Trailer Hitch with Higher Capacity than Factory Hitch on a 2018 Ford F-150

Updated 07/12/2018 | Published 07/10/2018

Products Featured in This Question

Curt Heavy Duty Forged Ball Mount with 2-5/16" Ball - 2" Drop - 15,000 lbs

(810)

$83.96

Question:

I have a 2018 F150 5.0 liter that shows a GCWR of 14400 lbs and Ford says a max towing of 9100 lbs. Msays 5000/500 Weight carrying and 11600/1160 WD. Is it safe to use this hitch or should I get the Curt C14016? I am also interested in a recommended ball mount and how much different the height of the Curt C14016 is than the OEM hitch height? Currently a 4inch drop is needed for my dump trailer and a 7000 lbs. utility trailer I pull.

asked by: Blair

Helpful Expert Reply:

With your existing hitch on your 2018 Ford F-150 the maximum weight you can tow, even when using weight distribution, is that 9,100 pounds you quoted. If you were to install an aftermarket one such as # C14016 then you would still be limited to 9,100 pounds but would not have to use weight distribution to reach that capacity.

So what it comes down to is whether or not you want to use weight distribution. Since you have 2 trailers you may not want to move the system back and forth between the 2 trailers, assuming that it will fit both, or have to buy 2 systems.

You can avoid that by installing Curt trailer hitch # C14016. When installed the receiver on this hitch will be about 2-1/2 inches below the bottom of the factory receiver (factory receiver stays in place, see picture). If you have to use a 4 inch drop ball mount now then you can switch to a 2 inch drop.

I recommend # C45331 since it has the right amount of drop, includes a 2-5/16 inch ball already installed in the ball mount, and a hitch pin with clip. An excellent value for sure.

expert reply by: Michael H