We know that Ford increased the new 2021 F-150’s maximum towing rating to 14,000 lbs. The payload goes up to 3,325 lbs. These maximum numbers belong to very specific two-door and/or two-wheel-truck truck configurations. What about the most popular crew cabs and 4×4 trucks? Ford publishes the complete and comprehensive 2021 towing guide and all the F-150 information is right here.
2021 Ford F-150 Towing
Here we have several charts that are provided by Ford to show each specific trailer and GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating) available for the 2021 F-150.
- – 3.3L gas V6: max. towing = 8,200 lbs
- – 5.0L gas V8: max. towing = 13,000 lbs
- – 3.0L diesel V6: max. towing = 12,100 lbs (diesel engine is NOT available in a regular cab, diesel is 4×4 ONLY.)
- – 2.7L TT gas V6: max. towing = 10,100 lbs (engine is NOT available in SuperCab & SuperCrew long bed)
- – 3.5L TT gas V6: max. towing = 14,000 lbs (engine is NOT available in Regular cab short bed)
- – 3.5L TT Hybrid V6: max. towing = 12,700 lbs w/ 2WD & 12,400 lbs w/ 4×4. (engine is ONLY available in SuperCrew). It’s also noteworthy that the F-150 Hybrid 4×4 is only offered with a 3.73 rear axle ratio. There are no other axle choices at this time.
What About 5th-Wheel/Gooseneck?
Ford continues to specify 5th-wheel towing capacities for the 2021 F-150. Here is the latest. The 3.3L gas V6 and the 5.0L gas V8 engine options have virtually the same 5th-wheel trailer ratings as conventional (aka. “bumper pull”) trailer ratings. However, the 3.0L Diesel V6 5th-wheel trailer rating maximum is 8,700 lbs. 5th-wheel trailers have a higher tongue or king-pin weight (usually estimated at 15% of total trailer weight). This means that trucks with lower payload ratings will not be able to tow as heavy of a trailer due to the payload limitation.
It’s a similar story with the 2.7L and 3.5L EcoBoost V6 trucks. The 5th-wheel ratings are virtually the same as the conventional trailer ratings. However, the 3.5L Hybrid V6 gets a lower 5th-wheel rating of 11,200 lbs for 2WD or 9,300 lbs for 4×4 configurations.
Weight Distribution Hitch?
Ford recommends a weight distribution hitch for the F-150 when towing a trailer over 5,000 lbs. (see below).
Also, here is the 2021 Ford F-150 rear axle decoder. These axle codes appear on the truck’s VIN sticker or plate inside the door jam. If you know which rear axle ratio your truck is equipped with, then you can lookup your truck’s maximum towing ratings.
F-150 with a Slide-In Truck Camper?
Ford specifies the following slide-in truck camper weight ratings for the 2021 F-150 with a 3.5L TT V6 or 5.0L V8 engines. You might be surprised how high some of these ratings are. However, please keep in mind that maximum camper ratings may require an optional heavy-duty payload suspension package with a GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) of 7,850 lbs.
The camper weight ratings assume a 150 lbs person in each seating position. The camper weights vary from 2,856 lbs for a regular cab 2WD truck with a 5.0L Coyote V8 to 1,721 lbs for a crew cab 4×4 truck with a 3.5L EcoBoost V6.
There you have it. If you need more details and explanation please refer to Ford’s 2021 Towing Guide.
