Weighed Rig At Scales Today... Now What?

[Davexxxx]

@HammaMan oh another thought! I have never adjusted the WDH for this truck. I just used the chains on the same links I was using for my 2004 GMC Sierra (that in hindsight I really don’t know much about how it was tow wise).

We just adjusted the hitch ball up and down at the repair place until the trailer was running level.
I guess my WDH could need adjustment to put more load on the front axle?

In one of the Ford tow guides, it spells out the measurements you're supposed to take at the fenders, loaded and unloaded and spring bars loaded and unloaded, when setting up a weight distribution hitch. The front end is allowed to rise but IIRC, you're supposed to split the rear squat with the front axle.

Probably a good idea to check the instructions on your hitch too.

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[Oakstone]

In one of the Ford tow guides, it spells out the measurements you're supposed to take at the fenders, loaded and unloaded and spring bars loaded and unloaded, when setting up a weight distribution hitch. The front end is allowed to rise but IIRC, you're supposed to split the rear squat with the front axle.

Probably a good idea to check the instructions on your hitch too.

I got the TT with the WDH and don’t think there’s any instructions. I’ll dig through the bag of manuals and stuff to look and also see if I can find anything on the hitch itself.

 

[Davexxxx]

I got the TT with the WDH and don’t think there’s any instructions. I’ll dig through the bag of manuals and stuff to look and also see if I can find anything on the hitch itself.

Somewhere there is a brand and number. Might take some digging but I'll bet you can find a manual, or vid, something.

 

[Oakstone]

Somewhere there is a brand and number. Might take some digging but I'll bet you can find a manual, or vid, something.

For sure. On the hunt!

 

[Kodiak]

Shortly after I got this truck, and before I started doing anything to it, I took it to a CAT scale and get the weights. This is with about 190Lbs of cargo sitting in the drivers seat.

Now I have a base reference so as I add "stuff" to the truck, I will be able to see the weight of those added items and subtract that from the carry capacity. Soon I will be adding an ARE CX Revo topper, Talons Cat Plate, and a number of Builtright Molli bed accessories and bed protector. Then I can weigh it again to see what the new total is and how much "carry" weight I have left.

 

[Samson16]

Thanks for the feedback! Most of all I just want to be safe. It’s quite easy for me to shift some weight to the TT. We carry a couple 50lb electric scooters that can go back there, along with a 50-60lb canopy/gazebo thingy. The bike racks cost me a fortune so I’d like to keep them there if possible haha.

Your setup looks like a whole lotta fun is about to break out!! Nice ?

 

[LCMM55]

In the hopes of finally understanding towing capacity, I went to the local scales today while on the way home from a camping trip and got the following numbers:

Truck Front Axle- 1510lbs
Truck Rear Axle - 1900lbs
Trailer Both Axles - 2010lbs

EDIT: I think the above must have been in KG? We're in Canada and the stuff I found says KG, so I think the actual numbers are:

Truck Front Axle - 3329lbs
Truck Rear Axle - 4189lbs
Trailer Both Axles - 4431lbs

I have a 22 XLT Short Box PB with Max Tow. The weights are down a bit for stuff like food (maybe 30 lbs?), but this was a "glamping" trip with hookups so I had less than 1/3 tank of fresh water and both my black and gray tanks were negligible. This is our typical setup. We carry 3 bikes above the bed and then maybe 200-300lbs of gear in the bed. 2 adults and 1 child as passengers.

I went to some of the calculator websites, but they ask for numbers that I can't for the life of me find on any of my stickers!

With the above info and these three stickers, what would be my best bet if I want to learn how to properly calculate things?

Mostly I just want to understand a) is my current setup safe and b) what max trailer weight should I be looking at if I wanted to upgrade in the future?

My 21 xlt PB short bed[5.6]has a 1160 hitch wt class 5. I have the standard tow package with bed and people capacity of 1609 o. The red yellow whit door tag. People stuff and stuff of 350 pounds. My actual trailer hitch wt is around 900 which gives me more stuff on the truck, 260 more for stuff. And it will tow 11,000 if the trailer has balanced load.

