Which Ford Truck is Best for Towing?
If you’re getting ready to hitch up and haul out, it’s important to first understand exactly what your Ford Truck is capable of towing. When you’re planning to pull thousands of pounds behind your truck, knowing your towing limitations helps keep you, your passengers, your cargo, and others on the road safe.
Today on the Lange & Fetter blog, we’re taking a deep dive into Ford Truck towing specifics. Whether you’re responsible for the company trailer this summer or taking your boat to Muskoka for the weekend, we want to help make sure your next towing adventure goes off without a hitch!
Towing Capabilities by Truck
One of the easiest ways to organize towing information is by Ford Truck model. Simply scroll down to find your truck and take a look at a few key towing specs for that model. It’s important to note that we strongly recommend following the Ford Canada towing guidelines for your specific model. Towing more weight than your truck’s approved maximum capacity or not equipping your truck with an adequate Ford Trailer Tow Package can lead to unsafe driving conditions. Always tow responsibly, friends!
Ford Ranger
Don’t call this light-duty pickup a lightweight! The Ford Ranger is cleared for a maximum towing capacity of 7,500 lbs and a maximum payload of 1,650 lbs when fully equipped. It can handle a diverse range of terrain and driving conditions thanks to the available FX4 Off-Road Package, and its compact size makes it exceptionally nimble in tight spaces. If you’ve got a tucked-away cottage or boat launch, or are hoping to truly get off-the-grid with a small RV in tow, the Ford Ranger is the pickup for the job. Here’s what you can tow with a Ford Ranger:
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Most small-to-medium RVs weigh 7,000 lbs or less
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A boat up to 24-feet long plus its trailer
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Two snowmobiles plus a trailer
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A landscaping trailer with all mowers and gear on board
Ford F-150
The Ford F-150 has a wide range of approved towing capacity limits depending on the model and powertrain. As a general rule for the F-150, here are your towing guidelines:
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Base-model specs: 8,200-lb maximum towing capacity and 1840-lb payload
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Mid-range models: 12,000 to 13,000-lb maximum towing capacity and up to 3000-lb payload
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Fully equipped: 14,000-lb maximum towing capacity and 3250-lb payload
With figures like these, there’s not much that a fully equipped (we recommend the 400-hp twin-turbo 3.5L V-6 engine) Ford F-150 can’t tow! We like the F-150 for uses like:
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Ontario's farmers will be happy to know that the F-150 can confidently pull 1-2 horses plus their trailer or heavy-duty farm equipment
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Most full-size RVs top out at 12,000 lbs, so a fully equipped F-150 can be counted on to pull just about any family trailer
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F-150 can be trusted to tow speed boats, cabin cruisers, large sailboats, and many types of boats longer than 24-feet
Ford F-250 and F-350
We know that these are two different trucks, but for towing purposes, we like to group ‘em into one category: the Super Duties. As the name suggests, the Ford F-250 and Ford F-350 can be counted on to confidently complete super duties. When fully equipped, both of these trucks can tow upwards of 30,000 pounds (tip: you’ll need the gooseneck hitch and dually wheels to hit those numbers). Surprisingly (or maybe not!) plenty of folks are dependent on the best-in-class towing capabilities of these trucks. What jobs are they being used for?
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Hauling a large trailer packed with bales of hay to Ontario farms can easily become a 20,000+ pound job
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Towing large yachts and houseboats is a job for a Super Duty
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Pulling a large toy hauler full of gear or even a small car for an Ontario classic car show
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Commercial work like automotive towing
Fun Ford Towing Facts!
Impress your friends with these semi-useless yet oddly compelling fun Ford towing facts!
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A Ford Ranger can tow about 20,400 zucchinis
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A Ford F-150 can tow about 2,200 pineapples
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A Ford F-250 can tow about 7,000 pairs of hockey skates
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A Ford F-350, fully equipped, can tow about 35,000 pillows
Find the Right Ford Truck for Your Towing Needs at Lange & Fetter
Not sure which Ford Truck is right for you? We’re here to help! Tell us what you plan on using your truck for and we’ll steer you in the right direction. We’ll make sure you always have enough muscle to get the job done, and that your new truck is fully loaded with all of the most important features for your lifestyle. Connect with us via social media, email us, give us a call, or simply stop by the Lange & Fetter lot here in Trenton, Ontario!
