Ok guys... Need some serious advice... I got a smoking deal on a toyhauler this week that I couldn't pass on. Does anyone pull their toyhaulers with an F150 5.4 here? I know I really need a Superduty, but don't really want to spend the $ on one right now. I will probably tow this trailer 2-3 time per year for 150 miles or so...

Here's the specs:
2002 Super Crew
5.4L
4x4
Brake Controller
Rear Axle 3.55
Vehicle GVWR is 6750
Total Weight of truck is 5110
Maximum loaded trailer weight for my truck is 7100
Vehicle GCWR is 12500
Toyhauler (Dual Axle) Trailer Weight is 5660 unloaded and has weight distributing hitch.

 

You shoudl be able to haul it with out any issues.

 

I would agree that it will do the job. You are definately at the top of the trucks ratings, or even a little over once loaded. Expect it to work pretty hard especially if it is windy. Expect the trailer to wag the dog to some extent as well. I would make sure I had a set of D load range tires fully inflated to handle the load, and some mirror extensions so you can see around it.

I personally despise pulling heavy trailers from the bumper, even with a 1-ton truck. The only thing that helps is a dually and that is a big commitment. That said, a few times a year to get out and have some fun, only a few hours from home, you should be just fine.

I might use it as an excuse to get a SD, but I'm not convinced you really NEED one for what you describe.

 

WHen you say bumper are you refering to a reese? Or do you mean the physical bumper. I would never never never advise anybody to hook to there bumper, i cant believe that they even put a hole there anymore.


But as far as reese frame mounted hitch, Im fine with that. 5th/goose hitch is better for real heavy loads, but it can be done.

 

Wow , yes you can pull it 'empty'.
Look at the specs "you" gave.
Your truck weighs 5110, the trailer weight 5660 unloaded.
The total is 10,770 lbs.
Gross combined weight rating is 12,500.
12,500 minus (5110 + 5660) = 1730 lbs left.
That amount will be taken up by passengers, fuel luggage etc, extras and you still don't have much left for any toys except a few bicycles..
Don't get fooled by what you think your truck is supposed to be able to pull.
See why you need a higher rated GCW truck to be safe?
There is a lot to it that never gets considered.
You can't get away with it just by simple off hand thinking.
Hitches, weight distributing etc are all good things but it has no effect on the gross combined weight.

 

What exactly are you suggesting is going to happen should one exceed the GCVWR?

I have hauled well over the ratings with many trucks, probably hundreds of times. It was never with a half ton, always with a 1 ton, but still. I pulled a 28 ft enclosed back and forth cross country and over just about every mountain pass in Colorado 4 times when I moved out here. This was with a srw Dodge 3500. It scaled at 24,700lbs once, 25,200 once and I didn't even check it the other times. I think the GCVWR on the truck was 23,500. My main concern was not overloading the rear tires, which I never did. I also pulled 30,200 lbs (combined) with a Dodge 3500 dually 1300 miles and through the mountains. Cant say I ever had any issues.

You should definately use a dose of common sense, and a little experience helps, but it is hardly some ghastly crime.

I wouldn't suggest pulling that kind of wieght with an F150 on a daily or weekly basis but a few times a year is well within the vehicles capability.

 

imm probably gonna get some flak for this but i think he'll be just fine. i just picked up my own 99 recently but my dad has had one for years and ive had ford trucsk forever. and from my experience they can haul more than there rated just fine. although you have to know what your doing you cant just hook up and go 80 down the highway fully loaded.

if you have a reece hitch and the brakes on the trailer and the controller, and drive smart youll do fine.

 

The first thing you should do is scale the trailer. I think you might be surprised to find out what it really weighs. I know we sure were when we scaled ours! Most vehicles will go over the tow vehicles GVWR on the tongue weight long before they go over on the GCVWR. As for actually towing it, my old '97 did tow across flat ground, but the tail was definitely wagging the dog, and cross winds were scary. We ended up with a V10 F-350.

