Trailer tow package vs piecing together

[Carnious]

Hey guys, so I just bought this truck, and even though it doesn’t have the trailer tow package, or the max trailer tow package, it seems to have a couple trailer features such as hitch assist and whatnot. I need to tow my RV with this, and noticed before delivery that it didn’t have a brake controller. So I got the dealer to install one.

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[Carnious]

What I mean to ask is will I have all the towing features to add towing capacity safely? Or what really would the tow package have over what I have?

 

[Gutshot]

Supposedly a larger/better trans cooler, tow mirrors, the brake controller, and a few other items I’m sure another member will add.

 

[Davexxxx]

At a minimum, there is a tag on the hitch that will give it's specs.

I'd also suggest using this.

https://www.ford.com/support/towing-calculator

 

[ak49rzrs]

Couple what @Davexxxx said, and what is on the door jamb sticker. That is what you have to work with. And staying within those limits with a safety factor, your truck will safely tow anything. The "Max tow package" has been seen to be all over the place with what they would add to a vehicle, or leave out. Do a little searching on the forum. What I have seen are people with similar trucks as yours have towed many a miles and have been very happy. Welcome to the forum.

 

[Truckguy24]

You should be in great shape as others have said. My truck doesn't have the tow package but was not a problem for me since Ford redesigned their towing setups. You used to be restricted with the old 53B package. Sometimes as low as 5,000 lb and as high as 7,000 lb up until very recently. However, even without a " trailer tow package " My truck is rated for 9,500. Just need to add the trailer brake control and I can tow anything a half ton should reasonably be able to tow. The 3.5 and 5.0 (which I have) have higher ratings than the 2.7 putting them in a great spot even without Max tow or trailer tow package. The max tow package doesn't do enough in my opinion to justify it for most people. It's just not a big deal anymore. And many of the trucks are now standard with the 36 gallon tank which used to be an option desired for towing.

Check your payload which is arguably the most important metric especially for a half ton truck. You'll always run out of that first.

You'll be just fine with the brake controller added. The calculator linked above is an excellent resource - Ford did a nice job clarifying their previously very confusing and scrambled towing information.

 

[pappcam]

Why did you buy a truck to tow your RV that wasn't equipped to tow your RV?

 

[Carnious]

previous poster, not sure what your talking about? The truck is able to tow the RV.
My main question is just what does the tow package actually add to the vehicle over and above all the trailer features that are already added to my truck.
Like the one previous poster said is: mirrors and cooler and stuff. Is that true? It’s just hard to find any of that information is all.
The numbers on the door jam sticker are well within what I need, and that is why I purchased the truck.
but with that said, still curious on what the tow package would have added.
thanks everybody, for the most part it seems like this community is a great one!

 

[pappcam]

previous poster, not sure what your talking about? The truck is able to tow the RV.
My main question is just what does the tow package actually add to the vehicle over and above all the trailer features that are already added to my truck.
Like the one previous poster said is: mirrors and cooler and stuff. Is that true? It’s just hard to find any of that information is all.
The numbers on the door jam sticker are well within what I need, and that is why I purchased the truck.
but with that said, still curious on what the tow package would have added.
thanks everybody, for the most part it seems like this community is a great one!

I'm saying you bought a truck to tow an RV but you bought a truck that doesn't have the towing parts. It's actually hard to find an F-150 around these parts without the towing package.

 

[Carnious]

I'm saying you bought a truck to tow an RV but you bought a truck that doesn't have the towing parts. It's actually hard to find an F-150 around these parts without the towing package.

Sorry I’m still a bit confused?
My window sticker essentially shows every tow option other than the tow/haul package, and the TBC
So I’ve got them to install the TBC, before I even pick up the truck.
The door sticker has over 1900 payload, and towing of 10,400.
The only unknown here is what the tow/haul package would add here.. I’m not understanding why your saying the truck can’t tow??

 

[Truckguy24]

I wouldn't personally get wrapped up in what it does or doesn't include. I went down this rabbit hole a few years ago and even made a YouTube video about it because the information out there was so bad and spread across various documents you literally had to piece everything together. This was a problem with the aluminum body trucks up until the early 14th gens.

In short, if you have a 5.0 or a 3.5 on one of the newer trucks, you have excellent towing capacity. Full stop. No crazy packages, no max tow, no trailer tow package even needed. They're all including a hitch now with the four and seven pin connectors and Ford bumped the ratings.

This was a previous gernation and model year concern that many owners had no clue about. As long as you plug your VIN into the tow calculator, and it meets or exceeds your trailer you have, you're good to go. There's no way a truck like mine has zero tow package other than the standard hitch package now included on all the trucks, yet Ford is rating it at 9,500 lb if it doesn't have enough to tow that kind of weight. That's an awful lot of weight to be putting inadequate sway bars or cooling. In reality, it's too much weight for a half ton anyways if you think about it.

I really think Ford sat down and realized they were significantly underrating many of these trucks and it was causing an issue and too much confusion amongst dealers and owners.

 

[Carnious]

Oooookay guys.
I have found the info in a 2025 sheet from ford.
basically, if you add the tow/haul package, you get the TBC and all that, but what you get above and beyond that is:
A reinforced hitch, capable of towing up to 14,000lbs instead of 11,600.
apparently an option to add a “max tow axle” which I haven’t seen yet. Which would also bring your GVWR up from 16,800 to 19,400, allowing you to tow up to 13,100 instead of 10,400

So long story short, what I’m missing is a reinforced hitch, and a stronger axle. Which would all bring my max towing up 2,700.

 

[Truckguy24]

I'm wondering if you have what's called the towing technology package? At least there used to be something like that in prior years. I haven't looked at the order guide in a while to know what they are anymore

 

[Truckguy24]

As suspected, all of the stuff in those trailer tow packages: Max tow axle, and 53T package while some is useful, it's not necessary for the everyday guy towing an RV. It just pushes the ratings higher over what I think most people would consider safe for a half ton. The most valuable thing I see is the 53T and raptor auto trans oil cooler (listed as standard on f150). Otherwise I'm not actually seeing anything that would make or break it for most people other than the trailer brake controller which can be added.

 

[dadrew]

At a minimum, there is a tag on the hitch that will give it's specs.

I'd also suggest using this.

https://www.ford.com/support/towing-calculator

can you tell me why my truck shows the V-5 hitch, literally the same hitch you have pictured here but on my window sticker it shows the Class IV hitch????

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