weight FORD F-150 2021 Owner's Manual

Certain states require functioning trailer
brakes for trailers over a specified weight.
Be sure to check state regulations for this
specified weight.
Ford Motor Company recommends
separate functioning brake systems for
trailers weighing more than 1,500 lb
(680 kg) when loaded.
TOWING A TRAILER
LIMITATIONS
The vehicle's load capacity
designation is by weight, not by
volume, so you cannot necessarily
use all available space when
loading a vehicle or trailer.
Note: Your vehicle could have
reduced performance when
operating at high altitudes and
when heavily loaded or towing a
trailer. When driving at elevation,
to match driving performance as
perceived at sea level, reduce gross
vehicle weight and gross
combination weight by 2% per
1,000 ft (300 m)
elevation.
LOADING YOUR TRAILER
To help minimize how trailer
movement affects your vehicle
when driving:
• Load the heaviest items closest
to the trailer floor.
• Load the heaviest items
centered between the left and
right side trailer tires. •
Load the heaviest items above
the trailer axles or just slightly
forward toward the trailer
tongue. Do not allow the final
trailer tongue weight to go
above or below 10-15% of the
loaded trailer weight. The
trailer tongue weight should
never exceed 10% of the
maximum towing capacity.
• Select a ball mount with the
correct rise or drop. When both
the loaded vehicle and trailer
are connected, the trailer frame
should be level, or slightly
angled down toward your
vehicle, when viewed from the
side.
TRAILER TOWING HINTS
Towing a trailer places an extra load on
your vehicle's engine, transmission, axle,
brakes, tires and suspension. Periodically
inspect these components during and after
any towing operation.
When driving with a trailer or payload, a
slight takeoff vibration or shudder may be
present due to the increased payload
weight.
Your vehicle may have a temporary or
conventional spare tire. A temporary spare
tire is different in diameter or width,
tread-type, or is from a different
manufacturer than the road tires on your
vehicle. Consult information on the tire
label or Safety Compliance label for
limitations when using.
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TOWING WEIGHTS AND DIMENSIONS
RECOMMENDED TOWING WEIGHTS
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WHAT IS THE MAXIMUM LOADED
TRAILER WEIGHT
The maximum loaded trailer
weight is the highest possible
weight of a fully loaded trailer the
vehicle can tow.
CALCULATING THE MAXIMUM
LOADED TRAILER WEIGHT FOR
YOUR VEHICLE
1. Start with the gross combined
weight rating for your vehicle
model and axle ratio.
2. Subtract all of the following
that apply to your vehicle:
• Vehicle curb weight.
• Hitch hardware weight, for
example a draw bar, ball, locks
or weight distributing hardware. •
Driver weight.
• Passenger weight.
• Payload, cargo and luggage
weight.
• Aftermarket equipment weight.
This equals the maximum loaded
trailer weight for this combination.
Note: The trailer tongue load is
considered part of the payload for
your vehicle. Reduce the total
payload by the final trailer tongue
weight.
Note: Consult an authorized dealer
to determine the maximum trailer
weight allowed for your vehicle if
you are not sure.
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HOW DOES TRAILER SWAY
CONTROL WORK
The system applies the brakes to the
individual wheels and reduces engine
torque to aid vehicle stability.
If the trailer begins to sway, the stability
control lamp flashes and the message
Trailer Sway Reduce Speed appears in
the information display.
Stop your vehicle as soon as it is safe to
do so. Check the vertical weight on the
tow ball and trailer load distribution.
TRAILER SWAY CONTROL
PRECAUTIONS WARNING: Turning off trailer sway
control increases the risk of loss of
vehicle control, serious injury or death.
Ford does not recommend disabling this
feature except in situations where speed
reduction may be detrimental (such as
hill climbing), the driver has significant
trailer towing experience, and can control
trailer sway and maintain safe operation.
Note: This feature only activates when
significant trailer sway occurs.
Note: This feature does not prevent trailer
sway, but reduces it once it begins.
Note: This feature cannot stop all trailers
from swaying.
Note: In some cases, if vehicle speed is too
high, the system may activate multiple
times, gradually reducing vehicle speed.
SWITCHING TRAILER SWAY
CONTROL ON AND OFF
1. Press
Features on the touchscreen. 2. Press
Towing.
3. Switch
Trailer Sway Control on or off.
The system turns on each time you start
your vehicle.
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WHAT IS SMART HITCH
Smart hitch shows how balanced the
weight is from the trailer onto the vehicle's
hitch and front axle.
