Maximum Weight of Trailer That a 1998 Ford F150 Can Tow
Updated 02/14/2014 | Published 02/13/2014
Question:
Hi: I need to tow a 2008 Keystone Outback Sydney Edition 29RLS with a 1998 Ford f150 5.4l extended cab 4x4, 3.55 ls differential gear with a GCVW of 12500 and max trailer towing wight of 7700. The trailer Dry Weight is 6990 lbs, 2610 Payload Capacity and 740 lbs Hitch Weight. The Pick up as is can only tow 5000 lbs with a 500 tongue weight carrying and 8500 lbs with a 850 max tongue weight distributing. What do you recomend for max towing and safty. Thanks
asked by: Wilfredo F
Helpful Expert Reply:
The best way to determine the maximum weight of the trailer you can safely tow is to subtract the weight of the fully loaded vehicle (curb weight plus weight of all cargo, driver and passengers) from the 12,500 GCVW. The figure you end up with will represent the maximum trailer weight you can safely tow. You would also need to check the capacity of your hitch, which might be different from the capacity of the truck itself. The trailer you tow cannot weigh any more that the capacity of the lowest rated component in your towing system, be it the hitch or the truck.
I did some online research trying to find the towing capacity of that truck, but there are so many variables that can change the tow rating according to how the truck is equipped that it is difficult to nail down a specific figure. Subtracting the GVW from the GCVW is the best way to determine the towing capacity.
