Tellus

Oh Drat! I just lost my entire post (script error) so I'll try again.

I'm about to sell my SoCal home and get an RV. It would be nice if I could tow my 1999 V6 F150 with only 54,000 miles and paid for! I'd be able to put my little golf cart in the bed. I was hoping I'd find answers here.

About me I'm a tough 68 year old W O M A N married 47 years now widowed. Now I want to travel and visit my grand kids and friends around the USA.

The best of all worlds would be a class C or Class A towing my truck if that is even possible.

I'm open to any suggestions except stay home. lol

Velosprout

Welcome to the forums. Will you be traveling by yourself or with family and friends? Do you plan to be a full-timer or spend part of the year staying in a family home or your own apartment or downsized home? Travel just regionally or nationally? Do you plan on southern winters only? All of these would dictate whether you would be best suited with a Class A or Class C motor home, a smaller Class B. Irregardless, and as much as I am a Ford Pickup fan, if I was full-timing I would want a smaller, lighter vehicle to tow, such as a Ford Fiesta or Dodge Dart.. This would provide local transportation but save thousands of pounds of towing weight. Towing your truck would be possible.
http://www.motorhome.com/download-dinghy-guides/

Tellus

Hi Thanks for the info. I have been watch the RV Fullertimers on YouTube for several years now and you would think I'd have a a plan by now. I will be a FullTimer once I sell my house in SoCal. I went to the RV Dealership the other day and looked at every size and price from a tiny trailer to pull behind to a big 579,000 Class A. (I sure won't be getting that one!) lol One of the important things to me is that I can bring my Surrey (small Utility Cart). So now I'm back to seeing if I could pull a Toy Hauler like a 2005 Lite Weight Skyline Rampage behind my F150XLT 1999. I keep getting different answers on whether my truck can pull it. Or is there any way I can soup the V6 engine up. I could use the deep cell battery's from the cart and build a table over it. That way I could start off on a frugal budget till I get to TN and buy a better one with no sales taxes. I still have some time but I appreciate any input I can get on this forum.

Velosprout

According to the 1999 Trailer Life Towing Guide, maximum tow weights for a 1999 F150 with the 4.2 V6 engine are as follows:

F-150 4.2 V-6 4,800 a,b
F-150 4.2 V-6 5,800 a,c,g
F-150 4WD 4.2 V-6 5,400 a,c,g
F-150 SuperCab 4.2 V-6 4,500 a,b
F-150 SuperCab 4.2 V-6 5,500 a,c,g
F-150 4.2 V-6 5,800 a,c
F-150 4WD 4.2 V-6 5,400 a,c
F-150 SuperCab 4.2 V-6 5,500 a,c
a Requires automatic transmission and towing package.
b Requires 3.31:1 axle ratio.
c Requires 3.55:1 axle ratio.
g Fifth-wheel towing.



Unfortunately, towing a camper with this truck would be limited to a lighter-weight camper such as a Casita, Camplite, a Pop-Up Camper, etc. While these would be perfectly fine for one person, they are unlikely to have the amenities, space, capacities, and full season insulation you would want or need for full-timing nor the capacity of a toy hauler. It appears a smallest Skyline Rampage weighs around 7700 pounds loaded.

The payload specifications on your truck will also be a limiter. The payload specifications should be on the driver's door frame on a sticker. If you have a payload of say, 1300 pounds, you will reduce that by the hitch weight, the weight of the driver and any passengers, any options on the truck (topper, tonneau, aftermarket running boards, etc.), and anything you are hauling in the truck bed.

It looks like a Class C Motorhome (a Forest River F450-based Class C may have up to 7500 towing capacity) towing your current F150 or a new larger capacity pickup truck towing a new toyhauler would be in order.

Tellus

That was really nice of you to give me this info. I guess I'd better get off the idea of towing anything with the truck then. Back to a class a or c with a lot of space. Looks like it's time for my truck to move on. I'm sad already. Thanks again!