Hi Everyone,
I am new to the forum and to towing Travel Trailers. Also, I am sure my question has been asked many times on this forum, but, please be kind. Like I said, I'm new to all of this.
I have a 2017 F-150 with a 5L V8. I am trying to figure out the towing capacity.
When I enter the VIN in the VIN decoder on this site, it returns ths info:

I'm not sure why there are so many numbers.

My question is, am I safe to pull a Toy Hauler that is 30' long and has a dry weight of 5110 lbs? It will have a 1000lb toy inside of it.

Thanks for your help.

John

 

You will need to share more info about your truck. Which cab do you have? Is it 4WD or 2WD? Which rear end do you have?

Check out this link, and scroll to the second page which has the chart for "Conventional Towing" (bumper pull). Since you have the 5.0L, scroll to that section and then follow the chart across for which ever rear end you have (3.31, 3.55 or 3.73) to the column that matches your cab and 4WD or 2WD.

This number is what the truck is rated to tow, but two other numbers you need to be aware of is your GVWR and your available payload. Both of these numbers can be found on the stickers on the front drivers side door jamb. The GVWR will be on the white sticker (top right corner) and the payload will be on the yellow sticker (above the tire pressures). And it is worth noting that a majority of the time, you will exceed your payload or your GVWR before you even get close to reaching the trucks listed tow rating... meaning just because it says you can tow XX amount doesn't always mean you can...

Keep in mind, the GVWR is the max amount of weight that the truck can (legally) weigh.

The best way to know your numbers is to go to a CAT scale. Load up your truck with everything you will put in it to take with you camping, including family and pets. Grab camp chairs, coolers, fire pits, fire wood, generators... anything that will ride in the back of your truck when you are headed out to go camping. Be honest here... don't leave stuff out/behind. Everything weighs something, and it all adds up, and usually much faster than you expect. And don't forget to fill up your fuel tank before driving over the scales. Once you are fully loaded, drive over the scales and then subtract that number from your truck listed GVWR. Whatever you come up with is the amount of weight you have left that you can add to the truck.

Once you have that number, try to figure out REAL weights of the camper you are looking at. Don't trust the manufacturers specs, and don't pay any attention to dry weight. Look at the max weight (GVWR) listed and use that number. The average tongue weight of a bumper pull should be around 12%, so figure 12% of the GVWR. FWIW, 12% of a 7500 lb camper is 900 lbs.

A toy hauler will carry weight differently than a regular bumper pull trailer since there will be more weight in the back, but it's best to figure out the worst case scenario to decide if your truck can handle it. What happens if you end up having to haul your trailer without the toys in the back, and you couldn't empty your tanks anywhere... stuff happens. For this reason, figuring up the max loads are good numbers to base what you should and should not haul. Everyone says they will travel with no water on board and very little stuff inside... I said it, but it wasn't always true...

Also, I would definitely recommend a good weight distribution hitch. This will help your truck tow that load much better, as well as help control sway. But, don't forget, most WDH's are easily around 100 lbs, which you have to add to the trucks total weight...

Other numbers to be aware of are your GAWR and your tire ratings. I am not advocating for it, but some will fudge the payload and trucks GVWR numbers, and instead adhere to the GAWR (found on the white sticker on your door jamb) and tire ratings (found on the tires sidewall). Regardless of what you decide to do, these numbers are very important to know and to make sure you don't exceed them. And don't forget, your tire's max ratings are when aired up to the max PSI listed on the sidewall.

Hope this helps some!

 

The VIN decoders are NOT a reliable way to learn about your trucks payload and trailer capacities. It's unfortunate, but seems to be true.

Find the Ford Fleet towing guide for your specific model year, then dig through the charts to find your specific truck and you can start to work from there. 2017 F150 with 5.0L V8 shows ranges from 7700 lbs to 10,900 LBS based on options (see page 19 of the PDF)
https://www.fleet.ford.com/towing-guides/
You will also need the Payload stick from your truck drivers door frame and ideally a visit to the CAT scales.

The other trick, and one that's not obvious from the specifications, is that a 30 foot long toy hauler with significant weight near the rear of the trailer, is that you can easily get into a "wag the dog" kind of situation, where the trailer pushes the truck around. Generally, the fix for that is drive slower, rearrange weight and adjust weight distribution equipment. Still, that's a lot of trailer in a half-ton no matter what it weighs.

 

I have a 25' Toy Hauler that is rated for 11,000 lbs GVWR. Mine is built like a tank. A 30' long Toy Hauler with a dry weight of 5110 lbs must be an ultralite. Post the actual year/model of your trailer.

The tongue weight of toy hauler type trailers can get very high and could easily exceed your truck's cargo capacity. I would never recommend anyone pulling my trailer with a 1/2 ton truck. I did it just between home and the storage lot, thinking it would be OK, and broke my leaf spring frame bracket along with the shackle.

 

Yes, let us know the exact model of truck you have, rear gear, year and also the trailer. All will be helpful knowing that stuff, without its anyones guess. The RV dealers will tell you "you can tow it no problem" cause all they care about is the sale!

 

The weight won't be the issue, however depending on how it's loaded as someone suggested above it may be very unstable and may get the wag the dog situation. You'll definitely want to dial in your weight distribution hitch but I personally wouldn't want to tow that with a half ton truck.