borninblue

Finally settled on the model trailer. We are going with the Keystone Laredo 299bh. Dry weight of 6819 with tongue weight of 830. Trailer is 32' long and wife plus two small kids with me.

Now here is the deal with the truck. Ordering a 15 soon. Based on last years model do you think I will be good with an XLT 3.5 max tow Scew? Assuming payload is around 1800?

NC F150

I don't have experience towing with a Ecoboost. While this trailer is within the max towing capabilities of a properly equipped f150, I don't know how prudent it is to use a tool at its maximum capabilities. I am of the opinion that anytime you max out the capabilities of a tool, you shorten the life expectancy of the product. How bout spending the same money as a new f150 on a couple year old super duty diesel?

xcntrk

Do yourself a favor and go with an F250 instead. That trailer is easily close to 8k lbs when loaded down and will probably max out all your available payload. Sure the F150 can handle it, but every time you head out you'll be at 100% capacity if not over. Not a situation you want to be in for the long term.

smokeywren

Dry tongue weight is 12.2% of dry trailer weight, so you can probably use 13% of wet and loaded trailer weight for wet and loaded tongue weight. Count on a wet and loaded trailer weight of at least 7,800, so a tongue weight of at least 1,000 pounds.

I would not be comfortable with an F-150 with the max tow pkg dragging that much TT. I'd want at least an F-150 with the HD Payload pkg.


The payload capacity specs are simply too tight with the GVWR of the Max Tow. So move up a notch to the HD Payload pkg (which includes max tow plus adds 500 pounds more payload capacity) and you'll probably be good to go.

HD Payload has GVWR of 8,200 pounds. Subtract 1,000 pounds for hitch weight and that leaves 7,200. Subtract another 800 pounds for and Mom and Dad and two kids, plus some tools and stuff, and you're at 6,400. Even the heaviest of the SuperCrew 4x4s won't gross quite 6,400. So you won't be overloaded over the GVWR or payload capacity of the F-150, and you'll even have wiggle room to add some campfire wood and lawn chairs without exceeding the GVWR of your F-150. Tow rating is over 11,000 pounds, so your 8,000-pound TT won't be too heavy for your EcoBoost powertrain to drag over the mountain pass.

The only disadvantage to the HD Payload pkg on an F-150 SuperCrew is it's available only with the 6.5' box. If you want the shorty 5.5' box, then you're out of luck. And some think the 7-lug wheels on the 2014 models with HD Payload pkg are a disadvantage, because if you decide you want bigger tires and wheels, you probably won't find a source for custom wheels that will mount on your 7-lug hubs. But good news for 2015 models - 18" tires and wheels are now required for the HD payload option, and I suspect they are ordinary 6-lug or 8-lug wheels.

On Ford.com build and price, you can build and price your 2014 F-150 SuperCrew with the HD Payload pkg. But you must play games to get there. First choose F-150 XLT. Then SuperCrew and 6.5 box, then 3.5L EcoBoost and 3.73LS axle. If you choose any other combo of options, then Ford won't show you the HD Payload pkg. But after you choose 3.73 LS axle, the computer will automagically add the Max Tow pkg and the HD Payload pkg to your build.

The price on Ford.com will be MSRP minus any national incentives. To determine invoice price, go to KBB.com and enter the same specs. You should see the same MSRP along with the invoice price. The invoice price is your goal to a "good deal" on a new Ford.

On edit: KBB now has 2015 F-150 included. Things have changed. The HD payload pkg is still available, but welcome changes have now been made. 18" tires/wheels, and the 3.73 E-Locker diff are now part of it.

53c is max tow. And I suspect you have to also order the mid-level XLT trim pkg 301A if you want XLT trim..

KR Kodi

iTrader: (1)

Well....nobody knows all the specs on the 2015 yet. It's a whole new truck, so "based on last years model" doesn't mean much.

Like Smokey says - if you get a Max Tow with Heavy Duty package, you might be okay. (But the HD pkg shows as late availability - i.e., can't get it until late in the model year production).

