I have a 1996 f-150 4x4 with a 2" lift on the front to try to level it out, I pulled a bumper hitch trailer with a 70's model dodge powerwagon on it with my f150 and it felt like it raised the front wheels off the ground and the front was swaying left to right especially when i hit rough spots in the road, i could onle get up to about 20 mph safely, i had it in overdrive but still had power. just wondering if anyone could help me with my pulling problem thanks

 

The bumper isn't designed for car trailers.You probably had too much tongue weight on the trailer which will lift the front end on any truck,and you shouldn't use overdrive to tow anything that heavy.

 

70s Dodge powerwagon, trailer---150 4x4 1/2 ton-bumper hitch--Truck too light for what you are trying to pull.You didn't mention what type brakes are on the trailer.If-if-if you are towing without trailer brakes,your looking for tragedy.150 brakes and frame are not designed for that amount of weight.Rule of thumb 60/40- 60% weight on truck 40% on trailer.Overdrive should not be used when towing..
P.S. If you had 60% on truck you were indeed taking most of the weight off of the steering axle.Only an opinion.
BE SAFE

 

He hit the nails on the head. Might as well be pulling it with a Jeep Wrangler. I own a tow company and I can send you a TON of pics showing the results of not understanding what the capabilities of your tow vehicle are.

 

How Do You Think It Would Do Pulling A Gooseneck Trailer, I Would Like To Know Before I Go Putting A Gooseneck Plate In. Any Help Would Greatly Be Appreciated. Thanks, Jimbob

 

You need to look in your owners manual or doorjamb and get your GVW stats. Also, you need to know what weight you can safely tow with the existing brake system.

Here's how it breaks down. your GVW (gross vehicle weight) is the MAXIMUM your truck AND whatever your pulling added together can be. You can extend this number a little bit if the trailer has it's own brakes, but not by much.

Since I don't have any 1/2 tons in my fleet, I can't answer to exact weights, but I'm sure there are tons of people in here that have that info.

The only thing a gooseneck does for you is give you a little better maneuverability and weight distribution, but it's not going to change the GVW your truck was designed to haul.

Typically, in my opinion, 1/2 ton pickups are great for moving your bed to the new apartment or going to get groceries, but really not much good for anything else.

 

I needed to repair some lower shingles on my roof.Bought a ladder rated at 225 lbs.I weigh 225 lbs.-Only to find I could not take any shingles or a hammer up with me.
Moral of the story -if you are going to haul, purchase what you need.Don't skimp.

 

The F150 is a light duty truck. Great for hauling kids, camping gear, and home center materials, and certainly small u-haul trailers.

Once you get into "real" requirements you need a "real" truck, of which the F150 is not, mechanically. Looks like a truck of course, but it's really not designed for hauling 6500lb loaded gooseneck trailers. You're going to break your truck fairly quickly, and possibly have a life-threatening disaster on your hands.

If this is an occasional towing requirement (once or twice a year), consider renting a truck for these trips. If you need a fairly constant hauling capability, get yourself an F250 at a minimum, F350 dually being much better for gooseneck towing.

Like you, I've in the past tried to "use what I have" to do big jobs. Years ago I had an old Dodge pickup (D200, 1975) die near my house, so I walked home, got my FWD Continental, and towed it home with a tow bar. While I got home, I almost died no less than three times in a mere 5 miles. Taught me a lesson I will never forget. use the right tools for the job, live a long time.

 

LOL Fordtracman. That was a good one.....

 

This type of topic is discussed in detail in the towing forum. They go into all the details on how to determine the max towing limits for a truck.