I could use some advice from towing experts.

[Davexxxx]

If you have CCD, Sport Mode has a different damping map.

But that rear Antisway bar is a much bigger improvement for curves and turn in.
If you are desiring a dose of "go-kart" chassis dynamics in an F150, tires, shocks, and more more front Antisway need attention too.

Gotta get some of the body roll out of it.

I do not have CCD but I am open to some tweaking and accessories, once we get the trailer and I see what is what.

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[Davexxxx]

Wow, 5 pages already. Grateful for all the folks with towing experience on here. One more tip from having just used our 27ft bumper pull: Get yourself a longer hitch shank for your weight distribution hitch, long enough to let the tailgate down and still clear your trailer's jack or other obstructions on the yoke.

I used this one, which measures 13 inches on center to your pin.

https://www.etrailer.com/Accessories_and_Parts/Equal~i~zer/EQ90-02-4500.html

Depending on how much room you need, you can just pivot the jack, so the head is sideways.

Either take it loose from the frame and spin the whole thing (might be some hole alignment problems) or take the jack head off, turn it 90 degrees and remount. Some brands make it easier than others but I haven't seen any that can't be turned.

 

[Samson16]

I knew that changed throttle response, activates 4A and adjusted shift points but didn't know it affected suspension.

Does it do the same in tow haul?

I was just speaking to the throttle and the transmission behavior changes. I don't have 4A or CCD, but I get all up on the steering wheel, turn my hat backwards, and let her rip like I'm 16 years old again!

 

[Snakebitten]

I do not have CCD but I am open to some tweaking and accessories, once we get the trailer and I see what is what.

Dialing in the truck for towing an RV is PERFECT cover for tieing down that chassis a bit.
The same things that give the truck enhanced stability under towing/Payload stress, also give it surefootedness when you unhitch!

You'll be sacrificing much of the 1/2 ton Buick-Ness of the empty F150, but I say good riddance to such anyway. ??

 

[scuba]

I was just speaking to the throttle and the transmission behavior changes. I don't have 4A or CCD, but I get all up on the steering wheel, turn my hat backwards, and let her rip like I'm 16 years old again!

Yeah, I didn't think sport mode had anything to do with the truck. ??

 

[scuba]

Depending on how much room you need, you can just pivot the jack, so the head is sideways.

Either take it loose from the frame and spin the whole thing (might be some hole alignment problems) or take the jack head off, turn it 90 degrees and remount. Some brands make it easier than others but I haven't seen any that can't be turned.

Thanks Dave-- I tried unbolting and spinning the whole thing, and in both of the other two configurations (of the three bolts aligned) the jack head protrudes into my propane tank cover (it doesn't turn perpendicular to the trailer, just points to 00, 120 degrees or 240 degrees). I didn't think about removing the head, but might try that next time I get ambitious (because this shank is really really long). For now will just bask in the glory of all the extra (2 inches more than I needed) clearance.

 

[Davexxxx]

Thanks Dave-- I tried unbolting and spinning the whole thing, and in both of the other two configurations (of the three bolts aligned) the jack head protrudes into my propane tank cover (it doesn't turn perpendicular to the trailer, just points to 00, 120 degrees or 240 degrees). I didn't think about removing the head, but might try that next time I get ambitious (because this shank is really really long). For now will just bask in the glory of all the extra (2 inches more than I needed) clearance.

There are tons of vids on this.

You might need a tap but some already come threaded and all seem to have the hole pre drilled.

 

[Aron]

for us clean drinking water is paramount
i can count on ZERO fingers the campgrounds we have visited that had water that was actually drinkable, and not full of minerals chunks

we used to carry min 4 cases of water in basement and 2gallons Gatorade and tea in fridge
we put in a RO system so now we carry 1 case of water and still full gatorade and tea in fridge and filter our own water for gatorade mix, tea and coffee

i do not understand why so many campgrounds have junky water supply pipes of iron pipe.

In general, I've had pretty good luck with campground tap water. However, after staying a night in Havre MT in 2017, where the water tasted like rotten eggs and brushing your teeth actually made your mouth feel worse, we've been using those blue water filters that connect near the campground tap. Haven't had any issue of bad water since. We swap it out for new one every camping season. (We also swap out the white water hose every year or two, since that starts getting pretty foul as well.)

 

[Snakebitten]

7th year living in an RV.
No matter the water source, everything I drink, including ice, travels through my trusty

One thing anecdotal that implies the thing is really good at what it's supposed to do is my Espresso machine hasn't built up any scaling in all these years ever.

 

[UGADawg96]

for us clean drinking water is paramount
i can count on ZERO fingers the campgrounds we have visited that had water that was actually drinkable, and not full of minerals chunks

we used to carry min 4 cases of water in basement and 2gallons Gatorade and tea in fridge
we put in a RO system so now we carry 1 case of water and still full gatorade and tea in fridge and filter our own water for gatorade mix, tea and coffee

i do not understand why so many campgrounds have junky water supply pipes of iron pipe.

7th year living in an RV.
No matter the water source, everything I drink, including ice, travels through my trusty

One thing anecdotal that implies the thing is really good at what it's supposed to do is my Espresso machine hasn't built up any scaling in all these years ever.

We keep a Berkey system on the trailer. However, if we're close to civilization, which we are on the east coast, we sometimes just grab a few gallons of spring water from the grocery store once at camp for convenience.

