I have a 2012 F150 with a 5.0L V8 engine, a 157-inch wheelbase, and a 3.55 axle. I want to get a trailer. The maximum combined weight of the truck and trailer (GCWR) is 13,500 pounds, and Ford says the trailer can weigh up to 7,500 pounds. My wife and I are looking at two trailers: one without a slide-out that weighs 5,033 pounds, and one with a slide-out that weighs 6,250 pounds. The one with the slide-out is within the 7,500-pound limit, but that leaves us with just 1,750 pounds for passengers and gear. I think the truck itself weighs around 5,500 pounds, but I’ll check again today. Will this be okay, or will it be too much for a half-ton truck?
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The main limit with a half-ton truck is how much weight it can carry. Check the sticker on the driver’s door for your truck’s payload capacity, and subtract the trailer’s tongue weight from that. Your truck can tow the trailer just fine, but you need to be careful about how much weight you have in the truck when towing, especially if the trailer has a heavy tongue weight. It’s easy to overload a half-ton truck when the trailer’s tongue weight is heavy.
You’re completely fine towing a trailer that weighs 6,200 pounds, leaving about 7,000 pounds for the truck. Just make sure your water tanks are empty, and you’ll be good to go. I have the same truck and trailer, and it works well as long as everything is hooked up properly.
Your truck with the 3.55 axle is just like the 3.73 axle truck, which is rated for 9,200 pounds, so it’s built to handle it.
From what I’ve seen on forums and from talking to police and inspection officers, no one seems to get ticketed or pulled over for towing 6,000 pounds with an F150. However, towing a very large 5th wheel might attract more attention from the cops.
Many experienced towers admit they are towing over the recommended limits, as seen in popular posts like ‘Let’s see your camper being towed.’
It’s amusing to see people panic about towing limits for a 3.55-equipped F150 when, in reality, it’s quite capable.
You’ll be fine towing that weight. The 5.0 engine will handle it, though it might not do an amazing job. The rest of the F150 will perform the same as any other, except for the gear ratio.
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My boat weighs about 6,000 pounds with gear and gas, and my truck pulls it perfectly with no issues
You’re overlooking payload capacity. It seems you don’t mind exceeding the GVWR of your F-150, but most people do.
A 2011 or newer F-150 without the max tow or HD Payload package will likely be overloaded with a trailer that weighs 6,200 pounds. My 2012 SuperCrew 4x2 EcoBoost is overloaded with a trailer that weighs less than 5,000 pounds. A 4x4 version has even less available payload capacity.
Even though my truck has a 3.15 axle ratio and can pull a lot more, I can’t handle the hitch weight of a trailer without exceeding the limit. I towed a 5th wheel weighing about 8,000 pounds, and while my truck’s tow rating is 8,400 pounds, I was still overloaded according to the CAT scale, which showed I exceeded the GVWR and rear GAWR of my F-150. So, focus on the GVWR of the truck, not just the tow ratings and GCWR.
Yes, you can tow it, but you might not be able to do so without exceeding the F-150’s weight limits. It looks like you forgot about the HD Payload package, which is only available with the 5.0L engine and the 3.73 axle ratio.
Also, the maximum towing package is different from the standard ones, but it’s only available with the EcoBoost engine and the 3.73 axle ratio on 2011 and newer F-150s.