Towing

[Kenneth]

How can I extract all of the towing capabilities from the Raptor?

So my last Raptor was brutalized for what it was built for. It saw a lot of airtime and I think I spent more time cleaning the dirt and mud off of it than all vehicles I've owned in my entire life combined. It's a beast of a truck.

The SE that I have now is going to be my track day hauler for a car and couple of sportbikes in an enclosed trailer with quite a bit of gear up front. Suffice to say, it will likely be around 8,000 lbs loaded.

I plan on using this setup to tour quite a few tracks for td's across the nation, so it will see varied terrain (mountain passes, etc).

So in this planning stage, besides the basic stereo upgrade and radar detector, I'm thinking a Whipple and FR sport exhaust for a little extra power, and either leaf springs or airbags for the rear?

My knowledge is limited on towing stuff, so I'd be interested on getting some input on what would help make the Raptor more tow-worthy of a truck.

Thanks!

 

[The Car Stereo Company]

the crewcabs have a 1,000lb payload capacity and an 8,000 towing capacity. the supercabs a bit less. anything above that, and you could be liable for any accident while towing regardless of who is at fault. it wasnt designed as a tow vehicle and any mods to increase towing capacity 1) voids warranties and 2) puts a large amount of liability on you. that being said, you can use a weight distributing hitch and airbags, but then whats the purpose of the raptor? maybe keep the raptor as the toy, and get a diesel to tow? towing that much will most likely wear out the motor and transmission quicker, since you are on the threshold of the towing limits.

 

[Bulletnjm]

If you do jump into this endeavor with the raptor a good aftermarket brake kit should be included, you will have a whole lot of go and will need some slow (good brakes)

I also would like to suggest a tranny cooler and maybe a larger trans pan, you will really e heating things up down there

 

[HAYNES OFFROAD]

Agreeing With the above mentioned posts, the raptor isn't a tow pig. Even the recommended payload and towing numbers are generous. and additional transmission cooling is good too.

With that said, going with leafs and a bump kit such as SVC's (that allows bump height adjustability) is a great combo that has been working great for a lot of people when towing. Putting the bumps into tow/haul mode essentially acts like a airbag setup. The nitrogen pressure can also be fine tuned if it's too soft or too harsh. It's a great setup to help towing and hauling when your approaching those higher number limits.

 

[Hole Shot]

Great thread I was thinking of doing the same wit my raptor. I have been looking at Svc bumps. Looks like a good option.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[HAYNES OFFROAD]

Using the SVC ABS kit while towing will also help lengthen the life span of your leaf springs whether you have oem or aftermarket, keep the leaf from doing 100% of the work.

 

[Tmesic]

I'm going to go ahead and disagree to some extent with a lot of the replies. 8 K is not a great amount of weight for an f150 based platform . The brakes are no different on an F150 rated from 9 to 11 k towing so as long as you have a brake controller I don't see that being an issue. As wearing out quicker that goes for what ever mechanical device you out through more stress .

I have an 2011 F150 and a raptor, the I tow 6 k load often and even though the raptor is rated lower it handles much more stable than the higher rated F150. In my opinion your truck should handle and stop fine with 8 k as long as you use a weight distributing hitch to keep the weight back on the front axle.

The Trans cooler is a must and I even question maybe additional motor cooling, based on my experiences.


While I will say buying a real tow vehicle as a better idea, I don't think it's absolutely necessary.


All of this is just my opinion and you got what you paid for it.

Tim

 

[CoronaRaptor]

I've towed lots with my Raptor, have bump stop kit and equalizer hitch, have loaded 2 race quads and a yz dirt bike in the box and towed my 4000 lb (dry) trailer. I always increase the rear tires to 55psig and the fronts to 50 psig when I load it like this. I jacked the truck up on the hitch with the trailer and then put my equalizer bars on, this keeps the truck pretty much level. I have towed from BC to Socal over the mountains several times over the last few years without a single issue. Gas mileage sure sucks, lol. I have never had a single issue with the transmission overheating, never! Drive like a white man (figure of speech) and use the tow/haul mode except on the flats.

 

[Nv Guy]

the crewcabs have a 1,000lb payload capacity and an 8,000 towing capacity. the supercabs a bit less. anything above that, and you could be liable for any accident while towing regardless of who is at fault. it wasnt designed as a tow vehicle and any mods to increase towing capacity 1) voids warranties and 2) puts a large amount of liability on you. that being said, you can use a weight distributing hitch and airbags, but then whats the purpose of the raptor? maybe keep the raptor as the toy, and get a diesel to tow? towing that much will most likely wear out the motor and transmission quicker, since you are on the threshold of the towing limits.

Pretty much sums it up.
Why does everyone want to turn a race horse into a pack mule?

 

[beachz]

Kind of an interesting towing challenge that might interest you if you haven't already run across it.

2014 Ford Raptor 6.2L vs F-250 6.2L Mashup Ike Gauntlet Towing Test ( Part 1) - YouTube


2014 Ford Raptor 6.2L vs F-250 6.2L Mashup Ike Gauntlet Towing Test ( Part 2) - YouTube