Tow capacity of a 2020

[John813]

Do you have a Screw(4 full sized doors) or a SCAB(2 full size, 2 suicide doors)

 

[Cybot]

I have the SCEW (new term for me). lol

 

[CleverGirl_]

There is no legal way to increase payload/towing.

If an accident happens you are going to need some pretty excellent (expensive as all fuxk) to prove your over loaded (per manufacturer specs) was in fact NOT over loaded due to your modifications.

Are you increasing braking power, are you strengthening steering components, are you making the frame stronger, are you increasing load capacity on the wheels AND the tires? The list is almost endless.

In a shit hole state like California (not sure where you live) a LEO that knows the difference between Raptor and F150 could easily have your truck impounded.

I am actually a pretty good rule breaker/ non conformist. But I also look at risks involved.

This. CAN you pull it? Sure, a tundra can pull a space shuttle. But not if DOT is involved.
Raptors and towing don't mix.

 

[dfw62]

Is the tongue wait limit just because of sag and hitch limitations? If I added another leaf or as somebody else said air bags and a higher rated hitch, would that do it. Oh and I can always pull the 2 tanks and put them on the back bumper of the trailer while pulling if that'll help some.

BTW, thanks everyone so far and in advance for all the great tips.

IMO the low payload ratings on our Raptors are due to the soft rear suspension as that is the main difference between a Raptor and all other F150s. You can do things to to firm it up and remove the sag but anything you do WILL NOT increase the payload rating. I run the Air Lift 1000 bags on my Gen 3 to reduce sag and firm up the rear when towing my camper but I still make sure I do not exceed my yellow door jamb payload rating. That said, I think there is a way to have a modified truck recertified with a higher payload rating but I don't know the process and believe it is cost prohibitive anyway.

As you mentioned moving the propane to the rear during travel would be an option to reduce trailer tongue weight. However, doing so could result in less than 10% of the trailer's total weight being on the ball resulting in very dangerous trailer sway, especially on a tow vehicle with a soft rear suspension. Plus, I personally would not want my tanks hanging off the back for fear they'd be a higher risk if I was hit in the rear.

On the topic of sway, the camper you are looking at is has a lot of side surface area such that even with 10% of the trailer weight on the ball you will definitely feel it on windy days and when being passed by large vehicles such as tractor trailers and buses. In addition to a good WD hitch system you will want to have some very effective sway control. Don't underestimate this as it sounds like you plan to spend many days on the road and towing too large a camper (both weight wise and size wise) results in two hands on the wheel white knuckle very stressful driving at normal highway speeds.

 

[GordoJay]

I wonder if maybe you're coming at this from the wrong direction. What if you ask what's the least trailer you can get by with and see where that puts you. One guy and a dog don't need much room. If you're planning to migrate with the seasons, you can always be somewhere with pleasant weather, which means that you can spend a lot of time outside during the day. If the answer to this question is a smaller trailer, you should consider it. If it leads to a much smaller trailer, you could consider whether adding a little extra size would be worth it, trading off towing comfort for living comfort. If you're at the minimum size now, I'd personally buy a truck better suited for towing. My general rule of thumb is that comfortable towing ends somewhere around half the tow rating.

 

[Cybot]

I am not as concerned with "legally" as I am about being safe. I will not do anything to endanger anybody's life. As far as the camper I listed, Yeah I understand that's a bit too much and it's a pipe dream, I'm old not dumb LOL . So with Gordo's question, with as few expensive mods as possible, what's the least trailer I can get by with that would be safe?

 

[Old-Raptor-guy]

IMO the low payload ratings on our Raptors are due to the soft rear suspension as that is the main difference between a Raptor and all other F150s. You can do things to to firm it up and remove the sag but anything you do WILL NOT increase the payload rating. I run the Air Lift 1000 bags on my Gen 3 to reduce sag and firm up the rear when towing my camper but I still make sure I do not exceed my yellow door jamb payload rating. That said, I think there is a way to have a modified truck recertified with a higher payload rating but I don't know the process and believe it is cost prohibitive anyway.

