Need to upgrade to Class IV hitch but my 2010 F150 has factory tow

[haknslash]

@haknslash what is the dry trailer weight of your new toy?

Dry weight of trailer and boat is 5700 lbs. It has a 65 gallon tank so I figured 550+ lbs for fuel and other liquids and then another 400-500 lbs of gear. I don’t typically fill my boat with fuel until I’m 8 miles from the lake to save gas mileage. When I add lead bags to the boat it will be a few hundred lbs more but that’s later down the road. I’ll be using extra water ballast until then.

 

[Mainah]

Dry weight of trailer and boat is 5700 lbs. It has a 65 gallon tank so I figured 550+ lbs for fuel and other liquids and then another 400-500 lbs of gear. I don’t typically fill my boat with fuel until I’m 8 miles from the lake to save gas mileage. When I add lead bags to the boat it will be a few hundred lbs more but that’s later down the road. I’ll be using extra water ballast until then.

Looking at a bit under 500lbs tongue weight once balanced right. Your class iv plan is a solid decision IMO. If it squats too much air bag kits are not too much money but install will take a decent amount of time. When you test the squat have your passenger load the same as normal usage. Don’t forget to pick up a class iv draw bar and ball.

Also don’t forget to post pics of your tow rig and new boat once done.

 

[the MfM]

You are distributing the weight across the entire truck and trailer and not just on the bumper area.

If you have time, this is a good watch:

In the video without a WD hitch they were over 4K on the rear axle. With just the trailer and nothing in truck bed. A quick google search shows a 2010 f150 to have a RAWR of 4050 lbs. So to increase trailer capacity they call for the WD hitch.

Obviously there are other steering and braking factors. But often with the little trucks the RAWR is the limiting factors...or the rims/tires. There is a significant difference in weight capacity between steel rims and 18” aluminum rims.

Airbags are good at making your truck look like it’s not overloaded so DOT doesn’t pull you over.



(Definitely a good video to watch)

 

[haknslash]

Got my Class IV hitch and wiring adapter in today from etrailer.com. Should hopefully install it this weekend.

 

[Ratket]

Just be safe when towing, if looking for good towing info, I recommend a “ Brand specific” forum IE ford/Ram/Chevy, lots of info on there about specific trucks,makes/models/ issues- things that work and don’t work regarding towing. My 2010 f150 was the same way except it didn’t come with a hitch and I tried to get the dealer to install one and they told me they couldn’t, but that was years and 3 trucks ago lol. Remember just because you upgraded the hitch, don’t get all crazy with weight now lol.

 

[drewkaree]

Remember just because you upgraded the hitch, don’t get all crazy with weight now lol.

...or at least get video for us

 

[haknslash]

We had to unfortunately put down our 14 year old family dog down yesterday. Hardest thing I’ve ever had to do and it will take some time to heal . It's been rough as hell and cried so much like a baby. He meant the world to us and has been through a lot but he did not let cancer take him out and he kicked ass. I will miss you big boy and RIP Kaysar!

To keep my mind busy I decided to work on the hitch upgrade and it’s going along just as I had hoped it would. Some progress pics below...

 

[Dixie Highway]

Make sure you coat those cut ends real good, wouldn’t want a “Chevy style” rusted out saggy bumper on that beautiful Ford ?

 

[haknslash]

I sprayed them heavy with corrosion resistant rustoleam enamel paint.

Got it all finished and mounted! Now I am going to order my heavy duty draw tie bar and a mount for my wiring plug and she will be ready for the new boat.

Also here’s a little trick I did to ensure the large washers intended to fill in the large hole in the upper frame of a F150 don’t fall out or become sandwiched not allowing the hitch metal bar to sit flush against the frame. You want to make certain the two frame and hitch arms are flush and not sitting on top of those washers!

 

[haknslash]

Got the rest of my hitch hardware in yesterday. Now everything is matched up in regards to weight loads.

7500 lb 2” ball with 1” diameter shank...



Curt draw bar with 7500 lb towing weight capacity 750 lb tongue weight capacity. 3/4” rise or 2” drop...





Also bought a Reese “no-drill” universal bracket. This bracket attaches to the hitch using a band clamp. Then the aftermarket 7-pin and 5-pin flat connector is mounted to the bracket. This connector plugs directly into my trucks trailer wiring harness connector....





Here’s what it looks like in the drop position. I’ll likely slide the connector closer to the hitch once the new boat arrives.



Boatmate trailer recommends the center of the ball be anywhere from 18-20” and for the trailer to be towed level. Below are pics with dimensions in both drop and raised positions. I’ll be using the 3/4” raised position since with the boat on the ball it should fall near the upper allowable range per Boatmate....

 

[PEARCE]

I don't remember how often or how far you tow on a regular basis and I hope your truck handles the new boat well. When had a 2001 F150 when we bought our Yamaha in 06 and it handled okay. We had the 5.4 and heavy duty tow package on our 2wd truck. Had a limited slip rear end and the never had any problems on any ramps. Load up for a boating vacation and she'd squat a little. Just with the boat hitched up she'd ride level. Wouldn't win any speed records, especially going up hill on the interstate, but she got it done. I couldn't take the stress of towing more then four hours, especially on the interstate. Wife expressed the desire to take longer towing trips, mainly for the camper. So I said we need a diesel truck then. We made it happen! Night and day difference towing.

I said all that to say this. I know the technology and the way your truck is way different and better then the 2001 that I had, but you may come to the realization that you need, or maybe want, more truck once you start moving around your new toy. For your sake, and your bank account, I hope your current truck works out great. I just hope that you thought of the possibility already.

Thank you for sharing your journey of transition with us. I enjoyed reading your thought process through the whole thing.

 

[BigAbe75]

I said all that to say this. I know the technology and the way your truck is way different and better then the 2001 that I had, but you may come to the realization that you need, or maybe want, more truck once you start moving around your new toy.

My 1/2 ton Ram started having issues of it's own (not related to towing), and I traded to a Ford F250 6.2L gas. I don't see myself going back to a 1/2 ton anytime soon. I love it! I can't wait to see how it handles my 24' boat. It didn't even notice the 21'.

Granted, I wouldn't want it for a daily driver... talk about a rough ride. The door panel recommends 75lbs of air in the tires... geez. But, once you get a little weight on it, it's awesome. (my low tire light is on right now, and the tires have over 50lbs in them)

 

[haknslash]

Oh I'd love a heavier duty truck but I like not having a payment better....for now . My normal lake haul is about 25 minutes of interstate and 20 minutes worth of country back roads. A few weekends of the year I'll tow it further north or south an hour and a half drive to the larger and clearer lakes. I know my 5.4 for sure won't win any speed races but I tow slow and in no hurry.

One day though I'm sure there will come a time when I'll upgrade the truck. For now she'll have to do. My father has a diesel F250 they use to pull their 5th wheel camper and he said it does great. Worse case I could borrow his truck but I think mine will be tolerable for a year or two ...or hope lol. Plenty of guys pull wake boats with a 1/2 ton but I know it would be night and day nicer with a larger truck.

 

[PEARCE]

Yeah I wouldn't want to drive my Ram to work every day either. It's cheaper and easier to run a little Nissan as a daily driver for my 100 mile daily round trip. We use the truck for towing duties and our weekend trips to the lake.