flynavy812

iTrader: (2)

Hello all, coming to you from Houston today. Bought a brand new 2014 extended cab STX last week, the day after I get a call saying "you got the transfer!" So now I'm off back to Florida-- in two fricken weeks.

I understand the break in period, manual clearly states not to tow with less than 1000 miles, currently I'm at 370. I'm honestly thinking of joyriding and racking up the miles to get to that 1000 mark, thoughts?

Now, I've never towed anything before. I will be towing the large enclosed Uhaul trailer, everyone is telling me its fine, but I'm still nervous. I'm nervous about tight turns and whatnot for food stops and hotels.

I'm also a little confused on actual weight limits. I do have the tow package, so I believe I have a class IV hitch, right? Is there any rules to how the load is distributed? Ie: bed and cab full of stuff, as well as a trailer? I cant get exact weights, so I'm nervous about exceeding limits. Or am I being silly thinking a few house items will exceed my tow limits?

Any insight is sincerely appreciated, I'll be on other parts of the forum as well. Thanks.

brulaz

For a one-shot tow, I wouldn't worry that much about weights. Your route from Texas to Florida is flat, no problem there. Keep your speeds under 65 mph. Swing wide on those turns into the gas stations and watch your mirrors.

But in general, for the most stable tow you want weight on your hitch. Your hitch receiver is limited to 500# tongue weight without a Weight Distribution Hitch (which I don't think you'll be using with a U-Haul). Try roughly to get tongue weight up to that 500# by adjusting the load in the trailer.

My big worry would be the U-Haul trailer itself. Sometimes they are in real shoddy condition. Inspect the tires in particular, and the lights.

Good luck and enjoy the trip.

Ricktwuhk

You will need to buy a trailer ball mount and ball. Uhaul sells them, you likely can find it cheaper elsewhere.

Until you hit 1,000 miles, vary your rpms using the gear lockout +/-, I. E. lockout 6 for 20 minutes, then lockout 5, then none, then use tow haul... Use your cruise to vary speeds also, 63, then 68, then...

Read the towing section of your manual.

Uhaul trailer should be loaded with 60% of the weight in the front and 40% in the back, just put heavy stuff up there. Be prepared for 10 mpg.

And the Uhaul trailer can only take 2,480 pounds for 4,400 pounds max weight, so you won't have more than near 440 pounds on the tongue, likely much less. Put the heavy stuff in the trailer, not the truck bed, so you don't kill your payload.

http://www.uhaul.com/Trailers/6x12-C...ler-Rental/RV/

Check hitch tightening at every stop.

Norotso

You really need to break in the ring & pinion. As stated above, what I did was to drive in M and shift at 3-4k which will really help seat the rings also. But try to get on the interstate and just cruise around in different gears for the R&P break-in

flynavy812

iTrader: (2)

I'm not understanding the tongue weight. Is it a certain weight that the tongue will experience based on loaded trailer weight? I'm going to read the manual better tonight, there is a lot of information in there.

Norotso

Typically any trailer you use, has a certain weight, plus the weight of the cargo you put into that trailer, whether for hauling a car, a RV trailer or in your case a cargo trailer for moving goods. Of that combined weight, usually about 13% of it it carried by the truck at the hitch point. So for easy numbers, a fully loaded trailer that weighs in at 1000#, about 130# is carried by the truck, 10k would be 1300#, carried by the truck...

brulaz

Loaded up, your U-Haul's total weight may be, just guessing, 3000#.

Of that 3000#, some will be on the trailer's axles (say 2500#) and the rest will be on the tongue (say 500#). How much actually ends up on the tongue depends upon how you load your trailer. More weight in the front will put more weight on the tongue.

That 500# tongue weight will be on the truck's hitch ball and tend to tilt weight off your truck's front axles. That's why Ford wants you to limit the tongue weight to 500# (unless you have a Weight Distribution Hitich which you usually do not have with a U-Haul).

flynavy812

iTrader: (2)

Awesome, that clears that up. Thanks.

smokeywren

Properly-loaded Tag trailers have tongue weight of about 10% to 15% of loaded trailer weight. 10% is the absolute minimum, but you should try for 12% to 15%. Too little tongue weight can result in trailer sway, and uncontrollable trailer sway is a killer. Too much tongue weight is not a bad thing if your tow vehicle has enough payload capacity to handle the weight without exceeding the GVWR of the tow vehicle.


You also want to load the trailer so you have approximately the same weight on both sides of the trailer. Just use your head and don't put all the heavy stuff on one side of the trailer floor.


A wet and loaded trailer that grosses 4,000 pounds (on both tongue and axles) should have a minimum of 400 pounds tongue weight, but 500 to 600 pounds is better.


You can determine tongue weight with a bathroom scale plus a brick and a 4' piece of 2x4 or 2x6 lumber, plus a "bumper jack" or some sort of jack that you can raise the tongue without using the tongue jack. Raise the tongue enough to place the center of the lumber under the tongue jack, with one end on the scale and the other end on the brick. Then tighten the tongue jack enough to get all the tongue weight on the tongue jack and off the bumper jack. The tongue weight will be double the weight that shows on the scale. So if the scale reads 235 pounds, your actual tongue weight is 470 pounds.


Another way is to weigh the rig twice on a certified automated truck (CAT) scale. Weigh it once with the wet and loaded trailer connected. Then drop off the trailer and weight the truck without the trailer. Add the weights on the front and rear axles of the truck. Subtract that weight without the trailer from that weight with the trailer, and the answer is tongue weight (or hitch weight).


Of course us folks that frequently tow tag trailers have a tongue weight scale. Like this one:
http://www.etrailer.com/Tools/Sherline/5780.html

Steve Craig

Don't forget about backing up with the trailer on. Little practice & you'll do it like a pro. No comment about the first few attempts.
Looking to the rear while backing, put your hand at the bottom of the steering wheel.
Move hand left to make the trailer go left, move it right to swing the trailer right.
Things seem to take a little longer to begin turning but it will happen. Don't oversteer, get some practice in on an empty lot.