PB Trailer Tow Package VS Max Tow Payload

[FordHuntFish]

I found two nearly identical (I think?) window stickers except one is Trailer Tow and other is Max Tow. The only difference I see between the two is that the trailer tow one is rapid red and doesn't call out a spare tire.

Using the new VIN calculator...https://fordfleetlive.com/#/VinCalculator

Trailer Tow one has 1609 payload; VIN 1FTFW1ED0MFB00323
Max Tow one has 1581 payload; VIN 1FTFW1ED1MFA78428

Does max tow really eat 28 pounds of payload compared with trailer tow package? Has anyone else found evidence of this? Am I missing something?

Could it be the spare tire?

Attached are the two window stickers.

Here is a link to where I got the max trailer one: https://www.f150forum.com/f82/payload-question-495772/index4/ post 35
I found the trailer tow one on a dealer site.

 

[Egilson1]

The one with max tow gives you about 1400 lbs more of towing capacity than the other one.

 

[NoSnow]

I've stated this a few times but I don't believe there will be a situation where you can utilize the Max Tow with a power boost. If you enter the two VIN's in the new towing tool, you will run out of payload LONG before you can ever utilize the Max Tow.

EDIT: I must admit these XLT's are not too bad but when you get to the higher levels trims with payloads less than 1500lbs and add a little cargo, passengers there is not much left for a heavy trailer.

 

[FordHuntFish]

A little context about this post too is that I'm about to order a PB and been debating between tow vs max tow. I will be trailing a few times a year. I wonder if the Max Tow will provide a better towing experience? But if it's going to hurt my payload is it really helping? And for the $900 extra or whatever is it worth it only getting the upgraded axle, bummer and brakes? These are the questions I keep trying to answer and I know some others are too.

 

[SBrentnall]

I've stated this a few times but I don't believe there will be a situation where you can utilize the Max Tow with a power boost. If you enter the two VIN's in the new towing tool, you will run out of payload LONG before you can ever utilize the Max Tow.

For some of us (I pull a horse trailer), the weight is all in the trailer and payload is unimportant. What's important is being able to tow as much as possible.

 

[mnstang]

A little context about this post too is that I'm about to order a PB and been debating between tow vs max tow. I will be trailing a few times a year. I wonder if the Max Tow will provide a better towing experience? But if it's going to hurt my payload is it really helping? And for the $900 extra or whatever is it worth it only getting the upgraded axle, bummer and brakes? These are the questions I keep trying to answer and I know some others are too.

Believe me I’ve wrestled with this idea too. But I decided to go with the max tow, the bigger brakes and upgraded HD axle are more than enough to warrant the extra ~$900 cost. Piece of mind while towing these heavy ice castles in MN make it worth it IMHO.

 

[NoSnow]

For some of us (I pull a horse trailer), the weight is all in the trailer and payload is unimportant. What's important is being able to tow as much as possible.

Yup in your situation I totally agree.

 

[NoSnow]

Believe me I’ve wrestled with this idea too. But I decided to go with the max tow, the bigger brakes and upgraded HD axle are more than enough to warrant the extra ~$900 cost. Piece of mind while towing these heavy ice castles in MN make it worth it IMHO.

I get it. There is no disadvantage other than cost. For me the cost was too much as I wanted a Lariat, chrome and 18" wheels. When I added the Max Tow the cost was an additional $1950 because it added 20"wheels. For my configuration I would never utilize it. In most cases, I believe the option will not be used by a lot of power boost owners and it is just an extra option that that Ford cashes in on.

 

[Dan]

I get it. There is no disadvantage other than cost. For me the cost was too much as I wanted a Lariat, chrome and 18" wheels. When I added the Max Tow the cost was an additional $1950 because it added 20"wheels. For my configuration I would never utilize it. In most cases, I believe the option will not be used by a lot of power boost owners and it is just an extra option that that Ford cashes in on.

My sport fx4 Powerboost hybrid comes with 11000lb Towing, most of us will never come close to 11000lbs let alone 14400lbs.

 

[NoSnow]

My sport fx4 Powerboost hybrid comes with 11000lb Towing, most of us will never come close to 11000lbs let alone 14400lbs.