 

[Oakstone]

Seeing the load on my front vs. rear, I know it'll help the cargo capacity to move the 150-200 lbs from the truck bed to the trailer, but with the WDH needing to be set up to even out the discrepancy between the front and rear axle weights, can I do that unloaded? It's far easier for me to take the unloaded truck/trailer to a parking lot than try to convince the better half to take the fully loaded rig somewhere to spend an hour making measurements and adjustments while on the way to the campsite

 

[Polo08816]

In the hopes of finally understanding towing capacity, I went to the local scales today while on the way home from a camping trip and got the following numbers:

Truck Front Axle- 1510lbs
Truck Rear Axle - 1900lbs
Trailer Both Axles - 2010lbs

EDIT: I think the above must have been in KG? We're in Canada and the stuff I found says KG, so I think the actual numbers are:

Truck Front Axle - 3329lbs
Truck Rear Axle - 4189lbs
Trailer Both Axles - 4431lbs

I have a 22 XLT Short Box PB with Max Tow. The weights are down a bit for stuff like food (maybe 30 lbs?), but this was a "glamping" trip with hookups so I had less than 1/3 tank of fresh water and both my black and gray tanks were negligible. This is our typical setup. We carry 3 bikes above the bed and then maybe 200-300lbs of gear in the bed. 2 adults and 1 child as passengers.

I went to some of the calculator websites, but they ask for numbers that I can't for the life of me find on any of my stickers!

With the above info and these three stickers, what would be my best bet if I want to learn how to properly calculate things?

Mostly I just want to understand a) is my current setup safe and b) what max trailer weight should I be looking at if I wanted to upgrade in the future?

Looks like a 7,000lbs trailer basically maxed out the non Heavy Duty Payload Package rear axle of the F150s.

 

[Samson16]

Looks like a 7,000lbs trailer basically maxed out the non Heavy Duty Payload Package rear axle of the F150s.

Help with that please. A 7,000lb. trailer will have a tongue weight between 700 to 1000 pounds max, but typically closer to 700lb. Now how in the world is that maxing out my rear axle?

 

[Buyer2021]

Help with that please. A 7,000lb. trailer will have a tongue weight between 700 to 1000 pounds max, but typically closer to 700lb. Now how in the world is that maxing out my rear axle?

@Polo08816 's statement only applies in the context of the OP's specific loading situation which they quoted (and which shows actual weigh-scale data exceeding the RGAWR).

Granted, the reason for that is a combination of factors other than just the trailer tongue weight.

It's not a broad-brush / applies-to-all-situations statement, your rear axle loading situation may differ.

 

[Polo08816]

Looks like a 7,000lbs trailer basically maxed out the non Heavy Duty Payload Package rear axle of the F150s.

Help with that please. A 7,000lb. trailer will have a tongue weight between 700 to 1000 pounds max, but typically closer to 700lb. Now how in the world is that maxing out my rear axle?

@Polo08816 's statement only applies in the context of the OP's specific loading situation which they quoted (and which shows actual weigh-scale data exceeding the RGAWR).

Granted, the reason for that is a combination of factors other than just the trailer tongue weight.

It's not a broad-brush / applies-to-all-situations statement, your rear axle loading situation may differ.

+1. I'll add that hitch weight/tongue weight isn't necessarily payload capacity either. For bumper towing, the hitch applies a lever action on the rear axle.

This is why, even for HDs, you'll probably see payload capacity being greater than tongue weight. Payload capacity is, theoretically, the maximum weight that can be applied between the front and rear axles of the tow vehicle.

 

[Samson16]

@Polo08816 's statement only applies in the context of the OP's specific loading situation which they quoted.

It's not a broad-brush / applies-to-all-situations statement, your loading situation may differ.

OP maxed out his rear axle and is over GVWR because of all the gear in the bed plus the tongue weight of the trailer which as of yet we do not know.

 

[Samson16]

He's got a WDH, a tonneau cover, a bike rack with 4 bikes on it I think, plus a bunch of gear packed in the bed. He hooks up a nice sized 7000lb trailer and goes over. He can still take all that with him with a little weight distribution. I'm just saying even with just 1500lb of payload capacity to work with he can easily tow that trailer safely.

OP is 39lb over his rear GAWR with all that. He's probably not even squatting much due to the gimped sticker conundrum.

 

[Davexxxx]

but typically closer to 700lb.

You're making a big assumption there.

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