Last updated on April 27th, 2022 at 06:42 pm
One of the most popular trucks out there nowadays is the Ford F-150 and a lot of people have one main question and that is what the towing capacity is. It would seem so obvious and easy to look up…
Right?
For 2018-2019 there are a lot of different sub models, engine packages, additional towing packages, etc. that can be found on a F-150 which makes the question a bit blurred. Throw in the different years that they made the truck and you have a ton of information that is mind numbing to look through.
I decided to sift through some of the information out there and tried to put together the most comprehensive guide on the towing capacity of the 2018-2019 Ford F-150s to answer most people’s questions. Hope it is useful to some out there.
2018-2019 Ford F-150 Towing Capacity…
The 2018-2019 Ford F-150’s towing capacity can range from 5,000 lbs. to 13,200 lbs. For the 2018-2019 F150’s this mainly depends on the engine that is equipped, whether you are towing from the bumper or using a 5th wheel hitch, bed length, towing package equipped and axle ratio.
Remember, the figures given are the MAXIMUM amount recommended by Ford.
General Conventional (Bumper) Towing VS 5th Wheel Towing Capacities:
| Bumper Towing | 5,000 lbs. to 13,200 lbs. |
| 5th Wheel Towing | 5,000 lbs. to 12,100 lbs. |
Towing Specs Based On Engine Configuration:
The 2019 Ford F-150 towing specs I found listed 5 different engine configurations and these were the: 3.3L PFDI V6, the 5.0L V8, a 3.0L Turbo V6 (that was shown for 2019 only), a 2.7L GTDI V6 and a 3.5L GTDI V6. The order that the engines were listed on the pdf (and on this page) will start with the lower towing capacities and go up from there, in ascending order.
*** There was another engine that was used but detailed specifications were not stated for it and that was the 3.5L ECOBOOST H.O. V6 engine.
| Engine | Conventional Towing | 5th Wheel Towing |
| 3.3L PFDI V6 | 5,000 – 7,700 lbs. | 5,000 – 7,700 lbs. |
| 5.0L 4-Valve V8 | 8,400 – 11,500 lbs. | 8,400 – 11,200 lbs. |
| 3.0L Turbo V6 (Diesel)* | 10,100 – 11,500 lbs. | 7,200 – 9,300 lbs. |
| 2.7L (EcoBoost) GTDI V6 | 7,500 – 9,000 lbs. | 7,400 – 9,000 lbs. |
| 3.5L (EcoBoost) GTDI V6 | 6,000 – 13,200 lbs. | 10,000 – 12,100 lbs. |
| 3.5L (EcoBoost) H.O. V6 | 8,000 lbs. max. (Raptor) 11,100 lbs. max. (Ltd.) | —————————- |
* 3.0L Diesel Engine was only specified in the 2019 data.
- 3.3L PFDI V6: For F-150’s equipped with the 3.3L PFDI V6 engine configuration will have a range of 5,000 – 7,700 lbs for both conventional towing and 5th wheel towing hookups. There are only two different axle ratio’s listed and these are the 3.55 and the 3.73.
- 5.0L 4-Valve V8: The weight range was significantly more for trucks equipped with the 5.0L engine and had a maximum range of 8,400 – 11,500 lbs for conventional towing and nearly identical in specs for a 5th wheel hookup as well. The 5.0L did have 4 different axle ratios listed and these were 3.15, 3.31, 3.55 and 3.73.
- 3.0L Turbo V6 (Diesel): The 3.0L was another powerhouse when it came to towing capacity for the 2018-2019 F-150’s with a range of 10,100 – 11,500 lbs. for conventional towing and 7,200 – 9,300 for a 5th wheel hookup. The 3.0L Turbo had two different axle ratios listed and were 3.31 and 3.55.
- 2.7L GTDI V6: Trucks equipped with the 2.7L engine had capacities that were decent, especially considering the size of the engine. The capacities were between 7,500 lbs. and 9,000 lbs. for conventional towing and nearly identical for a 5th wheel hitch. There were two axle ratios listed, the 3.55 and the 3.73.
- 3.5L GTDI V6: The 3.5L had some impressive stats and weight capacities ranging from 6,000 lbs. to 13,200 lbs. for traditional towing and 10,000 lbs. to 12,100 lbs. for a 5th wheel hitch.
- 3.5L (EcoBoost) H.O. V6: There was only specs for the maximum towing capacities and not detailed specs like I found for the other engines. Note that certain models like the Raptor and Limited had very different towing capacities even though the same engine was used.
2WD vs 4WD Differences I Noticed:
There was not a significant different between the 2wd models and the 4wd models in any of the engine configurations that I noticed when comparing similar wheel base distances.
There were only small differences between the two of 100 – 200 lbs. in most cases and the 2wd models usually had the higher towing capacity numbers.
