Gen3 Towing capabilities

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gwdlaw

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Picked up my new travel trailer a few weeks ago and towed to my deer lease (2 hour drive). The trailer is a Grand Design Transcend 265BH. The dry (empty) weight of the trailer is 6,450 pounds empty and it is 32'9" long. I installed Timbren bump stops on the truck a few months ago to eliminate any potential sag when towing. When I purchased the trailer, everyone at the dealership recommended the Blue Ox SwayPro hitch, so that is the one i purchased. After the dealership set up the hitch to the truck and everything was leveled out I was blown away. With the Blue Ox weight distribution hitch, the rear axle was not even on the bump stops. Now granted, there was only about 2mm gap, but not touching. I pulled out of the dealership not knowing what to expect. I was worried about the weight of the trailer and also worried about the length of the trailer (almost 33 feet). The Gen3 handled it like a fn CHAMP!! There was almost ZERO sway and what there was, the Gen3 absorbed completely. As far as power, the Gen3 had plenty and power to spare. Now granted, it is pretty flat out here in North Texas, Southern Oklahoma, but no problems getting up to highway speed and maintaining. I read a bunch of posts from F250 owners saying that Raptors can't handle towing large trailers. Reading those posts freaked me out and made me second guess buying a Raptor. Well I can honestly say now, FROM EXPERIENCE, that you don't need an F250 to pull this trailer and if you want to pull something similar, your Gen3 Raptor will do just fine.
 

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tooloud10

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According to the books the Raptor can tow 8,200 lbs loaded trailer. I worked through the math and came to the conclusion I'd be good as well. The naysayers didn't present any math to support their opinion.
The payload and tongue weight is usually the limiting factor:

Overall towing capacity:
8200 lbs -
6450 (trailer) -
50 (WDH) =
1700 remaining capacity

Tongue weight capacity:
820 lbs -
658 (trailer) -
50 (WDH) =
112 remaining capacity

Payload capacity:
1400 lbs max (my Gen 2 is only 1079) -
658 (trailer) -
50 (WDH) =
692 max remaining capacity for driver/passengers/cargo

I think a lot of people forget that the payload of a Raptor is less than, say, my teenage daughter's Honda Ridgeline or even the baby Ford Maverick. I know I'd be over the payload of my gen 2 Raptor:

1079 lb payload -
658 (trailer) -
50 (WDH) -
RetraxPro (90 lbs) -
Bed rack (77 lbs) -
Driver/me (164 lbs) =
40 remaining for everyone and everything else that needs to go in the truck and trailer
 

TriGui

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Somewhat reviving this thread with another question to piggy back off what's already been discussed.

After looking through the manual, it says that with a weight distributing hitch the raptors max tongue weight is 820 lbs and towing capacity is 8200. Without a distributing hitch, it drops to 500 lbs tongue and 5000 max towing capacity.

So... If I wanted to tow 6700 lb boat + trailer (that can't use a distributing hitch), Im screwed and can't do it? The tongue weight will be around 670 - 700 lbs. Which puts both the tongue and max weight over the limit.... Is this right or am I missing something? Really bummed if it is, I have a G3 order that just got picked up and it looks like I wont be able to tow the boat.
 

Winchester30

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Somewhat reviving this thread with another question to piggy back off what's already been discussed.

After looking through the manual, it says that with a weight distributing hitch the raptors max tongue weight is 820 lbs and towing capacity is 8200. Without a distributing hitch, it drops to 500 lbs tongue and 5000 max towing capacity.

So... If I wanted to tow 6700 lb boat + trailer (that can't use a distributing hitch), Im screwed and can't do it? The tongue weight will be around 670 - 700 lbs. Which puts both the tongue and max weight over the limit.... Is this right or am I missing something? Really bummed if it is, I have a G3 order that just got picked up and it looks like I wont be able to tow the boat.
Well, I have a Gen 2 but would say correct. No can do.
 

TriGui

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I just don’t understand why the tongue weight is only 500lb without a WD hitch.
 

DCM

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Somewhat reviving this thread with another question to piggy back off what's already been discussed.

After looking through the manual, it says that with a weight distributing hitch the raptors max tongue weight is 820 lbs and towing capacity is 8200. Without a distributing hitch, it drops to 500 lbs tongue and 5000 max towing capacity.

So... If I wanted to tow 6700 lb boat + trailer (that can't use a distributing hitch), Im screwed and can't do it? The tongue weight will be around 670 - 700 lbs. Which puts both the tongue and max weight over the limit.... Is this right or am I missing something? Really bummed if it is, I have a G3 order that just got picked up and it looks like I wont be able to tow the boat.
This is about 6000 lbs. Towed it for 3 1/2 hours last weekend. Truck did great.
 

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MORK

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I think that number is pretty standard, even on non raptor F150s

This is the kind of thing that so many people ignore. Not to throw stones around here - especially at the boat towers that can’t or don’t use a wd hitch, but the thing everyone seems to ignore, is that going over that 500# tongue weight will make you negligent in any sort of accident. So many people also forget how much the crap your family brings weighs - at least some are considering that added in here.

I tow a 3500lb travel trailer and it gets awfully close to its max weight of nearly 5k when we have water, food, beer etc. I am so particular with the wd setup because it makes such a huge difference having that thing dialed in and working properly.

Maybe I’m a bit too paranoid with it, but being in CO and towing over i70 and mountain passes, it gets serious quick. We have way too many small SUV’s towing way over their limit and way too fast here.
 

Mallon3194

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I just picked up my new boat and it toes done. Squats a little but I bet if I had an equalizer hitch, it wouldn’t. Power and braking is there, tow mirrors would be nice.

There isn’t much roof for the safety lines on the back of the raptor, they where a nightmare to get on and off, any recommendations?
 

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