Hi there, I have read and re-read these forums and Im still confused about weights and loads, I wondered if someone can clarify a couple of things for me.
I have a 2007 F150 4x4 5.4L 3.73 Axle 139" wheelbase, tow package, 7200 GVWR.
According to the manual/stickers...
Max GCWR = 14500lbs
Max Trailer weight = 8700lbs
Front GAWR 3750
Rear GAWR 3850
On the bumper it reads.....
Max gross trailer weight 5000 (weight carrying)or 9900 (Weight distributing Hitch)
Max Tongue weight 500 (Weight carrying) or 990 (weight distributing hitch)
I have a trails west mx adventure 3 horse angle bumper pull, the specs say ....
Weight 2950 , tongue 440, axle 3500
I only have one horse but may want to pull two from time to time. My questions are.... (sorry f these have been asked a hundred times before but I am new to this and I just want to make sure Im safe and my horse is safe and I dont wreck my truck)
If I am hauling one horse, which stall should I load them in to ensure the weight in the trailer is evenly distributed? would loading them in the first stall make the trailer front end heavy?
My second question is about the calculations, I think I can pull two horses around locally and be under the maximum but I need help working out the calculations. Can someone who knows about this stuff work out the calculations for me? Thanks so much in advance.

First, welcome to the forum...
Do you have a weight distributing hitch? Ford recommends a WDH if the trailer is 5000 pounds. Your trailer with two horses will easily get to 5000 pounds. Your bumper is telling you, it'll be maxed out without a WDH. With three horses and tack even more! I would use a wdh for the sway control and trailer leveling. Without a WDH the balance of the trailer is critical to handling. I would try loading the single horse in the middle stall first, then the last stall with tack in the front.

Gross Combined Weight Rating of 14500 #, you'll be okay with that trailer. The balance of a single horse is my concern.

Drive gently and be alert.

Thank you very much for that information. No I dont have a WDH, it was only by accident that I found the info on the bumper, the 'owners guide' Ford manual doesnt mention anything about WDH's which is kinda stupid.

quote:

Originally posted by horseygirl:
Thank you very much for that information. No I dont have a WDH, it was only by accident that I found the info on the bumper, the 'owners guide' Ford manual doesnt mention anything about WDH's which is kinda stupid.

The info on the bumper is only telling what the bumper is rated for. Like a chain, the weakest link is deciding the max trailer weight. Doesn't matter if you have the strongest truck frame if the bumper is only rated for 2000 pounds.

Look in Ford's towing guide. The WDH recommendation is a footnote. You have to look through the fine print.

oh so those weight limits only apply if my tow ball is attached to the bumper (integral hitch)?
My truck came with the tow package, I wont be using the bumper to tow anything so those weight limits dont apply right? Are my calculations correct?
If I use the GCWR of 14500, subtract my truck weight of 7200 plus an extra person or two and some cargo etc of say 800lb to be on the safe side, that leaves 6500lb for my trailer.
My Trailer weighs 3000lbs which leaves 3500lbs left for horses and tack, subtract 15% for live load and that leaves me 2975lbs so I should easily be able to haul two horses and in an emergency I would get away with loading three 1000lb ish horses for a short trip across town??? (although I might have to leave a passenger or two behind)

If my trailer was at maximum load of 7000lbs(double axle of 3500 = 7000lbs less trailer weight of 3000lbs leaves 4000lbs for horses and tack???? I dont know if I worked that out correctly) the tongue weight would be 15% of that, so 1050lbs would be sitting on my hitch. The GAWR for my rear axle is 3850lbs and the front axle 3750lbs. Now Im not sure how to work out how much weight will be on my rear axles, could you help me with that?

If Im trailering less than three horses the weight will be transferred to either the truck or the trailer axles depending on which stall I load the horse/s in. To load in the front stall will put more weight on the truck than to load in the middle stall. And if I was to load in the rear stall and leave the front two empty then would the weight of the horse be transferred over the trailer axles more? as the wheels are closer to the rear of the trailer. Would doing this make the trailer pull up on the hitch and make the truck too light in the rear?

Sorry for all the dumb questions but I really want to understand how all this stuff works. Thanks again

quote:

Originally posted by horseygirl:
oh so those weight limits only apply if my tow ball is attached to the bumper (integral hitch)?
My truck came with the tow package, I wont be using the bumper to tow anything so those weight limits dont apply right? Are my calculations correct?
If I use the GCWR of 14500, subtract my truck weight of 7200 plus an extra person or two and some cargo etc of say 800lb to be on the safe side, that leaves 6500lb for my trailer.

I'll go out on a limb ... YOU need a WDH

The max loaded truck is 7200 GVWR this includes everything ... fuel, you , passengers, stuff.

the 14500 GCWR is the total of truck and trailer... so 14500 - 7200 = 7300 pounds for the fully loaded truck & trailer. If the truck is only 6000 pounds then the trailer may have 1200 pounds more load... up to the trailer max weight rating. The GCWR is merely the total weight of the combination.

quote:

My Trailer weighs 3000lbs which leaves 3500lbs left for horses and tack, subtract 15% for live load and that leaves me 2975lbs so I should easily be able to haul two horses and in an emergency I would get away with loading three 1000lb ish horses for a short trip across town??? (although I might have to leave a passenger or two behind)

3000 pound trailer + (3) 1000 pound horses = 6000 pounds. you have a 1300 margin for tack & stuff.

quote:

If my trailer was at maximum load of 7000lbs(double axle of 3500 = 7000lbs less trailer weight of 3000lbs leaves 4000lbs for horses and tack???? I dont know if I worked that out correctly) the tongue weight would be 15% of that, so 1050lbs would be sitting on my hitch.

With a bumper pull trailer, load placement is critical to managing the tongue load. You want to have about 10% of the total weight on the ball.

quote:

The GAWR for my rear axle is 3850lbs and the front axle 3750lbs. Now Im not sure how to work out how much weight will be on my rear axles, could you help me with that?

These number are not the weight. But the max weight rating

quote:

If Im trailering less than three horses the weight will be transferred to either the truck or the trailer axles depending on which stall I load the horse/s in. To load in the front stall will put more weight on the truck than to load in the middle stall. And if I was to load in the rear stall and leave the front two empty then would the weight of the horse be transferred over the trailer axles more? as the wheels are closer to the rear of the trailer. Would doing this make the trailer pull up on
the hitch and make the truck too light in the rear?

Yes ... it is possible to have the tongue too light if the load is behind the trailer wheels.

quote:

Sorry for all the dumb questions but I really want to understand how all this stuff works. Thanks again

The only dumb question is the un-asked question