Can my F150 Handle Towing This Travel Trailer?

[Kidder]

The problem with Max Tow (besides the axle bolt issue) is that it doesn't increase payload. (And yes, I have Max Tow)

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[redline]

that is a little more trailer then i would tow with a 1/2 ton...

my 25' trailer is 7500 lbs fully loaded with a hitch weight of 1000lbs fully loaded , i put nothing in the truck except people...

i am not white knuckling it or anything but i would not tow more with it.

our trucks are very similar.

i would get a smaller trailer or a bigger truck... shaving a few feet off the trailer will not kill the camping enjoyment...

 

[Northguy]

So you have 1697 payload, this is how your numbers work.
1697 minus any cargo you add into the truck. This includes you, passengers, cargo, and hitch. Plus the tongue weight of the trailer.
Take your trailers GVWR, multiple that by 0.13 will give you your max tongue weight.
You will be very close to the trucks max capacity for sure, even without a loaded trailer. From my experience in towing over the years (50000 kms) I would invest in a good sway control hitch!!
Looking at the spec again, that trailer is too heavy for your truck! I'm guessing that trailer is close to 10k GVWR, that is 3/4 ton territory now...
Equal-i-zer

@maxis1230 the post above is good advice.

The trailer industry always quotes 10% of total weight for hitch wt but as post above highlights u should use 13% for travel trailer.

So
Trailer @13% fully loaded. - 1300 lbs
Hitch. - 100 lbs

Total is 1400lbs of your 1700 lbs. So you only have 300lbs left for people and cargo in the truck (the 1700 payload assume full tank of gas BUT no occupants or cargo or any mods/accessories you added afterwards like bed coating or bed cover - anything like that has to come off your 1700lbs first.). U could maybe squeeze another 100ls of available payload if you watch what u load in the trailer (use a half of the available CCC) and don't run with your water or waste tanks full.

The 14,000lbs of towing that is quoted for max tow isn't very useful except for things like a boat (7% of wt for hitch wt) as you will hit the payload limit first when pulling a travel trailer.

I have almost your exact truck except with fewer options as my payload is 1850lbs. I have the same short box which in my mind also limits you as just not as stable as the longer option trucks relative to sway.

Everyone has different comfort levels and I agree with other poster who said if only short pulls vs long distance travel it might be fine, however a lot of people see 7000lbs total and 30ft total as practical safe limits of a f150.

The minute you have 2 large slides like ur trailer would have you are likely pushing capabilities of a f150. Looks to be an awesome trailer though.

Good luck.

 

[Suns_PSD]

Wow is this post timely.

I have a rather heavy Limited F150. It did come from the factory with a hitch, although I don't know if it's adequate for my purposes. The sticker is below.

I've added 300# of modifications (LT Tires, camper, leveling kit, intercooler, skid plate, etc.)

The RV (Dweller 15) I'm looking at has the following specs:

- 20' overall length
- Dry Weight 5,070
- GVWR 6,405
- Ball Weigt 500#s
- This trailer holds 31g 'city water'

I've been told by someone that has owned this trailer that it's heavy in the rear and that steps need to be taken to prevent it from porpusing while towing.

Although I'm only 183#s and my wife and daughter are petite (combined 405#s). However, there are bikes, clothes and food to consider. Call it an additional 200#s

So 1363#s - 'any cargo' () so 905#s = 458#s.

If 458#s is my maximum amount can that all be placed on the ball since the listed ball weight of the trailer is 500#s, does that mean that I just can't haul a trailer this large?

Frankly, that seems absurd if such a truck can't tow a 20' RV trailer and it sounds much too conservative to me.

Which components are realistically the limitation, as I suspect it's the stock tires more than anything.

Please share any info on this topic that you can and thank you.

 

[madsend81]

Wow is this post timely.

I have a rather heavy Limited F150. It did come from the factory with a hitch, although I don't know if it's adequate for my purposes. The sticker is below.

I've added 300# of modifications (LT Tires, camper, leveling kit, intercooler, skid plate, etc.)

The RV (Dweller 15) I'm looking at has the following specs:

- 20' overall length
- Dry Weight 5,070
- GVWR 6,405
- Ball Weigt 500#s
- This trailer holds 31g 'city water'

I've been told by someone that has owned this trailer that it's heavy in the rear and that steps need to be taken to prevent it from porpusing while towing.

Although I'm only 183#s and my wife and daughter are petite (combined 405#s). However, there are bikes, clothes and food to consider. Call it an additional 200#s

So 1363#s - 'any cargo' () so 905#s = 458#s.

If 458#s is my maximum amount can that all be placed on the ball since the listed ball weight of the trailer is 500#s, does that mean that I just can't haul a trailer this large?

