How Much Weight Can a 2001 F150 Tow? (Towing Capacity Chart)
In some cases, you do not know whether the vehicle is strong enough until you learn the axle rating. When you do, the results may surprise you as the tow weight is lower than you expected.
This will depend on the trim of your F150, transmission, and wheelbase. For the 4 x 2 the 119.9 to the 138.5-inch wheelbase, you can tow between 3300 for manual and 8600 with an automatic. The 157.1-inch wheelbase tows lighter at 3300 and 8400 respectively.
To learn more about the towing capacity of the 2001 F 150 just continue to read our article. There are more weights and trims to look at, including wheelbases. These figures come from the Ford truck specs web page.
How Much Can a 2001 Ford F150 Tow?
For the 4 x 2 models, there are 7 trims available and they all tow about the same amount of weight. There are 2 138.5 inch wheelbase trims, the Supercab Flareside & the Supercrew, that can only tow 3300 and 8400 pounds manual/auto.
For the 4 x 4 there are 7 trim models available and three of those models, 3 of them, 120.2 and138.8 inch wheelbases, can tow between 3200 and 8400 pounds manual/auto.
3 more, 138.8 and 157.4-inch wheelbases, can tow between 2900 and 8300 pounds manual/auto. The Supercrew 138.8 inch wheelbase can only tow 7700 pounds as it is offered in the automatic only
The payload capacity for both the 4 x 2 and 4 x 4 fluctuates with the payload capacity only reaching between 1700 and 3200 pounds. Their GVWR goes between 6000 and 7700 pounds.
2001 F150 Supercrew 4x4 Towing Capacity
This trim model has a wheelbase of 138.8 inches and a GVWR of 6750 pounds with a 1670-pound payload capacity. It does not seem to come in a manual option so there are no figures for that transmission style.
The GCWR for the 4 by 4 is listed at 13,000 pounds and the towing capacity is listed at 7700. For automatics in any class, it tows the lightest weight falling well behind its other F 150 trims.
The 4 by 2 Supercrew is listed at 13,000 for the GVWR and 8000 pounds towing capacity. It too is not sold with a manual transmission. Its wheelbase is .3 inches smaller than the 4 by 4 wheelbase.
Check your owner’s manual to make sure you get the specific weight your truck can tow as this may change with the right tow package added to it.
2001 F150 5.4 Towing Capacity
There are different axle ratings for this motor and that rating will play a role in how much you can tow. Plus, there is a 5.4L natural gas motor offered in this year as well. It was offered in the 4 x 2 regular cab and it could tow up to 5900 pounds.
The 3.31 axle in the regular cab could tow 7,600 pounds for the 4 x 2 and 7,200 pounds for the 4 x 4; then the Supercab was able to tow 7,300 in the 4 x 2 trim and 7000 for the 4 x 4.
There were two tow and axle ratings for the 3.55 axle and in one rendition, the regular cab towed 8,600 in the 4 x 2 & 8,200 in the 4 x 4; the super crew towed 8000 in the 4 x 2 and 7,700 with the 4 x 4, and the Supercab had ratings 8,400 for the 4 x 2 and 8000 for the 4 x 4.
The second rendition of the 3.55 axle only had ratings for the 4 x 4s in all trim models and their weight limits went 7,700, 7,200 & 7, 500 respectively. Finally the 3.73 axle tow ratings are Regular cab- 8800 for the 4 x 2 & 8,400 for the 4 x 4; the Supercab is 8,600 for the 4 x 2 and 8,300 for the 4 x 4. There was no rating for the Supercrew.
2001 F150 Towing Capacity 4.6
This engine had 4 different axle ratings and the smallest was the 3.08 and it was only placed in the Regular and Supercab 4 x 2 trucks. They got a tow ratings of 2,000 pounds each.
The 3.31 axle rating was placed in both the Regular cab and Supercab 4 x 2 and 4 x 4 trucks and their ratings are- 6,200, 5,800, 5,900 & 5,600 respectively. There were two renditions for the 3.55 axle with the first one placed in all three trim styles.
The Regular cab 4 x2 & 4 x 4 are listed as 8,600 & 8,200; the Super cab is listed at 8,400 & 8,000; while the Supercrew has a tow rating of 8,000 for the 4 x 2 & 7,700 and the 4 x 4.
The second rendition was for the 4 x 4 models for all three trim styles and their ratings were, 7,700, 7,500 & 7,200 respectively. We did not list the 5th wheel towing capacities.
F150 Tow Package
It is hard to go back 21 years and find the tow package needed for that model year. Most websites are talking about the modern tow packages you can get to help your F150 tow heavier weights. For the 2020 3.5L motor in the F150, this is the tow package you should have installed- electronically locking rear axle, larger 36-gallon tank, a class IV hitch receiver, a Smart connector, a trailer brake control, front stabilizer bar, and a hitch lamp.
The tow package is designed to help your engine work and not get over-stressed. It is important to have one on if you are thinking of going over the stated two capacities listed in your manual.
2001 Ford F150 Bumper Towing Capacity
Some models of Ford trucks should have this information stamped right on the bumper in plain sight. Depending on your trim model, you may have a restriction of 500 pounds for tongue weight and 5000 pounds for bumper pull weight.
This should be the same no matter what type of hitch you are using. Some truck models may be able to only tow lighter weights. For example, one truck is listed at 4500 pounds so check your bumper or read your manual to get the specific weight for your specific trim model and bumper.
Different model years will have different weight ratings so make sure you have the same vehicle as a friend if you ask them. Their rating may be different than your truck so be careful when soliciting advice.
Ford F150 Towing Guide
If you want to read the towing guide, you can download the PDF version from this website. You have to create a free account to do that. If you do not want to create an account, then go to this website where you can read it for free.
This tow guide covers different car and truck brands so you will have to scroll down to get to the F150 information. One last website, which you have to create an account to access the guide, is at this link.
2001 F150 Owner Manual Download
The best place to go to get an owner’s manual is usually the manufacturer. They keep good records in most cases and Ford does have a manual for the 2001 F150. Just click on this link to get to their web page.
Here is another website you can try. It looks to be free to download but we cannot be sure. It is a 296 page PDF file. In doing research for this section we found that this is one of the more popular owner’s manuals to get.
There are many websites offering this manual as a download so you just have to pick the one you are most comfortable using. Just type in the words ‘download 2001 F150 owner’s manual’ and you should be taken to the results page that has far more options than we have listed here.
Some Final Words
Old trucks do not die. They just do not tow as much weight as the more modern trucks can. With the 2001 F150, you are still getting to tow a decent amount of weight. It will all depend on the trim type, the axle rating and the transmission.
Make sure there is a tow package already installed on the model you want to buy. That will save you money and time. Then, if you have lost your tow guide or owner’s manual, you are in luck.
There are many places you can turn to on the internet to replace those lost booklets.
