f-150 vs. 16' trailer

[M&B LAWN CARE]

Originally Posted by MikeKle

I didnt mean to sound like an a**hole or anything, just couldnt really give advice without knowing a few details.

no thats cool i understand, i should of put all of that in there to begin with

[greenred]

One thing you might want to look into is if your truck doesnt have the towing package you should look into getting load handlers. They brace up your rear end when you have it loaded down. I had them installed on one of my trucks and it was like $230.00, but well worth it.

[M&B LAWN CARE]

Originally Posted by greenred

One thing you might want to look into is if your truck doesnt have the towing package you should look into getting load handlers. They brace up your rear end when you have it loaded down. I had them installed on one of my trucks and it was like $230.00, but well worth it.

thanks for the advice i will check into it

[Ramairfreak98ss]

Originally Posted by MIKESHAFFER

ok.ok.ok. geez sorry

it is a v6 4.2 open trailer
push mower 21", couple of wb's
automatic trans.

jez, the smallest of small engines eh! Probably open trailer no problem, wont be fast but will do the job.. 16' enclosed, heck no.

[360ci]

As long as you're within the gross combined weight rating and don't overload the rear axle, you'll be fine.

[M&B LAWN CARE]

Originally Posted by 360ci

As long as you're within the gross combined weight rating and don't overload the rear axle, you'll be fine.

where would i find that information at on the truck? inside door?

[jeffslawnservice]

I have a 196 F-150 4.9 automatic. A few times last fall I puller a 16 ft. open trailer with a two trees on it. The trees wernt that big and my truck did a fine job pulling it, but stopping was a different story. I think I ended up going through two stop signs due to not being able to stop. Note: These stop signs were at the bottom of two hills and my truck gained speed going down even when I was braking.

[360ci]

Originally Posted by MIKESHAFFER

where would i find that information at on the truck? inside door?

Yes, or it might be on a sticker in the glovebox (also where you'll find your axle ratio). Depending on how low the axle ratio is will tell you how much you can tow. A tall ratio such as 3.15 for instance will have a lower GCWR than if you had a 3.55 or 3.73 axle. Fords are generally over-built anyway, not to discourage you but it'll handle every pound of payload right up to the max.

A tandem axle trailer at 16x7 would weight around a ton depending on options (empty that is). Factor in the weight of your walk behinds, say 500lbs each, plus trimmer, smaller push mower, blower perhaps and misc rakes and tools would put weight under two tons. The V6 should easily handle upwards of 6K depending on your axle ratio, shorter ratio means more allowable trailer capacity.

A good rule of thumb to stay within ALL weight ratings, is if the vehicle has a payload of say 1800lbs, subtract full fuel, driver and tongue weight of your trailer (400lbs), and you'll get around 1000lbs of stuff you can still throw in the bed without going overweight. A lot of folks don't realize how capable a half ton is. It's not recommended for plowing (4x4 only of course) but for everyday tasks such as pulling a trailer and general on-road driving, a rwd half ton takes the cake. If you had the smaller 4.6L V8 and a short axle ratio like 3.73, your towing would jump up to around 8K depending on gross vehicle weight rating.

GVWR - maximum weight of vehicle with payload
GAWR - maximum weight per axle, usually specified FRONT and REAR
GCWR - total weight of combined payload, truck and trailer

If you ever take a trip to the neighbourhood dump, get a weight ticket on the way out when you're empty, then subtract your GVWR from your base weight and you'll have your usable payload capacity.

If you cannot locate exact ratings for your truck, contact your local dealer and give them your VIN, so they can tell you exactly what you can tow, haul, etc.

[M&B LAWN CARE]

Originally Posted by 360ci

Yes, or it might be on a sticker in the glovebox (also where you'll find your axle ratio). Depending on how low the axle ratio is will tell you how much you can tow. A tall ratio such as 3.15 for instance will have a lower GCWR than if you had a 3.55 or 3.73 axle. Fords are generally over-built anyway, not to discourage you but it'll handle every pound of payload right up to the max.

A tandem axle trailer at 16x7 would weight around a ton depending on options (empty that is). Factor in the weight of your walk behinds, say 500lbs each, plus trimmer, smaller push mower, blower perhaps and misc rakes and tools would put weight under two tons. The V6 should easily handle upwards of 6K depending on your axle ratio, shorter ratio means more allowable trailer capacity.

A good rule of thumb to stay within ALL weight ratings, is if the vehicle has a payload of say 1800lbs, subtract full fuel, driver and tongue weight of your trailer (400lbs), and you'll get around 1000lbs of stuff you can still throw in the bed without going overweight. A lot of folks don't realize how capable a half ton is. It's not recommended for plowing (4x4 only of course) but for everyday tasks such as pulling a trailer and general on-road driving, a rwd half ton takes the cake. If you had the smaller 4.6L V8 and a short axle ratio like 3.73, your towing would jump up to around 8K depending on gross vehicle weight rating.

GVWR - maximum weight of vehicle with payload
GAWR - maximum weight per axle, usually specified FRONT and REAR
GCWR - total weight of combined payload, truck and trailer

If you ever take a trip to the neighbourhood dump, get a weight ticket on the way out when you're empty, then subtract your GVWR from your base weight and you'll have your usable payload capacity.

If you cannot locate exact ratings for your truck, contact your local dealer and give them your VIN, so they can tell you exactly what you can tow, haul, etc.

well the trailer is a 6x16
and my truck's GAWR is front 2800lb
and rear is 3500lb
gvwr is 6050lb
short wheel base 20" rims if that helps anything

[waters lawn care]

I use a 7x16 enclosed pulling it with a 97 f150 with trailer loaded from nose to tail.This truck has done and stillis doing a great job.In saying that i added a brake controll box for the dual axle brakes and installed a set of load leveling bars like you would find on a camper.By the way the motor is the small v-8 not the triton.