I Need Some Towing Help

[Keef]

Well I am defintely not a towing mathematician but I can speak to real world towing.

My older 2015 Platinum, which had Pano roof, bedliner, tonneau, ecoboost, power running boards and all the weighted bells and whistles, towed my 29TBS at 7,260lbs dry (2020 Grand Design Transcend 29TBS Travel Trailer Specs (granddesignsource.com) ) with no issues. Every RARE once in awhile it would get a little wobbly, but I put more of that on the 143" wheelbase hauling a 36ft (ball hitch to bumper) trailer, than the trailer weighing too much.

Other Qs I have are: Where are you towing this too? 20 miles to your property? How many times a year are you towing? Flat highway or are you going up and down the Rockies? Driving in snow?

I definitely dont want to talk someone into a risky situation but these trucks have listings for 'recommended' suggestions. I personally witnessed a Dodge 1500 take a whole pallet of 80lbs concrete and watch the guy drive off. I was waiting for the wheels to pop off as the thing CLEARLY went beyond load max capacity and the rear was dragging but it worked...

I would ask the salesman (who is going to make a commission on a 5000 trailer as well as a 4000lb trailer, if you can hook it up and drive it around for a few miles. Most of them will allow it as long as the salesman comes with you.......

To answer you're questions. It would be no further than an hour away for this year. Mostly flat ground. Upcoming years I would plan on taking it up to 4 hours or so away and through some decent hills. Would never plan on driving in snow.
While I appreciate your insight, I have told myself that this trailer is well beyond my limits. I'm new to towing travel trailers but have towed some large enclosed trailers that were definitely close or beyond max limits and it was not enjoyable. So I want to keep the travel trailer within safe weights so I can enjoy the drive as well as the camping once I get there.

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[Keef]

@Keef , I gotta commend you for considering these realities, many folks don't and end up getting turned off to the RV lifestyle due to less than enjoyable trailering outcomes.

IME over 50 years of trailering (yeah, I'm well into my 70's and have enjoyed trailering all of my adult life), exceeding recommended vehicle weight limits or ignoring well-established rules-of-thumb regarding tongue weight bias inevitably results in less-than-enjoyable, or stressful, or outright dangerous situations.

One thing to keep in mind, IMO, is that many of these recommendations and guidelines come into play in the less-than-optimal towing conditions that one is likely to encounter eventually on their travels. Whether that be treacherous winds, bad road conditions, road debris inciting an evasive maneuver, a trailer tire failure, or whatever ... that stuff happens in our real-world travels, and that's when borderline loading can bite ya. Those situations cannot be 'tested' with a few days of towing,

The whole purpose of RV'ing is to relax and have fun every mile along the way. IME driving a rig that's well-within its all of its recommended weight and load-distribution guidelines is the first step in ensuring that positive experience mile-after-mile.

Wishing you the best in your endeavors.

Just trying to be responsible for not only myself, but others on the road as well. Thank you

 

[amschind]

I wouldn't hesitate to pull that with a decent anti-sway weight distribution hitch. Doesn't need to be a Propride, just one of the 4-5 really good ones.

I was talking to a rep at a transmission maker about eventually replacing my 10R80 when she goes, and mentioned that I'm treating this truck like a 3/4 ton. He was nervous and asked what I meant, and I told him #8-9k for a few hundred miles. He replied "Oh, fine, as long as it's not like 15-18000 pounds.". I jokingly said that I heard that if you add a lift kit to a half ton, it will safely tow that much, and there was an awkward pause while he tried to figure out over the phone if I was serious. I chuckled, but he didn't....he just said "Dude, you would be surprised."


The point is that as much as we discuss numbers, the single most important thing isn't buying your lady friend a Peloton and a size 4 dress (don't actually do that) or ripping out your rear seats or giving away your dog. It's just paying attention and being safe; if you're not pushing the limits, there's leeway.

 

[JJSnell]

To answer you're questions. It would be no further than an hour away for this year. Mostly flat ground. Upcoming years I would plan on taking it up to 4 hours or so away and through some decent hills. Would never plan on driving in snow.
While I appreciate your insight, I have told myself that this trailer is well beyond my limits. I'm new to towing travel trailers but have towed some large enclosed trailers that were definitely close or beyond max limits and it was not enjoyable. So I want to keep the travel trailer within safe weights so I can enjoy the drive as well as the camping once I get there.

Fully understand and follow that fully. I have a little Ford tractor that doesnt sit well on my flatbed when the backhoe is attached to the back of it (not enough tongue weight). So I would white knuckle that thing out to our property on every trip. Now granted that was more about distribution as I was well under the weight... but I am understanding "comfort while driving".

I guess the part that kinda pisses me off about all this is the reported number and all the hidden asterisks... Whats the point of having the power of a PowerBoost engine with Max Tow, if I cant tow as much as a standard 5.0 without it????

