Towing Specs Consolidated Document - Bumper vs. Class IV vs. Tow vs. Max Tow - UPDATED DOC v4

[HammaMan]

I don't think the tow guides are unclear at all. They cite what you need to satisfy each GCVWR and GTWR rating.

Where they do fall way short IMO, is making it so difficult to have a close expectation of payload capabilities of a custom ordered truck, which do affect what and how you can tow, re tongue weight.

I think you are optimistic of how the courts would handle this. The first few pages of most any owners manual are already filled with warnings and disclaimers, that few read and we already have permanent warning stickers placed in plain view. I for one, would rather not have any more.

How many accidents have you been in? Are you towing for-profit? What exactly is the question? You have the class 4 and the TBC, where is the confusion coming in?

Are you confusing tow package and max tow package?

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[Davexxxx]

"How many accidents have you been in?"

None, while in an overweight condition, or caused by anyone in an overweight condition but you can bet all you have, that should that happen, it would be a factor in any consideration of fault and damages.

"Are you towing for-profit?"

No. But I don't see relevance. That for hire transport has harsher rules, doesn't eliminate private responsibility. Try driving with an untarped, or unflagged, over length load and see how much sympathy you get for being private.

"What exactly is the question?"

Which question?

"You have the class 4 and the TBC, where is the confusion coming in?"

What confusion? The tow guides are what they are. If you want to argue that they should be something different, that is fine but until you officially win that argument, it changes nothing.

"Are you confusing tow package and max tow package?"

Nope.

 

[Buyer2021]

.... but you can bet all you have, that should that happen, it would be a factor in any consideration of fault and damages.

Gotta agree with that given the nature of jury-trials and likely aggressive PI attorney representation for the plaintiff (those folks don't miss any angle in litigation and can be very 'persuasive' with juries). Not saying they always prevail but the risks in such litigation should never be discounted.

Yep, I've been there in the courtroom for the duration of a trial to witness this type of action (albeit not the same fact-set as suggested here).

 

[Angrybeaver]

Gotta agree with that given the nature of jury-trials and likely aggressive PI attorney representation for the plaintiff (those folks don't miss any angle in litigation and can be very 'persuasive' with juries). Not saying they always prevail but the risks in such litigation should never be discounted.

Yep, I've been there in the courtroom for the duration of a trial to witness this type of action (albeit not the same fact-set as suggested here).

I have actually had to sit on a trial related to a bad accident. It was slightly different as it was related to someone driving a vehicle years after a recall that ended up in an accident.

He won. My fellow jurors basically said they rarely even look at those things and there was also no proof the dependent ever saw one or received it.

At the end of the way we didn't think the suing party had enough to prove this person knowingly did anything on purpose.

A slightly different scenario, but it comes down to intent.

 

[Ford Motor Company]

Are you thinking about hitting the road this summer with an RV camper, boat, recreational vehicle, or other trailers to enjoy your favorite activities? For additional towing knowledge and information, check out our series of short, informative videos and towing guides. You'll find topics such as a guide to Ford RV, Trailer Towing and more.

 

[Aron]

Are you thinking about hitting the road this summer with an RV camper, boat, recreational vehicle, or other trailers to enjoy your favorite activities? For additional towing knowledge and information, check out our series of short, informative videos and towing guides. You'll find topics such as a guide to Ford RV, Trailer Towing and more.

Thanks! Though links would have been helpful.

 

[Kanuck]

I went of Fords Site, entered my VIN and checked under the tab Trailer Calculator for my truck as per Ford. Gave me all the weights for my truck Ford Owner Support- US .

 

[Gros Ventre]

W

I went of Fords Site, entered my VIN and checked under the tab Trailer Calculator for my truck as per Ford. Gave me all the weights for my truck Ford Owner Support- US .

Wow, was that a difficult website to wirk in. Almost as if they want to hide info...

 

[TSGarp007]

W

Wow, was that a difficult website to wirk in. Almost as if they want to hide info...

I couldn’t find it. Found links to towing calculator but it’sa dead link

 

[Davexxxx]

The last 3 posts are interesting.

