What Does GCWR Mean for 2013 Ford F-150

Updated 01/13/2020 | Published 01/11/2020

Question:

Ive been racking my brain all night over this. I have a 2013 Ford f-150 supercab with a 5.0 / 144.5 wheel base/3.55 axle. Ford states i have a GCWR of 13,500 lbs. The charts say I can have a max trailer weight of 7800 lbs. The truck has a GVWR of 7350 curb weight ,Passengers, gas and cargo? So heres were Im confused if the truck is loaded at 7350 lbs tire load sticker say 1642 lbs of occupants and cargo and the GCWR is 13,500 lbs can I still pull a 7800 lbs trailer as the charts say or has the trailer weight gone down to 6150? I currently have a TT which weighs curb weight 5607 with a cargo capacity of 1593 lbs which if loaded is 7200. Am I thinking correctly Truck GCWR 13,500 the truck weighs 5333 curb the TT weighs curb 5607 lbs which totals 10,940, subtract from 13,500 leaves me a total cargo weight of 2560 lbs. Which is passengers, cargo, gas, etc?

asked by: Thomas C

Expert Reply:

I can understand the confusion, because these weights are made to seem more complicated that it really is (in my opinion, anyway). So the GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating) is the absolute most your 2013 Ford F-150 and trailer can weigh combined. That's the limit no matter what. If the truck is loaded and weighs 7,350 lbs, that means the most your loaded trailer can weigh is 6,150 lbs (which is 13,500 - 7,350).

You were on the money with that, as well as your last paragraph; if your unloaded truck and trailer weights are a combined 10,940 lbs, you have a total of 2,560 lbs of cargo available. So all of your assumptions turned out 100% correct and we're certainly happy you are taking your cargo weights and safety into account when towing.

I have added links to all of the trailer hitches that fit a 2013 Ford F-150 if you are in need of one, as well as a weight distribution hitch like the Equal-i-zer # EQ37100ET, which, according to the owner's manual, is a requirement to ensure you can meet the towing capacity of your F-150.

expert reply by: Kyle S