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Car Forum / Ford / Ford Trucks / June 2005

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2005 F150 Towing Capacity

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Ed - 12 Jun 2005 04:50 GMT
Hi All: Have 2005 f150 that has specs rated for 6100 lbs towing cap.
Factory tow package is stamped with 5000 lbs max weight, 9900 lbs
distributed.
Heres the question: I want to rent a vehicle trailer (4 wheels) to tow a
3600 lb car. Trailer weighs 2100 lbs, Uhaul says my truck is set up for it.
Does this mean that the trailer with the 4 wheel setup is a distributed
load? or do I need a special tow hitch other than standard bar? Thanks as I
want to be sure. Towing car 300 miles. Ed
SnoMan - 12 Jun 2005 19:36 GMT
> Hi All: Have 2005 f150 that has specs rated for 6100 lbs
> towing cap.
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
> bar? Thanks as I
> want to be sure. Towing car 300 miles. Ed

Wihtout knowing the engine size and axle ratio it is hard to say how
well it will do as the engine size and gearing and the terrian you tow
on has far more to do with towing ability that a factory
sticker/rating.
Ed - 12 Jun 2005 21:41 GMT
Manual says it has max weight cap of 6100 lbs, 4.6 v8, 3.55 axle, came with
tow package factory installed so has additional radiator in front of the
engine radiator. Might be trans cooler?
This is only a one time tow from NJ to MA. My concern is the weight and
handling while towing.
Thanks, Ed

> > Hi All: Have 2005 f150 that has specs rated for 6100 lbs
> > towing cap.
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
> on has far more to do with towing ability that a factory
> sticker/rating.
Roy Brown - 12 Jun 2005 22:54 GMT
You might want to see if the trailer rental company will also rent a weight
distributing hitch.

Signature

Roy
rem NADA to reply

| Manual says it has max weight cap of 6100 lbs, 4.6 v8, 3.55 axle, came with
| tow package factory installed so has additional radiator in front of the
[quoted text clipped - 22 lines]
| > on has far more to do with towing ability that a factory
| > sticker/rating.
Ed - 13 Jun 2005 03:53 GMT
Uhaul only sells them about 300.00 does not rent.
Thanks, Ed
> You might want to see if the trailer rental company will also rent a
> weight
[quoted text clipped - 35 lines]
> | > Visit Topic URL to contact author (reg. req'd).  Report abuse:
> | > http://www.autoforumz.com/eform.php?p=604696
SnoMan - 13 Jun 2005 19:35 GMT
>Uhaul only sells them about 300.00 does not rent.
>Thanks, Ed

I would not buy on for this one time trip. Make sure car is centerd
properly on trailer.  The way I do it is record bumber/hitch height of
trailer when it is hooked up but without car loaded and then record
the amout the rear bumper/hitch sinks with load. Being a 1/2 ton truck
about 3 to 4 inch sink. If you sink it more than that, the car is too
far forward on trailer and back it up a bit. Not very scientific but
it works. With a stiffer truck it can be less sink.
SnoMan - 13 Jun 2005 07:36 GMT
>Manual says it has max weight cap of 6100 lbs, 4.6 v8, 3.55 axle, came
>with tow package factory installed so has additional radiator in
front
>of the engine radiator. Might be trans cooler? This is only a one
time
>tow from NJ to MA. My concern is the weight and handling while
towing.
>Thanks, Ed

You should do okay because ground should be reasonable flat and car
haulers do not have a lot of wind drag like s travel trailer does.
Just tow with OD locked out and do not crowd it to much. If you have a
big hill in route just find a speed it is happy with on the hill and
go with that. I would also run rear tires of truck at max pressure and
make sure you have some kind of brakes on trailer (electric or surge)
and have a safe trip.
Ed - 13 Jun 2005 13:25 GMT
Good Advise, I'll be sure to take it easy and inflate tires. Thanks
Ed
>>Manual says it has max weight cap of 6100 lbs, 4.6 v8, 3.55 axle,
> came
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> make sure you have some kind of brakes on trailer (electric or surge)
> and have a safe trip.
lugnut - 13 Jun 2005 16:28 GMT
>Good Advise, I'll be sure to take it easy and inflate tires. Thanks
>Ed
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
>> make sure you have some kind of brakes on trailer (electric or surge)
>> and have a safe trip.

I have done as Sno-Man said a few times with slightly heavy
tows.  One thing I would caution you to do is balance the
load on the trailer if you can.  This may mean loading the
car back from where you would really like it just to keep
too much off the truck.  You do not want so much on the rear
of the truck that the front wheels are being lifted.  The
front brakes do most of the normal work and can skid easily
when braking if too much weight is removed.  If you have
front ABS, the rear will compensate to a point but, braking
will be greatly degraded w/o the full use of the front
brakes.
Adelphia - 20 Jun 2005 12:51 GMT
Trip Completed, Tow worked fine, Truck was strong and trailer was nice.
Uhaul trailer did not allow for balancing load as it had fixed tire location
for front tires but seemed ok. Dropped 3 to 4" when loaded. Surge brake
worked nice and pretty smooth throughout. Took my time and had a nice tow -
trip. Thanks, to all who offered advise and would have to say Uhaul trailer
& people also helpful. Ed

>>Good Advise, I'll be sure to take it easy and inflate tires. Thanks
>>Ed
[quoted text clipped - 27 lines]
> will be greatly degraded w/o the full use of the front
> brakes.
lugnut - 21 Jun 2005 13:26 GMT
>Trip Completed, Tow worked fine, Truck was strong and trailer was nice.
>Uhaul trailer did not allow for balancing load as it had fixed tire location
>for front tires but seemed ok. Dropped 3 to 4" when loaded. Surge brake
>worked nice and pretty smooth throughout. Took my time and had a nice tow -
>trip. Thanks, to all who offered advise and would have to say Uhaul trailer
>& people also helpful. Ed

