Tow Capacity HELPPP
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Tow Capacity HELPPP
I want to buy a rv trailer. But no one knows what the tow capacity is for my Ford f 150 4x4 with a 5.0l v8 auto trans is, i don't know what the gears are but it is the xlt lariat edition...Please help so i can go camping, the trailer i want shows a weight of 4,000lbs
Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 6,214
Likes: 13
From: New Jersey
Looking at your door sticker, you'll see the GVW, or gross vehicle weight maximum which includes the vehicle itself and your load. Subtract from that your actual vehicle weight and whatever left over is your cargo load, either on the vehicle or hitched behind.
Let's say that maximum is 2000lbs. That doesn't mean your particular vehicle is going to tow 2000lbs easily because that is also based on engine torque, gearing in the trans and rear, and tire size.
Also for constant, heavy loads, you may require a larger radiator as well as a transmission cooler to prevent overheating of either the engine or transmission since you're asking them to do significantly more work than pushing an unloaded vehicle around.
Also know for the same reasons above (gearing, tire size, engine torque) you might be able to actually pull a bit more than the rating of the vehicle, but if you do generally that means you wear the vehicle out faster. Obviously anything you push to it's limit will yield faster than if you push it to say, 1/2 the limit.
Look at your door sticker and get the gross vehicle weight, and you'll be able to calculate your maximum load that way.
Let's say that maximum is 2000lbs. That doesn't mean your particular vehicle is going to tow 2000lbs easily because that is also based on engine torque, gearing in the trans and rear, and tire size.
Also for constant, heavy loads, you may require a larger radiator as well as a transmission cooler to prevent overheating of either the engine or transmission since you're asking them to do significantly more work than pushing an unloaded vehicle around.
Also know for the same reasons above (gearing, tire size, engine torque) you might be able to actually pull a bit more than the rating of the vehicle, but if you do generally that means you wear the vehicle out faster. Obviously anything you push to it's limit will yield faster than if you push it to say, 1/2 the limit.
Look at your door sticker and get the gross vehicle weight, and you'll be able to calculate your maximum load that way.
Cargo Master
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 2,033
Likes: 32
From: Aurora,Colorado
My 1992 F150 official Ford Trailer Towing Guide states for the 92 F150 5.0 auto regular cab 4x4 with 3.55 axle ratio that the maximum trailer weight is 7000 pounds and that with 4.10 axle it is 8000 pounds maximum. It is 400 pounds less if you have a SuperCab 4x4 version for each axle ratio.
Check in your owner's manual to be sure--or contact Ford. I would think that 4000 pounds with a 5.0 and automatic transmission wouldn't be a problem in any vintage F150 with this power train.
Check in your door jam and check and see what the axle code is for your truck. And check back with us .The most common ratio is code 19 (3.55 open differential) Or H9 (3.55 limited slip differential).
Check in your owner's manual to be sure--or contact Ford. I would think that 4000 pounds with a 5.0 and automatic transmission wouldn't be a problem in any vintage F150 with this power train.
Check in your door jam and check and see what the axle code is for your truck. And check back with us .The most common ratio is code 19 (3.55 open differential) Or H9 (3.55 limited slip differential).
Last edited by phoneman91; Apr 14, 2007 at 03:55 AM.
Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 6,214
Likes: 13
From: New Jersey
GVWR = Gross Vehicle Weight Rating - maximum allowable total weight of road vehicle that is loaded. This includes tongue weight from the trailer.
GAWR = Gross Axle Weight Rating - maximum allowable total weight on that axle.
So in your case, your F150 can be loaded to 6250lbs including it's own weight, with no more than 3100 lbs of that weight on the front axle, and no more than 3777 lbs on the rear axle, both values including the weight of your truck.
It's best to weigh your truck for a more precise calculation, but the typical 89ish 4x4 standard cab F150 weighs about 4000lbs "naked". Add your weight, plus 5lbs per gallon of gasoline, and you have more or less the real weight.
Lets say you have two fuel tanks, 18 gallons each. 18 * 2 * 5 = 180lbs and lets add your weight, say you weigh 180lbs also. So now your truck weighs 4360lbs.
