The 2016 F-150 had four different engine options to choose from, which affected the towing capacity of the truck and rightfully so. There are other things that affect the capacity numbers as well like axle ratio, cab configuration or cab style, 4WD or 2WD configurations and so on so you need to refer to the charts in order to get an accurate number.
I tried to make a "resource guide" for the 2016 Ford F-150's towing capacity in order to eliminate some of the confusion that may come from so much information that is compiled within the charts and wanted to make it easier and more convenient, at the same time, so I hope this article does just that!
Always refer to your owner's manual for all of the required information to be sure you follow their recommendations , limits and capabilities of your specific vehicle.
2016 F-150 Towing Overview
Overall Towing Capacity:
The towing capacity for the 2016 Ford F-150 was between 4,900-12,200 lbs. for all models, which includes all engines, axle ratios, and cab configurations for both conventional and 5th wheel specs.
3.5L (V6): If we look at the 3.5l engines alone that came equipped with the 2016 F-150's, we can see that the capacity range was between 4,900-7,600 lbs.
2.7L (V6): The models equipped with the 2.7l engines had quite a bit more capacity over the 3.5l models, ranging from 7,300-8,500 lbs.
5.0L (V8): The 2016 F150's equipped with the 5.0l engines had a pretty high overall trailer weight rating that ranged from 6,800-11,100 pounds, one of the best engines for the 2016 models.
3.5L (V6) EcoBoost: The 3.5l EcoBoost engines had a higher overall capacity range, like the 5.0l engines that ranged from 6,600-12,200 pounds, making it the most capable out of all of the engine choices for the 2016 F-150.
Conventional:
Conventional specs shown on the charts range from 5,000-12,200 lbs.
5th Wheel:
5th wheel specs shown on the charts range from 4,900-12,100 lbs.
GCWR:
The GCWR on the charts had a range of between 9,400-17,100 lbs.
Conventional Charts
2016 Ford F 150 Conventional Towing Chart
5th Wheel And Gooseneck Charts
2016 Ford F 150 5th Wheel Towing Chart
How To Read The 2016 F-150 Charts...
There were many different areas that you need to look at for your 2016 F150 when looking at the charts in order to get an accurate maximum tow capacity number and some of these areas are:
Cab Configurations: There were three options for the 2016 models as far as the different cab layouts go and these were labeled as: Regular Cab, Super Cab and SuperCrew Cab.
The corresponding cab style is found at the top of the charts and is indicated in specific columns, like the image below illustrates.
2016 Ford F-150 Cab Configuration Reference
4WD vs 2WD: There was another column that had the 4WD and 2WD specs in the charts for each cab configuration in the 2016 charts that stated the different capacities for the different drive train configurations too.
In the image below, the red box shows the 2WD specs and the blue box shows us the numbers for the 4WD models.
2016 F150 4WD and 2WD Columns
Engine Equipped: The engine equipped in your 2016 F150 will be on the far left side of the charts in blue letters.
In the image below, we can see that the 3.5l engine's rows has a red box around them and the 2.7l engine's specs has the orange box around it.
2016 Ford F150 Engine Choices
Axle Ratio: On the right of the engine choice, you will see numbers for your F150 and these are the axle ratios that are offered. Each axle ratio will have different tow numbers associated with them, even if the same engine was used, so be sure you are looking at the correct axle ratio for your truck.
2016 Ford F150 Axle Ratios
Axle Ratios For The 2016 F-150's:
You will have to know what axle ratio you had installed on your 2016 F150 because that figure affected the numbers in the charts and will vary for different ratios. How you find your axle ratio on your 2016 model would be to open your driver side door and on the jamb you will see a sticker, like the one in the image.
Example Of Ford Axle Code
At the bottom of that sticker, look for a section that reads "AXLE" and below that there will be a code with letters/numbers. Take those "figures" and plug them into a website that has a list of axle codes like blueovaltrucks.com to figure out your axle ratio.
Note: There are other ways to find your axle ratio for your F-150 but looking at the sticker on the door is usually the easiest way. There will also be a tag on the rear differential itself (under the truck) that you can reference if your sticker is missing.
Cab Configurations:
You will need to know your cab configuration as well for your 2016 truck, as this was one of the sections that you need to look up your information. The image shows many different manufacturer's cab styles and configurations so you know what columns to look at in the charts.
Truck Cab Configurations/Styles (styleyourtrucks.com)
Important Safety Notes:
There were some other important information I found in the 2016 owner's manual regarding towing and I posted some of that information here to have as a quick reference for everyone to have a quick look...
Note: This is just some of the other helpful info I found in the owner's manual, there is more and you should look into it yourself for a more thorough understanding of the limitations of your truck.
More Weight Ratings
Higher Altitude Weight Warning
Maximum Loaded Trailer Weight
Helpful Links:
Here are a couple of links for the 2016 F-150's that I used in my research that I thought you would like to see.
You can find all of the required information about towing in the owner's manual and the towing guide is more of a reference for some of the maximum weights you can expect...
Last updated on April 27th, 2022 at 06:42 pm