Towing a TT one time

[mdn14]

Afternoon Everybody,

My wife and I just purchased a 28' 1996 Cobra Salem for permanent use at her family campgrounds in western PA. The trailer we bought currently resides in central/eastern Ohio. From what I have found online, I anticipate the trailer being between 5150 and 5320 lbs according to JD power. The trip is about 3.5 hours avoiding highway (2.5 hours if we don't avoid the highway) and I am fine with my max speed being 55mph and taking it slow and easy - I don't need to set any speed records.

We own a 2021 F150 Powerboost 502a with all the bells and whistles and max tow (bought used so I wouldn't have ordered it this way but it was a good deal and we wont be towing more than utility trailers very often).

Would any of you shake a leg at pulling a 5000+ a little more trailer with a weight bearing hitch rated for 5000lbs? The engineer in me says there's some factor of safety here I can dip my toes into for pulling it one time. What're your thoughts? Thanks!

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[HammaMan]

You've got not worries, pull on the highway to minimize stop and go. Your truck w/ you and your wife comes in around 6300lbs. My personal view regarding WDH use is when trailer is greater than the mass of vehicle. On heavier F150s like the PB, it increases the threshold whereas some of the trims it lowers it.

 

[RT21KRH]

Afternoon Everybody,

My wife and I just purchased a 28' 1996 Cobra Salem for permanent use at her family campgrounds in western PA. The trailer we bought currently resides in central/eastern Ohio. From what I have found online, I anticipate the trailer being between 5150 and 5320 lbs according to JD power. The trip is about 3.5 hours avoiding highway (2.5 hours if we don't avoid the highway) and I am fine with my max speed being 55mph and taking it slow and easy - I don't need to set any speed records.

We own a 2021 F150 Powerboost 502a with all the bells and whistles and max tow (bought used so I wouldn't have ordered it this way but it was a good deal and we wont be towing more than utility trailers very often).

Would any of you shake a leg at pulling a 5000+ a little more trailer with a weight bearing hitch rated for 5000lbs? The engineer in me says there's some factor of safety here I can dip my toes into for pulling it one time. What're your thoughts? Thanks!

Should not be a problem whatsoever. I tow ~5500 lbs enclosed car trailer easily usually 75 mph and get 10-13 MPG. 550 miles in 8 hours clock time, one stop. At 55 mph you do even better. Have 21 PB with max tow FX4 king ranch etc.

 

[Tosh]

The truck will be fine. I'd be more concerned about the trailer. How long since it's last maintenance? Tires should not be more than 5 years old, no matter how much tread they appear to have. Bearings need grease, brakes need adjustment, etc.

I pull a 21' trailer with GVWR of 5000lb and tongue weight of 550lb - Lariat PB w/FX4, Max Tow 65mph on a freeway is no problem

 

[WD8CXB]

I have a 2023 3.6L EcoBoost with the Max Tow. I did buy the truck for towing and have towed a 16' flatbed with a 5000lb load. I have not yet towed the 12' cargo trailer or 23' Travel Trailer with the 2023. However have towed them with our Expedition, which has the same engine, rear-end, and max tow that my truck has. The travel trailer weighs about 6500 lbs and is fully loaded with gear, water, food, etc. I have had no problem with any of them. My MPG goes down a lot when towing, but that was expected. I use a load-distributing hitch on the Travel Trailer and the cargo trailer. The 16' flat bed carries a tractor that can be adjusted over the tandem wheels, keeping the tongue weight at about 10%.

 

[Buyer2021]

With the specific scenario you describe I'd be more focused on the trailer's weight bias than its total weight, and I would certainly NOT try to minimize the tongue weight (if that's your inclination).

For even a short haul 'taking it slow' I'd want to ensure at least 10% of the actual total trailer weight is on the tongue.

Lacking actual CAT Scale total and tongue weights for this specific trailer, if the trailer is 'empty' as if new from a dealer I would ....

1) ensure any / all holding tanks behind the axles are empty; and,​

2) fill any / all holding tanks in front of the axles. If black and/or grey tanks are in front of the axles, fill 'em with water from a hose running in the toilet (black) and a sink or the shower drain (grey).​

All this to help ensure there's adequate forward weight-bias to prevent dread trailer-sway which can bite one big-time even at low speeds. Empty RV trailers often do not have adequate forward weight bias. IMO with your specific scenario proper weight bias in the trailer is more critical than the pounds on the hitch from a hitch rating standpoint (yep, I agree it's conservative).

