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Towing a 6000 lbs TT with F150

deanon
Explorer
Explorer
Hi,
How well would a F150 tow a 5350 lbs dry/6900 GVWR/550 lbs hitch weight travel trailer. It's a total of 28 ft long. I think I will be at most 6000 lbs loaded.

F150 is a 2016 crew cab with the 5.0 V8. A weight distribution and sway bar would be used.

Does anyone have experience with this setup on the highway? I'm concerned about sway and how much the trailer will effect the truck ride.

Thanks!
24 REPLIES 24

rowekmr
Explorer
Explorer
My FIL F150 Ecoboost would sub in for trailer towing duty when my F250 was down. Fairly stout truck with regards to power and braking. The rear suspension was of course softer than I was used to but I would tow all but the heaviest trailer when I needed to. I've moved my TT with it around the campgrounds easily but never took it on the highway so can't comment on the stability there. I have mainly towed my 20" tilt flatbed auto transporter many times with cars up to another 1/2 ton on it.
10 Lincoln MKS Ecoboost
07 Lincoln Navigator
00 Newmar Dutch Star 3851

Terryallan
Explorer II
Explorer II
nickthehunter wrote:
Exactly what do you mean by "the truck currently doesn't have a hitch"? A hitch consists of a "receiver" and a "drawbar". The hitch head is mounted to the drawbar. I have never ever seen a F150 that didn't come with a receiver.


Not standard equipment. And If it has no hitch. It does not have any towing equipment.
Terry & Shay
Coachman Apex 288BH.
2013 F150 XLT Off Road
5.0, 3.73
Lazy Campers

BenK
Explorer
Explorer
Also, external ATF cooler if it has an automatic...and...a host of other 'HD' hardware components/systems & software


bikendan wrote:
nickthehunter wrote:
Exactly what do you mean by "the truck currently doesn't have a hitch"? A hitch consists of a "receiver" and a "drawbar". The hitch head is mounted to the drawbar. I have never ever seen a F150 that didn't come with a receiver.


A number of F150s don't come with tow packages.
A fellow firefighter had the Harley Davidson edition and it had no tow package or receiver.
-Ben Picture of my rig
1996 GMC SLT Suburban 3/4 ton K3500/7.4L/4:1/+150Kmiles orig owner...
1980 Chevy Silverado C10/long bed/"BUILT" 5.7L/3:73/1 ton helper springs/+329Kmiles, bought it from dad...
1998 Mazda B2500 (1/2 ton) pickup, 2nd owner...
Praise Dyno Brake equiped and all have "nose bleed" braking!
Previous trucks/offroaders: 40's Jeep restored in mid 60's / 69 DuneBuggy (approx +1K lb: VW pan/200hpCorvair: eng, cam, dual carb'w velocity stacks'n 18" runners, 4spd transaxle) made myself from ground up / 1970 Toyota FJ40 / 1973 K5 Blazer (2dr Tahoe, 1 ton axles front/rear, +255K miles when sold it)...
Sold the boat (looking for another): Trophy with twin 150's...
51 cylinders in household, what's yours?...

bikendan
Explorer
Explorer
nickthehunter wrote:
Exactly what do you mean by "the truck currently doesn't have a hitch"? A hitch consists of a "receiver" and a "drawbar". The hitch head is mounted to the drawbar. I have never ever seen a F150 that didn't come with a receiver.


A number of F150s don't come with tow packages.
A fellow firefighter had the Harley Davidson edition and it had no tow package or receiver.
Dan- Firefighter, Retired:C, Shawn- Musician/Entrepreneur:W, Zoe- Faithful Golden Retriever(RIP:(), 2014 Ford F150 3.5 EcoboostMax Tow pkg, 2016 PrimeTime TracerAIR 255 w/4pt Equalizer and 5 Mtn. bikes and 2 Road bikes

nickthehunter
Nomad II
Nomad II
Exactly what do you mean by "the truck currently doesn't have a hitch"? A hitch consists of a "receiver" and a "drawbar". The hitch head is mounted to the drawbar. I have never ever seen a F150 that didn't come with a receiver.

sele
Explorer
Explorer
Terryallan wrote:
It all honesty. It may be better, and possibly less expensive to trade the truck, and get one with a higher GVWR, and factory tow package. adding the tow package after market gets sort of pricey, and when you are done. You will still have a low GVWR and high geared truck. I don't believe you will be happy towing the 6000lb + TT with that truck. Unless of course, You decide to change the gears as well. Again. spendy.
I agree, with the right setup you would be very happy and the best way is to probably trade instead of trying to update your current F 150. When I bought mine I set it up for tow haul and not gas mileage and am very happy with the job it does. Everybody has given you some good advise the ball is know in your court. Good luck
scott

Terryallan
Explorer II
Explorer II
It all honesty. It may be better, and possibly less expensive to trade the truck, and get one with a higher GVWR, and factory tow package. adding the tow package after market gets sort of pricey, and when you are done. You will still have a low GVWR and high geared truck. I don't believe you will be happy towing the 6000lb + TT with that truck. Unless of course, You decide to change the gears as well. Again. spendy.
Terry & Shay
Coachman Apex 288BH.
2013 F150 XLT Off Road
5.0, 3.73
Lazy Campers

bikendan
Explorer
Explorer
deanon wrote:
Thanks everyone for your advice. Some asked for more info about the tow vehicle. The sticker on the door states GVWR of 6800 and the AXLE 27, which I think is a 3.31.
The truck doesn't currently have a hitch. I'm planning to add a Curt hitch with 1000 lbs tongue weight and 10000 towing capacity.