Most of the higher level PB trims have between 1300 and 1500 lbs of payload and with a few passengers, cargo, extras they might be lucky to pull a 8000lb trailer. The Max Tow won’t hurt other than a few pounds of payload but at that weight, I don’t see the benefit. Just my thoughts.

the new tool is great for those that want to run the numbers beforehand.

 

[daemonic3]

This is just my personal opinion, but as an engineer that has to provide specs (in my industry) for our components, I know that you have to make a lot of assumptions as to the worst case usage for them, even though the *specific* use cases may often never be that bad. And I think that the GVWR qualification and validation process is soooo long and bureaucratic that they don't get to re-validate it for every possible combination of components, for every individual truck. ALL powerboosts get a 7350# GVWR, and all 3.5 EB's get a 7050# GVWR (5.5' bed). It doesn't even matter if you pick more robust components such as the max tow axle, different size wheels, whatever. The only thing they seem to upgrade is the front axle on a Powerboost to add 300# to the GVWR. The frame is common between EB/PB. Even the tires are common on EB vs PB, though they vary throughout the lineup (general grabber on 22's Limited, pirelli scorps on other, hankooks on some others). Both EB max tows and PB's are both getting same rear axle, same chassis, only different front axle. So it can be deduced that the GVWR limiter is frame or front axle related. Do we really believe that a more robust piece of rear frame (that final beefier bumper that doesn't even put weight on the front axles) will make an overall weaker truck? Or is it a side effect of how the specs are calculated?

I think it is a side effect. To get specific truck payload, they take *general worst case GVWR for the family of truck* minus the *specific curb weight of your truck* to get the "specific" payload of your truck. If Ford were to test out every single individual truck (impossible) we would get a much better GVWR number than the worst case for the population that is a CYA number. Engineering specs typically cover some sort of deviation from the mean to cover their ass according to risk assessment (3 sigma, 6 sigma, etc), while the vast majority are much better.

Anyway, that's just my personal assessment but I don't think getting stronger or more robust components *actually* hurts you, and it is just a side effect of the process. It happens a lot in my field and we often have to explain this counterintuitive stuff to managers or customers and it gets super annoying because we (the engineers) can't change industry standard benchmarks that are fundamentally flawed.

 

[FordHuntFish]

Thanks for all the great information! I think I'll go with the max tow.

 

[Egad2021Powerboost]

For some of us (I pull a horse trailer), the weight is all in the trailer and payload is unimportant. What's important is being able to tow as much as possible.

I believe hitch weight of trailer counts against payload so might still matter. Does a horse trailer not have much hitch weight?

I'm running these scenarios as well. 4 people in truck = 600 pounds, no gear in bed, WDH = 100lbs that leaves only 600-800 left of payload capacity for the fully loaded hitch weight.

 

[SBrentnall]

I believe hitch weight of trailer counts against payload so might still matter. Does a horse trailer not have much hitch weight?

It depends on the trailer. I have a lightweight European one that weighs 2100 lbs and has a tongue weight of 150lbs. Others at our barn are heavier, and have tongue weights of around 400 lbs.

 

[Camptruck]

I found two nearly identical (I think?) window stickers except one is Trailer Tow and other is Max Tow. The only difference I see between the two is that the trailer tow one is rapid red and doesn't call out a spare tire.

Using the new VIN calculator...https://fordfleetlive.com/#/VinCalculator

Trailer Tow one has 1609 payload; VIN 1FTFW1ED0MFB00323
Max Tow one has 1581 payload; VIN 1FTFW1ED1MFA78428

Does max tow really eat 28 pounds of payload compared with trailer tow package? Has anyone else found evidence of this? Am I missing something?

Could it be the spare tire?

Attached are the two window stickers.

Here is a link to where I got the max trailer one: https://www.f150forum.com/f82/payload-question-495772/index4/ post 35
I found the trailer tow one on a dealer site.

According to the Ford option weights the Max Trailer tow adds 26 lbs. The Trailer Tow adds 11 lbs. Do the delta should be 15 lbs. Not sure where the extra weight is coming from.