Did I buy the wrong truck for towing?

[Zco1]

Sorry was having trouble getting on the forum earlier. Payload is 1301, GVRW is 7350, and GAWR is 4150 rear 3900 front.

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[PowerBoostSoCal]

You are sure to get a response or two from the RV towing police on a forum, but I personally think you should set up your rig to the best of your ability and then be honest with yourself about how it handles in your described configuration.

Or put another way, I'd rather have a rig that handled good but was a couple of hundred pounds over Payload, than a rig that just didn't tow well even though it was a couple of hundred pounds under Payload capacity.

Two different RV's with the same exact tongue weight and as-loaded-weight can tow completely different. There's a lot of geometry at play and trailer frame/axle location can be great or horrible.

I also would address some shortcomings of the OEM F150. For towing at or near capacity it would really prosper from better tires, shocks, and even a rear Antisway bar. Then take the time to truly dial that WDH in for good front axle weight.

My thoughts exactly. Good/Superior quality tires, shocks, etc. NO lift kits or other modifications (except maybe high quality airbags). Plus - really make sure you have your trailer brakes dialed in. Make a full weight test trip, maybe without the precious cargo and test out stopping (hard braking), quick lane changes, etc. I would think you are going to be just fine - keeping a good head about the road ahead and always watching the tire pressures, fluids and gauges -

 

[Hullguy]

I towed a Lance that had a specified 800 lbs tongue weight. In reality it was 1200 lbs. which was the payload of my PB Platinum.

It's true that she lit the spark that started the fire. But the stack of kindling was present already. I blame you for me collecting the pile. ?



I won't disparage a Brinkley. ?
But I'm having a barn on wheels designed/built. (Sheep Camp, to be exact)
My plan is to switch to it from the one I have been living in, but actually towing it on occasions. (something I've never done in 9 years of full-timeing)

sweet!

 

[madsend81]

Put everything you won't need while driving in the TT as opposed to the bed of the PB in order to control the payload on the truck. Your 1301 lbs of payload will get eaten up very quickly.

 

[CND Supercrew]

Maybe late, but this is what you need to decide any truck for towing...

Payload will always be your limiting factory, all other number are subjective!!

So you have xxxx payload based on the yellow door sticker, this is how your numbers work.
xxxx 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. This tongue weight has to be taken away from your payload of xxxx. If you run out of payload, you're unsafe to tow, bottom line...

 

[Zco1]

So this is what I am working with based off the Ford calculator. 741 available tongue load on the truck, with a 616 factory tongue weight on the trailer (but I also added another battery). 7410 max trailer weight with a 6995 GVRW on the trailer. Looks like I can make it work, but too close to max for me to put 2 kids in the truck. Convinced my wife to look at some 3/4 Tons, so if she's on board with spending the money, I see no reason not to at this point. I love my PB, but in the end if I am stressing towing it or putting my family or others in danger, then it doesn't matter how much I like the truck as a daily. Another option is trading in my wife's minivan for something like a Yukon XL. As much as I'd love to get rid of the van, I don't think that gets me in any better place than where I'm at with the F150. I should also add that my wife likes traveling with water in the trailer and using our facilities when on the road, so our tanks are never empty.

 

[Chris GTO TT]

Just for comparison here is my calculator with weights input for my family of 4 to go camping. I also use weight safe for my weight distribution (and also their normal adjustable hitch for our car trailer or the family's boat). My loaded travel trailer tongue weight is 800-900lbs, with a trailer GVWR of 7500lbs. As you can see for a family of 4 it's pretty easy to blow past payload capacity. When I tow the travel trailer I wish I had an F250 (especially when it's windy), but the rest of the time I'm glad I have a F150. I originally really wanted a PB for the PPOB, it's a match made in heaven for camping. However, the regular EB's payload capacity won out.