A Note On Towing Packages, Trim Styles, Wheel Size, Etc.
I wanted to mention that these specs I have given are for reference purposes only and other variables go into the overall calculations when trying to figure out maximum capacity.
- Trim Styles: Some models like the Raptor and the Limited had specific tow capacities other than what the standard specs stated. So certain 2018-2019 F-150 models will have different tolerances.
- Towing Packages: There are a number of different towing packages offered for the 2018-2019 F-150s like the Trailer Tow Package, the Max Trailer Tow Package, and a Payload Package and having these equipped will have a positive effect on the overall towing capacity.
- Wheels: Some notes on the pdf stated that the use of certain sized tires for the 2018-2019 F-150s will allow for the recommended towing weight that is stated. In most cases, an 18″ or 20″ tire was recommended for higher capacities and the 20″ tire was recommended for some of the highest towing capacities.
- Transmission Equipped: Transmissions played a part as well in some of the numbers and certain transmissions were listed to be able to tow the recommended weight. The 2 speed automatic 4WD transmission and the Electronic Shift-On-The-Fly transmission were named specifically.
- Hitches: For the most part, the only recommendation I saw for the 2018-2019 F-150s was a weight distribution hitch to get that maximum towing capacity of some engine configurations.
- Wheel Bases: The wheel base did not play a significant role on most capacities and really was tied more to different axle ratios.
A Look At Available Trim Options For Specific Engine Configurations:
It is important to note that some trim options will not be available with all of the engine configurations listed, so I wanted to make a chart that shows which trim options are available for which engine to give you a better idea of what to expect.
| Engine Equipped | Available Trim |
| 3.3L PFDI V6 | XL, XLT |
| 2.7L (EcoBoost) GTDI V6 | XL, XLT, Lariat |
| 3.0L Turbo V6 (Diesel)* | Lariat, King Ranch®, Platinum |
| 5.0L 4-Valve V8 | XL, XLT, Lariat, King Ranch, Platinum, Limited |
| 3.5L (EcoBoost) GTDI V6 | XL, XLT, Lariat, King Ranch®, Platinum |
| 3.5L (EcoBoost) H.O. V6 | Raptor, Limited |
* 3.0L Diesel Engine was only specified in the 2019 data.
Towing Packages Available:
The towing packages for the 2018-2019 F-150s are the pretty standard Ford Towing Packages listed below. There is the standard versions in the first two columns (F-150 and the F-150 Raptor) and then the upgraded options after that, represented by the 53A, 53B and the 53C packages.
| Model (Option Code) | F-150 (Std.) | F-150 Raptor (Std.) | F-150 (53B) | F-150 (53A) | F-150 (53C) (1)(2) |
| 7-Wire Harness & 4-/7-Pin Connector | — | X | X | X | X |
| Trailer Wiring Harness (4-Pin) | X | — | — | — | — |
| Hitch Receiver | — | X | X | X | X |
| Higher Power Cooling Fans (3) | — | — | X | X | X |
| Radiator Upgrade (4) | — | X | X | X | X |
| Smart Trailer Tow Connector | — | X | X | X | X |
| Upgraded Front Stabilizer Bar | — | X | — | X | X |
| Upgraded Rear Axle | — | — | — | — | X |
| Upgraded Rear Bumper | — | — | — | — | X |
| Trailer Brake Controller | — | — | — | — | X |
| Pro Trailer Backup Assist | — | — | — | X(5) | X |
| 36-Gallon Fuel Tank | — | — | — | — | X |
(1): Max GCWR/Max tow achieved on SuperCrew® when equipped with 20″ wheels. These trucks will also come equipped with max springs, steering gear and upgraded stabilizer bar. (2): Requires 3.5L EcoBoost® engine. (3): Not included with 3.3L engine. (4): EcoBoost engines only. (5): Not included on XL 100A.
Let’s Look At Axle Ratios…
Now we know that the 2018-2019 F-150s towing capacity is largely dependent upon the axle ratio but how do you know what axle you have?
That is easy, just look at the sticker on the inside of your driver’s side door jamb (Truck Safety Compliance Certification Label) and you will see a section that states “AXLE” and below that will be numbers or a mix of letters and numbers.
Then you use the chart below to match up the numbers on your sticker with the numbers on the chart and it will give you your axle ratio.
| Rear Axle Ratio | Non-Limited Slip | Electronic Locking |
| 3.15 | 15 | L5 |
| 3.31 | 27 | L3 |
| 3.55 | 19 | L9 |
| 3.73 | 26 | L6 |
| 4.10 | Not Available | L4 |
Resources Used: Like I stated, there were two main Ford pdfs that I used to gather data and compile information and these were: the 2019 brochure and the 2018 brochure.