You'll need to duplicate the factory tow package, not just the hitch RECEIVER. That means Trans cooler, pre-wiring for brake controller and tow mirrors.

And that Curt receiver you're installing, doesn't mean your truck can tow 10,000lbs or handle 1,000lbs tongue weight.
Those numbers are for the receiver alone.
Dan- Firefighter, Retired:C, Shawn- Musician/Entrepreneur:W, Zoe- Faithful Golden Retriever(RIP:(), 2014 Ford F150 3.5 EcoboostMax Tow pkg, 2016 PrimeTime TracerAIR 255 w/4pt Equalizer and 5 Mtn. bikes and 2 Road bikes

irishtom29
Explorer
Explorer
Never mind.

Terryallan
Explorer II
Explorer II
deanon wrote:
Thanks everyone for your advice. Some asked for more info about the tow vehicle. The sticker on the door states GVWR of 6800 and the AXLE 27, which I think is a 3.31.
The truck doesn't currently have a hitch. I'm planning to add a Curt hitch with 1000 lbs tongue weight and 10000 towing capacity.


You will also need to add the tow package. No hitch no trany cooler. Also no hitch will increase tow cap. You will just have a really good hitch. More hitch than truck
Terry & Shay
Coachman Apex 288BH.
2013 F150 XLT Off Road
5.0, 3.73
Lazy Campers

jamesu
Explorer
Explorer
For what it is worth, for 10 years I towed my old 30' Trail Bay (5333 dry weight) with my previous TV, an '03 F-150 (5.4L 3.73). On trips I was probably towing 7000-7500 lbs. Within my TV's capabilities.

Have read that the new 1/2 ton F-150's have more power than my old truck. At any rate that trusty old TV worked really hard, got us where we were going, but just wasn't an enjoyable experience anymore - was contemplating getting rid of the whole shooting match.. I traded my 1/2 ton Ford in for a used '11 Chevy 3/4 ton Duramax diesel a couple years ago. What a difference. Towing was actually fun again. Yes, New diesels are expensive , but buying a good used one was affordable for me.

My point? It's way better to be over-powered than under-powered. Have never personally towed with the newer Ford 1/2 tons, but with my awesome 3/4 ton diesel I have nodesire to ever go back there.
2011 Chevy 2500 Duramax diesel
2019 Timber Ridge 24RLS (Outdoors RV)
Go Cougs!

OutdoorPhotogra
Explorer
Explorer
OK, so 3.31 is 6800 or 9000 lb tow capacity. I fear it's 6800 since you don't have a hitch. I haven't heard of an F-150 that didn't have a factory hitch. Is it the sport package? That's the 6800 lb tow rating. Does the sticker have GCWR? The options are 12,000 or 14,200 which correspond to the 6800 and 9000 lb tow ratings respectively.
2008 Rockwood Signature Ultralite 5th Wheel
F-250 6.2 Gasser

Former PUP camper (Rockwood Popup Freedom 1980)

deanon
Explorer
Explorer
Thanks everyone for your advice. Some asked for more info about the tow vehicle. The sticker on the door states GVWR of 6800 and the AXLE 27, which I think is a 3.31.
The truck doesn't currently have a hitch. I'm planning to add a Curt hitch with 1000 lbs tongue weight and 10000 towing capacity.

Terryallan
Explorer II
Explorer II
As a F150 5.0, 3.73 owner. I will say, that with a 5.0, 3.73 rear, Your truck will be great with that TT. However. After searching for a long time. I can honestly say FEW F150s, with a 5.0, and 3.73 rears exist.

SO, for us to help, We need more info. Again, what gear, what GVWR package, They as mentioned start in the 6500lb range and go right up close to 8000lb.

As for sway. My TT is in fact 31' long, and weighs 6000lb wet, give or take 200lb depending on where it is going. I was real careful setting up the hitch. I have -o- / ZERO sway.

In other words. The TT follows along like a little lamb. I've never been able to out run it, and it has never tried to pass me. It doesn't try to push me down the mountains, or thru intersections. The factory brake controller works as advertised, As good or better than the Prodigy I had in my last truck.

I can highly recommend the F150 with the 5.0, and 3.73 rears. However. IF the 150 you are looing at ahs a 3.15, a 3.08, or a 3.31. I'd leave it.
Terry & Shay
Coachman Apex 288BH.
2013 F150 XLT Off Road
5.0, 3.73
Lazy Campers