As you mentioned moving the propane to the rear during travel would be an option to reduce trailer tongue weight. However, doing so could result in less than 10% of the trailer's total weight being on the ball resulting in very dangerous trailer sway, especially on a tow vehicle with a soft rear suspension. Plus, I personally would not want my tanks hanging off the back for fear they'd be a higher risk if I was hit in the rear.

On the topic of sway, the camper you are looking at is has a lot of side surface area such that even with 10% of the trailer weight on the ball you will definitely feel it on windy days and when being passed by large vehicles such as tractor trailers and buses. In addition to a good WD hitch system you will want to have some very effective sway control. Don't underestimate this as it sounds like you plan to spend many days on the road and towing too large a camper (both weight wise and size wise) results in two hands on the wheel white knuckle very stressful driving at normal highway speeds.

You are on the right track, suspension and honestly maybe brakes ( factory Raptor brakes are sub-par). It costs $125 to get the actual SAE testing procedures but this artical explains it pretty good. It obviously isn't engine power as normal F150 is rated to tow more with less HP. Think about were the Raptor would fail and it is definitely in the handling area.

J2807_202002​

SAE J2807 Tow Tests - The Standard

Maximum trailer tow ratings have been a bit of a mystery over the years. Manufacturers each had their own somewhat secret ways of determining how much weight th

www.motortrend.com

 

[shigman]

I've towed 5-6.5K lb "wet" campers in my 2020 with a WDH (which helps a lot). When i look at the weight of a trailer, I only care about gross and assume its closer to that than the dry weight. With me, wife, dog, and all the other various heavy stuff involved with camping. Id recon we were still over the payload limit (or right at it). With the 6.5K lb trailer it felt comfortable, but I wouldn't want to make a 500-1000 mile trip with that. I had stock leafs with the 5K trailer and deavers +3 on the 6.5K lb trailer. Power and transmission were never the issue, but the back felt pretty soft even with the deavers. I did also have to rely pretty decently on the trailer brakes, used a higher gain than the 5K lb trailer thats for sure. Id say the real tow limit assuming keeping a happy GVWR is more like 5500lbs. Sure it could tow an 8K lb trailer with a driver and zero luggage, but I don't foresee me ever doing that. Based on other truck door jams I've looked at, the Raptor isn't the only truck that is payload limited with towing. These heavy crew cabs with all the luxury features just don't have great payload ratings in general. If GVRW isn't much of a concern, airbags/WDH and let it rip...lol

 

[Cybot]

Thanks guys that helps a lot.

 

[Wilbur]

Besides a WDH, Deavers help a ton. Get the HD ones for towing. No, it doesn't increase capacity, but it helps with the squat. Less squat equals more weight back on the front axle. It also stiffens up the rear a bit (in a good way). I'll also say that when my stock BFGs were getting worn out I replaced them with Cooper AT3 XLTs which are Load Range E and I felt that made a noticeable difference in towing as well. You can run more PSI in the back when loaded and they feel a ton more stable.

The biggest thing you need to keep in mind is tongue weight. Weigh-Safe hitch has a built-in scale so you know exactly. Be smart with how you load it. Raptor will tow/pull 5,000lbs easily, but not when your tongue weight is 1000+.

I know its not a direct comparison, but I just got back from a 3000-mile road trip in mine (1500 of those were towing - Helped a family member move). I drove from FL to ME, picked up a 6x12 Uhual, and loaded it to the brim with boxes and a lot of furniture. I even put a few boxes in the bed since I have a tonneau cover. Then I hit the road again for FL. I was worried at first. Thought it was gonna be White Knuckles the entire way. Reading some of these people's responses will do that Lol. But I was extremely strategic with how I loaded it. And honestly, I felt it did great. I kept cruise control between 67 and 73 almost the entire way. No sway at all. Even when passing semi's. Plenty of power, and the brakes were fine.

Here's a pic from one of my stops, and yes, this was fully loaded. Very little sag because of how I loaded it. The other pic was when I finally pulled back into my driveway in FL. Not bad average MPG considering it had a trailer on the back for last half.