Frankly, that seems absurd if such a truck can't tow a 20' RV trailer and it sounds much too conservative to me.

Which components are realistically the limitation, as I suspect it's the stock tires more than anything.

Please share any info on this topic that you can and thank you.

I'd be curious where they got the 500# hitch weight from. That's just under 10% of the empty trailer weight. Your looking at more like 750# hitch weight

Use the TT to put any "cargo" items not needed until your destination. If loaded correctly only 13% of that weight will cut into your payload.

I recently hauled a 23' trailer, GCVW is 4,000#, from San Diego to Tucson and had no problems. My payload is 1500#. My wife, two teenage boys, my 5yr old daughter and some snacks are what went into the truck. Bed empty, everything else (suitcases, bedding, etc) went into the TT.

 

[{tpc}]

My trailer is 31 ft long. I have no issues with sway or anything, even large trucks passing. I do have a WDH with sway control built in etc.

I wouldn't go any longer than that though with the short bed. Personal preference I guess.

 

[{tpc}]

Also like to add, fictional numbers are great but nothing beats going to the scale. Even if a scale isn't nearby, weighing everything you would be packing, can get your reasonably close imo. The only reason I even know this is because I've done it both ways in the past and came pretty close.

 

[Aron]

Wow is this post timely.

I have a rather heavy Limited F150. It did come from the factory with a hitch, although I don't know if it's adequate for my purposes. The sticker is below.

I've added 300# of modifications (LT Tires, camper, leveling kit, intercooler, skid plate, etc.)

The RV (Dweller 15) I'm looking at has the following specs:

- 20' overall length
- Dry Weight 5,070
- GVWR 6,405
- Ball Weigt 500#s
- This trailer holds 31g 'city water'

I've been told by someone that has owned this trailer that it's heavy in the rear and that steps need to be taken to prevent it from porpusing while towing.

Although I'm only 183#s and my wife and daughter are petite (combined 405#s). However, there are bikes, clothes and food to consider. Call it an additional 200#s

So 1363#s - 'any cargo' () so 905#s = 458#s.

If 458#s is my maximum amount can that all be placed on the ball since the listed ball weight of the trailer is 500#s, does that mean that I just can't haul a trailer this large?

Frankly, that seems absurd if such a truck can't tow a 20' RV trailer and it sounds much too conservative to me.

Which components are realistically the limitation, as I suspect it's the stock tires more than anything.

Please share any info on this topic that you can and thank you.

Yes, I think that your math is correct in that you probably shouldn't tow that specific trailer with the additional load that you specified (905lbs).

However, I think that it's possible that you could tow that trailer, if you make some difficult choices: you could remove all of the add-ons and only carry the 405lbs of people. Put the extra gear in the trailer. Let's assume that the rumor is true and the trailer is rear-heavy, and you need to add the weight towards the front of the trailer, so you end up with 15% (on the heavy side) of total trailer weight balanced toward the hitch. Assuming you've loaded the trailer as heavy as it can carry (6400lb), then your tongue weight would be approximately 960lbs. Add 405, and you're right at your payload rating. If you don't have to load it quite so heavy, that might save you a couple of hundred pounds, so you might not have to remove EVERYTHING, but maybe still some things.

Now, this does mean that you may have to remove all of those fancy add-ons like the camper top, heavy tires, leveling kit, etc. Sounds like you can either tow the trailer you want, or have the truck looking the way you want, but maybe not necessarily both.

(Or, I guess another option would be to have the spouse drive in a separate vehicle with your daughter and bikes and stuff.)

 

[Aron]

The trailer industry always quotes 10% of total weight for hitch wt but as post above highlights u should use 13% for travel trailer.

Most trailer sites will recommend "10-15% of the total trailer weight on the hitch." 10% should only be used for streamlined trailers like boat trailers. For dragging 10-11' walls along the highway like RV trailers, 12-15% is usually recommended. 13% is a good starting baseline, but each trailer tows differently, depending upon how it's designed, manufactured, and loaded.

A truck could pull one trailer comfortably with a 12% hitch weight, while another trailer that weighs the exact same amount might need 14-15% weight on the hitch to feel comfortable due to the way it's loaded, the position of it's axle(s), how much wind resistance is pushing on it (streamlining), how much moving weight (water) is on board--and where that weight is, etc.

Sometimes it'll take some time towing the specific trailer to dial in precisely where your load needs to be in the trailer to be the most comfortable. For my trailer, the sweet spot seems to be 13-14% of the total trailer weight on the tongue.

 

[Aron]

That is strange, maybe the moonroof and such adds weight?

If I remember correctly, we figured out that the moonroof adds ~60 lbs, the bed utility package/tailgate step adds ~70lbs, skid plates are another 30-40lbs, the 36gal fuel tank adds 80lbs, so all of that will be a hit to your payload rating.

