The sticker on the door is the truck. The billboard is a rumor.

Tow rating is what the drivetrain can pull. Payload is what the truck can hold — including tongue weight, people, and gear. Half-tons towing campers hit payload first.

Your real limit is the smallest of: tow rating, GCWR, payload, hitch class. Tongue weight should sit 10–15% of trailer weight. 13% is a sane planning number.

Use it in 10 minutes. Read the door-jamb sticker. Subtract passengers and bed cargo from payload. What's left is the max tongue. Divide by 0.13 — that's a realistic loaded trailer, not the 13,000 lb in the ad.

Class ranges (verify YOUR door sticker)

Rig	Payload rating	Tow rating (WDH)	Realistic max camper
Half-ton crew (F-150 / 1500 class)	1,550–1,850 lb	11,000–13,000 lb	~6,500–7,500 lb
3/4-ton (F-250 / 2500 class)	2,800–3,300 lb	15,000–18,000 lb	~10,000–12,000 lb
1-ton (F-350 / 3500 class)	3,800–4,500 lb	20,000+ lb	~14,000+ lb

Realistic max assumes ~13% tongue, 500 lb passengers, 200 lb gear. Always the specific truck's sticker, never the brochure maximum.

Worked half-ton: 1,700 lb payload − 500 people − 200 gear − 150 hitch hardware = 850 lb left for tongue. At 13% that's about a 6,500 lb loaded camper — even if the window sticker says 12,000 lb towing.

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