Tow capacity of a 2020

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

EricM

FRF Addict
Joined
May 11, 2016
Posts
3,492
Reaction score
3,228
Location
OHIO
Ford MARKETS THE RAPTOR TO TOW 8000 POUNDS, but the fine print indicates otherwise.
I plan to pick up a trailer with some rental equipment on it this Saturday. Just me. No cargo in the bed at all, and no other passengers.

It's only going to be a 4000 lb load, but I can legally tow 8000 lbs. 8000 lbs would put around 800 lbs on the tongue. Add in 200 pounds of me, and I'd still have bit of payload left.

The 8000 lbs is a legitimate number. Not everyone throws a bunch of people and gear in the truck everytime a trailer is hooked up.
 

GordoJay

FRF Addict
Joined
Feb 8, 2020
Posts
7,453
Reaction score
15,947
Location
Colorado
I plan to pick up a trailer with some rental equipment on it this Saturday. Just me. No cargo in the bed at all, and no other passengers.

It's only going to be a 4000 lb load, but I can legally tow 8000 lbs. 8000 lbs would put around 800 lbs on the tongue. Add in 200 pounds of me, and I'd still have bit of payload left.

The 8000 lbs is a legitimate number. Not everyone throws a bunch of people and gear in the truck everytime a trailer is hooked up.
800lb on the tongue will likely overload your rear axle unless you have a WDH.
 
OP
OP
Cybot

Cybot

Active Member
Joined
Sep 11, 2023
Posts
79
Reaction score
34
Location
Kansas City, MO
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.
As far as the Deavers, would I need a lift added to it, or would these be ok, Raptor 2017-2022 – Rear Spring Eliminates Factory Block Stock Height?
 
OP
OP
Cybot

Cybot

Active Member
Joined
Sep 11, 2023
Posts
79
Reaction score
34
Location
Kansas City, MO
Ok, so this is what I am hearing that I may need so far:
Air Lift 1000 bags
WDH
Deavers HD
HD brakes

If I had all that would a 6500lb trailer be SAFE enough for a let's say 500- 700 mile trip? I won't be continuously driving, I plan on stopping at places and seeing the sites for maybe around 3-4 weeks at a time.
 

isis

FRF Supporting Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Aug 28, 2019
Posts
1,836
Reaction score
1,780
Location
PA
Ok, so this is what I am hearing that I may need so far:
Air Lift 1000 bags
WDH
Deavers HD
HD brakes

If I had all that would a 6500lb trailer be SAFE enough for a let's say 500- 700 mile trip? I won't be continuously driving, I plan on stopping at places and seeing the sites for maybe around 3-4 weeks at a time.
Being just a dude on the internet, and a SCAB driver, so even more irrelevant, I would hypothetically be comfortable with this solution.
 
OP
OP
Cybot

Cybot

Active Member
Joined
Sep 11, 2023
Posts
79
Reaction score
34
Location
Kansas City, MO
I thought I posted this but I can't find it. With the Deavers do I need any type of lift?

Also, I found these LoadLifter PROSeries ULTIMATE Part No. 94413 I guess they seem better than the 1000's. What do you all think? Of course I'll need a compressor.

Does anybody have a preference with a WDH and HD brakes? Also, do I need calibers or will just the rotors and pads like these PowerStop Z36 Extreme Truck and Tow

And I found this for the WDH

If all this would work, I think I can deal with that.
 
Last edited:

Wilbur

Full Access Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2021
Posts
130
Reaction score
156
Location
Florida
No lift with the Deavers. Stock it comes with a 2" Block, the Deavers eliminate it. So +2 (which I have) is stock ride height, +3 is one inch taller then stock.

I probably wouldn't go with Airbags, I've heard it's a rough ride unloaded.
 

K9 EXPERT

Full Access Member
Joined
Oct 10, 2021
Posts
611
Reaction score
626
Location
Idaho
I plan to pick up a trailer with some rental equipment on it this Saturday. Just me. No cargo in the bed at all, and no other passengers.

It's only going to be a 4000 lb load, but I can legally tow 8000 lbs. 8000 lbs would put around 800 lbs on the tongue. Add in 200 pounds of me, and I'd still have bit of payload left.

The 8000 lbs is a legitimate number. Not everyone throws a bunch of people and gear in the truck everytime a trailer is hooked up.
 

K9 EXPERT

Full Access Member
Joined
Oct 10, 2021
Posts
611
Reaction score
626
Location
Idaho
Look carefully at the picture and read the attached link. I don’t know what was inside that trailer, or anything about the trucks payload capacity, but I bet the ACCIDENT is related to the trailer. Remember payload is directly related to the weight axles can support…..NOT what the trailer can carry. Magnify the rear axle and you will see the lugs have been completely sheared off and lugs are part of the axle. If the victim in this case was a member of your family and if the payload was over weight, how would you feel? As for the driver of the truck, most, if not all states, have laws in place when a person dies as a result of another person. Normally it falls under involuntary manslaughter. I occasionally go to Vegas to eat, drink and watch shows, I don’t gamble. Lastly, like Rex articulated, just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

Indiana driver killed when pickup truck wheel bounces through car windshield along I-70​


 
Last edited:

dfw62

Member
Joined
Mar 1, 2023
Posts
44
Reaction score
44
Location
MA and FL
I thought I posted this but I can't find it. With the Deavers do I need any type of lift?

Also, I found these LoadLifter PROSeries ULTIMATE Part No. 94413 I guess they seem better than the 1000's. What do you all think? Of course I'll need a compressor.

Does anybody have a preference with a WDH and HD brakes? Also, do I need calibers or will just the rotors and pads like these PowerStop Z36 Extreme Truck and Tow

And I found this for the WDH

If all this would work, I think I can deal with that.

My gut says you're gonna do a lot of mods to your Raptor and get overly confident in its ability to tow. You'll buy an RV that is the size you want only to find you don't like the way your modified Raptor tows.

Based on my experience with a Gen 3 so not exactly apples to apples, I'd say shop RV's but only look at those that are 6000# GVWR or less and 25' long or shorter. If these limitations result in no RV's that meet your needs then change course and take all limits off and find the RV you want. Once you know the GVWR of the RV you want assume 15% of the GVWR will be on the ball. Take this number and add to it your estimated passenger and cargo weight for the truck (think you were using 500#). Since this sum will likely be way over the payload rating of your Raptor, trade the Raptor in for a more conventional F150 (or even an F250) that has the payload rating you need.

I'm saying this as someone that has in my younger less aware days towed campers that exceeded the ratings of the tow vehicle. I was in the if the air bags got the truck level it was OK camp. Not knowing any better back then I thought it was normal to have to hold the wheel firmly with both hands and watch the side view mirrors so I'd be ready to give the wheel a little back and forth action to quell the trailer sway when being passed by tractor trailers and buses. I didn't tow far (3 hours or less) but I was exhausted when I got to my destination. As I matured and learned I began to respect the payload and tow ratings and found that when one does the towing experience is no more stressful than driving without the trailer. Towing requires more skill but once that is developed over time it becomes stress free. Saying this because it sounds like you will be doing some long days on the road, granted with breaks in between, and white knuckle towing really sucks.
 
Top