Tow for 5.0TA

[Shelliro]

We are actively researching and planning a purchase of the 5.0TA. We have not purchased a truck and are looking for suggestions. We were interested in the Jeep Gladiator but with a 60 inch bed that looks like it won’t work. Can this forum give us some mid-size truck options? Many thanks. Learning so much from this group!

[cpaharley2008]

A lot of Ford 150's plus Ram and Chevrolet 1500 are being used.

[HarleyD]

Originally Posted by Shelliro

We are actively researching and planning a purchase of the 5.0TA. We have not purchased a truck and are looking for suggestions. We were interested in the Jeep Gladiator but with a 60 inch bed that looks like it won’t work. Can this forum give us some mid-size truck options? Many thanks. Learning so much from this group
!

We tow with a 2016 F150 4X4 extended cab 3.5 ecoboost. It is more than enough for the 5.0 TA. It is a decent trade off of power and economy.
Trademasters located in Chiliwack, BC will build a hitch for you for anything you will bring them.
https://www.vehiclesolutions.ca/

HarleyD

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by Shelliro

We are actively researching and planning a purchase of the 5.0TA. We have not purchased a truck and are looking for suggestions. We were interested in the Jeep Gladiator but with a 60 inch bed that looks like it won’t work. Can this forum give us some mid-size truck options? Many thanks. Learning so much from this group!

Hi: Shelliro... Here's a pic of our combo. 2014 5.0TA and new 2 me 2016 Ram 4X4 Crew Cab EcoDiesel w/ 5'7" bed w/out Ram Boxes or Air Suspension!!! Works for us now. We used to tow with a 6' 1" long bed Nissan Frontier. Had it for 8 yrs. and two Escape trailers, both a 5.0 and a 5.0TA. Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[Chotch]

Originally Posted by Shelliro

We are actively researching and planning a purchase of the 5.0TA. We have not purchased a truck and are looking for suggestions. We were interested in the Jeep Gladiator but with a 60 inch bed that looks like it won’t work. Can this forum give us some mid-size truck options? Many thanks. Learning so much from this group!

Do a search on this web site for tow vehicles. There are many. The F150, properly spect out, is an excellent choice and what I have. But you asked about midsize and there are some using the Colorado and I believe the new Ranger also. There’s lots of information here already but read carefully. I personally give much more weight to the contributors who actually own what they are talking about. Happy hunting!

[davidmurphy02]

We've been very happy with our 2019 Ram 1500 5.7 hemi. I got the quad cab rather than larger crew cab, still has a usable back seat but has a longer 6-4" bed that allows me to put a toolbox in front of the hitch.

I got the high lift axle, which most folks don't need, because our driveway has a big hump to go over into a downward slope and I needed the extra clearance. The standard axle has plenty of clearance for most normal driving situations.

Search the forum and you'll find that the 5.0TA tows like a dream with pretty much any truck that has sufficient tow weight and payload capacity. Its light weight and streamlined shape make it by far the easiest trailer I've ever towed.

[salmo7000]

Whatever truck you end up considering, be sure to check the payload limits for the specific vehicle you look at. Payload limits in pickups vary considerably even within the same year and model, so you have to look at the exact vehicle you're considering buying. Look for a sticker on the driver's side door compartment... it should say something like "The weight of the cargo and occupants should never exceed X,XXX lbs". The manufacturer of the vehicle and probably the sales person will include all sorts of happy talk about how much payload their vehicles have and how much weight they are rated to tow, but just about every option detracts from payload, including things like 4X4, extended cabs, and other upgrades, and the actual payload of the vehicle you look at may be much less than you think.

This is more of a consideration with the 5.0TA because so much more weight will end up on the bed of the truck, i.e. pin weights of >750 lbs are commonly reported, and you have to factor in the weight of the 5th wheel hitch plus the weight of the occupants and anything else you put in the truck. It's really surprising how fast payload can add up. For me, I wouldn't buy a truck to tow this trailer with much less than 1,500 lbs of payload. Others are more willing to push the line, and certainly with an eye to how much stuff you take and how it's loaded in the trailer, you could manage with less. One reason so many here tow with a F-150 is they tend to have generous payloads, plus there is a "payload package" option, which puts it up quite a bit. I think the 2020 Chevy and Dodge 1500's are in the same ballpark too.

