What is the Maximum 5th Wheel Towing Capacity of a 2018 Ford F-150

Question:

I have a new 2018 F150, SuperCrew cab, 6.5 ft bed, 7000 lb GVWR, 1860 lb passenger and cargo max weight, setup up with Max towing and Trailer Tow pkg. Wife and I have combined weight of 394 lbs, leaving 1466 lbs of available load capacity. In a previous post, you state the 16k and custom rails kit weigh a combined 142 lbs, leaving me with a max pin weight of 1324 lbs. My setup can tow a max fifth wheel weight of 11,500 lbs, but most I am looking at are superlites of less than 10,000 lbs. Are my calculations correct? Is the setup above the best one for my truck? Is the pin weight based on the UWV of the 5th wheel, or average loaded weight? My favorite choice of 5th wheel has a pin weight of 1391 lbs, which Im guessing wont work? Please help.

asked by: Eugene

Helpful Expert Reply:

There are two figures you will need to look at for towing a 5th wheel trailer with your 2018 Ford F-150 which are gross combined weight rating (GCWR) and gross axle weight rating (GAWR). GCWR is the most that the vehicle can weigh which includes both the trailer and cargo and GAWR is the maximum weight that can be placed over the rear axle. There are several different factors for each of these figures and the only way to know the exact capacity of your vehicle would be to look in the drivers door jamb as they will be listed there.

In regards to the pin weight of a 5th wheel, the manufacturer will list this figure as a dry weight. In order to determine the actual pin weight of a 5th wheel trailer you will need access to a commercial truck scale. What you will want to do is first drive the truck onto the scale with the trailer attached (only the truck should be on the scale), then unhook the trailer and weigh the truck. The difference between the two will be the pin weight of your trailer.

For a 5th wheel hitch, I recommend checking out the Reese 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch w/ Square Tube Slider part # RP30051 with the Reese Quick-Install Custom Installation Kit part # RP50087-58. This hitch has a 16,000 lb weight capacity and weighs around 146 lbs. I have attached a review video of the combo for you as well.

expert reply by: Conner L