Introducing myself

Look in the forum Reference Library at the 1999 Classic Brochure, there is non for a 1994, go down to the chart and under UVW weight for the 31Ft it is 5920 lbs plus air conditioner etc. will add at least another 200lbs, giving a total weight for the 31ft trailer at 6120 lbs. Hitch or tongue weight is 800lbs in the chart, the 1994 will be close to the same thing.
I didn't get enough information about your truck but I gave you the 1999 tow rating chart, match your truck with the chart, and see what your tow rating is, you may not be able to pull the trailer. Also not just any conversion van can pull it either. Hi-Lo trailers are not necessarily light and in some cases are heavier than the same length full height trailer. Also you picked one of the heavier ones.
 
Found the owners manual (it was misplaced). Just added to my confusion though lol it says "your vehicle may tow a class 1 2 or 3 trailer provided the maximum trailer weight is less than or equal to the maximum trailer weight listed for your engine and rear axle ratio" which says 7,200. Yet on the back bumper it says maximum trailer weight is 5,000 which I found on further inspection. It also is wired for electric brakes with the cap saying ford on it - does that mean it was factory installed? I was also wondering if when the owner told me 5100 lbs wouldn't he have taken that number off the title?
 
Weights on titles are rarely right. I went to a service when I got the new title for my 2209 and I forgot to bring the weight with me, so he said guess, which I did and I was wrong. It sounds like it is a Ford hitch.
Your manual is stating the maximum, that is if all conditions are met. Factory tow package, correct axle ratio, etc. Manuals are more or less generic. Use the 1999 tow rating chart.
 
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Yes 5600 - 7200 based on 3 different ones ( F150 4.6 v8) I still can't differentiate which is the correct weight though.
 
I assume the 500# tongue weight is if you do not use a WDH. Most F150's will handle more than that with a WDH. If you have the truck's manual look in the towing section, there may be more specific info there.
 
RichR said:
I assume the 500# tongue weight is if you do not use a WDH. Most F150's will handle more than that with a WDH. If you have the truck's manual look in the towing section, there may be more specific info there.
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Yes that was where it said 7200 maximum trailer weight with 11,500 total. thats why I dont understand why it said 5,000 maximum trailer weight on the bumper. I'm wondering if the trailer place we are going to later might be able to weigh the F150 Ill have to check
 
That's a 98 F150 with 4.6 V8, Auto, 2 wheel drive, Super Cab, with a 3.55 axle ratio. going by the 1999 tow rating chart, 98 would be the same, your max tow rating for your truck is 5,400 lbs., which is less than the weight of the 94 31ft trailer which is close to 6,000 lbs or more.
Rule of thumb is the trailer weight should be no more than 85% of the truck max tow rating, which would be 4,590 lbs. trailer weight. You can go to the max for fairly level towing but mountains would be hard on the truck.
Bumper tow rating is not the same as having a class 4 tow hitch, which is mounted under the bumper.
 
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PopRichie77 said:
That's a 98 F150 with 4.6 V6, Auto, 2 wheel drive, Super Cab, with a 3.55 axle ratio. going by the 1999 tow rating chart, 98 would be the same, your max tow rating for your truck is 5,400 lbs., which is less than the weight of the 94 31ft trailer which is close to 6,000 lbs or more.
Rule of thumb is the trailer weight should be no more than 85% of the truck max tow rating, which would be 4,590 lbs. trailer weight. You can go to the max for fairly level towing but mountains would be hard on the truck.
Bumper tow rating is not the same as having a class 4 tow hitch, which is mounted under the bumper.
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I see 5400 and 6300 for the v8 (not v6) supercab (am I reading it wrong?) I asked my husband if ours was considered the supercab and he said no the supercab was 4 door. He's not very mechanically inclined though lol. It really would in all actuality only be used for this one trip before we purchased the conversion van. How much difficulty would we encounter finding a conversion van to pull this?
 
