I Need Some Towing Help

[Cobraman428]

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[Mtnman1]

Thank you. I figured I was doing my calculations right but was looking for other opinions other than what the sales guy was trying to sell.
I thought I was doing a good job when ordering my truck in getting myself set up for towing in the future. I didnt know anything then compared to what I know now. The hard truth is in my case, my truck can handle a smaller than 20' trailer and maybe not even that. Or, I have to give up the idea of towing with this truck at my current weight and looking for something better equipped.

Not sure why you leveled when planning on towing.....but.

Your calculations seem right to me. Salesguy just trying to sell.

 

[LCMM55]

Thank you. I've already told myself a trailer of that size just isn't an option without gaining back some payload or having a different truck.
So, that brings up another question. With the remaining payload I have, I should probably be looking for something in around the 4000lb GVWR?

Personally, my XLT powerboost will barely tow my 34 ft coachman apex travel trailer with my XLT 1610 payload capability and loaded for traveling. Hitch wt on the hitch label is 1160, and my trailer hitch wt is over 900 loaded. Towing capacity with the PB is 11,000. Total trailer wt is 7800. With stuff in the bed 300 pounds and 2 adults at 330 pounds in the front seat I am at the limit. Maybe I should have gotten the F250. But the PB around town gets 24 mpg, which is most of the driving we do.

 

[Samson16]

Personally, my XLT powerboost will barely tow my 34 ft coachman apex travel trailer with my XLT 1610 payload capability and loaded for traveling. Hitch wt on the hitch label is 1160, and my trailer hitch wt is over 900 loaded. Towing capacity with the PB is 11,000. Total trailer wt is 7800. With stuff in the bed 300 pounds and 2 adults at 330 pounds in the front seat I am at the limit. Maybe I should have gotten the F250. But the PB around town gets 24 mpg, which is most of the driving we do.

How does it pull and handle with that much trailer? I have nearly the same truck.

 

[LCMM55]

How does it pull and handle with that much trailer? I have nearly the same truck.

It tows fine, but have not been out west on the planes with 40 mph headwinds yet. We'll see the true test then. My previous tow vehicle was a 2004 Suburban with 5.3L. After 18 years it was just tired and I probably overloaded that truck every trip towing. I put it on a Truck scale once at Pilot and was way over and just kept going. I make sure my rig and truck are dead level with a weight distributing hitch. I also installed an AIRLIFT LOADLIFTER 5000 ULTIMATE AIR HELPERS WITH INTERNAL JOUNCE BUMPERS(bump stops that are removed before installation). It took a DIY 69 year old who is handy a day long on the ground to install, ME. OLD CHEAP PEOPLE, LOL. Check prices on amazon and Etrailer, JUST UNDER $500, less money on those sites. Double check with a call to the manufacturer for which stock number fits. I did mine a year of so ago. Model 88355. On amazon $493.96 right now. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B098BK8WP7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

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Planning and thoughtfulness when it comes to camping gear and stowage is key, especially if you have payload concerns. This is why the only stuff that goes into my bed is a small box with our sewer equipment in it. Thats it. All of that maybe weighs 25 lbs?

Some of the issues with overloaded trucks is people see the numbers, guestimate a lot of their own numbers instead of scaling, and then look at that empty truck bed and think they can fill it up. Its a truck after all, right? That and look at all that storage space in the camper and put anything and everything they can in that one spot in front.

I've gone as far as weighing every single item I put in the front storage with a scale, prior to doing so, so I would know exactly what the stuff weighs. Then, just because, I got a sherline tongue scale. Then I start looking at what we put where and how much it weighs, and what can i do to pair that down? I used to have a bunch of 4x4 wood blocks about 14 inches long or so. Now I have lynx levelers that are much much lighter...AND more useful. I used to have a huge astroturf mat that fit well when folded but was very heavy (especially if damp-which also requires removal when you get home). Now we have a smaller mat that looks nicer, fits the space better, is much lighter and lets water pass through instead of acting like a sponge.

Even now, after doing this for about 10 years, I would say about 40 percent of the stuff we have is used all the time. But its loaded in such a way that it doesn't negatively effect anything, so it comes along.

We can't access our bedroom and closests without putting the slide out. But in the rear bathroom there a big closet to hang stuff in, so clothes and stuff get loaded back there while traveling, and since its towards the back it helps with tongue weight instead of hurting it.

So there are ways to do things if you are concerned. It takes some planning though.

When I started out, we had settled on a 23 ft (actually 26 with the length of the frame) bunkhouse. Towable by our Envoy they said. So I prepped that sucker up, trans cooler, everything. First shakedown trip something like 30 miles away. Handled great (driving on roads with a 55 mph speed limit). Second trip, loaded up the kids and went 3 hours away across the interstate. Made it about half way before I couldn't deal with it anymore and needed to be on those slower 2 lane roads. Same thing on the way home.

The next week, I sold my other car for a much more capable Tahoe. And we used that for about 5 years and went all over with it. Tennessee, Virginia, DC, etc. Finally I got my first F150, and that was night and day difference, but I learned a lot from that smaller trailer and my F150s. Started out with a 2.7 EB, then due to "numbers" and we wanted the bigger trailer, went up to the 5.0, and now on the 3.5 EB which has been the best so far.

I'd consider a PB but prices on these things seem out of control, I may just buy out my lease.

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