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by salmo7000

One reason so many here tow with a F-150 is they tend to have generous payloads, plus there is a "payload package" option, which puts it up quite a bit. I think the 2020 Chevy and Dodge 1500's are in the same ballpark too.

False.......Ford no longer offers a “payload package” as such for the F-150. If you get the “maximum tow” package it provides somewhere around a 300 pound greater cargo capacity. However, the maximum tow package is only available with the 3.5L EcoBoost or the V-8. It is not offered with the 2.7L EcoBoost engine, although a lot of people tow the 5.0TA with the 2.7L F-150.

[davidmurphy02]

Good point about the payload capacity, make sure you understand how that works - truck salesmen will not be much help in that regard. And generic weight charts published by manufacturers generally are a "best case" payload for a given configuration, and do not include the weight of options - some of which can reduce the payload capacity considerably.

When you are shopping for trucks, look at the payload sticker on the drivers door frame of various trucks on the lot and you'll get a better feel for what real world payload capacity is for the model you are looking at. The payload capacity is calculated individually for every truck.

Here's an example of what that door frame sticker looks like.

[salmo7000]

Originally Posted by C&G in FL

False.......Ford no longer offers a “payload package” as such for the F-150. If you get the “maximum tow” package it provides somewhere around a 300 pound greater cargo capacity. However, the maximum tow package is only available with the 3.5L EcoBoost or the V-8. It is not offered with the 2.7L EcoBoost engine, although a lot of people tow the 5.0TA with the 2.7L F-150.

Hmmmm, good to know. When I was looking at F-150’s in 2018 the payload package was an option, and I was having a hard time finding one so equipped already on a lot!

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by salmo7000

Hmmmm, good to know. When I was looking at F-150’s in 2018 the payload package was an option, and I was having a hard time finding one so equipped already on a lot!

The only reason I know is because I had to replace my 2015 because it was fried by EMP from nearby lightning strike. It didn’t have the payload package, so when ordering my 2020 replacement, I said I wanted the payload package and was told no longer offered in the F-150. They tried to talk me into a Super Duty, but the cargo bed floor is much higher than the F-150’s. Towing my 5.0TA would have become a “vertical challenge.”

[escape artist]

Hi: Shelliro... Yes the payload cap. on my 3Liter V6 EcoDiesel Ram Laramie Longhorn is 892lbs. due to a full load of options. The 4Liter V6 Nissan Frontier SE with no options was 1100lbs. These cap's. are door sticker values. When I traded trucks the Nissan had 110,000+ miles on the odo. If I could tow anywhere at the moment, I'd still be on the edge!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[Ian and Sue]

Originally Posted by Shelliro

We are actively researching and planning a purchase of the 5.0TA. We have not purchased a truck and are looking for suggestions. We were interested in the Jeep Gladiator but with a 60 inch bed that looks like it won’t work. Can this forum give us some mid-size truck options? Many thanks. Learning so much from this group!

My Toyota Tundra Double Cab 4x4, 6.5 ft bed with an Anderson Ultimate rail mount hitch and a 4.6 l engine works very well for me.

[arniesea]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

A lot of Ford 150's plus Ram and Chevrolet 1500 are being used.

And about as many Tundras.

[arniesea]

I tow my 2019 5.0 TA with a 2017 Toyota Tundra Platinum with a Crewmax Cab, 4x4, 5.5 ft bed with an Anderson Ultimate ball mount hitch and a 5.7L engine. Payload = 1190 lbs. My rig has worked great for over 15,000 miles of towing so far. If I had it to do over again, I would have gotten the rail mount Anderson instead of the ball mount since that hitch has a smaller footprint in the bed.

This it a good example of the differences between the same make but different trim lines if you look at the post by Ian and his Tundra.

One thing to note is that typically if you go with a larger cab, not only does the payload go down but the bed is shorter. The 1 foot bed difference between Ian's Tundra and mine is distance between the cab and the rear axel. Generally the distance from the rear axle to the tailgate will be the same for a given manufacture across trim lines. Something to think about depending on what you might want to carry in the bed. Smaller cab = more payload and more room in the truck bed.