Glad to hear it went smooth for you.  Mine did not.  While I
had my wife at the dentist for an extraction and the dentist
was and hour late anyway, my SIL's Explorer had a
catastrophic water pump rejection event.  I volunteered to
take the car trailer to retrieve it about 70 miles away.
After having missed breakfast and lunch, I finally got
backed up to the trailer and coupled w/o a problem.  Noticed
brakes were not working.  More or less tracked problem to
socket.  Went to shop for meter and screwdriver to repair
socket.  Got back and noticed I had backed over a large
piece of scrap metel which easily defeated the part of the
RR tire that holds the air in making it usless.  BIL arrive
to observe problem and get his chuckles at my expense.  Good
hearted as he is, he insisted on just hooking his new Tundra
up and making the trip since it was better than my lowly
F150 for the job anyway.  Eventually got dead Explorer
loaded and headed back.  Got caught in Atlanta PM rush hour.
After working our way mostly through that, encountered
aftermath of SUV trying to occupy same space on roadway a TT
and lost another 1 1/2 hours watching taillights of cars in
front.  Missed dinner at home and pissed off wife while in
traffic.  Finally got off freeway and stopped to pick up new
water pump for Explorer. As usual, Pep Boys did not have all
of needed parts. BIL turned corner too short into curb
turning into Advance to collect rest of parts and destroys
LF trailer tire for which we have no spare because the other
trailer is out of state on loan to the church along with the
spare tire since I usually only use one trailer at a time
and they have the same wheel package.  Everything is closed
for tires.  After making a few phone calls to friends and
aquaintances for another tire or wheel, we found one.
Uncoupled the Tundra and made 50 mile RT for spare trailer
tire.  Returned and replaced tire on trailer finding lugs
could not be tightened well on spare alloy wheel with
regular nuts.  Found a couple of old cap nuts in parking lot
of closed tire store. Got it re-coupled and continued last
15 miles home at 25 MPH just in case the wheel fell off.  By
then, wife had cooled down along with dinner and served it
cold late in the evening.  After eating anf having made it
home in one piece, we figured our luck must have changed or,
at least, run it's course so, we decided to unload the
Explorer from the trailer before calling it a day.  We put
the ramps down and took the chains off.  As SIL starts to
back Explorer off the trailer, I saw the rear of the Tundra
lift a bit before the tailgate came off at high speed. He
(we?) had forgotten to put down the rear stands under the
trailer to support it and my BIL had already removed the
lock from the coupler which allowed it to release from the
ball.  So, today, I suppose, I get to learn the cost of a
new Tundra tailgate and wonder whether I should try to do
anything today without getting killed.  I am certainly
cautious about replacing the water pump this morning for
fear of what else may go wrong.  Could this Explorer be some
kind of jinx?

Good luck
Lugnut

Snip
TopPoster - 21 Jun 2005 15:00 GMT
It's all cyclical. We have good days, we have bad. The good news is
you're in for a WICKEDLY cool day in the near future.  ;)

> Glad to hear it went smooth for you.  Mine did not.  While I
> had my wife at the dentist for an extraction and the dentist
[quoted text clipped - 55 lines]
>
> Snip

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Adelphia - 22 Jun 2005 13:43 GMT
Some points I didnt focus on: Left  30 minutes early from house took wrong
turn within mile of house (auto pilot to work instead of RT) wasted 30
minutes. Traffic all the way through CT, Bridgeport 1 hr. behind. Stopped
for McGriddle at McDs, cold. 1:15 behind, finally get to entrance to NJ
turnpike, 30 min to get on (dead body on side of road, major traffic, Had to
overshoot destination 1 hr to pick up trailer, return to pick up car 3 hrs
behind. left NJ at 3:00pm hit traffic at every city on 95. Too late to stop
at stafford speedway for Busch North race as planned, decided to take a
break in CT at Foxwoods (dropped 100.00 in slots) finish trip home (arrive
1:00am)to find rig too long to park on street, parked 3 blocks away at
church. Got up at 7:00 AM to drive rig home, unload and drop off trailer at
local Uhaul. done by 12:00 noon.
Hope this helps a little. Ed

>>Trip Completed, Tow worked fine, Truck was strong and trailer was nice.
>>Uhaul trailer did not allow for balancing load as it had fixed tire
[quoted text clipped - 65 lines]
>
> Snip
lugnut - 22 Jun 2005 21:44 GMT
>Some points I didnt focus on: Left  30 minutes early from house took wrong
>turn within mile of house (auto pilot to work instead of RT) wasted 30
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
>local Uhaul. done by 12:00 noon.
>Hope this helps a little. Ed

See, a little comiserating does help!  While replacing the
failed water pump, my air ratched died.  Then, I had my SIL
remove the fan hub.  He dropped the sucker and busted one of
the fan blades out.  Not one in Atlanta.  Arrived late last
night and job finally completed in wee hours.  Now, they
want $100 to repair a $100 ratchet and I expect to get the
bill for the tire that was blown on the trailer and the
estimate to replace the Tundra tailgate.  Have yet to get
thanks from SIL to BIL for his help.  So much for helping
the family save a couple of bucks!

Lugnut

>>>Trip Completed, Tow worked fine, Truck was strong and trailer was nice.
>>>Uhaul trailer did not allow for balancing load as it had fixed tire
[quoted text clipped - 65 lines]
>>
>> Snip
 
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