Hauling Capacity?

[rehammer81]

So I know that hauling is not what the Raptor is designed around and the suspension is different from the standard F150 but why does the Raptor take such a dramatic hit in towing/hauling compared to the standard F150. Engine is producing more HP and torque. My uneducated guess would be that the wider stance would provide more stability and the gearing, especially the new 10spd tranny, would be a benefit to hauling and towing. Does it all come down to softer leaf springs and the shock tune compared to the standard F150?

 

[Jimbo]

@t_j......

 

[Dane]

So I know that hauling is not what the Raptor is designed around and the suspension is different from the standard F150 buy why does the Raptor take such a dramatic hit in towing/hauling compared to the standard F150. Engine is producing more HP and torque. My uneducated guess would be that the wider stance would provide more stability and the gearing, especially the new 10spd tranny, would be a benefit to hauling and towing. Does it all come down to softer leaf springs and the shock tune compared to the standard F150?

Squishy off-road suspension, yup. The rest would handle it.

 

[Raptor911]

Because the Raptor is not a work truck and was designed to take high speed runs across the dessert.

In other words what happens why you try to take a reg f150 and run it at high speeds across the dessert? The suspension would prob break in short order.

If you want and need a work truck then get a work truck.

 

[t_j]

1) Suspension is all wrong for heavy loads

2) Gearing is not great for towing heavy trailers

 

[matrix243]

Some reason I figured they would have corrected this to cater to all by maybe having air bags or something when needed. One of the only truck like features it can't handle.

 

[rehammer81]

I'm well aware of its design intentions. I was just wondering why capability drop off in that area is so severe. I figured it was solely based on the suspension as to me its other features seem well suited to hauling and towing. HP, torque, stability from its wide stance, etc. Guess I thought the lower gear ratios of the 10-spd tranny would also be towing friendly. I guess the suspension is just too soft though.

 

[SilentShooter]

Also the bed is short so not designed to handle a fifth wheel setup.
The raptor is not designed as a do everything truck. Its designed as a great off road truck that is comfortable on the street and can be used for weekend toys/fun. Great to tow your ATV/PWC/Ski/Wakeboard boat etc not to tow a huge horse trailer or RV.

I would actually give up towing weight if they said instead they would provide a setup with more travel and capability. Long as I can tow a few thousand pounds I am good as I just want to be able to bring toys with me places.

If I bought another large fountain or other deep V I would be looking at getting a proper truck like an f250 or more for that purpose. The fact that the raptor keeps down its compromises is what makes it so great.

 

[ARH1956]

So I know that hauling is not what the Raptor is designed around and the suspension is different from the standard F150 but why does the Raptor take such a dramatic hit in towing/hauling compared to the standard F150. Engine is producing more HP and torque. My uneducated guess would be that the wider stance would provide more stability and the gearing, especially the new 10spd tranny, would be a benefit to hauling and towing. Does it all come down to softer leaf springs and the shock tune compared to the standard F150?

You nailed it, it's all about the suspension. There are plenty of trucks that will haul heavy loads, but they are all out of their element where the Raptor shines.

 

[Reptar]

you keep mentioning a 10 speed trans, the Gen 2 Raptor will have a 10 speed, but they haven't released any towing capacities for the Gen 2 yet so it's an apples to orange comparison trying to take the current Gen 1 Raptor towing capacities and relate it to a non-existent Gen 2 10 speed.

With the current Gen 1 6 speed there's two towing capacities depending if you have a screw or a scab. The scab is around 6k lbs (I forget exactly it may be 6500?), and the screw is 8000 lbs. That's not too shabby, and while it's not the max 11,300 of certain equipped model regular f150's of this current generation, it's higher than even the most towing-capable equipped 97-03/04 F-150.

The suspension is the biggest limiting factor, and possibly the tires (but not sure). I tow ~7500 pretty regularly with my screw and it squats pretty good in the back with the soft suspension, but it still tows and handles excellent, and light years better than my 2000 scab HD truck ever towed. While yes a superduty would be better, I don't have bottomless pockets so I need a multipurpose vehicle and since 15-20% of my driving is towing and 80-85% is not towing, I'm buying a vehicle geared towards what the majority of my driving is, that is still capable at the minority of my driving even if it's not the best one out there for it as long as it's capable of it.

Now I hope the Gen 2's get a little bump in towing capacity with stronger frames, beefier suspension, and 10 speed transmissions so I can step up to an enclosed trailer comfortably. A 10k lb rating would be excellent, but until they release some figures, we won't know anything.