Subtract 4360 from 6250 and you get 1890lbs as your maximum additional payload aside from your weight and the weight of two full tanks of gas. If you have a bed box full of tools, you have to subtract that from the 1890lbs. And so on.
Whatever is left, that's the maximum weight you can haul with your truck and be within the limits of the vehicle. Probably in the 1000lb range. Most trailer hitches are rated for 500lbs anyway, so you'd use that figure since it's smaller. I gave you the math rather than just say "hitch can take 500lbs of tongue weight" so you can calculate this out if you want if you change the load on your truck, buy/rent/borrow another vehicle, etc.
Since trailers put about 10% of their gross weight (trailer weight plus load) on their tongue, and you have 500lbs of capacity based on the typical hitch, that gives you a towing capacity of about 5000lbs assuming you load the trailer correctly.
That's a big "if" because honestly, most people don't load their trailers correctly, and often times have much more than 10% of the gross trailer weight on the tongue. Every time you see a towing vehicle with the **** of it banging on the ground, dipping the trailer forward, it's not loaded correctly. Pushing down that hard on the bumper makes for the front end to sit higher, and the alignment is "way off" making the vehicle unpleasant to steer, stop, and even drive in a straight line as it will wander all over the place with road irregularities. Tire wear is a concern too.
If you're going to tow significantly more than not tow, or go on a long trip while hitched, you might consider having an alignment done with the trailer loaded and attached, to alleviate most of this problem, then re-align when you're going to drive unloaded for a while.
Hope that helps.
GAWR = Gross Axle Weight Rating - maximum allowable total weight on that axle.
So in your case, your F150 can be loaded to 6250lbs including it's own weight, with no more than 3100 lbs of that weight on the front axle, and no more than 3777 lbs on the rear axle, both values including the weight of your truck.
It's best to weigh your truck for a more precise calculation, but the typical 89ish 4x4 standard cab F150 weighs about 4000lbs "naked". Add your weight, plus 5lbs per gallon of gasoline, and you have more or less the real weight.
Lets say you have two fuel tanks, 18 gallons each. 18 * 2 * 5 = 180lbs and lets add your weight, say you weigh 180lbs also. So now your truck weighs 4360lbs.
Subtract 4360 from 6250 and you get 1890lbs as your maximum additional payload aside from your weight and the weight of two full tanks of gas. If you have a bed box full of tools, you have to subtract that from the 1890lbs. And so on.
Whatever is left, that's the maximum weight you can haul with your truck and be within the limits of the vehicle. Probably in the 1000lb range. Most trailer hitches are rated for 500lbs anyway, so you'd use that figure since it's smaller. I gave you the math rather than just say "hitch can take 500lbs of tongue weight" so you can calculate this out if you want if you change the load on your truck, buy/rent/borrow another vehicle, etc.
Since trailers put about 10% of their gross weight (trailer weight plus load) on their tongue, and you have 500lbs of capacity based on the typical hitch, that gives you a towing capacity of about 5000lbs assuming you load the trailer correctly.
That's a big "if" because honestly, most people don't load their trailers correctly, and often times have much more than 10% of the gross trailer weight on the tongue. Every time you see a towing vehicle with the **** of it banging on the ground, dipping the trailer forward, it's not loaded correctly. Pushing down that hard on the bumper makes for the front end to sit higher, and the alignment is "way off" making the vehicle unpleasant to steer, stop, and even drive in a straight line as it will wander all over the place with road irregularities. Tire wear is a concern too.
If you're going to tow significantly more than not tow, or go on a long trip while hitched, you might consider having an alignment done with the trailer loaded and attached, to alleviate most of this problem, then re-align when you're going to drive unloaded for a while.
Hope that helps.
Postmaster
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 3,166
Likes: 2
From: wi
your tuck will handle the 4000lb trailor alrite even with all your gear in it.what will have a problem is the 302 not enuff power to get'er up some hills with out slowin WAY down.the exuast manifolds will get hot and crack also.shorts trips you wont notice it but if ya go for the long haul is where youll notice everything. i towed my 71 on a car trailer from leggett tx to symco wi with my 92 needless to say i will never use a smallblock truck again to tow any farther than the county line