 

Don't get me wrong about pulling the trailer, the truck can.
I am coming from a point of factory ratings, the law and common sense.
What anyone choses to do beyond that is their decision.
Just saying what I, me, we pull at, in other situations does not make it right or correct.
The truck brake capacity, rear axle capacity, truck weight, tire size, engine size, axle ratio etc all go into arriving at a design spec for gross ratings for each model and it's options the factory arrives at.
Use a truck on the lesser side of these and you will, after awhile, begin to have issues because the truck was not deigned to have that amount of loading for any consistant length of use.
Example of this in my case was pulling over 12,000 gross with a F150 super crew ,4r70w and 3.55 axle ratio.
The worst part of the pull each week was pulling the mountain to my home.
The torque required to pull the load in first gear balloned the torque convertor and ruined the stock trans internals with metal frags.
It had nothing to do with cooling or any other function.
The little 4.6 had enough torque to do this after a half dozen runs that I had the trans custom built heavey duty and had no more problems to this day. The convertor was replaced with a diesel unit with lower slip rpm and more clutch area to hold the torque.
The bottom line is not to think you will get away with a truck not really built to pull over the gross limits for very long without having a problem.
Just saying you did/do it still is not prudent as a standard for others to follow.
In my case my F150 is still to light to do this over the long term with out changing brake pads often, attentuion to trans fluid changes etc because the basic equiment was not meant to pull these loads very often.
Talking about Dodge 3500 etc is not the same as what this tread is about because there is no compairson with that level of truck that certainly is much better sized for such towing than a 150 over it's gross capacity.
Another item is, have an accident and an investigation shows the 'real' situation and you may not come out on top of it.
I have repeatedly had this same debate on this board over and over trying to bring out the whole picture but alway get an argument against it by people who do not look into the whole thing very deeply..
I used the original poster own specs to show the basic overload that would occur if the trailer were loaded with more than a few cycles/ RV, the truck had a full tank of fuel, 2 or more passengers weights, plus other stuffs to see the total loading could be to high.
So ignor if you must and take the chances. Nothing changes it.
Good luck.

 

I USE TO PULL MY 24 FOOT ENCLOSED TRAILER THAT HAD A 3500 LB RACE CAR IN IT WITH A 4 WHEELER AND A 12000 WATT GENERATOR IN IT.THE TRUCK SPECED OUT THE SAME AS U HAVE.DIDNT HAVE ANY ISSUES.I JUST DIDNT PUT MYSELF IN A BAD POSITION.I BELEIVE IT WEIGHT OUT AT 13000 LBS LOADED.

 

Thanks for all the input... I think I will give it a couple of runs lightly loaded and see how we do. I'll post back with the results later on. Thanks again.

 

i guess id like to see the trailer and what "toys" are you loading on it? lil 4wheelers or a old mudder, sand rail, etc.....in the mean time for only a few times a year i say hook it up you should be fine.

 

You can do it sure, but I wouldnt advise it. I pulled my "toy" with mine over 450 miles round trip a couple months ago. It was pushed to the limit to say the least. I went through 3 tanks of gas, and blew my rear pinion seal.
My trailer weights 2200 lbs, and my truck is around 8k. You might be able to get away with it going short distances, but i would get a SD.

 

Wow...We have one of these for our shop.We pull it with a D-max 3/4 ton.
I would rather have a 1 ton.I also have an 01 supercrew 5.4 off road 4x4.
I would not in a million years even hook my truck to that monster empty.I value my truck more than that.You may get away with it but down the line that will take its toll on your truck.NO THANKS!

but my opinion and .50 cents might get you a coke in some places.

 

how does overlaoding a truck effect the oil seal on the pinion shaft?????
Just take it easy and you will be fine running a few hundred miles per year.
The rating on the trucks is determined assuming you will use it a good portion of the time, year after year, and want no problems.