tpe187
Full Access Member
Towing with the Raptor – A Primer
Background – I have a 2013 Raptor SuperCrew with stock wheels and tires with about 15K miles. I am in the military and move every two to three years. I have a lot of tools, guns, ammunition, reloading equipment and components, etc. that weigh a lot and are not exactly packer friendly. I have towed the largest U-Haul trailer you can get, which is a 6x12 with a wt. capacity of around 2500lbs, with an SUV. Once I had the truck I thought I could get away with the added capacity of the bed, but honestly didn’t research it much because I only tow every two to three years. I looked at options for air bags, and springs to increase capacity, etc. but you end up with other potential limitations such as axle tube bending, etc. In the end I figured I would put it all in a travel trailer and go from there. To me, the benefits for the trailer is that the cost wasn’t too bad - $5600 out the door and the military will pay me about $4K for moving 6K lbs. I can also use the trailer for storage wherever I am. On post space for my trailer at my current location is $25 a month. Can’t beat that. So, with that information, here is what I found:
Things to know:
The receiver hitch is only rated to 5K lbs unless you use a weight-distributing (WD) hitch, which brings it to 10.5K. The weight-distributing hitch will level out the Raptor and trailer so you don’t lose steering control when all the tongue weight pushes the rear down and takes weight off the front wheels. The weight rating information is on a sticker on the underside of your hitch. I would not tow without a WD hitch for any distance and certainly not if my combined trailer and load was over 5K. It makes a huge difference. Cost is around $400 depending on the model and features you want.
The SuperCrew Raptor is rated to tow 8K lbs., but you can’t exceed the Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR); everything in the truck and trailer and including the truck and trailer, people and fuel. For the Supercrew this was 14.7K. For the supercab it is only 12.5K. This is not located on the door information; it is in the owner’s manual, pg. 271 and 273. An interesting note is the recommendation to reduce GCWR by 2% per 1000ft above sea level (pg. 268).
You will need to install the fuse and relay that came with your truck in the power distribution box, which is located above the radiator, in the engine bay. In my manual this is pg. 309-310. It is relay #6 and fuse #21. These are probably in a small bag in your console or glove box. I don’t know why they don’t put them in from the beginning and there is no issue when the trailer is disconnected, so why not just install them now.
I just got done a 900-mile trip with a Cargomate 7x14 trailer. The trailer weights just under 2K lbs. empty. I got the upgraded axles to 5200lb axles for a total capacity of 10.4K. 3500lb axles are standard. I used a Reese WD hitch system with 1200lb spring arms (Recommended by the trailer dealer). This weight is based on a tongue weight of 10-15% of the load. The Ford receiver hitch states you can’t exceed 1050lbs of tongue weight. The adjustment range of the 1200lb spring bars is 600-1200lbs so no big deal really. As it was, I only used two links in the chain from the spring bar, to level the truck.
I weighed my truck and trailer before loading them and came out with a combined weight of 9000lbs. My truck is basically stock, but has mid perch, line-x and a BAK Roll-X cover. When I loaded it and had a full 35gal tank it came out to 14,900lbs. So, I was pulling about 8K lbs., and with me in the truck I was about 400lbs over max gross.
I used the Tow/Haul mode and the truck handled very well. I drove from San Antonio, TX to Colorado Springs, CO. My normal mileage is around 13.4 MPG with mostly highway driving. My average fuel economy was 7.6 MPG overall. I did not use cruise control. Once into New Mexico and then Colorado you could definitely tell you were going up in altitude but nothing too bad. Tow/Haul helped with some engine breaking going down the mountains and it rarely went into 6th gear. Most of the climbing was in 4th and sometimes 3rd depending on the incline.
Hopefully the above information will serve as a starting point for someone looking to periodically tow using their Raptor. I would recommend spending the $8-10 to get your actual GCWR at public wt scales and not guess. Its pretty easy to go over. Have fun and be safe!
Background – I have a 2013 Raptor SuperCrew with stock wheels and tires with about 15K miles. I am in the military and move every two to three years. I have a lot of tools, guns, ammunition, reloading equipment and components, etc. that weigh a lot and are not exactly packer friendly. I have towed the largest U-Haul trailer you can get, which is a 6x12 with a wt. capacity of around 2500lbs, with an SUV. Once I had the truck I thought I could get away with the added capacity of the bed, but honestly didn’t research it much because I only tow every two to three years. I looked at options for air bags, and springs to increase capacity, etc. but you end up with other potential limitations such as axle tube bending, etc. In the end I figured I would put it all in a travel trailer and go from there. To me, the benefits for the trailer is that the cost wasn’t too bad - $5600 out the door and the military will pay me about $4K for moving 6K lbs. I can also use the trailer for storage wherever I am. On post space for my trailer at my current location is $25 a month. Can’t beat that. So, with that information, here is what I found:
Things to know:
The receiver hitch is only rated to 5K lbs unless you use a weight-distributing (WD) hitch, which brings it to 10.5K. The weight-distributing hitch will level out the Raptor and trailer so you don’t lose steering control when all the tongue weight pushes the rear down and takes weight off the front wheels. The weight rating information is on a sticker on the underside of your hitch. I would not tow without a WD hitch for any distance and certainly not if my combined trailer and load was over 5K. It makes a huge difference. Cost is around $400 depending on the model and features you want.
The SuperCrew Raptor is rated to tow 8K lbs., but you can’t exceed the Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR); everything in the truck and trailer and including the truck and trailer, people and fuel. For the Supercrew this was 14.7K. For the supercab it is only 12.5K. This is not located on the door information; it is in the owner’s manual, pg. 271 and 273. An interesting note is the recommendation to reduce GCWR by 2% per 1000ft above sea level (pg. 268).
You will need to install the fuse and relay that came with your truck in the power distribution box, which is located above the radiator, in the engine bay. In my manual this is pg. 309-310. It is relay #6 and fuse #21. These are probably in a small bag in your console or glove box. I don’t know why they don’t put them in from the beginning and there is no issue when the trailer is disconnected, so why not just install them now.
I just got done a 900-mile trip with a Cargomate 7x14 trailer. The trailer weights just under 2K lbs. empty. I got the upgraded axles to 5200lb axles for a total capacity of 10.4K. 3500lb axles are standard. I used a Reese WD hitch system with 1200lb spring arms (Recommended by the trailer dealer). This weight is based on a tongue weight of 10-15% of the load. The Ford receiver hitch states you can’t exceed 1050lbs of tongue weight. The adjustment range of the 1200lb spring bars is 600-1200lbs so no big deal really. As it was, I only used two links in the chain from the spring bar, to level the truck.
I weighed my truck and trailer before loading them and came out with a combined weight of 9000lbs. My truck is basically stock, but has mid perch, line-x and a BAK Roll-X cover. When I loaded it and had a full 35gal tank it came out to 14,900lbs. So, I was pulling about 8K lbs., and with me in the truck I was about 400lbs over max gross.
I used the Tow/Haul mode and the truck handled very well. I drove from San Antonio, TX to Colorado Springs, CO. My normal mileage is around 13.4 MPG with mostly highway driving. My average fuel economy was 7.6 MPG overall. I did not use cruise control. Once into New Mexico and then Colorado you could definitely tell you were going up in altitude but nothing too bad. Tow/Haul helped with some engine breaking going down the mountains and it rarely went into 6th gear. Most of the climbing was in 4th and sometimes 3rd depending on the incline.
Hopefully the above information will serve as a starting point for someone looking to periodically tow using their Raptor. I would recommend spending the $8-10 to get your actual GCWR at public wt scales and not guess. Its pretty easy to go over. Have fun and be safe!