Oh, and personally, I think white trucks go better with the 5.0.

[Ronn]

Originally Posted by Shelliro

We are actively researching and planning a purchase of the 5.0TA. We have not purchased a truck and are looking for suggestions. We were interested in the Jeep Gladiator but with a 60 inch bed that looks like it won’t work. Can this forum give us some mid-size truck options? Many thanks. Learning so much from this group!

I plan to reweigh next year, as I was new at it last year when I did this. As far as I can figure here are my numbers with a 2019 5.0:

F-150 Lariat weighs 5080 lbs which includes the rail mounted Andersen Ultimate hitch (it is around 65 lbs plus the rails)

My payload is 1733 lbs
Pin weight 806 lbs (full fresh, other tanks empty)
I am carrying around 600 lbs in the bed of the truck.

Pin 800 lbs
Hitch and rails 100 Lbs,
gear in bed of truck 600 lbs
passenger 100 lbs
Total 1600 lbs.

This only leaves us with 100 lbs to play with.

We do carry quite a bit in the bed of the truck, but I am not so sure it is that much more than most. It is only a 5.5' bed, if we had the 6.5' bed we'd likely fill it up and we would be over!!

[arniesea]

Originally Posted by Ronn

We do carry quite a bit in the bed of the truck, but I am not so sure it is that much more than most. It is only a 5.5' bed, if we had the 6.5' bed we'd likely fill it up and we would be over!!

But if you had a 6.5' bed, you would have a smaller cab and more payload.

[Ronn]

Originally Posted by arniesea

But if you had a 6.5' bed, you would have a smaller cab and more payload.

Any guess as to the payload difference?

Here is what I found on the Ford website, the difference for my configuration is 210 lbs.

I'd take that, although 1733 lbs (my current payload) would be considered by most to be plenty.

I was in your camp wanting the white truck, but you know what they say about the happy wife makes for a happy life.

[Mark James]

Originally Posted by Shelliro

We are actively researching and planning a purchase of the 5.0TA. We have not purchased a truck and are looking for suggestions. We were interested in the Jeep Gladiator but with a 60 inch bed that looks like it won’t work. Can this forum give us some mid-size truck options? Many thanks. Learning so much from this group!

My advise is to pull with a full size pickup truck. The question of what vehicle brand is a matter of personal preference. I tow with a Toyota Tundra with the 5.7 litre engine. No matter what situation I have ever been in it always has power to spare.

[Ian and Sue]

Originally Posted by arniesea

I tow my 2019 5.0 TA with a 2017 Toyota Tundra Platinum with a Crewmax Cab, 4x4, 5.5 ft bed with an Anderson Ultimate ball mount hitch and a 5.7L engine. Payload = 1190 lbs. My rig has worked great for over 15,000 miles of towing so far. If I had it to do over again, I would have gotten the rail mount Anderson instead of the ball mount since that hitch has a smaller footprint in the bed.

This it a good example of the differences between the same make but different trim lines if you look at the post by Ian and his Tundra.

One thing to note is that typically if you go with a larger cab, not only does the payload go down but the bed is shorter. The 1 foot bed difference between Ian's Tundra and mine is distance between the cab and the rear axel. Generally the distance from the rear axle to the tailgate will be the same for a given manufacture across trim lines. Something to think about depending on what you might want to carry in the bed. Smaller cab = more payload and more room in the truck bed.

Oh, and personally, I think white trucks go better with the 5.0.

So my truck is the double cab 6.5 ft bed and kind of the base model. 4.6 l with tow package. The sticker on the door says payload of 1255 lbs or 65 lbs more than Arnie's truck. Not as much as I expected, maybe mine has more options than I thought or maybe the doors and seats are not that much different. I do not have a need for the bigger cab as I typically haul tools not people.

Also my rails are mounted in the stock position, my Anderson gets mounted towards the front and my hitch block has the ball towards the front. Once I added the ball funnel to the hitch block (slightly higher) I have had no troubles with clearance with the side rails of the bed and I can jackknife without hitting anywhere. The tailgate does not have enough room to totally open but that is ok with me.