That's why we should all do our homework before the sale and not "trust" our newest most bestest friend, the salesman, to inform us about our purchase. Spec out your truck on paper before ever walking into a dealership rather than relying on emotion or salesmanship to make your sales decision and you will never have buyer's remorse. There's a wide range of applications for a single line such as the F150, or even the Ranger for that matter, and it is the ultimately the purchaser's responsibility to make sure the truck they are about to buy meets their needs. The guy that dumps the 45k on the bling-bling cream puff probably won't be hauling many cement blocks around or towing equipment and if he does, he bought the wrong truck. Nobody's fault but his own.

 

I'm definitely one of the guys who does homework on vehicle purchases, but it's not like Ford makes it easy or obvious.

Say you're ordering a 4x4 crew cab and getting the fanciest version. The F150 brochure lists a payload of 1400 lbs for that body style, and lists a trailer capacity of 8k lbs. It seems that even an astute buyer who orders one of these trucks could easily assume that you could carry four big guys (say 800 lbs), 500 lbs of cargo, and a trailer weighing 7k lbs--even based on the info in the brochure. It might escape him that tongue weight is counted in payload.

So he orders the truck, and instead of a 1400 lb payload, gets a door sticker that says 900 lbs. And then he reads this thread and realizes that tongue weight is counted in payload. It almost reeks of "false advertising" in the brochure. The brochure should list the MINIMUM payload of each cab style, and CLEARLY indicate that tongue weight counts against that payload. In big letters, not in footnote #47 which is on another page.

Is there ANYWHERE in any Ford brochure or website that would inform the 4x4 crew cab buyer that he's gonna have a payload as low as 900 lbs?

George

 

To be honest i am baffeled by the low payload ratings of such a big truck. I mean we only get the Euro version of the Ranger (payloads between 1000kg supercrew to 1300kg for the 4x2 single cab) and even a pickup based on the Fiesta car called the Bantam thats rated for 650kg. Trust me, im a F series fan but why the low payload ratings....

 

maybe it has more to do with gear ratio's?

3.31 may only have the 900 lb payload

there is 2 towing packages as well, max trailer tow package comes with heavy duty suspension.

payload is always calculated with a 180 lb driver in vehicle. so if you weigh less payload would be higher and vice versa.

you always need a driver!

 

Dont think I agree with your last statement. The guy who wants to be able to take his family or buddies out to the lake towing a boat or camping pulling a modest camper around shouldn't have to stick with a bare bones F150 or step up to a Super Duty to do so.

In my case, I want a high end (Lariant, Platinum or KR) truck to tow an 8000 enclosed car trailer 2 or 3 times per year. I don't really want to drive a Super Duty every day to do so. I'm not sure how to spec out an F150 to get what I need. Pick the wrong model, or get a few too many options (ie bling) and I'm over loaded.

It would be nice if Ford would publish the payload on each vehicles window sticker, and provide a way to get an accurate payload on line when gong through the Build Your Vehicle site.

 

I have the 3.55ls and the extra leaf that the max tow has because i have 20" wheels but im still only 900lbs payload.

But try and work this out. my truck can carry only 900lbs payload. that means that if i do the 10% tounge weight of 9600lbs that the truck is ment to be able to tow then i am right at my limit without me in the truck. But what happens if you choose the max trailer tow pack then i can 11000lbs but the problem is the payload is still only 900lbs. Now how on earth ford worked out these figures i have no idea. Even called the nearest dealer a few mins ago and asked them that i wanted a platinum with 6.5ft bed 3.73ls and every option includeing the max trailer tow but i need to know what it can carry and tow. He came back to me 15 mins later and said it can carry 1500lbs and tow 11000lbs. How does this work? My payload would have to be at least 11100lbs. without me even in the truck. Somethings not right here.

 

I've been saying this forever. Unless your hitch tounge weight is @ 300lbs, you can't really haul anything in your box etc. (legally)

Thats why 85% of vehicles out on the road thats full of cargo and people, it over gvw or axle limit. Period. Tow ratings are pretty much meaningless.

The one truck that had some room in this dept was the @ 03 F150 HD 7700gvw. It was light enough that you had some margin for payload/hitch weight before u hit 7700.

