I personally feel ford under-rates these things for liability issues. Hell, I think my F250 is only rated for 8-9K. I would have no problem hooking onto 15K (gooseneck with brakes of course). If you're in hills or high traffic fords ratings are probly close, but here in the flats of Iowa, it's a little different.

 

Truthfully i agree and respet that, and i wish more people heeded those warnings. I have seen far to many grossly overloaded trucks. And its frightening to know that they are on the roads with you. And just because your truck can pull a certain amount of weight, doesn't always mean that the driver knows how to handle a vehicle with that much weight behind it. Hence the reason for having a CDL.

Personally i feel that my truck can handle the weight safely but i didn't consider that the OP might not have the same experience as me.

Bill i hope that you haven't taken any offense from any of this. sometimes i feel like i get to intense, haha

 

wow that is way more then i would of thought

and yes i agree with you all i would be more wouried a bought stopping then going my self.

 

Fordman, of course I haven't taken any offense! You have real world towing experience. Mine is next to Nill. And yes, the 302 tow ratings are indeed impressive. That's why I tell anyone who says the 302 can't pull to look up it's weight ratings. We all agree Ford rates these trucks for less than what they are capable of so I think it's safe to say the 302 is a mightly lil' beast.

Still makes me feel warm and fuzzy to see the 300 in the F-250 Heavy Duty class.

Mater, I'm still thawing out! hahaha!

 

I have a F150 with the 300, 3.08s, and Mazda 5 speed. I haul a 4100 lb fifth wheel camper and the engine has no problem at all. Mt biggest bitch is with the tranny, it is geared way too high in first and reverse. Once the rig was moving I had trouble and was actually impressed with how well the 300 did. If the Mazda had a lower first and reverse I would probably keep the 3.08s. I might just bite the bullet and put in a ZF, if not I will put in 3.55s.
I limit my hauling to 5,000 lb with any older 1/2 ton. Its not about the power, its about capacity. I have driven several vehicles that were overloaded and my biggest concern was stopping. Many newer 1/2 tons are rated for 7500 lbs with tow packages but I'm not convinced.
On the RV blogs a 1/2 ton gets little respect. As one of the posters on RV.net said "No one complains about having too much truck, when towing."
YMMV
rikard

 

No advice here, But I have found that with a solid framed truck ( no rust damage ) , a fresh, trusted, good vehicle braking system, a well tuned ( adjusted ) electric brake controller and HD tires ( rated at 55 psi max ) and a good clutch and clutch foot, the 300 if running correctly should pull well through most normal conditions. But you must know your numbers. If you go past the max gross weight, or trailer weight, insurance company's can be funny if something happens. Always know what you are liable for. ya gata know the rules before you brake them. Good luck.

 

i would get some airbags in the rear so you can jack it back up so it doesn't look as heavy and then you have less of a chance of getting pulled over if you are overweight-and i would tow with it factory ratings are more of a suggestion

some stainless steel braided brake lines drilled and slotted rotors and ebc pads up front and braided line and disc brake conversion in the rear with drilled and slotted roters and ebc pads + some wide tires should stop things in a hurry

 

I have towed over 8,000 lbs with my F-150. The heaviest I ever towed with my M5OD was 6,500, but I could have pulled more. Ford rated the M5OD trucks low because they used a puny 10" clutch with them, and they would slip and burn if used too heavy. I can tell you that if the clutch is upgraded to an 11" it will do it no problem. Just don't use 5th gear with more than 2,000 lbs in tow. That is this transmission's Achilles heel. The 10" clutch will do it too, but might have issues. The 3.08 gears don't concern me a bit, though. My truck had 3.08 gears up until 250,000 miles, when the axle gave it up. The junkyard had a 3.73 rear in good condition for $50 (love the u-pull yards!) so I got deep gears and a limited slip rear end for almost free. IMHO asking if a truck with a 300 in it can tow is like asking if cows make milk. I would feel comfortable with the engine pulling more that that amount, but not the truck. I think that 7,000 is the safe limit with a half ton. The owners manual bears that out, as the max tow capacity for any engine/trans combo in the 1/2 ton chassis is 7,700 according to my manual (2wd 351 with C6). Also, I urge you to make sure you use trailer brake (surge or electric) with anything more than 2,000 lbs in tow, no matter how big your truck is!

 

My dad said he used to pull a 10,000-12,000 lb camper with the 1987 f-150 (2nd one in my sig)

And he even pulled it up the 'Highest' road in the U.S. in the Rocky Mountains with no problems

He said coming down was the hard part

 

A lot happens between the steering wheel and the seat. I agree that we all tend to exceed but it has it's limits. I have an F-250 with a F-350 rear suspension and a 11.5 foot (total 21') caribou truck camper in the box (3685+ lbs dry weight). I easily succeed in flat towing my 79 C-7. No electric brakes just Ford power to go and stop. Keep it maintained and it will keep working.

 

Everyone sure has something to say about this! I guess with afew upgrades, my truck would handle it.