Towing Capacity

[Npdchief07]

I am looking at buying a used truck in order to tow a travel trailer. Where can I find accurate information on the towing capacity of that truck and a glossary of what all the terms mean?

[myredracer]

Weighing at a scale is the most accurate method, esp. if the truck was ordered with options and/or you've added anything after it left the factory. Our F250 has a lot less payload than what the door pillar stickers says but the PO ordered a bunch of options and we added a canopy/topper. Excellent truck! Way better than our old F150 and the 4.1 rear end is great for towing and accelerating. Another factor is the receiver rating it has- ours is 1250/12,500 lbs max. We tow a TT just under 7Klbs which has a tongue wt. near 1K lbs and could tow a fair bit more (TT not FW).

[blt2ski]

2500 lbs of payload, family of 6 like mine is 1200-1300 lbs when all were teens.....now down to 1200 lbs of other stuff. Two alasakan malamutes and crates, 300 lbs, generator 120 lbs, rack and canoe at 250 lbs.....now have about 600-800 lbs for hitch weight.
800 / 10% is 8000 lbs of max trailer. 800/15% is a whopping 5333 lbs of trailer.....

So NO, a 2500 lbs payload truck may not be in my case, big enough for a 7500 lbs loaded trailer depending upon MANY items......a 5w would be worse, 25% of 800 lbs is a whopping max trailer of 3200 lbs! Power be danged, payload is very important if you have a large family. I would suggest a SW 35 series with minimum 3000 - 4000 lbs of payload!

This is from a having been there done that.....lololol I should add in the day I came home from a ski area at 21000 lbs gcw, normally I was around 15000. Yes that was 6000 lbs of snow load in pickup bed and trailer roof!

Marty

[mkirsch]

Npdchief07 wrote:
I am looking at buying a used truck in order to tow a travel trailer. Where can I find accurate information on the towing capacity of that truck?

No such thing exists. There are so many different trucks and the towing capacity changes from year to year, model to model, engine type to engine type, gear ratio to gear ratio, transmission to transmission, cab to cab, bed to bed, tire size to tire size.... Any litte change in the truck's configuration changes its tow capacity.

[troubledwaters]

I think you can read up on weights and everything else towing related here.

[Grit_dog]

MFL wrote:

Npdchief07 wrote:
I appreciate everyone's comments but I am still a little confused. I don't plan on weighing the truck before I buy it. I don't know if anyone can answer this but if I buy a Ford F-250 would it be safe to assume it could safely pull a 7500 pound trailer and my family of 5 and sometimes 6?

While F250s can vary, it is a safe assumption that it would handle a trailer loaded wt of 7,500 lbs.

Jerry

Yes even the most anemic newer 3/4tons can safely tow 7500lbs of almost any configuration.
As well, most well equipped newer half tons (big engine, deeper gears, tow pkg, can tow 7500lbs.
If you're not opposed to newer 3/4 or 1 ton trucks then buying one of them will assure you can tow 10-12k with a gasser and well over 15k with a diesel.

Don't overthink weighing each bag of corn chips that goes in the cabinet. Get a decent truck with a bit more capability than you need and tow reliably with ease, IMO.

[burningman]

I don't think Ford ever made an F250 that can't tow a 7500 pound trailer.
How well it does it depends on a few things. Gear ratio is one of the biggest factors.
Gear ratio is most commonly either 3.54 or 4.10. 4.10 is lower, revs the engine more, and is better for towing.
Bigger is better in the engine/trans department. Diesels are the universal best choice from a performance/durability/MPG standpoint. Gas engine trucks are a lot cheaper to buy and usually cheaper to maintain, but they are weaker and use more fuel.
It wouldn't hurt to look at F350s instead of F250s. You pretty much can't go totally wrong with a one-ton for pulling a trailer. Just do not buy a Ford 6.0 diesel!!! Buy ANY OTHER Ford, if you want a Ford. Don't do it, don't do it, don't do it!

[westend]

My 2003 4x4 Crew Cab, short box, has a payload capacity of 2500 lbs. A 7500 lb trailer would be no sweat.

[JIMNLIN]

Npdchief07 wrote:
I appreciate everyone's comments but I am still a little confused. I don't plan on weighing the truck before I buy it. I don't know if anyone can answer this but if I buy a Ford F-250 would it be safe to assume it could safely pull a 7500 pound trailer and my family of 5 and sometimes 6?

Use this from Ford Ford truck specs.

How much weight a F250 truck can carry varies with the year model/other considerations which we don't have. But most have a 6000-6100 RAWR and is good for around 3000 lb load in the bed
How much tow rating a F250 has depends on:

the trucks year model.
the trucks GVWR (drivers side door sticker)
the trucks RAWR (drivers side door sticker)
gas or diesel
auto tranny vs manual tranny
rear axle gear ratio

Need some help with what the truck is.

Just guessing but I would say if the truck is a diesel or a 5.4 v8 or a bigger gas engine you will be ok.

