Wayne C said:
I appreciate everyone?s input but I want to reiterate this truck specifically has a special towing package. Feel free to look on Fords site. 3.5 liter V-6. Special front and rear suspensions designed to tow up to 12,700 pound. With that being said these two trailers are between 7-8,000 pounds. We have no plans to go above that amount. I don?t understand how ford can sell a product like this if it isn?t true
It's true, but . . .
Keep in mind that all manufacturers, both the truck and the trailer manufacturers, play numbers games for marketing purposes. "Our truck can tow more weight than Brand X can!" The F150 can tow up to 12,700 pounds provided there is nothing in the truck but the driver.
Here's the way it works in the real world.
The Curb Weight of the truck - which is it's empty weight with a full tank of gas and all other fluids, anti-freeze, etc. PLUS the weight of all passengers, including the family dog if he's along, PLUS the weight of all cargo - suitcases, a generator you are carrying in the bed, whatever, PLUS the Tongue Weight of the trailer you are pulling EQUALS the Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW). This is what the truck actually weighs, when fully loaded and pulling the trailer. It must be LESS than the truck's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) which you will find on a sticker near the driver's door. This is the Maximum Weight the design engineers say it can carry.
Now do the same thing for the trailer. The base weight of the trailer, plus the weight of all options. (Got an air conditioner on the roof? Odds are the manufacturer didn't include it's weight in the published base weight. They like to advertise the lowest weight they can. It's better for sales.)
So the trailer with all options PLUS full water tank, full LP gas tanks, PLUS all the weight of all your clothes, bedding, food, pots and pans, etc. EQUALS the actual Gross Vehicle Weight of the trailer. (and there is probably a sticker inside one of the cabinets telling you what the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of the Trailer is, which is the most weight the axles and springs are rated to handle.
Now add the GVWs of the truck and the trailer together and you'll have the Gross Combined Weight. The Ford Towing guide for 2018 lists the Gross Combined Weight Rating for your truck as 17,000 lbs when pulling a trailer. In other words, it can only pull 12,700 lbs if the actual weight of the fully loaded truck itself is 4,300 lbs or less.
Oh, and on page 15 of the towing guide it discuses Frontal Area limitations, which in your case is 60 square feet. The Towing Guide is here:
https://www.fleet.ford.com/resources/ford/general/pdf/towingguides/Ford_Linc_18RV&TTowGuide_r8_May15.pdf
Btw, the same sticker on your truck that lists your GVWR will also list your Gross Axle Ratings (GAR) which is the maximum weight each axle can carry, yet another thing to keep in mind.
You might want to take your fully loaded truck to your nearest CAT scale and get your actual numbers, both front and back. And don't forget to add your anticipated Tongue Weight to the rear figure.
https://catscale.com/
The Escapees Club has a program called Smart Weigh which weighs your vehicle on individual scales and gives you the actual weight each wheel is carrying. They've got good info on this site:
https://www.escapees.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/182-smartweighpamphlet-web-0415.pdf