Q&A - Buying the Right Truck to Pull my Trailer

Q&A ImageI want to buy an Eco boost F150 rated to haul 11,300 lbs and I have a 33' tow behind camper with electric brackets fully loaded at 7600lbs can I haul it through BC? I'm having a hard time doing the calculations on your website.

Hmmm, presumably the OP means electric brakes, almost certainly surge brakes.

Subtracting the 7,600 lb trailer from the 11,300 lb maximum only leaves 3,700 lb - what's that F150 weigh?  More than a Honda Accord?  Personally, I would be weigh (that was a pun) more comfortable in a 250 or 350 series, even on the prairies.  We have some very serious grades in BC (which is why we were the first province to bring in full classification of licenses as well as mandatory airbrake training/endorsement for truckers).

It's also probably worth looking into whether you would be required to have a Heavy Trailer Endorsement when driving here.

Also, take a look at Chapter 13 of our Driving Commercial Vehicles manual, as you should be able to find some useful phone numbers so you can speak to a real live human being who knows about these issues.

Thank you very much for searching the site before you asked this question!

You may have missed these two articles:

The information that you need is almost certainly in there.

In a nutshell:

Gross Combination Weight Rating (GCWR): If you value your new vehicle warranty, you will not exceed this limit. It has nothing to do with BC laws, but has everything to do with expecting warranty coverage if something fails. The gross combination weight is the total weight of your vehicle, the trailer and all contents of both.

Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR): This is the law, along with Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) and the maximum weight rating on the tires. Exceed these and you will likely be grounded on the spot until they are met.

Licensed Weight: This is between you and ICBC. When you buy a licence for your truck, you need to advise them what you will be towing (let them know if you have more than one type of trailer that you will be pulling!) and how heavy it will be at maximum. Your Autoplan Agent will help you from there. This is an expensive ticket if you don't do it correctly.