HOW DOES SMART HITCH
WORK
Smart hitch uses sensors mounted to the
suspension to calculate the tongue weight
of the connected trailer.
SMART HITCH LIMITATIONS
You cannot use the system if any of the
following occur:
•
The wheels are not pointed straight
ahead.
• Your vehicle is not in park (P).
• Your vehicle is not on a level surface.
• The tire pressures are below the
recommended levels.
• Your vehicle is off.
USING SMART HITCH
1. Press Features on the touchscreen.
2. Press
Smart Hitch.
Note: You can also access smart hitch
using the FordPass app. Settings menu.
A
Quick setup.
B
Connection checklist.
C
Hitch type selection.
D
Hitch Type Selection
Press to select the hitch type.
Quick Setup
Press to skip the trailer setup guide and
adjust the load in the trailer to a balanced
range.
Reset Hitch Weight
Press to reset the weight on the hitch to
zero.
Loaded Trailer Weight
Press to set the total weight of the loaded
trailer.
Note: The vehicle's tongue weight is not
available until you attach a trailer.
Note: Make sure you include both the trailer
weight and the trailer cargo in your
calculation for total weight of the loaded
trailer.
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Taillights
Press to see the hitch load balance on the
vehicle
’s tail lamp.
Connection Checklist
Press to go through the trailer setup guide
and adjust the load in the trailer to a
balanced range.
Reset Hitch Weight
Press to reset the weight on the hitch to
zero.
Loaded Trailer Weight
Press to set the total weight of the loaded
trailer.
Note: The vehicle's tongue weight is not
available until you attach a trailer.
Note: Make sure you include both the trailer
weight and the trailer cargo in your
calculation for total weight of the loaded
trailer.
Taillights
Press to see the hitch load balance on the
vehicle ’s tail lamp.
Smart Hitch Settings
Measurement Units
Press to change measurement units
between pounds and kilograms.
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WHAT IS ON-BOARD SCALE
On-board scale provides the estimated
payload of your vehicle and warns when
your vehicle is overloaded.
HOW DOES ON-BOARD SCALE
WORK
On-board scale uses sensors mounted to
the suspension to calculate the vehicle's
payload.
ON-BOARD SCALE
LIMITATIONS
You cannot use the system if any of the
following occur:
•
The wheels are not pointed straight
ahead.
• Your vehicle is not in park (P).
• Your vehicle is not on a level surface.
• The tire pressures are below the
recommended levels.
• Your vehicle is off.
USING ON-BOARD SCALE
1. Press Features on the touchscreen.
2. Press
Onboard Scales.
Note: You can also access on-board scale
using the FordPass app. Settings menu.
A
Estimated payload.
B
Taillights on and off.
C
Taillights
Press to see the vehicle's estimated
payload on the vehicle's tail lamp.
On-Board Scale Settings
Vehicle Mode
Press to return to the on-board scale
screen.
Scale Mode
Press to see a representation of the weight
added to the vehicle's current payload and
to reset the scale to zero.
Note: The scale settings remain between
key cycles.
Passenger and Cargo Load Reminder
Press to switch the load reminder on or off.
Set Passenger and Cargo Load Reminder
Press to set the estimated payload that is
not in the vehicle when you use on-board
scale.
The default and minimum value is
200 lb
(100 kg).
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SNOW PLOWING
PRECAUTIONS
WARNING: Modifying or adding
equipment to the front of your vehicle
could affect the performance of the
airbag system, increasing the risk of
injury. This includes the hood, bumper
system, frame, front body structure, tow
hooks, hood pins, push bar and
snowplows. WARNING:
Do not attempt to
service, repair, or modify the
supplementary restraint system or
associated components. Failure to
follow this instruction could result in
personal injury or death. WARNING:
All occupants of your
vehicle, including the driver, should
always properly wear their seatbelts,
even when an airbag supplemental
restraint system is provided. Failure to
properly wear your seatbelt could
seriously increase the risk of injury or
death. WARNING:
Do not spin the wheels
at over 34 mph (55 km/h). The tires may
fail and injure a passenger or bystander.
Note: Look for an alterer ’s label on your
vehicle from the snowplow installer
certifying that the installation meets all
applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards (FMVSS).
Note: Federal and some local regulations
require additional exterior lamps for
snowplow-equipped vehicles. Contact an
authorized dealer for additional information. Note:
Do not remove or defeat the tripping
mechanisms designed into the snow
removal equipment by its manufacturer.
Doing so could cause damage to your
vehicle and the snow removal equipment
as well as possible airbag deployment.
