1st Time Towing ???
02-20-2013, 05:06 PM
#11
When you are doing low speed, sharper turns, remember that you have 12' of trailer back there. You will have to swing wider to clear things; posts, cars, ditches, curbs, etc. That's an easy mistake to make when first towing longer trailers.
02-20-2013, 10:00 PM
#13
Ok, another question I have is about the weight. I'm pretty sure the hitch and tongue on it now can handle the 2,200lb trailer we're looking to rent and the 1,500lb car we're picking up, but the ball is only rated at 2k lbs. Guess I'll be picking up a 5 or 6K lb 2" ball by Friday.
I was trying to see what my hitch and tongue were rated at, and I saw the tongue is 5K and 500lb tongue weight. Then the hitch had two readings...weight distributing is 9,900 max and 900 tongue, and weight carrying is 5K max and 500 tongue. Did a quick search and I'm guessing my setup is the more common weight carrying, which puts me still about 1.2-1.3K lbs under the max for my equipment. Add the new, stronger ball and I guess all will be good. Right?
Just curious, I'm gonna go look it up now, but what is the Tow capacity of my '05 with the 5.4L?
I was trying to see what my hitch and tongue were rated at, and I saw the tongue is 5K and 500lb tongue weight. Then the hitch had two readings...weight distributing is 9,900 max and 900 tongue, and weight carrying is 5K max and 500 tongue. Did a quick search and I'm guessing my setup is the more common weight carrying, which puts me still about 1.2-1.3K lbs under the max for my equipment. Add the new, stronger ball and I guess all will be good. Right?
Just curious, I'm gonna go look it up now, but what is the Tow capacity of my '05 with the 5.4L?
02-21-2013, 12:51 PM
#14
Grumpy Old Man
2005 SuperCab 4x4 with 5.4L engine and automagic tranny
Per the 2005 F-150 RV and Trailer Towing Guide, GCWR depends on axle ratio and wheelbase (bed length):
3.55 ratio w/144.5 wb= 14000
3.73 ratio w/144.5 wb = 15000
4.10 ratio w/163 wb = 15300
Tow rating for those are almost meaningless. Weigh the wet and loaded truck and subtract the weight from the GCWR to get a realistic maximum loaded trailer weight (tow rating)
But if you insist on useless info, the tow ratings for the above combos are 8,300, 9300 and 9300.
Per the 2005 F-150 RV and Trailer Towing Guide, GCWR depends on axle ratio and wheelbase (bed length):
3.55 ratio w/144.5 wb= 14000
3.73 ratio w/144.5 wb = 15000
4.10 ratio w/163 wb = 15300
Tow rating for those are almost meaningless. Weigh the wet and loaded truck and subtract the weight from the GCWR to get a realistic maximum loaded trailer weight (tow rating)
But if you insist on useless info, the tow ratings for the above combos are 8,300, 9300 and 9300.
02-22-2013, 07:25 AM
#15
[EDIT: Apparently it is ... see later posts, and please disregard mine.]
I towed a race car around for years and this is the exact opposite of the way I and every other person on the circuit towed. We were pulling corvettes tuned for autocross, and they generally didn't have a lot of suspension play anyway, but we cinched them down tight as a drum (compressing the suspension as much as we could, crossing the tie down straps at each end of the vehicle -- ie: tie down the left front of the towed vehicle frame to the right front trailer tie down point).
Aside from the fact that I personally wouldn't be comfortable pulling a load that was deliberately set up to move independently of my trailer, I also think that any links to the suspension would be inherently less secure than any anchor points on the frame.
Someone please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.
Last edited by Warfarin; 02-22-2013 at 05:22 PM.
02-22-2013, 03:30 PM
#17
I was actually thinking the frame sounded better myself. That's how I've seen it done in person before. Or by the axle tubes out back.
And this trip got moved to next weekend due to the inclement weather that's supposed to start tonight. Sucks, because I was excited to get my first long haul underway.
And this trip got moved to next weekend due to the inclement weather that's supposed to start tonight. Sucks, because I was excited to get my first long haul underway.
02-22-2013, 03:47 PM
#19
Is this the consensus opinion?
I towed a race car around for years and this is the exact opposite of the way I and every other person on the circuit towed. We were pulling corvettes tuned for autocross, and they generally didn't have a lot of suspension play anyway, but we cinched them down tight as a drum (compressing the suspension as much as we could, crossing the tie down straps at each end of the vehicle -- ie: tie down the left front of the towed vehicle frame to the right front trailer tie down point).
Aside from the fact that I personally wouldn't be comfortable pulling a load that was deliberately set up to move independently of my trailer, I also think that any links to the suspension would be inherently less secure than any anchor points on the frame.
Someone please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.
I towed a race car around for years and this is the exact opposite of the way I and every other person on the circuit towed. We were pulling corvettes tuned for autocross, and they generally didn't have a lot of suspension play anyway, but we cinched them down tight as a drum (compressing the suspension as much as we could, crossing the tie down straps at each end of the vehicle -- ie: tie down the left front of the towed vehicle frame to the right front trailer tie down point).
Aside from the fact that I personally wouldn't be comfortable pulling a load that was deliberately set up to move independently of my trailer, I also think that any links to the suspension would be inherently less secure than any anchor points on the frame.
Someone please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.
02-22-2013, 04:50 PM
#20
Heh.
I'm not alone in my ignorance I guess? I have seen folks tie down over the tires before. I've never seen problems arise from this method, or from tying down from the frame.
In the hundreds (perhaps thousands) of vehicles I've seen on trailers, I've also never seen anyone tie down to the suspension members. If I ever do, I'll be sure to let them know they are the first person I've ever seen tying down a car to a trailer correctly.
I'm not alone in my ignorance I guess? I have seen folks tie down over the tires before. I've never seen problems arise from this method, or from tying down from the frame.
In the hundreds (perhaps thousands) of vehicles I've seen on trailers, I've also never seen anyone tie down to the suspension members. If I ever do, I'll be sure to let them know they are the first person I've ever seen tying down a car to a trailer correctly.