2006 F150 towing

[Brent Allan]

Am I safe if I look for a trailer with a dry weight of 6000lbs or below?

2006 Super Cab 5.4L
4x4
18” wheels (reduces 8800 to 8300)
3.55 H9 Limited slip axle ratio
Max trailer loaded weight 8800-(500 for 18” wheels)

I’ve been pulling a 4000 trailer for years with room to spare.

Thanks I’m advance. I know this general topic has been discussed ad nauseam, but looking for confirmation.

[2021JayFlight28BHS]

Originally Posted by Brent Allan

Am I safe if I look for a trailer with a dry weight of 6000lbs or below?

2006 Super Cab 5.4L
4x4
18” wheels (reduces 8800 to 8300)
3.55 H9 Limited slip axle ratio
Max trailer loaded weight 8800-(500 for 18” wheels)

I’ve been pulling a 4000 trailer for years with room to spare.

Thanks I’m advance. I know this general topic has been discussed ad nauseam, but looking for confirmation.

Had a 5.4 2007 and can’t remember the specs, weight wise you’d prob be ok, might be close to payload with tongue weight and all, what does your door sticker say?

[Brent Allan]

Thanks for the quick reply:
7200 GVWR
3740/3850

[67L48]

He was asking for your payload sticker. Should be on your door jamb and yellow/white sticker. Will say something like Occupants and Cargo Should Never Exceed ____ lbs.

I had a 2005 F-150 SCrew King Ranch 4WD 5.4L with tow package and 3.73 LSD. My payload was a tad under 1,300 lbs. That thing was an absolute dog. It struggled with my 3,500 lb pop-up trailer. I tow between 6,000 - 11,000 feet and that truck couldn't handle the altitude or the grades. I worked with a guy who had a 2006 and he struggled with his 5,500 lb trailer. There's a reason (several, actually) that that engine (5.4L 3V) only lasted 5 model years. It's absolute garbage. The 4-speed transmission, while never a problem, isn't a great towing experience ... basically a 2-speed for towing with 3rd gear doing most of the work and 2nd gear for the hard pulls (and screaming bloody murder).

I got a 6,800 lb GVWR Rockwood trailer and my F-150 wouldn't tow that up the Ike gauntlet. I could camp local, but it wouldn't get it over the pass.

Don't shop on trailer dry weights. That's an absolute marketing gimmick that will lead you to a really poor decision. Until you get into toy haulers and 5ers, your single and smaller double axle trailers will be at or very near that trailer's GVWR as it rolls down the road. Dry weight is somewhere between mythical and outright fictional. Shop against trailer GVWR.

Unless you're towing at sea level, I'd stick to trailers that had GVWR of no more than 6,000 lbs.

[Brent Allan]

Thanks for your specific experience. The combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed 1486 pounds. I also have a “ARE“ shell on the 6 1/2 foot bed, don’t know what it weighs. It’s just my wife and I and limited cargo. But if everyone seems to agree on 6000 GVWR it is what it is.

[Murff]

6000 gross weight trailer loaded could have up to a 900 lb tongue weight, at 15%. That leaves 586 poinds for you, Mrs, canopy and whatever in the truck.

Personally, I'd feel ok with the truck and trailer.

Murff

[Jagiven]

The two major items to look at is the TV payload sticker (1486#) and the loaded GVW of the camper when fully loaded. The listed dry weight, is a waste of ink on the sticker.

Historically, Ford figures into their payload calculation an average sized driver (150#) and a full tank of fuel. After that, what mods have happened to the TV, wheel changes, added cap, what are you taking with, such as what is is under the seat, in the bed, the WDH, and so forth needs to be figured in.

Tongue weigh of the new TT, should be between 10-15% of the the TT's GVW. If you do not own the trailer yet, it is best to use 15% for the calculations. Ideally 13-14% tongue weight give you good handling characteristics. To light, you can experience sway, to heavy and your steer wheels will not guide you down the road.

Making an assumption that you and your DW weigh 225# (remember 150# allowance, so actual combined weight is 375#). Cap weights 100# (???), WDH #100, misc stuff 100#. Your payload is already has been reduced by 525#. If you subtract that from your payload sticker (1486-525), you will have about 961 pounds to work with. Maxing out your payload using an estimated 15% tongue weight would put you in a TT with a GVW of about 6400 lbs fully loaded with no wiggle room.

TV Cargo and people 525#
100% Payload; 1486
Available payload; 1486-525=961#
6400# GVW of a TT; with a 15% tongue weight; 6400*0.15=960#
6900# GVW of a TT; with a 14% tongue weight; 6900*0.14=965#
7400# GVW of a TT; with a 13% tongue weight; 7400*0.13=966#

Many people like to tow in the 80% range of their payload capacity (1486*.80=1188#). Using the same static loads as noted above, this leaves you at 4400 lbs GVW TT.

80% payload; 1188-525=663#
4400# GVW of a TT; with a 15% tongue weight; 4400*.15= 660#
4750# GVW of a TT; with a 14% tongue weight; 4750*.14= 665#
5100# GVW of a TT; with a 13% tongue weight; 5100*.13= 663#

Hope this helps

[67L48]

Originally Posted by Jagiven

[...] Historically, Ford figures into their payload calculation an average sized driver (150#) [...]

