Confused: can I tow 7700lbs?

[CompleteTruckNewbie]

The dealer told me my 2023 F150 XLT 4x4 3.5L SuperCrew 3.31 ratio can tow around 11,000lbs.
He told me I had the class IV hitch and 7-pin connector, and shows me the VIN decoder shows:

Wt Distributing Hitch - Max Trailer Wt.
11200, 11200, 8200 lbs 7700.0 min 13800.0 max

but page 2 of the power point in the sticky on this forum says F-250 cannot tow over 5000lbs without a Tow or Max Tow package

The window sticker doesn't show anything about 17T, 53A/B/C however, it just say Class IV Hitch, Anti Sway, and I have a 7-pin connector, but no trailer break controller in the cab (coin tray instead). Is one of those packages implied by the trim or the presence of the hitch?

The 2023 RV and Trailer Towing Guide page 23 shows 11200 max towed weight for the 3.31 ratio on the 3.5L GTDI V6, however the foot notes says: Do not exceed a trailer weight of 7,000 lbs. with only the Class IV hitch (53B), without the Trailer Tow Package (53A).

Does the class hitch imply trailer tow package? the VIN info would imply so?

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[JEB]

The dealer told me my 2023 F150 XLT 4x4 3.5L SuperCrew 3.31 ratio can tow around 11,000lbs.
He told me I had the class IV hitch and 7-pin connector, and shows me the VIN decoder shows:

Wt Distributing Hitch - Max Trailer Wt.
11200, 11200, 8200 lbs 7700.0 min 13800.0 max

but page 2 of the power point in the sticky on this forum says F-250 cannot tow over 5000lbs without a Tow or Max Tow package

The window sticker doesn't show anything about 17T, 53A/B/C however, it just say Class IV Hitch, Anti Sway, and I have a 7-pin connector, but no trailer break controller in the cab (coin tray instead). Is one of those packages implied by the trim or the presence of the hitch?

The 2023 RV and Trailer Towing Guide page 23 shows 11200 max towed weight for the 3.31 ratio on the 3.5L GTDI V6, however the foot notes says: Do not exceed a trailer weight of 7,000 lbs. with only the Class IV hitch (53B), without the Trailer Tow Package (53A).

Does the class hitch imply trailer tow package? the VIN info would imply so?

In the past, questions just like yours have opened a huge can of worms. Rather than wading into the thicket, type your VIN into this tool and do with the information what you will. https://www.ford.com/support/towing-calculator

 

[CompleteTruckNewbie]

That tools shows max trailer 7000 regardless of what I plug in for passenger/cargo (to a limit)
The GCVWR of 16,800 would imply more

so Ford is telling me that I will void my warranty if I tow more than 7000lbs?

Is the tow package something I can retrofit?

I have a 14 day return on this truck/ I contacted the dealer about why they quoted me 11,200 (alhtough I see why, both the VIN decoder and the towing guide imply so unless you look at the footnote)

 

[JEB]

That tools shows max trailer 7000 regardless of what I plug in for passenger/cargo (to a limit)
The GCVWR of 16,800 would imply more

so Ford is telling me that I will void my warranty if I tow more than 7000lbs?

Is the tow package something I can retrofit?

I have a 14 day return on this truck/ I contacted the dealer about why they quoted me 11,200 (alhtough I see why, both the VIN decoder and the towing guide imply so unless you look at the footnote)

All I can tell you is that that is what Ford Motor Company says you can safely tow.

 

[Ricksc]

No trailer brake you would not be able to tow that. Would also require a weight distribution hitch.

 

[Buyer2021]

All I can tell you is that that is what Ford Motor Company says you can safely tow.

(for the sake of this discussion let's call that Ford's perspective)

Is the tow package something I can retrofit?

No amount of 'retrofitting' will alter Ford's perspective of what your VIN can 'safely tow'.

The only way to comply with Ford's perspective of 'safe towing' is to buy a truck equipped from the factory to meet your needs.

The warranty implications of towing outside of the limits Ford establishes for a particular VIN is a whole other can of worms with no predictable outcome if that causes damage - it'd likely depend on the specific circumstances of the case, the nature of the damage, etc, etc. The only way that unknown / unpredictable warranty risk can be avoided by complying with Ford's perspective.

 

[CompleteTruckNewbie]

The WDH is a given, but that's a property of the hitch, not the truck right?
What are the component of the tow package (53A not max tow) vs class IV hitch (53B)?
It's easy enough to retrofit the brake controller (either by Ford or instructions on this forum)
what else is missing?

The hitch camera? The one knob tow assist? that's a convenience by not a safety/towing-capacity feature.

 

[CompleteTruckNewbie]

@Buyer2021, thanks for clarifying the "Ford Perspective"

I may have to return that truck then. It was a great deal used but not if it doesn't meet my needs.

 

[Ricksc]

Just have them add the trailer brake controller and double check your payload capacity . You should be fine with a trailer brake and staying under your payload capacity. Payload is a major factor when towing. Always better to buy more truck then push the limits of a good deal

 

[UGADawg96]

@CompleteTruckNewbie - what is the payload number on the door sticker and what exactly (model/weight/etc) did you plan to tow with this truck ?

 

[Buyer2021]

I may have to return that truck then. It was a great deal used but not if it doesn't meet my needs.

That's the most conservative approach (the approach most likely to have predicable positive future outcomes), but you can expect a certain amount of push-back from the dealer.

Just remember that Ford's perspective is established by Ford Corporate, and any final approval of warranty claims is made by Ford Corporate, not any Ford dealer.

Good Luck!

 

[CompleteTruckNewbie]

Oh I am absolutely fine with every number when doing the math where towing capacity is GCWR - curb weight - contents of the truck. plugging the numbers I get are similar what the VIN says or what the the dealer showed me, or what the table shows if you ignore the footnote. The Tongue weight should probably be limited to 10% of the trailer weight, this calculator uses 12.5% for some reason, but again no issue for the type of trailers I'm looking at (7500-8000lbs)
That's why I'm trying to understand if this is just a Ford Perspective or if I am truly missing a component of the Tow Package that would explain why I truly am going to damage the truck

Curb Weight	5,020​
GVWR	7,050​
GCVWR	16,800​
Payload	2,030​
Max Tongue Weight	1,400​
Towing Capacity	11,200​

 

[Ricksc]

Only missing the brake controller. That’s your big one. I tow 6500 pounds with my 22 3.5 no problems.​

 

[CompleteTruckNewbie]

the payload above is from the tire sticker (yellow sticker) and the GVWR (7050) from the white sticker, also mentioned in the window sticker.
GCVWR from the table in the towing guide (for 3.5L GTDI V6, 3.31 ratio, 145WB, SuperCrew, 4x4)

 

[CompleteTruckNewbie]

I've been looking at this forum on how to add a break controller. On a '23 it seems easy enough, and I was planning to do so no matter what (even when I thought the towing capacity was 11,200lbs), and same for the WDH hitch

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