 

[Davexxxx]

So this is what I am working with based off the Ford calculator. 741 available tongue load on the truck, with a 616 factory tongue weight on the trailer (but I also added another battery). 7410 max trailer weight with a 6995 GVRW on the trailer. Looks like I can make it work, but too close to max for me to put 2 kids in the truck. Convinced my wife to look at some 3/4 Tons, so if she's on board with spending the money, I see no reason not to at this point. I love my PB, but in the end if I am stressing towing it or putting my family or others in danger, then it doesn't matter how much I like the truck as a daily. Another option is trading in my wife's minivan for something like a Yukon XL. As much as I'd love to get rid of the van, I don't think that gets me in any better place than where I'm at with the F150. I should also add that my wife likes traveling with water in the trailer and using our facilities when on the road, so our tanks are never empty.

I think that is a fairly extreme decision.

If you want to keep the Powerboost, just get a different PB, with more payload.

Stay away from the optional tailgates, moonroofs and FX package and you'll be in the 1600lb class. Put a Weather tech bedliner and soft tonneau on it and you won't have used but 40 bs of that.

Its been a while but last I looked, the 150s had a lot more tech and creature comforts, than the SDs. Is a platinum 250, even as nice as Lariat 150?

Is it your daily driver? I'd have to have real reason to give up the F150 platform for an SD. Harder to park, rough ass ride, sucky gas mileage and you've given up PPOB to boot, all for a few hundred pounds of payload, that you can have in a different PB?

 

[tsigwing]

I would at least once load up and go, keep it close in case it tows poorly. That is a big expense to take on, especially if it tows fine.

 

[Davexxxx]

I towed a Lance that had a specified 800 lbs tongue weight. In reality it was 1200 lbs. which was the payload of my PB Platinum.

sweet!

And?

How did it tow? Have you kept that set up?

 

[Davexxxx]

You can easily shave some tongue weight, if the trailer has lead acid batteries, by switching to LiFePO4 and get much better performance too.
And shave even more, by moving them inside the trailer.

 

[Hullguy]

We

And?

How did it tow? Have you kept that set up?

After changing to an Andersen WD hitch it was fine. Towed it for 4 years with the PB. I wasn’t trying to set any speed records, no more than 65mph

we traded it in for a Brinkley bumper pull and had to get a larger tow vehicle. Went with a used GMC 2500, mostly because it had a cap and increased our storage for my wife’s handicapped scooter and trike

 

[Davexxxx]

We

After changing to an Andersen WD hitch it was fine. Towed it for 4 years with the PB. I wasn’t trying to set any speed records, no more than 65mph

we traded it in for a Brinkley bumper pull and had to get a larger tow vehicle. Went with a used GMC 2500, mostly because it had a cap and increased our storage for my wife’s handicapped scooter and trike

So you were way overweight relative to what OP will be with no ill effects for 4 yrs.

Honestly, better than I expected.

 

[Snakebitten]

we traded it in for a Brinkley bumper pull and had to get a larger tow vehicle.

Ahhhh

Now I understand the Brinkley temptation earlier ?

Which bumper pull did you grab?

(If I did go with a traditional RV manufacturer, I'd probably go 5th wheel. Or at least I picked an F350 with that in mind. But honestly, the manufacturers have worn me out over the past decade)

 

[Polo08816]

You are sure to get a response or two from the RV towing police on a forum, but I personally think you should set up your rig to the best of your ability and then be honest with yourself about how it handles in your described configuration.

Or put another way, I'd rather have a rig that handled good but was a couple of hundred pounds over Payload, than a rig that just didn't tow well even though it was a couple of hundred pounds under Payload capacity.

Two different RV's with the same exact tongue weight and as-loaded-weight can tow completely different. There's a lot of geometry at play and trailer frame/axle location can be great or horrible.

I also would address some shortcomings of the OEM F150. For towing at or near capacity it would really prosper from better tires, shocks, and even a rear Antisway bar. Then take the time to truly dial that WDH in for good front axle weight.

A rear anti-roll bar is probably the last modification I would make to improve handling in a bumper pull scenario.

It's more relevant in cases such as a 5th wheel/goose neck hitch where the hitch applies a force above the roll axis. Or in cases where you want to put a camper in the bed. The effect of a anti-roll bar on a bumper pull application probably is not as significant as any of the following:

1. Uprated tires such as Load Range E tires
2. Uprated leaf springs for a higher spring rate such as the leaf springs from the Heavy Duty Payload Package
3. Improved suspension such as the Bilstein 6112/5162 combo and similar products
4. Airbags

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