 

[Suns_PSD]

Most trailer sites will recommend "10-15% of the total trailer weight on the hitch." 10% should only be used for streamlined trailers like boat trailers. For dragging 10-11' walls along the highway like RV trailers, 12-15% is usually recommended. 13% is a good starting baseline, but each trailer tows differently, depending upon how it's designed, manufactured, and loaded.

A truck could pull one trailer comfortably with a 12% hitch weight, while another trailer that weighs the exact same amount might need 14-15% weight on the hitch to feel comfortable due to the way it's loaded, the position of it's axle(s), how much wind resistance is pushing on it (streamlining), how much moving weight (water) is on board--and where that weight is, etc.

Sometimes it'll take some time towing the specific trailer to dial in precisely where your load needs to be in the trailer to be the most comfortable. For my trailer, the sweet spot seems to be 13-14% of the total trailer weight on the tongue.

Could you go more into depth on this? Like does someone just set the trailer at 15% tongue weight and then use the WDH to test 17% & 13% and just try and feel the difference?

Please explain.

 

[Suns_PSD]

Several generations ago, the only difference for the tow rating difference between the single rear tire (non-dually) F250 & the F350, was just the ply rating on the factory installed tires. That was it. When Ford added higher ply tires to the F250, Ford slapped an F350 emblem on it and the rating increased.

The reason that yellow sticker lists the stock tires and at what PSI is because those crap stock tires are the limiting factor as they were chosen for economy and a soft ride.

So, the question is, what is the load rating or limitations now that my truck is running a proper LT tire? Is it the brakes, the rear springs, the cooling capacity of the transmission, the rear diff, the hubs, the Al wheels themselves?

Something doesn't add up here for me...

What is the GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating) for the entire truck with a trailer? That's the real limitation once tires are upgraded imo.

Then I'd just weigh my truck loaded, weigh the trailer I want loaded, and as long as combined I'm not over the GCWR AND I have a proper rated tire, seems I's be fine.

 

[Suns_PSD]

Yes, I think that your math is correct in that you probably shouldn't tow that specific trailer with the additional load that you specified (905lbs).

However, I think that it's possible that you could tow that trailer, if you make some difficult choices: you could remove all of the add-ons and only carry the 405lbs of people. Put the extra gear in the trailer. Let's assume that the rumor is true and the trailer is rear-heavy, and you need to add the weight towards the front of the trailer, so you end up with 15% (on the heavy side) of total trailer weight balanced toward the hitch. Assuming you've loaded the trailer as heavy as it can carry (6400lb), then your tongue weight would be approximately 960lbs. Add 405, and you're right at your payload rating. If you don't have to load it quite so heavy, that might save you a couple of hundred pounds, so you might not have to remove EVERYTHING, but maybe still some things.

Now, this does mean that you may have to remove all of those fancy add-ons like the camper top, heavy tires, leveling kit, etc. Sounds like you can either tow the trailer you want, or have the truck looking the way you want, but maybe not necessarily both.

(Or, I guess another option would be to have the spouse drive in a separate vehicle with your daughter and bikes and stuff.)

Thanks for the input. Mostly my mods make the truck better at towing. Improved secure storage and better aero & improved LT tires.

But mainly I need that truck set up for the kind of boondocking I want to do which is exactly what lead me to the trailer I'm shopping for currently.

 

[Aron]

Could you go more into depth on this? Like does someone just set the trailer at 15% tongue weight and then use the WDH to test 17% & 13% and just try and feel the difference?

Please explain.

I wish it were that simple. No, it's old-school trial-and-error time to dial it in.

An RV trailer is basically a mobile seesaw with the trailer axles as the pivot point. You need more weight on the front to counteract the forces of wind resistance as you move down the highway. It's recommended to overweight towards the tongue by 12-15% of the total trailer weight so that, regardless of the amount of wind, you'll never reach the point where the center of mass of the mult-ton trailer tips towards the rear of the trailer and lifts the whole rear of your truck off the ground.

So, again, if you think of the trailer as a seesaw, with a bit more of the weight loaded ahead of the axles, then you're probably in that 10-15% window. The only real way to know precisely how much weight it is is to go to a commercial scale where you can weight the truck without the trailer, weight the truck/trailer combo, and weigh the truck/trailer combo without the WDH engaged. Even better if you have enough time on the scale to unhook the trailer such that the axles are on one point of the scale while the tongue jack is sitting on the other.

 

[UncleFester]

I dont trust the stated trailer weights, they are usually higher and that is empty. Tongue weight alone can be up to 15%, then add hitch weight and everything else you will put in the truck. Payload is always the first thing you will run out of.

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