2003 F150 4.6L towing 2007 Jayco Octane ZX T24Z ?

Hi All,

I recently bought a 2007 Jayco Octane ZX T24Z trailer.

I am new to this forum and this is my 1st post.  I have been reading as much as I can to evaluate towing capacity of my truck and this trailer. 

My Tow Veh is is a 2003 F150, Supercab, 4.6 L, 2WD, curb weight 4,580.  I think the gear ratio is 3.55.  Here are the specs on my truck: 
http://www.ford-trucks.com/specs/2003/2003_f150supercrew_1.html
The GVWR is 6,350.

The trailer: GVWR: 9500; Unloaded Curb Wt: 5490; Max Cargo Carrying Capacity: 3560; Hitch Weight: 1085.

I live in Texas and have no plans to take this TT more than a few hundred miles (for example, I have no plans to go to the western mountains with it). 

Here's my estimated GVW of my 2003 F150 Tow Vehicle:

4,580 truck
500  passengers
200 cargo
1085 tongue weight (according to the specs)

6365 total GVW

I am about exactly equal to  the GVWR of the truck.  (The 500lbs in passengers may be high)

My concern is my trailer. 

The Max trailer towing for the F150 is 6,600.

Here?s my estimated total GVW for the trailer:

5,490 Unloaded Curb weight
900 if fresh water tank is full (112 gallons)
1000 cargo & stuff (includes 2 off road dirt bikes)
80 propane

7,470.  Total GVW of Trailer (GVWR of trailer is 9500)

Gross Combined Wt = 6365 + 7470 ? 1085 = 12,750.

I don?t see a GCVWR in my F150 specs.

I have not been to a scales to get any actual weights.

If my max trailer towing is 6,600, and now I am at an estimated 7,470, it appears that this truck just is too small to pull this trailer.  I have towed the trailer only once and that was for about 15 miles.  The tongue weight seemed to be way too much, and the overall weight seemed too be way too heavy.  But, it was my first time, so I had no prior experience.  Maybe I was just nervous since it was my first towing?

Well, now I turn it over to you.  Thank you in advance.

Am I missing anything here?  Comments ? 

The only thing you are missing is keeping it simple -- I fear you are drowning in numbers.

Let's cut thru the noise.  You have a truck that is rated to pull 6,600 lbs., maximum.  And that with only a 154-lb driver and fuel on board the truck.  Normally I allow 10%* to account for passengers, truck gear, the stuff you throw in the truck bed, and hitch mechanism.  That would limit your trailer weight to a maximum of 5940 lbs.

  You have a trailer with a GVWR of 9500 lbs and a UVW of 5490 lbs which leave you with a cargo carrying capacity (CCC) of 4010 lbs.    That is a high CCC, but typical of a toy hauler.  Usually in evaluating trailer towability, we recommend matching truck tow ratings to trailer GVWR.  Tow haulers are a bit difference because of the weight of the toys can vary considerably in weight. 

You own the trailer.  That fact cuts thru much of the usual guesstimating.  Load the trailer with your toys and all the crap they take -- tools, fuel, etc -- your household gear, your trailer accessories, full water, full and propane.  Get the thing ready for the road and take the whole thing to a convenient public scale and get the trailer weighed.  We have a weighing procedure in our library -- go read it.  Tell the weigh master that you are going to need several readings and that you do not need certification.

You should then wind up with a actual scaled weight -- the Gold Standard of weights.  Add about 200 lbs for food and personal baggage.  Your truck should have a tow rating of at least that weight.  Given that you already feel a bit leery about your truck's capabilities, I suspect that you will find that your current rig is overmatched.

If you decide to replace it, consider a diesel F250.

[*If you would tow in the western mountains and plateaus, make that 20% to allow for the effects of the altitudes out there on un-turbocharged gas engines.]

From the figures you have given you will NOT like towing that trailer with that truck. You are way too heavy IMHO.

I have two friends with ford 4.6 motors in their trucks and they both like it but admit it is underpowered for towing. They typically tow boats that weigh less than your trailer.

That is a LOT of trailer for your F150.  There's a bunch you need to check before you hit the road, and most of it has nothing to do with HP, rear end, or climbing mountains.
-  What does the yellow sticker on your F-150's door say is your cargo capacity?  I'll bet it's less than 1785# (6365# - 4580#).
-  Look for a sticker on the hitch listing it's WC and WD ratings.  The 1085# you listed is an odd sounding number.
-  Does your F-150 have the towing package, most importantly an auxiliary transmission cooler.  Your towing capacity will be less than 6600# without the towing package.
-  Your estimate of on-the-road TT weight is 7470#, 870# more than the most Ford says you should tow.
-  Even if you ignore everything above, you are going to have a very hard time loading your TT in a way that doesn't exceed your hitch rating, make you prone to sway, or reduce your steering control.