If you wanted to legally haul a camper with your F150 max tow whatever, with your wife, two kids along, box of gear, you'd have to haul a camper of @ 3,000 lbs!!!! Now what do you think is going on with all the minivans and small suvs that are pulling small trailers around includding those newer hybrid trailers that are @ 3,000lb+. What is their max rear axle limit vs what they are hauling??? And whats safer? That Pontiac Montana pulling a 3000 trailer loaded with gear/family or the F150 pulling the 10,000 travel trailer? I'll take the truck EVERY time. But either way, your over wieght and subject to deep Cr@p if your in an accident!!!

 

bsimmer i dont think you have a max tow package as they all have 3.73.

there is a tow package that you can get with 3.55 but not the max tow package

 

It's because they weigh so much.

I'd bet if Bsimmer weighs His rig with a full load of fuel, and Him it it, He'd be over 6000 lbs

 

Since you started this thread, it's clear that you are very much doing your homework (and forcing some others to do a bit as well), and finding out that reality sucks sometimes.

The solutions to your 8k lb trailer seem to be:
1. Buy a loaded Fusion Hybrid and rent an SD 2-3 times per year when you want to tow. You'd probably save enough in gas each year to pay for the SD rental.

2. Buy The F150 you want, carry and tow what you want within reason, and be prepared to deal with consequences (insurance or otherwise) if ever you are in an accident while overloaded.

3. Buy an F150 with the 11k towing package, and when you're gonna tow, do it with an empty truck and put all of your passengers and cargo in the car trailer, which will still be under 11k lbs. For a little more capacity, remove all the seats except the driver's seat, remove the carpeting and interior trim, put the spare tire in the car hauler, run 1/4 tank of gas and stop often, filling only to 1/4 tank. This should keep you legal in terms of load weight, but could create a few problems with passengers riding in the trailer.

Seems like we should have someone from Ford Engineering to help us along here...but I think we've got it figured out. (Buy an SD if you really want to pull a big trailer.)

George

 

No i dont but i called them to see what the deal was with the max tow package. Because it has the exact same suspension setup, tires and wheels as mine has but has the extra tow capacity. The problem is the payload is still only 900lbs. How to they expect you to tow a 11100lb trailer when you only have 700lb free for the tounge weight after your in the truck?

 

I think their "out" is that *every* payload and towing capacity number is listed as "maximum" payload or towing capacity....to be adjusted for other factors which they do NOT make clear to the buyer.

As I said before, it would be more honest for them to list "minimum" payload and towing capacity, which, instead of 1400 lbs and 11100 lbs, would be 900 lbs and ZERO towing for the exact same truck (the latter due to no capacity for tongue weight if you're loaded to the 900 lb payload max).

Or a payload of zero and towing capacity of 7000 lbs.

This seems inherently dishonest to me, but they're probably protected by the fine print and by the word "maximum".

George

 

The simple way for them to fix this would be as you choose your options the payload and towing display chages with the options just like the price does. Im very lucky to have a trailer that is below my max weight but i would be pissed if i bought the max trailer tow pack and cant tow the max trailer weight they say you can.

 

Don't misunderstand what I'm saying. I'd be pi$$ed as hell if I bought a 50k Plat or KR and found out that it has little to no capability. But how many of you that bought a 50k truck are going to use it as a truck? Be honest. If I bought a luxury truck, I'd definately keep my old '88 for the work. So, if you want a luxury work truck, get the 8200lb payload option. Oh, then you won't get the 20's, what a shame.

I got to jaw jacking with a Ford salesman yesterday and I asked him what percentage of his customers look at the drive train numbers when buying. He didn't understand. So, I asked again, "how many customers look at axle ratios, discuss HP/TQ, payload and towing"? His response was "very few". The new car smell is like cat nip.

Ford doesn't care that they are building a 41k Lariat with a 3.15.1 reg axle and a horrific 7500 lb tow rating. They care about the 20 mpg hwy number on the MSRP.

That's why people shouldn't be so miffed about a 900 lb payload. They should have done thier homework.

Tim

 

Sir, you are doing your homework and so are the rest of us as previously stated. This is a great thread.

Every Ford dealer has a commercial truck sales department. It's been my experience that these guys / gals know more about trucks than the mainstream sales team. It's worth a few minutes to ask the hard questions.

I think the numbers on Bsimmer3000's truck are skewed. If his Plat weighs 5600 lbs or close and he has the 7200 lb package then that leaves 1600 lbs or so. Ford already factored in a 180 lb driver so that leaves 520 lbs between 3 passengers and he still can haul 900 lbs. I would consider that very reasonable.

Tim