Ford Towing Guide Sucks!
Super Moderator
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 24,308
Likes: 42
From: SW Virginia
Your best bet would be to take it to the scales and weigh it, then weigh each axle independently. This way you'll know how much weight you're carrying on the rear axle. I don't think you're going to have a problem. Like senix said, you can add airbags or auxiliary springs (if you don't already have them) to help handle the extra weight to keep the truck from squatting too bad. And even if you do have the factory auxiliary springs, you can add the airbags.
After you weigh the truck, subtract that total from your GVWR and you'll know how much leftover capacity you have.
After you weigh the truck, subtract that total from your GVWR and you'll know how much leftover capacity you have.
Super Moderator
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 24,308
Likes: 42
From: SW Virginia
I'll just throw one more thing out there for shiites and giggles. While I advocate towing safely and not going over rated capacities, if everybody went strictly by the numbers, there probably wouldn't be anything on the road towing but F-450s.
Cargo Master
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 2,837
Likes: 1
It really is frustrating, but as others have said, I would really just concern myself with the GAWR and GCVWR. My 5'er weighs in at around 13,500lbs and my truck is rated for less than your's is. I'm not telling you to do something you aren't comfortable with, but I'm more concerned about the guys who are running around with a false sense of comfort because they bought that dually and don't think they have anything at all to worry about!
*Note, I'm not knocking all dually owners, so don't bash me. I wish I had a dually, but when I bought this truck I had no intention of buying a 5th wheel. I just know guys that think because their truck can pull it, they can drive like they own the road.
Super Moderator
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 24,308
Likes: 42
From: SW Virginia
Very true. Unfortunately, that mentality transcends all types of drivers in all types of vehicles.
FTE Legend
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 65,938
Likes: 1,432
From: Millersville, MD
The dually has a less Combined weight than a single wheel as the two extra wheels/tires weight more!!! The only thing a dually does is to give you more stability side to side.
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Junior User
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 91
Likes: 0
Not all 5th wheels have 15% pin weight. Mine has a rear kitchen, which takes a lot of weight off the pin. You have to weigh your truck, with a full tank of fuel, and full of however many passengers you will camp with, and whatever gear you will carry in your truck, and subtract that from your truck's GVWR. This will tell you how much weight you can have in your pin and hitch. What hitch are you buying that weighs 400lbs? My Reese 16k weighs about 100 lbs, I easily remove it from my bed when I break it down to two pieces.
Your scaled weight will also tell you how much 5th wheel you can buy. Subtract it from your GCVWR of 23000 to get the max. Use the trailer's GVWR, not the unloaded or shipping weight (dry), because no one camps with an empty trailer.
Your scaled weight will also tell you how much 5th wheel you can buy. Subtract it from your GCVWR of 23000 to get the max. Use the trailer's GVWR, not the unloaded or shipping weight (dry), because no one camps with an empty trailer.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,496
Likes: 3
From: Simpsonville, KY
So upgrade your tires :P If that's all those tires can handle, move to the next heaviest load range.
Yes, I understand what you are saying and you are correct. But 2000lbs capacity for a truck that has an advertised bed capacity of 3000+ lbs is skewed somehow.
And no, not everyone needs a F450. I tow large horse trailers and have never gone over any manufacturer rating, and I've been working with half tons mostly until I bought my Chevy one ton.
Yes, I understand what you are saying and you are correct. But 2000lbs capacity for a truck that has an advertised bed capacity of 3000+ lbs is skewed somehow.
And no, not everyone needs a F450. I tow large horse trailers and have never gone over any manufacturer rating, and I've been working with half tons mostly until I bought my Chevy one ton.
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 170
Likes: 0
From: Alberta, Canada
Take your GVWR, add in your pin weight, multiply the number of tires by how many days we are into the moon cycle and add that to the year of the truck then subtract that from the first number, then divide by the maximum number of people the trailer can hold. If the result comes out to higher than the number of cylinders the truck has, multiplied by the remaining tread depth in 32's of an inch that the rear tires have (remembering to divide by 2 if its a dually) and added to the weight rating of the tires, then you MUST subtract the actual pin weight from the calculated g-force on the pin when doing a standard 0-60 run in no more than 15 seconds and no less than 12 seconds.
Hope that helps
Hope that helps
Posting Guru
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,060
Likes: 7
From: Burnsville, MN
Well.... regarding a dually, while it is true that strictly speaking it TOWS less than an SRW by the weight of the tires, its payload is significantly greater. My door pillar for instance indicates a payload of just under 6,000 pounds, due to having twice as many tires to support the load over the rear axle. But other than the stability and redundancy that was mentioned, you're right, they're pretty much the same for towing.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,353
Likes: 1
From: Nothern Indiana
Take your GVWR, add in your pin weight, multiply the number of tires by how many days we are into the moon cycle and add that to the year of the truck then subtract that from the first number, then divide by the maximum number of people the trailer can hold. If the result comes out to higher than the number of cylinders the truck has, multiplied by the remaining tread depth in 32's of an inch that the rear tires have (remembering to divide by 2 if its a dually) and added to the weight rating of the tires, then you MUST subtract the actual pin weight from the calculated g-force on the pin when doing a standard 0-60 run in no more than 15 seconds and no less than 12 seconds.
Hope that helps
Hope that helps
Thats the best answer yet . If your looking at a new trailer and the dealer won't let you hook it up to your truck and weight it . Go somewhere else that will. You need to put it on a scale to KNOW FOR SURE WHAT THE WEIGHTS ARE..... yo can quess all day long
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 264
Likes: 0
From: Texas
My 2008 F-250, Supercab,XLT,LongBed,6.4L is shown in the Ford Towing Guide as being capable of towing a 15,600 lb Fith Wheel. The GCWR is 23,000 lbs., the GVWR is 10,000 lbs. The tire loading info sticker states that weight of occupants & cargo cannot exceed 2082 lbs. Rear GAWR is 6,100 lbs.
Doing the required calculations and considering pin weight (15 %/ of trailer weight), fuel and passengers (450lbs.), 5th wheel hitch (about 400lbs) that means all I can tow is about 9,100 lb. fifth wheel. How does Ford come up with 15,600 lbs.?
Doing the required calculations and considering pin weight (15 %/ of trailer weight), fuel and passengers (450lbs.), 5th wheel hitch (about 400lbs) that means all I can tow is about 9,100 lb. fifth wheel. How does Ford come up with 15,600 lbs.?
The KEY word is GUIDE, it's not a Law.
If Ford put the towing capacity for EVERY (4X4, 4X2, 2 door, 4 door, auto, AC, axle, etc, etc) the GUIDE would probably 100 pages long.
Bottom line.. Check your sticker, weigh your pickup AND pickup/trailer.
ab