Hi I am pulling my hair out. I bought a new 2007 F-150, 5.4L Triton V8. Its the four door. I want to bye a bumper pull trailer, I am having the dangest time trying to figure out all this GVWR stuff. Of course the trailer place says ah yah no problem. Any help out there?

 

What kind of trailer? If its less than 20,000lbs (about double your tow capacity) you'll be fine :-P

Thing is your payload capacity is around 2000lbs, which is the GVWR minus the actual weight of the truck. Since a tagalong trailer puts 10% of its weight on the tongue, you are fine with pretty much anything that stays under your rated tow capacity which can be found in the manual you will be fine.

 

It is a travel trailer and its weight is 5792 dry weight.

 

It is a travel trailer and its weight is 5792 dry weight.

 

For starters, 20,000 is way over what you can tow. By bumper pull, I hope you mean tag along style, and not just a ball on your bumper. That trailer will be fine for your truck with the right receiver, but most bumpers aren't rated for that kind of weight.

 

Your manual should have a tow section. You will need to know what you already stated plus, axle, gear ratio and obvious stuff like tranny, engine, longbed/short etc. Your vin # and the door sticker will give you the info that will help you figure out what axle and ratio you have.

From this info you should be able to find your truck in the manual and that will give Gross Vehicle Weight Rating GVWR; Gross Axle Weight Rating(front and rear) GAWR, and Gross Combined Weight Rating GCWR(usually on door sticker). BTW GAWR assumes stock tires and rims. Aftermaket could be all over the ballpark on capacity, co you might need to check the ratings on any custom rims and big fat tires you might have got.

A very rough ballpark go no go would be take your GCWR and subtract the GVWR, what is left is roughly how heavy a trailer you can tow. To be more precise you should also account for weight on each axle GAWR. And you should have measured weights of the truck and trailer, you can do this at public scales, some truck stops and some county dumps. You can even weigh the tongue weight and the axle weights.

Keep in mind the trailer weight rating assumes no options, like AC, mirowave, furniture etc. So very often the trailer is closer to max than you think. Once you add full tanks, toys, food etc, things can add up fast.

Good Luck,

Jim Henderson

 

According to trailer life magazine. http://www.trailerlife.com/output.cfm?id=42175

The max rated load for your truck is 7,800 lbs with proper hitch. On your bumper should either be a tag or a stamping saying what the hitch capacity is. It should say max ball and max load.

 

You also should use a weight distributing hitch. This will let you adjust some of the weight from the rear end to the front axles. Sway control devise is also in your future. You need to go back and talk some more with your trailer dealer.

Once you load up your trailer, you are going to be near max rated capacity for your 150.

 

If your trailer place is really saying that, it's time to find a new trailer place. Sounds like they're more interested in a sale rather than a life-long, repeat customer.

 

I just bought a used 28.5' travel trailer that weighs in at 5600# dry. I pull it with an '06 F-150 Screw, 4x2, 5.4L,3.55LS. Hitch is an Equal-I-Zer brand load distributing/sway control, brake controller is a Prodigy.

I just pulled it back over to the farm this evening, full tank of fresh water, full propane tanks, and about 1/2 loaded up with our camping gear (no clothes, food, etc., but pretty much everything else).

The 150 does fine with it, walks it right along locked out of OD, and the Equal-I-Zer hitch is great!!!

The others are right, loaded up it will be close to the limits, but it will be on the "go" side, not the "no-go" side of things.

I'm really looking forward to putting our new (used) rig on the road and having some fun with it!!!!

 

Here is a link to a recent discussion on this, see post #16, it should answere alot of your questions.
http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/60...m-snaps-2.html

And here is a link to the 2007 FMC towing guide
http://www.fleet.ford.com/showroom/r...07_default.asp

Hope this helps

 

Like idmooseman said, maybe the dealer is not doing you favors. I had to go through three dealers here in Las Vegas, because they all were trying to sell me a trailer that was too heavy for my truck. Yes I could hook it up and pull it empty, but I would have been hating life pulling something too heavy. I have been told to stay about 20% under your capacity when all loaded up with all your gear water propane etc.

By the way mooseman I was born and raised in Hailey ID. I am pulling my tt up there for a few weeks this summer. I still own a chunk of dirt up there.

 

Hey smokestone52,

If you're coming through the Nampa area, give me a call. Maybe we can grab some coffee and have a chat.

My Mom, (California), bought a '91 Wilderness 24' TT for my wife's and my 20th anniversary. I'll be traveling to California to pick up the TT. Then all of us will caravan back to Idaho. Mom wants to attend the Fiddler's Festival in Weiser. She was the club secretary for awhile but, never saw them in competition.

PM me for my phone number and address. I might have some questions about pulling a TT that size. I've towed boats and other trailers but, nothing this big.

 

Hey Webbie or Moderator,

What's with the "Posting" calculations? I posted to this thread several days ago as "Post 196" and today's post is also "Post 196".

I've noticed this on several threads. Is there a glitch (I'm a programmer, so I know these technical terms won't confuse you) in the code?

 

Ok, now they all changed to '197'. Will this post change them to '198'? Let's find out.

I know, I know... , but I can't help myself.

My apologies to community.