The Ford F-150 has lost some of its power – at least on paper – as the pickup’s overall payload while towing has been shortened.
According to dealer documents shared with the Ford F150 Owners Australia group on Facebook, the gross combination mass (GCM) of both short (SWB) and long wheelbase (LWB) versions of the Ford F-150 has been reduced by 1,000 pounds.
For the Ford F-150 SWB, the GCM is gone 7720kg to 7270kgwhile the GCM of the F-150 LWB is now on 7315kg from 7765kg.
“Ford Australia has updated the published maximum gross combination mass (GCM) of the F-150 range with a reduction to account for maximum downside tow weight (TDW) – 10 per cent of total trailer mass (ATM),” a spokesperson for the company AutoExpert.
“The vehicle itself and all other weights, including gross vehicle mass (GVM), payload and maximum braked towing capacity, remain unchanged.”
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While gross vehicle mass (GVM) refers to the maximum legal weight of a vehicle when fully loaded – curb weight plus payload – GCM is the sum of the maximum weight a vehicle can carry and tow at the same time.
Unlike GVM and braked towing capacity, GCM is not an enforceable figure, but a calculation to better inform customers about how much they can tow when their vehicle is fully loaded.
In this case, Ford has stated a TDW of 10 percent, while this figure was previously not included. Other manufacturers vary in how much the TDW accounts for, if at all.
Previously, the F-150’s GCM was the GVM plus braked towing capacity of 10,000 lb (4,500 kg), the standard figure for the pickup when equipped with a 70 mm tow bar. However, with a 50 mm tow bar, the braked towing capacity drops to 3500 kg.
Most vehicles have a GCM that is lower than their combined GVM and braked towing capacity, so owners don’t push their vehicle’s weight to the limit.
For example, the Ram 1500 DT has a GVM of 3450 kg and a braked towing capacity of 4500 kg. Combined this amounts to a total of 7950kg, which is 237kg more than the GCM of 7713kg.
In addition, the Ford Ranger Wildtrak V6 has a GVM of 3350kg and a braked towing capacity of 3500kg, but the total of 6850kg is 450kg higher than the GCM of 6400kg.
While the 1000 lb GCM reduction for the Ford F-150 may impact potential buyers, the Ford F-150’s ranking among North American light duty pickup rivals remains unchanged.
MORE: Everything Ford F-150