Here is the rating for class 3 an4 tow hitches.
Class 3 (Class III) trailer hitch
Trailer hitch with weight carrying rating of up to 5,000 lbs gross trailer weight and 500 lbs tongue weight. Also sometimes used to refer to a hitch with any 2" receiver, regardless of rating.
Class 4 (Class IV) trailer hitch
Trailer hitch with weight carrying rating of up to 10,000 lbs gross trailer weight and 1,000 - 1,200 lbs tongue weight. Although many times any hitch with a capacity greater than 5,000 lbs gross weight is referred to as a Class 4.
Weight distribution system
A hitch system built around a receiver hitch, which includes supplemental equipment such as spring bars that work to distribute trailer tongue loads to the trailer axle(s) and the tow vehicle front axle. Use of weight distribution system enhances handling and braking and increases trailer towing capacity beyond what is recommended when a weight-carrying hitch is used.
This pertains only to the hitch and does not increase the tow rating or your truck.

There was no 4 door F150 in 1998.
 
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You should do some checking, conversion vans may not have very high tow ratings, Due to there design some are close to the ground which reduces the tow rating. Also the conversion adds weight to the van, in my opinion it should be rated at 3/4 ton but you still need to check the max tow rating. The tow rating for conversion vans is not the same as a similar regular van.
 
Also what is the crew cab refer to in the bigger models? I think that was what my husband thought ours was. It is a factory installed tow package so my dh was able to just plug in and mount the brake :)
 
once again-my 97 manual shows for an f 150 supercab 4x2 with 3.55 rear end and 4.6l engine a max weight for trailer of 7,ooo lbs. I seriously doubt the ratings changed much, if at all, from 97 to 98.

Rather than scramble on all this- you may wnat to look in to renting a tent camper or class c for your trip and then get back in to investigating this later. :)
 
hilltool said:
once again-my 97 manual shows for an f 150 supercab 4x2 with 3.55 rear end and 4.6l engine a max weight for trailer of 7,ooo lbs. I seriously doubt the ratings changed much, if at all, from 97 to 98

Which would mean we should be able to tow it :)

Rather than scramble on all this- you may wnat to look in to renting a tent camper or class c for your trip and then get back in to investigating this later. :)
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Well it is a really good price (if it is in good shape) for the 31 foot and really the set up I would prefer (with the rear bedroom) so I would like to get it if at all possible
 
Tenth generation (1997–2004)
Main article: Ford F-Series tenth generation

Introduced early in 1996, the 1997 F-150 was redesigned from the ground up for the first time since 1980. Rounded styling allowed for improved aerodynamics, a larger interior, and improved fuel economy. Sharing a V6 engine with the Taurus/Windstar and its V8 engine with the Crown Victoria, the F-150 received an all-new engine lineup. To improve rear-seat access, a third door was added to SuperCab models;
Ford has change the wording some with different F Series models in different years. Crew Cab was always a 4 door in all models also called the Super Crew.
The 6300 tow rating is as stated for a 4WD, (four wheel drive), for Fifth wheel towing, where the towing hitch is mounted in the bed over the rear axle. Do you see the letters after the 6300 c,g and k? Go to the end of the Ford list and the definition for these letters is given.
 
hilltool, there is a wide range of tow ratings for the 98 or 99 F150 based on engine size, auto or manual, 2 door or 3 door Super cab, 2 or 4 wheel drive.and also axle ratio and etc. I don't mean to argue with you but check the tow rating chart,.
zookeeper, Go to your local Ford dealer and they should be able to tell you what your trucks tow rating is.

If I look at my 1999 Ford manual and match everything up, it says exactly the same thing as the trailer life tow rating chart.
 
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Pop

I agree. What i listed was a partial list from MY 1997 F-150 owner's manual. I focused in on what I focused in on because that was what she had been tossing around in the previous posts----specifically, the 4.6L engine with a 3.55 rear end, super cab, 2X4. But you are correct, there are two whole pages in that manual with all the different configuations from 6 cylinders all the way up to the larger V 8s. And, what THEY have is a 98, so things could have changed slightly.

Also- one needs to be careful when reading the manual because the first numbers given are kg.

Rick
 
Okay moot point. Just looked at it and owner misrepresented it sigh. Considering getting a room and looking tomorrow.
 
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