2018 Ford F-150 Towing Capacity for 10K GVWR Travel Trailer

Question:

I have a 2018 F150 super crew 4 door with tow packages and trailer assist. 4x4 with the following specs. GVWR 7000lbs, payload is 1590, vehicle weight 5409lb. It is a 3.5 V6 eco boost. I currently have a equalizer WDH. My trailer is 266MEX wildcat. It has a GVWR of 9712 with an estimate dry weight of 6800lb and a tongue weight listed of 972 som assuming they listed the low end of 10 and not the 15. I am also assuming this weight does not include propane, batteries etc. my issue is I can find someone to be honest and tell me the truth. I’m considering adding air bags and truck tires which I know won’t increase ability but may help ride. Can I safely pull this trailer and is my WDH sufficient or should it be larger as the tongue weight will go up when I add cargo to the front compartment. I have used several calculators online some say yes some no. All assuming I have nothing in the truck bed and limited cargo in trailer. Just need to know to be safe or should I upgrade to a F250. Thanks

asked by: Steven M

Expert Reply:

Great question! The GVWR of 7,000 lbs is the max your 2018 Ford F-150 can weigh when it comes to the vehicle weight, plus passengers, plus cargo. For towing a trailer we are needing to find the GCWR instead, which is the max combined weight rating of both the truck, passengers, cargo, and anything for the trailer.

According to the 2018 Ford Towing Guide it looks like all 2018 F-150s with the 3.5 V6 have a high enough trailer weight rating for this to be safe, unless you have the 4.10 axle ratio. If you don't know your axle ratio you can reach out to your local Ford dealer with your VIN and they can tell you what it is, as well as the max towing capacity. Ultimately an F-250 would be better for towing so if you have a great deal on an F-250 and you're thinking you might upgrade your trailer in the future, it might be worth just going ahead and upgrading your truck right now, but it may not be a necessity. If you have a model rated for 11K - 12K towing then that's feasible, but it all depends on your truck towing capacity and your max trailer weight.

For your application I recommend making sure your tongue weight is within that 10-15% range and then using a weight distribution system like the Blue Ox TrackPro # BLU55FR to help keep everything level. This has a tongue weight rating range of 800 lbs - 1,000 lbs. You'll want to make sure your current system has a similar tongue weight range.

You can definitely add an air bag kit as well but if the weight distribution is rated properly (which the one I mentioned above is) then air bags aren't necessarily needed. If you'd like to still add them then I recommend the Air Lift LoadLifter 5000 Ultimate # AL88385 because it has internal jounce bumpers that help out in an emergency as well as stainless steel lines that help resist the elements that will be encountered under your truck. I also recommend checking out the Air Lift QuickShot Compressor System # AL25690 because it allows you to monitor and adjust your air bags on the fly, plus it comes with an air tank that can be used to air up truck tires, bike tires, or anything else at the campground that might need some air.

expert reply by: Jon G