I went of Fords Site, entered my VIN and checked under the tab Trailer Calculator for my truck as per Ford. Gave me all the weights for my truck Ford Owner Support- US .

Might it be a Canadian difference?

When I go to that link, it is called "Towing Calculator" and the link is not dead.

If I'm signed in, it takes me to my "Vehicle Dashboard", where the "Towing Calculator" link is somewhat down the page.

If not signed in and I insert the VIN, it takes me straight to the towing calculator page, where the trucks, payload and towing capabilities are populated.

The tool became available to me, well after being assigned a VIN. It wouldn't even show up on my page but once the truck was built, it magically appeared. It was the first official info on the payload of my truck, I'd been able to find.

 

[Gros Ventre]

So... how come the GCWR is way higher than the addition of the GVWR Plus the trailer weight?

 

[Davexxxx]

So... how come the GCWR is way higher than the addition of the GVWR Plus the trailer weight?

Yes, best not to take them all the way at face value. There are discrepancies, with GCVW, with answers not obvious to me.

As the page for my VIN pops up, with no other inputs from me.
GVWR 7,350
GCVW 17,100
Payload 1658
Occupants is automatically filled in as 300
No cargo or accessories.

Conventional hitch
Max tongue load 1,100
Max trailer rating 11,000

We know the GVWR for the PB is 7350 and the 17100 and 11K, are straight out of the tow guides, for a PB 4x4.

So, 7350+ 11000 = 18350, not 17100. An as yet, 1250 mystery.

After hitting "Configure" and adding my inputs.

The top 3 stay the same. The next 3 are 360, 115 and 200.

Bottom 2 change to 983 and 9830

So then, 7350+9830= 17180.

???

360+115+200+ 983= the stated payload of 1658. So, at least that matches but the reasons for the discrepancies aren't jumping out at me.

 

[Calson]

I have a 2022 F-150 with the Max Tow package and the hitch receiver is rated for 5,000 lbs unless a weight distributing hitch is used in which case it increases to 11,600 lb. According to the Ford Trailering Guide my truck is rated for up to 11,200 lbs. But if I was going to do serious towing I would have bought a F-450.

There was no rear sway bar provided which is not surprising as these add nothing to the payload or tow capacity of a truck. With my modified 2500 pickup I often carried up to 4,000 lbs and when I eventually added a rear sway bar the only change was how the truck handled when the bed was empty. A sway bar transfers andy shock at one wheel to the opposite wheel and this does greatly reduce wheel hop with a pickup truck.

 

[HammaMan]

I have a 2022 F-150 with the Max Tow package and the hitch receiver is rated for 5,000 lbs unless a weight distributing hitch is used in which case it increases to 11,600 lb. According to the Ford Trailering Guide my truck is rated for up to 11,200 lbs. But if I was going to do serious towing I would have bought a F-450.

There was no rear sway bar provided which is not surprising as these add nothing to the payload or tow capacity of a truck. With my modified 2500 pickup I often carried up to 4,000 lbs and when I eventually added a rear sway bar the only change was how the truck handled when the bed was empty. A sway bar transfers andy shock at one wheel to the opposite wheel and this does greatly reduce wheel hop with a pickup truck.

The rear sway helps most on trims where the front carries most of the load, empty. It tremendously helps the cornering front end dive. The short bed PB is probably the best balanced outside of the lightning which I believe is 51/49 w/ large batt. The sway helps w/ loaded bed assuming you're not on the stops which will mask lean simply by not letting the axle travel any further (substantial loads can also over-power a sway bar's capability). A panhard bar is a better option for heavy loads and towing by removing any side to side movement of the axle that occurs from the springs letting the axle move side to side in cornering. At that point the tires become the limiting factor in side to side movement. Bigger wheels and thus less rubber between the wheel and the road or significantly stronger sidewalls help mitigate the tire movement. The spring and tire deflection can exacerbate each other in a sway condition leading to a loss of control as the spring and rubber band effect combine to help throw things back and forth.

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