I thought it was widely known that max tow capacity was over the back axle as in fifth wheel or gooseneck style with bumper pull being lower. I will have to check the ads and see if that is still how it is advertised or not.

http://www.edmunds.com/how-to/how-to-tow-a-trailer.html

http://www.your-rv-lifestyle.com/vehicle-weight.html

http://dmv.ca.gov/pubs/dl648/dl648pt12.htm

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/auto-parts...ion-systems.htm

Here are just a few websites that state the hitch weight will and should be anywhere from 10-15% of the weight of the trailer when loaded properly.

Sure, you can load the trailer so that you have less that 10% of the trailer weight on the hitch, but you create problems with trailer sway if the hitch weight is too light, just like you cause problems when you have too much hitch weight. Remember, the weight of your truck is what ultimately contols the weight of the loaded trailer behind you. If you dont have enough weight on that hitch when towing a load, the weight of the truck doesnt control the trailer as well and if it is too light, that heavy 11,300 lbs load you are pulling could push the rear end of your truck right off the road on a sharp turn because of weight lacking at the hitch because you wanted to pull close to the max towing cap so you skimped on the weight at the hitch to not bottom out the suspension.

Remember, your full size four door 1/2 ton truck weighs around 5500 lbs. If you are towing a load twice that weight, which manufacturers say you can do, and dont have a proper percentage of weight on the hitch, you better believe that trailer would push the rear end of your truck off the road in a sharp turn even a very slow speeds.

Thats why i say the 1/2 ton payload numbers are too small for the max towing numbers they place on them. In a 3/4 ton truck, you can put more of that 10,000 lb load on the hitch because of a higher payload capacity on a 3/4 ton truck. More allowable weight on the hitch in a 3/4 ton truck means more control over the load. 3/4 ton and 1 ton trucks dont handle heavier loads better because the trucks weigh more its because you can have a higher allowable hitch weight which utilizes the weight of the truck to handle the load.

I just compared theh weight of a 1/2 ton 4 door truck with a 3/4 ton 4 door truck and the total truck weight difference was around 500-600 lbs. Thats nothing. Its the increase in payload cap that allows the higher payloads.

Well if that was true then the F150 wouldnt be able to tow 11,300 lbs on a fifth wheel or gooseneck attachment because of payload being to light. If you read articles like i posted above, most say your fifth wheel weight will be about 20% of the total weight of the trailer load. 20% of 11,300 lbs is 2260 lbs. Thats 400 lbs over the 1890 max payload. So that couldnt even work

Do you not see what im saying here? I understand that a 1/2 ton today is better than the 1/2 tons 20 years ago but 90% of that is due to the motors and transmissions. Not alot has been done in changes to payload to be able to double the max towing cap of the years like they have.

The only way to safely increase the towing capacity in a 1/2 ton truck like that is to increase the payload to more than they have it at now.

Here is another example
My truck= 2006 F150 XLT 4.6L V8 2wd
My max towing capacity is 6300 lbs and my max payload is around 1600 lbs

If i pulled my max towing capacity at 6300 lbs with a 15% tongue weight i would have 945 lbs on the hitch. Thats safely within my payload numbers and i still have a controlable amount of weight on my hitch to allow my truck to support the load being towed.

Even the 2006 F150's with the 5.4L's that have a max towing cap at 8000 lbs. and same payload as mine. The max towing cap is a little higher than mine but thats because of the bigger motor.
If you pulled a 8000 lbs max load with this truck your hitch weight would be 1200 lbs with a 15% tongue weight. Thats still safely under the 1600 lb max payload capacity of the truck.

It just seems like they are so busy seeing how much they can run the max towing numbers up that they dont stop to think if it is practical in everyday use. Am i the only one that thinks this is dumb and in many ways, not practical.

I would like to see a F150 with 11,000 lbs behind it stop in the rain or going downhill.

Have you happened to look at the size of the 4 wheel disc brakes on one of these trucks??? I'm guessing not. Once again I will state: They would not say it can tow 11,000+ lbs (properly) if it was as risky as you are making it sound.....it's probably unsafe on a 2 front disc 2 rear drum chevy with a 4 speed tranny etc, etc , but not on this truck padna....get over your Ford whaa whaa issues and just admit who the #1 truck seller is in the past few decades.

Stupid comment! Even with my Dodge diesel that would not happen with no trailer brakes and my truck weighs quite a bit more.


Let me guess, your Tundra could do it?

So 15% of the 11,300 is around 1695 and that is within the payload of an ecoboost...What is the problem?

They are all haters because their trucks have no chance of doing what the ecoboost can, and has been proven able to do.

This is getting good.

I have 2200 miles on mine 11 f150 4wd ecoboost and was driving a 5.9 cummings to me the ecoboost pulls better, i am pulling a 20' ranger and the ecoboost doesnt even know its there. My opinion so far is awsome truck, and know a little bit about the subject since i own a landscape co that pulls trailers daily with heavy loads.

That Cummins must have been wore slap out or broke.

If you would have read my novel of a post above you would know why, haha!
Its not that its not possible. I think alot of people on here are thinking that i dont believe that this truck can handle that amount of towing. Im sure it can because im know Ford has tested it. However, i would never feel safe in a 1/2 ton with that much weight behind me. Thats my point. You have to realize that there are alot of stupid people out there that will see this max towing number of 11,300 lbs and think this is a great truck to tow that weight with day in and day out.

I understand that if Ford says the truck can do it, i believe them and im sure it can do it. I never argued that the truck cant pull 11,300 lbs.

My arguement was not towards the Ecoboost motor in particular or any other motor for that matter, Chevy has max towing numbers for its 1/2 ton over 10,000 lbs also that i think are too steep also.

The size of the brakes arguement has no bearing if you are not loaded right with the correct amount of weight on the hitch. You can lock the brakes up all day long, but if you dont have enough weight ont the hitch, your trucks gonna get pushed around.

You guys are really missing the point of my arguement. My arguement is about the amount of payload this truck has in association with the max towing capacity.

If the 1/2 tons with the max towing capacities over 9,000 lbs had payloads capacities around 2300 lbs, it would make better since, thats all im saying.


Over the years the max towing number competition has skyrocketed between manufacturers. I dont believe the payload numbers have gone up enough to match the towing capacity numbers to make the max towing capacity number practical.