Really? (Towing Capacity of new trucks)

Would you conventional tow 11,300 pounds with a 1/2 ton 2wd pickup with a 3.5L V6?

  • Of course, I believe everything Ford says.

    Votes: 1 2.0%

  • Maybe, how much will you pay me?

    Votes: 6 11.8%

  • No way, I understand physics.

    Votes: 18 35.3%

  • Absolutely, but only downhill.

    Votes: 2 3.9%

  • Yes, if the route is flat.

    Votes: 2 3.9%

  • Is this a serious question?

    Votes: 5 9.8%

  • Definitely not, fuel is too expensive.

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • You'd do it for Randolph Scott!

    Votes: 3 5.9%

  • No, but there are plenty of people who would.

    Votes: 9 17.6%

  • Does it matter? People who pull a 3000# boat twice a year will buy it anyway?

    Votes: 17 33.3%
  • Total voters
    51
  • Poll closed .
jeepinmatt

jeepinmatt

<-$15k
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Location
Stanley, NC
On the back of the March issue of Four Wheeler is this ad:
awww.4wheelsnews.com_images_news_24509_2013_ford_f_150_fishing_without_bait.jpg


While I've never actually towed 11,300lbs with a 1/2 ton, I've pulled 7000lbs with my dads F150 and it felt like it was at or beyond the reasonable limit of what should be behind that truck. I've pulled 10,000lbs with my Duramax, and that is quite a load for a truck with a longer wheelbase, twice the torque, and much more drivetrain/suspension. Ads like this just annoy me. It will be great when all of the manufacturers use the SAE standard for rating towing capacity.

Heres an article outlining the standard:
http://www.automobilemag.com/features/news/0912_sae_tow_ratings_finally_pass_sniff_test/viewall.html

And more importantly:
 
I would only tow 11,300 lbs of bacon with that tuck.

This choice was not in your poll.
 
jeepinmatt said:
I've pulled 10,000lbs with my Duramax, and that is quite a load for a truck with a longer wheelbase, twice the torque, and much more drivetrain/suspension.
Click to expand...

Dmax is maxed out at 18k combined eh? QFE.
 
Idjits just see the numbers and believe them. Like them "26-mile" FRS radios...might get a half if the wind is blowing that direction.
 
Since I can only pick one will abstain from voting :D .The real question is will it "handle" 11,300,meaning how long will the tranny and/or axle last??? I see alot of stuff rollin into harlan behind trucks that should have never left the yard.Years ago we were at Windrock for a ride and some guy pulled in w a sami on a 4x8 lawnmower trailer behind an old Jeep J-10 w 35's.Trailer didnt have any brakes and the truck got pushed thru a red light cause he didnt see the light in time to stop.He didnt hit anybody but it was pretty scary non the less.
 
maybe they count the weight of the truck too haha....it does say towing and fuel economy and the fuel economy comes from the truck not the trailer so they count the weight of the truck with it
 
Hell that's higher than what some older factory 2500 and 3500 trucks. To me anything over 6-8k regularly you need a 3/4 or 1 ton. Manufactures have been making the 1/2-3/4/-1 Ton lines very fuzzy lately. Just wait next will be an f350/3500 with a gcvwr of 30k+.
 
I'm pretty sure they include the weight of the truck. Its the gvwr thats on the door sticker. So basically a 4-5klb bass boat or something.
 
You know, that Toyota Tundra did pull the NASA Spaceship across a bridge :rolleyes:

It may be able to pull 11 K but the questions is, will it stop it? Here the challenge lies within.
 
criket said:
You know, that Toyota Tundra did pull the NASA Spaceship across a bridge :rolleyes:

It may be able to pull 11 K but the questions is, will it stop it? Here the challenge lies within.
Click to expand...

The brakes on trucks today are massive. Any half ton has much better stopping ability than 1-tons from 10-15 years ago. That said, an 11k trailer should stop itself. That's what your brake controller is for.
 
My Hemi Commander is rated at 7,400

There is no way I would tow over 5,500 with it and that is with trailer brakes and slowing way down.

I own 6 XJ's and it always amazed me that Jeep/Chrysler rated the 4.0/AW4 equipped XJ at 5,000. The XJ is a tough little vehicle but 3,000 is scarey at best, I know, I towed a full decked out 19' bass boat with mine weekly and that boat was pushing 3,500 and even with the trailer brakes it was too much for the XJ to handle safely.

Talk about a mouse pulling an elephant LOL!
ai418.photobucket.com_albums_pp266_xjtrailrider_big_20red_jeepboatsideview.jpg
 
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jeepinmatt said:
Not sure what you're implying. I wouldn't say it's "maxed out", but its not the kind of load you casually tow around with no real change in driving style either.
Click to expand...

Well, it's really sweet of your wife to let you drive her truck. :flipoff2:

Back in the day, we'd pull 12k bobcat trailers with 351Ws. The motor was good for maybe 200hp. I think the 2bbl was more like 175hp. They had little bitty front rotors, drums in the back, channel frames, crappy brake controllers, and no ABS. Some of the trailers were surge. Sometimes we had a load of sand or an auger or something in the bed. But you put your big boy pants on and drove the thing.

If I had the choice between that and a 300hp F150 with massive rotors f/r, integral brake controller, four wheel ABS, and a boxed frame, I'd pick the latter, regardless of what Ford or the SAE says. BTW... the SAE rating method only changed the capacity for Toyota and GM by a few hundred pounds. There were a couple of instances where it knocked 1k off the trailer capacity. So if we do take Ford at their word, they're still talking about pulling 9-10k with that truck.
 