 

[powerboatr]

we have used GE and whirpool whole house Reverse Osmosis systems in all of our rvs
the towable was a challenge for get a good spot

we also have a whole house 5 micron on all water that connects to rv. plus all WATER goes through a softener, ( thats a challenge for space in fiver, but the bus we had extra room)
then all drinking, coffee tea etc goes through the RO system
we used to drink what ever came out of the line at Campgrounds and it took about 2x of sand in the water and us getting sick, dishes and shower looking rough . we went with filtration

all can be purchased at the big box stores or amazon ..never ever buy it if says RV...as you pay twice for same filters

our kerig has not scaled up as well
i have been to one park west of san antonio where the water was so hard , that i had to regen the softener after 200 gallons of use. they also had iron pipes for water supply.

if you have room, do it

but at least get a 5 micron for the water hose feeding the rv.
and always WASH the hose bib off with soap and water before you hook up your water line to the cg spigot
people do some weird stuff to spigots

there is no doubt your truck will handle the load as you described. payload is going to be the only thing that skirts the line

load up the rig, kids, wife, bikes, food etc that you expect to take on a week long trip, and go weigh the whole enchilada
thats is the only weight to truly verify your math.


BUT THE MOST important thing is HAVE FUN and relax, plan for the issues that may arise and enjoy the time with family and kids and GRANDKIDS

good roadside plan is also a must with all the crap on the highways that bite tires

 

[amschind]

SUMMARY:
A giant tow vehicle will cause more problems than it solves if it is utilized as a substitute for good decision making.

1) Airstreams are more aerodynamic and sit lower than most travel trailers. My 25' Tradewind is currently gutted so only weighs 2400# right now, but still sped up and stopped as though there were nothing behind me on hills, in rain et c EVEN WITHOUT trailer brakes. The only time that it was ever an issue was a windy road in N Central Texas with tons of pot holes where it started to sway.....Equalizer stopped it (and again, it didn't have functional trailer brakes at that point).

2) Trailer brakes matter a lot. I purposely got a 1975 because I wanted to Frankenstein it to my taste, so it has a pair of new Dexter axles. The new axles that AS puts on them are very good, and should work great.

3) Get a good WDS: The trailer WEIGHT will be well below your max, but an AS is still a giant sail. It will try to sway in wind: a good WDS and trailer brakes will save your bacon.

4) Having a tow vehicle that is massive overkill for the purpose will mitigate the need for 2 and 3, but it's actually a suboptimal solution. As a buddy in Midland said "You don't need a 1 ton 4x4 dually diesel to pick up groceries at HEB"; you don't need an F450 to pull a 25' AS as long as you take the well documented steps to prevent sway under worst case scenarios and remain prepared to avoid driving in awful conditions. A Superduty might allow you pull on an interstate in a blizzard with a 30 MPH crosswind, but the correct answer is you should just plan to spend an extra day or two wherever you are camped rather than chancing it regardless of tow vehicle.

 

[powerboatr]

as a safe guy... not saying its gospel
but almost ALL tires on towables are ST tires
they are speed rated at 65 mph, not 70.
sooooo if you plan to go faster towing, especially in summer upgrade to LT tires

 

[Nasto]

I think you mentioned your payload is 1300 or so and your tongue wt is 500lb. My crayon math indicates 800lb. left for people pets and gear.
Stowing gear in the trailer reduces the payload hit by about 90%. Cases of water that combined weigh 100lb add just 10lb to payload if they’re in your trailer properly positioned. 2 cents from a newbie…

I wondered about that and it sure does seem to make sense.

SUMMARY:
A giant tow vehicle will cause more problems than it solves if it is utilized as a substitute for good decision making.

1) Airstreams are more aerodynamic and sit lower than most travel trailers. My 25' Tradewind is currently gutted so only weighs 2400# right now, but still sped up and stopped as though there were nothing behind me on hills, in rain et c EVEN WITHOUT trailer brakes. The only time that it was ever an issue was a windy road in N Central Texas with tons of pot holes where it started to sway.....Equalizer stopped it (and again, it didn't have functional trailer brakes at that point).

2) Trailer brakes matter a lot. I purposely got a 1975 because I wanted to Frankenstein it to my taste, so it has a pair of new Dexter axles. The new axles that AS puts on them are very good, and should work great.

3) Get a good WDS: The trailer WEIGHT will be well below your max, but an AS is still a giant sail. It will try to sway in wind: a good WDS and trailer brakes will save your bacon.

4) Having a tow vehicle that is massive overkill for the purpose will mitigate the need for 2 and 3, but it's actually a suboptimal solution. As a buddy in Midland said "You don't need a 1 ton 4x4 dually diesel to pick up groceries at HEB"; you don't need an F450 to pull a 25' AS as long as you take the well documented steps to prevent sway under worst case scenarios and remain prepared to avoid driving in awful conditions. A Superduty might allow you pull on an interstate in a blizzard with a 30 MPH crosswind, but the correct answer is you should just plan to spend an extra day or two wherever you are camped rather than chancing it regardless of tow vehicle.

Excellent suggestions! Thank you for taking the time to contribute. Looks like I have the answer I'm looking for. I will definitely look for the best WDS.

 

[Davexxxx]

"Excellent suggestions! Thank you for taking the time to contribute. Looks like I have the answer I'm looking for. I will definitely look for the best WDS."

Here are 11 ranked, after real world use.

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