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
WITH A SNOWPLOW
Weight limits and guidelines for selecting
and installing the snowplow are in the Ford
Truck Body Builders Layout Book. For
additional information, visit
www .f or dbb a s. c om .
A typical snowplow installation affects the
following:
• Front gross axle weight rating. See
What Is the Gross Axle Weight
Rating
(page 413).
• Gross vehicle weight rating. See
What
Is the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
(page
413).
• Braking and steering.
• Front wheel toe. See the
Ford
Workshop Manual.
• Headlight aim. See
Adjusting the
Headlamps (page 521).
• Tire air pressure. See Information on
the Tire Sidewall
(page 543).
Note: Do not exceed the front gross axle
weight rating or gross vehicle weight rating.
Note: Your vehicle may require rear ballast
weight for proper braking and steering.
Your vehicle has a driver and passenger
airbag supplemental restraint system. The
supplemental restraint system activates
in certain frontal and offset frontal
collisions when the vehicle sustains
sufficient longitudinal deceleration.
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RECOVERY TOWING
ACCESSING THE FRONT TOWING
POINT
WARNING: Using recovery hooks
is dangerous and should only be done by
a person familiar with proper vehicle
recovery safety practices. Improper use
of recovery hooks may cause hook failure
or separation from the vehicle and could
result in serious injury or death. WARNING:
Slowly remove the
slack from the recovery strap prior to
pulling. Failure to do so can introduce
significantly higher loads which can
cause the recovery hooks to break off, or
the recovery strap to fail which can cause
serious injury or death. WARNING:
Never link two straps
together with a clevis pin. These heavy
metal objects could become projectiles
if the strap breaks and can cause serious
injury or death. WARNING:
Switch the ignition off
before removing the recovery hook.
Failure to do so could result in personal
injury. WARNING: The recovery hook can
become hot. Let the recovery hook cool
down before removing it. Failure to do
so could result in personal injury.
Your vehicle has frame-mounted front
recovery hooks.
Note: Do not apply a load to the recovery
hooks that is greater than the gross vehicle
weight rating of your vehicle. Before using recovery hooks:
•
Make sure all attaching points are
secure and capable of withstanding
the applied load.
• Do not use chains, cables or tow straps
with metal hook ends.
• Only use recovery straps that have a
minimum breaking strength two to
three times the gross vehicle weight of
the stuck vehicle.
• Make sure the recovery strap is in good
condition and free of visible cuts, tears
or damage.
• Use a damper device such as a tarp,
heavy blanket or piece of carpet, and
place it over the recovery strap to help
absorb the energy in the event the
strap breaks.
• Make sure the stuck vehicle is not
loaded heavier than its gross vehicle
weight rating specified on the
certification label.
• Align the tow vehicle and stuck vehicle
in a straight line, within 10 degrees.
• Keep bystanders to the sides of the
vehicle, at a distance of at least twice
the length of the recovery strap. This
helps avoid injury from the hazard of a
recovery hook or strap breaking, or a
vehicle lurching into their path.
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Information on P Type Tires
P215/65R15 95H is an example of
a tire size, load index and speed
rating. The definitions of these
items are listed below. (Note that
the tire size, load index and speed
rating for your vehicle may be
different from this example.)
A.
P: Indicates a tire, designated
by the Tire and Rim Association,
that may be used for service on
cars, sport utility vehicles,
minivans and light trucks. Note:
If
your tire size does not begin with
a letter this may mean it is
designated by either the European
Tire and Rim Technical
Organization or the Japan Tire
Manufacturing Association. B.
215:
Indicates the nominal
width of the tire in millimeters
from sidewall edge to sidewall
edge. In general, the larger the
number, the wider the tire.
C. 65:
Indicates the aspect ratio
which gives the tire's ratio of
height to width.
D. R:
Indicates a radial type tire.
E. 15:
Indicates the wheel or rim
diameter in inches. If you change
your wheel size, you will have to
purchase new tires to match the
new wheel diameter.
F. 95:
Indicates the tire's load
index. It is an index that relates to
how much weight a tire can carry.
You may find this information in
your owner ’s manual. If not,
contact a local tire dealer.
Note: You may not find this
information on all tires because it
is not required by federal law.
G. H:
Indicates the tire's speed
rating. The speed rating denotes
the speed at which a tire is
designed to be driven for extended
periods of time under a standard
condition of load and inflation
pressure. The tires on your vehicle
may operate at different
conditions for load and inflation
pressure. These speed ratings may
need to be adjusted for the
difference in conditions. The
ratings range from
81 mph
(130 km/h) to 186 mph
(299 km/h)
. These ratings are
listed in the following chart.
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