. but it scales empty at 8,300..

and YES. I took trailer to 2 different cat scales.

your drivers door tag should state towing max.

before you purchase a trailer have dealer get it weighted. for free.

May 25, 2017 | 11:39 AM

posaune

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From: The Great Northwet

You really need to weight both Vehicles. Don't exceed the GVWR for either and don't exceed the Gross Combined Weight Rating. I had a similar situation with my '14 f150, pulling my 7000lb rated trailer put it at 96% of it's GCWR. Too close to the margins for me, traded up to a F350 - puts me at 60%

May 25, 2017 | 12:08 PM

ronbo1957

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Thanks for the info. much appreciated

May 26, 2017 | 06:42 AM

crewzer

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From: Mills River

Quote:

Originally Posted by ronbo1957

i have a 2014 f150 xlt v8 3.55 gvw is #7350 how close to that can i be ? the dry weight of the camper is #6400 is this to much ?

sorry it is a supercab 4x4. The ford towing guide has max @ 7800lbs. I have not purchase the camper yet, so what would be a safe weight to start with ?

Your truck's maximum loaded trailer weight spec is indeed 7,800 lbs. per Ford' s 2014 RV and Trailer Towing Guide. However, this spec is not absolute, as it's subject to many if's, and's, or but's:

The optional Trailer Tow package or optional Max Trailer Tow Package is required for towing trailers over 5,000 lbs. (RV&TTG page 13). See page 14 for package details. Is your truck equipped with one of these optional packages?
A weight distributing hitch is required for towing trailers over 5,000 lbs. {RV&TTG page 15, note (1), and page 24}.
Your truck hitch receiver's weight carrying spec's are probably limited to 5,000 lbs. trailer weight and 500 lbs. tongue weight. See page 25 and/or the label on the hitch receiver.
Mind your truck's payload. The hitch weight becomes part of the truck's payload.
The 7,800 lbs. max trailer weight spec assumes a base model (i.e., XL trim) with no non-towing required options, a 150 lb. driver (hah!), and no passengers or cargo (see page 15). This may be possible, but it's really not practical. Assuming truck options, the driver, other passengers, and cargo weigh 750 lbs., then the difference (750 – 150 = 600 lbs.) must be subtracted from the maximum trailer weight spec. So, let's adjust it down to 7,200 lbs.
The gross vehicle weight rating spec (13,500 lbs.) is based on sea-level operation. Gasoline engines lose power by 3-4% per 1,000 ft. elevation. To maintain performance, Ford recommends reducing GVWs and GCWs by 2% per 1,000 ft. elevation. If you're planning on towing at 5,000 ft. elevation (i.e., Denver), then the truck's 13,500 lb. GCWR should be reduced by 10% – 1,350 lbs. – to 12,150 lbs. You can't lower the weight of the loaded truck, so the max trailer weight has to be lowered by this amount. Accordingly, the new max trailer weight is 7,200 – 1,350 = 5,850 lbs.

In summary, if you're looking at using a regular weight-carrying hitch and/or don't have a tow package, then Ford specs limit you to a 5,000 lb. trailer. If you're planning on using a WDH and have a tow package, then, depending on elevation, you're probably good with something in the ~6,000 lb. range.

Finally, you may find that using 89 AKI (mid-grade) or even 91-93 AKI (premium) fuel helps with engine performance when “towing heavy” and using the air conditioner (i.e., summer).

HTH,
Jim / crewzer