If the truck wasn't mine and it had great trailer brakes, sure.
I've towed everything with everything. I've towed 15k with 3/4 ton pickups and 20k with 3500's. Its all (mainly) in the trailer capabilities.
 
shawn said:
The brakes on trucks today are massive. Any half ton has much better stopping ability than 1-tons from 10-15 years ago. That said, an 11k trailer should stop itself. That's what your brake controller is for.
Click to expand...


This. I have towed 7500 or so with a new furd 1/2 ton with a v-8 with no trailer brakes. It stopped as well as my 2500 dodge with trailer barkes. I would not want to make a habbit of towing 10k plus with it.
 
trevoringle said:
maybe they count the weight of the truck too haha....it does say towing and fuel economy and the fuel economy comes from the truck not the trailer so they count the weight of the truck with it
Click to expand...
tireburner1975 said:
I'm pretty sure they include the weight of the truck. Its the gvwr thats on the door sticker. So basically a 4-5klb bass boat or something.
Click to expand...
No, thats just the trailer towing capacity. Combined was up around 16,500lbs. I looked it up on Fords website because I thought they were joking. GVWR is the weight of everything thats on the 4 tires of the truck, GCWR is the weight of the truck with everything in it and the weight of the trailer and everything on it.

shawn said:
The brakes on trucks today are massive. Any half ton has much better stopping ability than 1-tons from 10-15 years ago. That said, an 11k trailer should stop itself. That's what your brake controller is for.
Click to expand...
I agree with this 100%. My dad's 02 F150 has good brakes/frame/suspension, way better than his 94 F250. The 94 feels overloaded pulling 2000lbs.

shawn said:
Well, it's really sweet of your wife to let you drive her truck. :flipoff2:
Click to expand...
I agree, I picked a good one :flipoff2:

Back in the day, we'd pull 12k bobcat trailers with 351Ws. The motor was good for maybe 200hp. I think the 2bbl was more like 175hp. They had little bitty front rotors, drums in the back, channel frames, crappy brake controllers, and no ABS. Some of the trailers were surge. Sometimes we had a load of sand or an auger or something in the bed. But you put your big boy pants on and drove the thing.

If I had the choice between that and a 300hp F150 with massive rotors f/r, integral brake controller, four wheel ABS, and a boxed frame, I'd pick the latter, regardless of what Ford or the SAE says. BTW... the SAE rating method only changed the capacity for Toyota and GM by a few hundred pounds. There were a couple of instances where it knocked 1k off the trailer capacity. So if we do take Ford at their word, they're still talking about pulling 9-10k with that truck.
Click to expand...
As you know, its not a matter of power. A Tundra pulled the spaceship FTW. Unfortunately there are now idiots who think that their Tundra really can pull the spaceship. Trucks these days are way better, but it seems like for the past couple years, the towing capacities have jumped up 1000lbs a year. Pulling an 11k pound trailer with a short wheelbase 2wd truck with no mass over the frontend just seems like a foolish recommendation for a manufacture to be making. Its not sensible people who I worry about, its the guy who hooks up to that huge boat, asks "whats this little round black plug for?", drapes it over the frame, and then slides through the next intersection because the manufacturer said its ok.
 
I can't imagine the drivetrain lasting very long on the Ford towing 3/4+ sized loads frequently, especially in hilly regions, but I'm no expert.
 
According to ford the truck would need to be equipped with the Heavy duty payload package and the max trailer tow package. It is a a lot of weight but I really don't think they would rate it that way if it was not possible. That's a pretty big liability.

Ford Towing Info

Haha, just saw it makes it 7 lug if you choose that payload package like the 98 model F-250 and trailer package comes with sway control.

Since I didn't see an applicable item to vote for I just went with the last one as it was most true.
 
Last edited:
shawn said:
Well, it's really sweet of your wife to let you drive her truck. :flipoff2:

Back in the day, we'd pull 12k bobcat trailers with 351Ws. The motor was good for maybe 200hp. I think the 2bbl was more like 175hp. They had little bitty front rotors, drums in the back, channel frames, crappy brake controllers, and no ABS. Some of the trailers were surge. Sometimes we had a load of sand or an auger or something in the bed. But you put your big boy pants on and drove the thing.

If I had the choice between that and a 300hp F150 with massive rotors f/r, integral brake controller, four wheel ABS, and a boxed frame, I'd pick the latter, regardless of what Ford or the SAE says. BTW... the SAE rating method only changed the capacity for Toyota and GM by a few hundred pounds. There were a couple of instances where it knocked 1k off the trailer capacity. So if we do take Ford at their word, they're still talking about pulling 9-10k with that truck.
Click to expand...

That's my thought process too...back when I was working in machine shops and I'd have to pick up or drop off 20,000lb dies (sometimes another couple thousand pounds of smaller dies in the bed) to Freightliner or Hickory Springs, in a 90's Ford truck with 351W...it made it just fine. Given, not the smartest thing, and you did have to be experienced making that haul...but the truck did survive. I would worry about the soccer dad that has no hauling experience, but not the truck capability. I'd take any advancement a modern truck has over what I was towing with in a heart beat.
 
I just got a 2013 Chevy 1500 crew cab 4x4 and the max trailor weight is 9500 and the GCWR is 15,000.

Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk 2
 
Apparently my CUCV is inadequate for just about any kind of towing or hauling :D
 
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