I have a 2013 F150 Platinum Super Crew 4WD 3.5 liter automatic. The manual is less than exact on towing capacity. Ford likes to advertise 12,000lb capacity but it seems like it's really a lot less. Anyone help out here? The manual shows 'GCWR' but you have to subtract truck weight etc which puts it WAY less than 12k. Thanks.

 

There should be a payload limit on the door jamb. This is the "max" weight you should put on the axles (you, crap in the bed, the tongue weight of the trailer). Any trailer you pull should have around 15% of it's weight on the tongue (too much and it porpoises too little and it dances). Finally, you can go to Ford's website and look up the max trailer weight for your options. Now you can zero in on what is lower or the limiting factor.

From my own personal experience, 10k is the limit I want to pull with a half ton and that uses up all my payload (me and empty truck). My truck is spec'd at 12,7k from Ford but I can't get that high because I have a max tow platinum and it is heavy.

 

Ya, the first limit you will reach on your f150 is the payload. What does your payload sticker say?

 

Yup, this. Additionally, over 5k you'll need a weight distribution hitch. More info: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...hitch-wdh.html

 

Have you look at the towing guide ? for instance my 2013 FX4 with the 3.5 ecoboost tow package with a weight distributing hitch is rated to 9600 lbs.

 

It looks like you can pull a 7300 pound Trailer and have a 13400 GCWR if you use the Limited numbers in the guide.

 

With the platinum you are probably somewhere around 1200 lbs payload like my limited, which is 1166, due to all of the options. To figure you how much you can pull you need to do the following

Subtract these (use your own #'s here) from your payload:

350lbs for the wife, dog, and I.
100lbs for the topper and bed rug.
100lbs for the WD hitch.

Assuming I have zero other stuff in the truck and put it all in the trailer those above would leave me with a useable LEGAL payload of 616 lbs for the tongue weight of the trailer.

Assuming my trailer would be 15% tongue weight, I could legally pull a trailer that weighed around 4100 lbs . If I took it down to 10% I could get a 6160lb trailer.

Now these are all the legal limits. What the truck could pull would be much higher, it just can't do it legally.

Now the real question is, is an officer going to stop you if the trailer is reasonable size for your truck? Probably not but it is a risk you are taking.

 

according to the guide it's 9600lb. Yet FORD is telling my dealer either 8000 or 8500 (they won't say how they are getting that number). I have 3.55 gears again according to Ford. If you look online at ford.com, they say the new f150 same as mine pulls 12,700lb (4x4, crew, short bed, 3.5 engine same as mine same 3.55 gears). I call BS, marketing dept is playing some serious games with that chart.

So does anyone know what exact components are different between the Max Tow Package and my 3.5 liter with 3.55 gears? Thanks.

 

Rivers ; i was told by the people in the towing forum that Max tow includes 7 lug wheels, stronger springs and axle s. before i bought my truck i posted questions , thats how i learned about the weight distributing hitch needed for trailers over 5000 lbs. Maybe post there .

 

thanks, i'll maybe go look. already have weight distributing hitch, the only issue is overheating when temps get to 85 degrees or higher. Ford as usual is giving me the runaround. After 3 ford trucks i'm tired of Ford doing this to me, so time to move on to something better. Probably just spring for a Cummins and tow whatever I want.

 

Max Tow on the 13 has 3.73 gears for one, the integrated hitch and oil cooler, now the difference between you being able to pull 9600 VS the 2018 with Max Tow that still has 3.55 gears is the 10 speed trans.
My truck can pull 9800 pounds with 3.55's, with GCWR of 15,500 pounds, max tow move the trailer weight up to 11,300 and 17,000.
Also the way they are figuring out your gross is by the payload capacity of your truck, they have their little formula for what you have in the truck and then what you are going to have to have for tongue weight to keep the trailer behind you.

 

 

 

My apologies ; Looking back at my posts in the towing section i read it incorrectly.