Trailer Towing

Trailer Towing Guide

Trailer Hitch Classes

Class I      Gross trailer weight up to 2,000 lbs
                 Tongue wt up to 200 lbs 
Class II    Gross trailer weight up to 3,500 lbs
                 Tongue wt up to 350 lbs
Class III   Gross trailer weight up to 5,000 lbs
                 Tongue wt up to 500 lbs
Class IV   Gross trailer weight up to 12,000 lbs
                 Tongue wt up to 1,200 lbs
Class V     Gross trailer weight up to 13,000 lbs
                 Tongue wt up to 1,300 lbs

Base Curb Weight
The weight of the vehicle including a full tank of fuel and all standard equipment. It does not include passengers, cargo or any optional equipment.

Cargo Weight
Includes all weight added to the Base Curb Weight, including cargo and optional equipment. When towing, trailer tongue load or king pin weight is also part of the Cargo Weight.

Payload
The combined maximum allowable weight of cargo and passengers that the truck is designed to carry. It is the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating minus the Base Curb Weight.

Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW)
The Base Curb Weight plus actual Cargo Weight plus passengers. It is important to remember that GVW is not a limit or specification – it is the actual weight that is obtained when the fully loaded vehicle is driven onto a scale.

Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)
The maximum allowable weight of the fully loaded vehicle (including passengers and cargo). This number – along with other weight limits, as well as tire, rim size and inflation pressure data – is shown on the vehicle’s Safety Compliance Certification Label, located on the left front door lock facing or the door latch post pillar (see facing page). The GVW must never exceed the GVWR.

Gross Axle Weight (GAW)
The total weight placed on each axle (front and rear). To determine the Gross Axle Weights for your vehicle and trailer combination, take your loaded vehicle and trailer to a scale. With the trailer attached, place the front wheels of the vehicle on the scale to get the front GAW. For rear GAW, weigh the towing vehicle with trailer attached, but with just the four wheels of the vehicle on the scale. Subtracting front GAW from that amount gives you rear GAW.

Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR)
The maximum weight to be carried by a single axle (front or rear). These numbers are also shown on the Safety Compliance Certification Label. The total load on each axle must never exceed its GAWR.

Base Curb + Cargo + Passenger= Gross Vehicle Wt. (GVW)

GVW must not exceed GVWR (obtain from Safety Compliance Certification Label on the left front door lock facing or the door latch post pillar).

GVW + Loaded Trailer = Gross Combination Weight (GCW)

GCW must not exceed GCWR (obtain from charts on pages 18-25 or your vehicle’s Owner Guide.

Towing a trailer is demanding on your vehicle, your trailer and your personal driving skills. Follow some basic rules and you’ll tow more safely and have a lot more fun.

WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION

• For optimum handling and braking, the load must be properly distributed

• Keep center of gravity low for best handling

• Approximately 60% of the allowable cargo weight should be in the front half of the trailer and 40% in the rear (within limits of tongue load or king pin weight)

• Load should be balanced from side-to-side to optimize handling and tire wear

• Load must be firmly secured to prevent shifting during cornering or braking, which could result in a sudden loss of control

Frontal area is the total area in square feet that a moving vehicle and trailer exposes to air resistance. Here are the limitations that must be considered in selecting a vehicle/trailer combination. Exceeding these limitations may significantly reduce the performance of your towing vehicle. Selecting a trailer with a low-drag, rounded front design will help optimize performance

Mustang  32 sq. ft. All Applications

Taurus/MKS  30 sq. ft. All Applications

Edge/MKX  25 sq. ft. All Applications

Escape/Escape Hybrid  Base Vehicle Frontal Area (24 sq. ft.) 2.5L I4 Engine or 2.5L Hybrid

Mariner/Mariner Hybrid  30 sq. ft. 3.0L V6 Engine

Flex/MKT  25 sq. ft. Without Trailer Tow Package Class III 35 sq. ft. With Trailer Tow Package Class III

Explorer/Sport Trac/Mountaineer  Base Vehicle Frontal Area Without Trailer Tow Package Class III/IV
60 sq. ft. With Trailer Tow Package Class III/IV

Ranger  Base Vehicle Frontal Area 2.3L I4 Engine  50 sq. ft. 4.0L V6 Engine

E-Series  60 sq. ft. All Applications

F-150  Base Vehicle Frontal Area Without Trailer Tow Package or Heavy-Duty Payload Package 45 sq. ft. With Trailer Tow Package and 3.15 Axle Ratio 60 sq. ft. With Trailer Tow Package or Heavy-Duty Payload Package

Expedition/Navigator  Base Vehicle Frontal Area 5.4L V8 Engine Without Heavy-Duty Trailer Tow Package 60 sq. ft. 5.4L V8 With Heavy-Duty Trailer Tow Package

F-250/F-350/F-450/F-550 Super Duty  60 sq. ft. All Applications

Measuring Tongue Load With Commercial Scale

To measure actual tongue load or king pin weight, disconnect the trailer and place only the tongue (king pin) on a scale (at hitch ball or fifth-wheel king pin receiver height). If the tongue load/king pin weight exceeds the upper weight limit, move more of the trailer contents rearward to achieve the recommended tongue load/king pin weight. If the tongue load or king pin weight is less than the lower limit, shift the load forward.

If you're towing a small trailer, you can also use a common bathroom scale.

The Ford F-150 features best-in-class trailer towing & the all-new 2011 Ford F-Series Super Duty delivers best-in-class torque, horsepower,  trailer towing and payload capability  

For any questions you may have about trailer towing or finding the right vehicle to tow your trailer, just give us a call. We'll be glad to help.