With these numbers being reported, you cant even tow 5000lbs ??? Again, not you, or your concern for safety, just stupid marketing from Ford.... "Hey Ford, you're telling me I cant even tow 38% or your own suggested towing capacities???"

 

[{tpc}]

You already have some great advice. I know this was touched on already, but I wanted to mention you can change tongue weight by the loading of the trailer. Which may have been why the salesman commented on the "rear slide", being that the slide and its mechanisms usually are a heavy part of trailer.

That said, a fairly inexpensive sherline tongue weight scale could give you more of a ballpark estimate of the tongue weight when looking at trailers as the dry hitch weight is almost never correct. The hard part is to have a way to place it for measurement. I prefer a 4x4 probably about 14 inchs long with the scale on top. You would want to have the ground fairly level for this, but you really only need the tongue jack to just be slightly off the ground. If the scale or 4x4 were to slip, it wouldn't make much difference as the tongue jack would be so close to the ground.

I've used mine with much success. It has really helped to decide where I load things into the trailer and how much. A lot of these trailers have "texas sized" front pass through storage. Thats awesome, but you still filling it with chairs and grills and wood blocks for leveling and watch that tongue weight go up and up and up. But, they may also have rear storage, and putting heavier things back there can and will change the tongue weight, if the weight is placed over or behind the tires.

I have 2 electric bikes, altogether they probably weigh 150ish pounds. I can put them in the bed, but I don't like that they are exposed, I don't like the extra tongue weight nor how it handles. So they end up in the inside of the trailer slightly over and behind the axles. It doesn't really make the tongue that much lighter, but its definitely not heavier. Its kind of like how a toy hauler works, in that a lot of them have a heavy tongue weight unloaded, but drop a couple harleys in the back and that changes a bit.

Unfortunately, for a bigger guy, payload is a big concern. The "features" you can get on a lot of these trucks eats into that greatly. Its why I had mine built the way I wanted it, and left some stuff out and didn't get a lariat. I have about 300 lbs more payload than you. Now it wouldn't perfect, but if you had that extra payload, you might be really close to being under instead of over. Its good that you investigated this before you jumped in.

I'd get a sherline scale and go check out some of the units at the dealership. A lot of times they will have batterys in them so they can show them, and may or may not have propane. You can estimate that stuff. But you can see how they are configured for storage, and get a better estimate than a piece of paper. Just be realistic. I've had dealers tell me I'm going to put 1500 lbs of stuff in my trailer. Whatever. I've weighed everything I've put in it and that was no where near close. For me. Others, ymmv.

 

[medic455]

I had the same thought - the question is begged - @Keef , have you or your dealer installed any accessories since your truck left the factory (e.g. tonneau, bed cap, wheels / tires, etc) which might account for your rather high 'everyday equipment' weight?

And let’s not forget, a lifted truck will also reduce your payload as well. Just read an article on it yesterday

 

[Buyer2021]

And let’s not forget, a lifted truck will also reduce your payload as well. Just read an article on it yesterday

Link to that article?

 

[medic455]

Link to that article?

Let me see if I can find it and I will post it up

 

[medic455]

Link to that article?

https://www.thervgeeks.com/what-is-...uck+Wiring+Solar+Panels+In+Series+vs+Parallel

this is one that I was reading on

 

[medic455]

Link to that article?

the other is on YouTube under the heading of “Overloaded” by Fast lane Trucks. Can’t seem to get it to copy over for the link. I just searched lifted trucks and towing and it popped up.

 

[JEB]

the other is on YouTube under the heading of “Overloaded” by Fast lane Trucks. Can’t seem to get it to copy over for the link. I just searched lifted trucks and towing and it popped up.

The link can be found in this post. https://www.f150gen14.com/forum/thr...ed-trucks-that-nobody-is-talking-about.22894/

Another sobering statistic that the TFL guys learned the hard way is that Ford sets its towing capacities at sea level and that Ford says to derate the truck by 2% for every 1000 feet of altitude. So, an 11,000 lb tow vehicle becomes an 8,800 lb tow vehicle in the mountains at 10,000 feet.

 

[medic455]

The link can be found in this post. https://www.f150gen14.com/forum/thr...ed-trucks-that-nobody-is-talking-about.22894/

Thank you so much. I’m old and not very tech savvy. ?

 

[Ranger621]

I have a pop-up camper for sale...a fusion would tow this. I am now towing a flagstaff 26RBWS with my 2022 Lariat supercrew 5.5" bed max tow everything package with a ProPride hitch with absolutely no issues.

 

[Reverberocket]

REALLY appreciating this forum and comments by owners with real-world experience.

 

[HammaMan]

This wouldn't be difficult to hit the scale at proper weight and balance. When towing move whatever 'stuff' you have to the back of the trailer. The location of the tanks also matter. Tanks behind the axle when completely filled to prevent slosh can also buy some stable weight off of the tongue. There's too many variables and no one size fits all approach to this.

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