This is not correct. Payload does NOT have any allotment for a driver. Again: Payload Capacity = GVWR - GVW. Period. All occupants and cargo should not exceed ... NOT all passengers and cargo should not exceed. The driver is an occupant and his/her full weight counts against the payload rating.

All of the subsequent calculations in that post are incorrect due to this error.

Ford does include a 150 lb allowance for a driver in the Tow Capacity number (and I think GCWR). It's important not to conflate Payload with Tow Capacity. The former is super important and the latter is a marketing gimmick.

[Brent Allan]

I appreciate all of your time and experience, especially the 80% calculations. Interestingly, my current Jayco 19h GVWR is 4950 lbs. which is likely 80% of max load. Maybe that’s why it pulls so well without sway or uphill struggles. I might stick with this “less than perfect fit for us” rig until I consider upgrading my TV that will handle my choice of trailers. We want something a little bigger like a 21’@ 6000 GVWR but not if it’s at the top of my TV weight range. Thanks again! That’s what I was hoping to learn.

[mass-hole]

Originally Posted by Brent Allan

Thanks for your specific experience. The combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed 1486 pounds. I also have a “ARE“ shell on the 6 1/2 foot bed, don’t know what it weighs. It’s just my wife and I and limited cargo. But if everyone seems to agree on 6000 GVWR it is what it is.

I have a leer fiberglass shell and it probably weighs 250 lbs. my wife and I STRUGGLE to get it off the truck alone.

And my wife is strong, ive seen her deadlift 325 lbs [emoji23]

[geezerbob]

See below for what we tow and with what. Gross wt listed on the camper 6,000 lbs
ok 5,995 lbs. We pulled it about 10,000 miles including the Maritimes worked good but I wouldn't want to tow anything much heavier
Bob

[goducks]

I towed 7200 lbs @31' with a 2008 F150 Scab Max Tow 3.73 1757 lbs for payload.
It was horrible. The 5.4 is a dog period. Power aside 31' and 7200 lbs is enough to make things tricky at times. I used a 1000/10,000 Equalizer 4pt sway WDH.
I put D rated Coopers on also.
Ended up getting a 2500 CTD CC LB. World of difference in handling.
IMHO I'd keep the length at 26-27' and loaded weight around 6,000.
OTH if you're short hoping to CG's then go for a bigger heavier TT.
If you take long trips things will get old after the 1st day.

I wouldn't want to tow over 6,000 with an F150 unless it had the HDPP.

[Lazydad78]

Bought our first camper recently. New 287BHS Almost 34ft GVWR weight at 7500lb. TV is a 07 F150 Crew 4x4 with 18" wheels 5.4 3v pos. Payload right around 1400lb. Will it tow my rig? Yes. It is far from pleasant to travel very far with. I've had the typical issues with the motor but believe its true downfall is gearing and the 4 speed tranny. Doesn't take much to loose speed on small inclines and dump 2 gears fast. Nothing better than cranking 6grand and loosing almost 15mph climbing a small hill. Far as payload its absolutely impossible not to overload it with tongue weight and 4 passengers. Never mind firewood for a extended stay or the mini fridge, camp stove and bikes. I will say a good set of load E tires and cranking up the pressure did wonders though.

[JeremiahM]

The ole 5.4L-4r70w combo [emoji52][emoji52], that and the gm 5.3Ls were and still are not good powertrains for trucks used as trucks. Our old 05 FX4 was fine for local camping trips, but struggled hard just going up into NC and TN. Like stated above, was stuck in 2nd going up, and 3rd just to maintain speed on flats. Honestly that truck stayed in 3rd even with pop-up. You will be fine in that 6000 range, but it will be slow going. May consider adding an auxiliary transmission cooler (using in addition to oem) just to help keep the trans happy. I will say if your dead set on keeping that truck for the longhaul, some shorty headers or high-flow exhaust manifolds, intake and some good tunes actually do make a significant difference on that particular engine. We aren't talking diesel type number gains, but enough that you can feel the difference and will appreciate it when pulling.

[Lazydad78]

Wife has already given me the go ahead to search for a new truck. She's not to pleased with the struggles we are having with it or in ability to take everything we want to when traveling. Not to mention I honestly don't feel comfortable or in control traveling to far from home with this current setup. Upside is I know every inch of country within an hrs drive and all the campgrounds we feel comfortable getting to right now. Just taking my time to find the right truck for the job.

[JeremiahM]

Originally Posted by Lazydad78

Wife has already given me the go ahead to search for a new truck. She's not to pleased with the struggles we are having with it or in ability to take everything we want to when traveling. Not to mention I honestly don't feel comfortable or in control traveling to far from home with this current setup. Upside is I know every inch of country within an hrs drive and all the campgrounds we feel comfortable getting to right now. Just taking my time to find the right truck for the job.

That's the way to do it, take your time. I prefer ford's, especially for towing, but every brands 3/4 ton and up trucks are very capable.