Then yeah, I'd do your careful one-time haul with the MaxTow package without a WDH.

 

[HammaMan]

With the specific scenario you describe I'd be more focused on the trailer's weight bias than its total weight, and I would certainly NOT try to minimize the tongue weight (if that's your inclination).

For even a short haul 'taking it slow' I'd want to ensure at least 10% of the actual total trailer weight is on the tongue.

Lacking actual CAT Scale total and tongue weights for this specific trailer, if the trailer is 'empty' as if new from a dealer I would ....

1) ensure any / all holding tanks behind the axles are empty; and,​

2) fill any / all holding tanks in front of the axles. If black and/or grey tanks are in front of the axles, fill 'em with water from a hose running in the toilet (black) and a sink or the shower drain (grey).​

All this to help ensure there's adequate forward weight-bias to prevent dread trailer-sway which can bite one big-time even at low speeds. Empty RV trailers often do not have adequate forward weight bias. IMO with your specific scenario proper weight bias in the trailer is more critical than the pounds on the hitch from a hitch rating standpoint (yep, I agree it's conservative).

Then yeah, I'd do your careful one-time haul with the MaxTow package without a WDH.

A tape measure can help with that by measuring squat post jack lowering...

 

[Buyer2021]

A tape measure can help with that by measuring squat post jack lowering...

One will observe some squat with most any weight on the hitch, please explain how a tape measurement helps ensure adequate weight unless one has correlated squat-inches to tongue-pounds?

 

[HammaMan]

One will observe some squat with most any weight on the hitch, please explain how a tape measurement helps ensure adequate weight unless one has correlated squat-inches to tongue-pounds?

Ya answered your own question.

 

[Aron]

I think that you’ll probably be OK risking the slight over-capacity on the hitch rating. Nope, after further clarification.

But if you’re concerned about it, you can get a cheap WDH from Amazon for $100-$300. I can’t promise that these would be high-quality hitches, but I’m assuming that they will at least distribute some amount of the weight, and keep you within published specs. Seems like a fairly low-cost bit of insurance, all in all. Especially if (I’m assuming) you don’t have much towing experience with this type of trailer.

 

[DT444T]

weight bearing hitch rated for 5000lbs?

I absolutely would NOT. You're risking thousands of dollars on a $50 hitch.

Get the correct hitch AND ball. It doesn't have to be a WDH, especially for one time. But you yourself have said that empty weight exceeds the rated capacity.

Remember that your capacity is limited by the lowest common denominator. If the hitch is rated for 7500 and the ball is rated for 5000 then you are limited by the ball to 5000.

Get the right equipment and then you don't have to worry about anything.

 

[HammaMan]

I absolutely would NOT. You're risking thousands of dollars on a $50 hitch.

Get the correct hitch AND ball. It doesn't have to be a WDH, especially for one time. But you yourself have said that empty weight exceeds the rated capacity.

Remember that your capacity is limited by the lowest common denominator. If the hitch is rated for 7500 and the ball is rated for 5000 then you are limited by the ball to 5000.

Get the right equipment and then you don't have to worry about anything.

The hitch is the ford C4 hitch rated to 12klbs -- you're misunderstanding his question.

 

[DT444T]

The hitch is the ford C4 hitch rated to 12klbs -- you're misunderstanding his question.

bruh
I literally quoted OP. They asked:

" Would any of you shake a leg at pulling a 5000+ a little more trailer with a weight bearing hitch rated for 5000lbs? "

The hitch is rated at 5k. The trailer weighs more.

 

[HammaMan]

bruh
I literally quoted OP. They asked:

" Would any of you shake a leg at pulling a 5000+ a little more trailer with a weight bearing hitch rated for 5000lbs? "

The hitch is rated at 5k. The trailer weighs more.

He's got a powerboost, they only come one way

 

[DT444T]

He's got a powerboost, they only come one way

What are you talking about? OP asked about using a 5000' weight carrying hitch. He is not asking about the hitch *receiver* on the truck.

This is the item in question. A hitch rated to tow 5000 pounds. The truck's capacity is not in question here. You are all talking WDH but that is not the question.

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