[MFL]

Npdchief07 wrote:
I appreciate everyone's comments but I am still a little confused. I don't plan on weighing the truck before I buy it. I don't know if anyone can answer this but if I buy a Ford F-250 would it be safe to assume it could safely pull a 7500 pound trailer and my family of 5 and sometimes 6?

While F250s can vary, it is a safe assumption that it would handle a trailer loaded wt of 7,500 lbs.

Jerry

[BenK]

Welcome !!!

And confirm that the ratings are both confusing and pretty easy once you understand how that system works (vs marketing..."King of the Hill" braggart verbiage that most believe as an absolute)

First, decide if you believe in the OEM's specificationis/ratings/limits/recommendations or not

If not, then academic and do whatever you wish...knowing you took the OEMs off the liability hook

If yes, then read up and a suggestion on these freebie forums...look into the background/posts of whomever you wish to listen to...and on that...there is only one person responsible for the setup...that is the driver...NO ONE from a forum will stand up and pay for whatever may happen

Depending on the era/year of the TV you are looking at...the various labels will have most of the information for you to do the simple math. As mower said...GCWR will not be on the vehicle and only sometimes in the manual...as it needs the weight of *ALL* the optional equipment installed at the factory. Missing will be the after market stuff and dealer installed stuff...

Curb weight is the base model (AKA stripper model) and if not listed, you can take the GVWR minus the door label payload/cargo. Hint...that is the factory doing the simple math with the options they installed...again, if you have after market stuff...that label is incorrect

front/rear GAWR is what the OEM rates the axles to carry for the duration of their warranty...plus some to provide design margin...AKA safety margin...and a bit of marketing to say their TV's last...

Rear GAWR is where *MOST* of the trailer weight will be for either Fiver or tongued trailers. Where most 6kK-7K TVs and their 4K-5K Rear GAWR limits

GCWR is the total the whole setup (trailer and TV) puts down to pavement in weight

Most of these have lots of design margin, so the wheels won't instantly fall off if over these ratings...but they will sooner than later if under/at the ratings

Performance will be the main degradation. Like time to speed, turning, BRAKING and its ability to MANHANDLE the whole setup during the moment Mr Murphy crosses your path

Since it appears you do not have either TV nor trailer, you can choose to work it from the trailer to the TV or from the TV to the trailer

Advise on just choosing based on market badging...like 'half ton', 1500, 150, etc...

Most OEMs has over a dozen or more 'half ton' offerings. Ranging from low 6,000 GVWRs to high 7,000 GVWRs. Most half ton will have rear GAWR in the below to over 4,000 lb range.

Don't like marketing terms, but once you get above the 'half ton' marketing moniker...the variations of 3/4 ton and 1 ton are greatly reduced, but there are still more than one flavor

So, going 8.6K GVWR (AKA 3/4 ton) you will instantly have a rear GAWR of +6,000 lbs...note that is about 2,000 lbs more then most half tons and like your thinking in having more margin...but they too can be overloaded as trailers get larger because 'you can'...

Post which TV you are interested in and we can help more

[KD4UPL]

A Ford F-250 could be a whole lot of different trucks. 1970 model or 2016 model? 4wd, diesel, long bed, loaded with options or no options?
Is this 7,500 pounds what the trailer supposedly weighs dry or what you think it will weigh after you add all your gear and supplies?
I would say that is this is a typical loaded up 4wd crew cab diesel F-250 and the 7,500 is the dry trailer weight then you will quite likely run out of payload on the truck after you load the trailer and your large family.

[donn0128]

Truck? Figure roughly 8000 pounds loaded ready to go if its a diesel. If a gasser, maybe 7500 pounds. With a 10,000 GVWR that would leave you 2000 pounds for hitch weight and what ever else you might pile in the bed.

[Npdchief07]

I appreciate everyone's comments but I am still a little confused. I don't plan on weighing the truck before I buy it. I don't know if anyone can answer this but if I buy a Ford F-250 would it be safe to assume it could safely pull a 7500 pound trailer and my family of 5 and sometimes 6?

[mowermech]

GCWR will not be found on the door post tag. It is usually found in the Owners Manual under "Towing".
Towing capacity is the GCWR minus the actual weight of the vehicle minus any other load on the vehicle.
Yes, you must get the vehicle weighed before you can even begin to figure this out!
So: Let's say the GCWR of your vehicle is 20,000 pounds. The vehicle weighs 8000 lbs. with full fuel and the driver. that leaves you 12,000 lbs for a trailer. But wait, you have to add the weight of your spouse, 2 or 3 kids, firewood, dog(s), etc. to the weight of the truck. That leaves you with 11,200 pounds for the trailer. Now you need to weigh the trailer, as loaded for travel. That is; full water, full propane, tools, groceries, clothes, fishing equipment, guns, ammunition, pots, pans, dishes, tableware, other kitchen utensils, etc.
Remember, if you are going to be on the road for more than a weekend, leave room in your weight calculations for souvenirs that may be added. Seashells, pretty rocks, interestingly shaped rocks, carvings, teapots, etc. They all add weight. Individually, not much, but collectively they can get real heavy!
Be careful, it is quite easy to get totally OCD about weight!