F-250 Hitch Capacity

**bhbery** · 07-24-2020, 11:21 AM

I recently purchased a 2020 Ford F-250 with a tow rating of 14,700 lbs. There was no mention of tongue weight capacity other than a footnote in the Ford Towing Guide that said “Trailer tongue (trailer king pin for 5th-wheel towing) load weight should be 10% (15% for 5th-wheel towing) of total loaded trailer weight.” Since recommended trailer tongue weight is 10-15% of the loaded trailer weight, I assumed this meant trailer tongue weight should be at least 10% of the trailer weight, not a maximumof 10%. Our new Reflection 315RLTS’s GVWR will be 11,295 lbs, which means tongue weight should be 1,130 lbs minimum to 1,695 lbs maximum.

When the new truck arrived, I discovered a sticker on the hitch which stated that it was rated for a maximum gross trailer weight of 15,200 lb and a maximum tongue load of 1,520! (Why does Ford limit the tongue load to the minimum tongue weight required for safe towing – 10% ? Does this mean that this hitch can only tow a 10,133 lb trailer with a 15% tongue load?!) I asked the dealer’s “trailer expert” and my RV mechanic if I could replace the hitch with one rated for ~20,000/2,000 lbs. They both said I could, but that it wasn’t necessary because the hitches have a “huge safety margin”.

So, my question is, if I stay under the truck’s tow rating, GVWR, GCWR and both GAWRs, am I safe to tow an 11,295 lb trailer with a 1,695 lb tongue weight with this hitch or should I replace it?

Thanks,

**xrated** · 07-24-2020, 11:54 AM

In years past, most tow behind hitches had two ratings on the sticker that is on the hitch. Max. tongue weight without a Weight Distribution system would be xxxx lbs. Then another rating of the tongue weight WITH a W.D. hitch system would be xxxxlbs. Does yours not have two different ratings? My 2011 F250 hitch had a 1500 lb tongue weight rating with the W.D. hitch setup. I had a tow behind Toy Hauler that had a GVWR of 13,000 lb and an empty tongue weight of 1340 lbs. When the trailer was loaded with everything that I took along, including two motorcycles in the garage, the trailer weighed in at 12,200 - 12,300 lbs and produced a tongue weight of about 11% of the trailer weight. I'd be surprised if your trailer (GVWR of 11,295 lb) produced more than about 13% of that on the tongue....which will be close to, but not exceeding the 15,200 lb hitch weight limit.

**bhbery** · 07-24-2020, 12:30 PM

The hitch does have ratings for Weight Carrying and Weight Distributing, but they're both the same - 15,200 and 1,520.
I'm calculating "worst case" with TT at full GVW and 15% tongue. In reality, I'll probably be about 500 lbs under GVWR and could keep the tongue down to 13% by managing placement of cargo, which would give me a tongue weight of around 1,400 lb. I just wanted to know I was safe at the max.

**tamrick** · 07-24-2020, 03:54 PM

Originally Posted by bhbery

The hitch does have ratings for Weight Carrying and Weight Distributing, but they're both the same - 15,200 and 1,520.
I'm calculating "worst case" with TT at full GVW and 15% tongue. In reality, I'll probably be about 500 lbs under GVWR and could keep the tongue down to 13% by managing placement of cargo, which would give me a tongue weight of around 1,400 lb. I just wanted to know I was safe at the max.

To be safe, go by what the hitch sticker says is the max tongue weight with/without WD hitch. Can it go more? Probably. Its your decision. Only way to get proper tongue weight is to weigh your rig as loaded for a trip, then you can calculate your tongue weight. THEN, you can adjust your load accordingly to maintain a proper tongue weight. Its a juggling act but can be done and maintain weight standards. Good Luck.

**bhbery** · 07-25-2020, 06:52 AM

Thanks. I have the Weigh-Safe 20,000 lb WD hitch that gives me the tongue weight when I put the tongue on the ball, so I'll know the tongue weight every time I hook up. The hitch weighs 124 lbs, so the tongue weight + 124 = the weight on the receiver. As long as this stays under 1,520 I'm OK. It's if/when it goes over 1,520 that I'm concerned about.

**tamrick** · 07-25-2020, 07:40 AM

That’s grea! I used the hydraulic scale when I bumper towed and was always right at max. DW never understood why I wanted to scale the rig before some of our trips. I knew my tongue weight but needed to know what the percentage was so I wasn’t too light. Sometimes I was over and it worried me. Personally, if it were an occasional 1600lb weight, it’ll be OK. That was decision I made and kept the speed down to 55-60.
Side story. This was on my F150, pulling a utility trailer with 2 heavy motorcycles, got rear ended at 30 mph by someone doing 60. The hit was off center, pushed us into a jack knife, recovered and pulled off the road. No one hurt, bikes stayed on but damaged. Trailer bent front to back. The factory Max tow hitch was pushed in at the center and towards one side about 6-8”. No bolts broke nor did the hitch crack. Amazing! Coupler was still connected; I attribute that to it being a bull dog clam shell type. Front corner of the trailer dinged the fender behind the wheel. This gave a little comfort later when towing slightly heavy on the tongue.