Here's a link to the "pricing guide" released a couple months ago:

http://blog.caranddriver.com/wp-cont...50-Pricing.pdf


It looks like there will be 4 different engine options - a 3.5L NA; a 2.7L EcoBoost; a 5.0L; and 3.5L EB.

On page 1 in the link above it says that the 2.7L EB will have a "Payload Package" option, which I assume is sort of a Max Tow/HD pkg.

On page 27 you can see the max payloads and GVWRs of the various models - but the 3.5L EB and 5.0L are all "TBD" in this document. Hopefully the order guide and sales brochures will soon be out with actual weights for those models.

As with the sales brochure numbers for earlier model years, the GVWR, GCWR, and GAWR weights will be actual limits, but fergidaboud the published "max payload" numbers!!!

Those max payloads are for a plain Jane/no frills/low trim level/base truck/with no options - just so they can publish the highest payload possible. Any truck with normal comfort options is going to have a max payload capacity several hundred lbs less than the "sales brochure" number.

However, based on the weights for the 2.7L EB, I would expect the 3.5L EB will be a very capable truck.

On page 27 there are two different listings for most of the 2.7L EB cab/wheelbase options - I suspect the second one is for the "Payload Package" optioned truck. And the 4x2 2.7L EB SCrew 157" WB is listed with a 2060 lb payload, and the 4x4 2.7L EB SCrew 145" WB has a 1960 lb payload.

That makes them ONE TON trucks!!! Butt....as mentioned earlier, any truck above the base trim levels with a nice load of options will come in with a payload several hundred lbs less than those numbers.

However, the 2.7L EB numbers look quite good, and I hope the 3.5L EB numbers are even better!!!

Like Smokey mentioned, it looks like you can get the Heavy Duty pkg on the 3.5L EB with either 17" or 18" wheels. There are two footnotes that refer to the different wheel sizes, and it appears that the payload and/or GVWR may be different for the different size wheels.

Also, the HD pkg is a "late availability" option, so if you're ordering soon you won't be able to get it.

You really won't know what the 2015 model payload capacities are until the trucks start hitting dealerships and you can go out on their lot and open drivers' doors to see what is published on the stickers. The problem will be as in the past - there will not be many Max Tow or Heavy Duty optioned trucks in dealer inventories.

Good luck, and let us know what you order!

.

borninblue

Thanks for your help, much appreciated. So looks like I am pretty much locked into the heavy duty payload option with this trailer if I want to stay 1/2 ton? What about the receiver rating issue? I thought it was only around 1130lbs? Everything I have been reading is tongue weight will be 13% of "wet" trailer weight?

smokeywren

That should not be a problem. With a max tongue weight of 1,130 pounds, a TT with 13% tongue weight could weigh up to 8,692 with a weight-distributing hitch without overloading the receiver. The Laredo 299BH has a GVWR of 8,200, so your receiver is plenty if you don't exceed the GVWR of the TT.

badercubed

My honest experience...

I tow a 9,200lb (CAT verified) trailer with my 2013 4x4 SCREW Max Tow (1,840 for payload). I had the OEM receiver upgraded at a local HD truck shop and air bags added for the weight. My honest opinion is that I should be using a F250 over the half-ton, even if it was a F150 HD Payload. For reference sake, I am overweight on my rear axle and the HD option would put me under.

I am in upstate NY and the truck tows WONDERFULLY at 62mphs on 2-lane state roads. When I get on the Thruway, or similar highways, the wind will really affect the ride (when there is wind). On days there is no wind, it tows great at 65mphs. Granted my trailer is very tall and very long (2010 Keystone Hideout 30BHDS) but I would expect the same for similar trailers.

acadianbob

Why don't you re-think the trailer choice if you prefer to stay with a "1/2 ton" pickup?

borninblue

Tried that, and the DW is set on the double bed setup, with dinette and sofa. Found very few, and then I need the larger queen 80'' length (most are rv queens) in addition to the crowned roof because of my height. Tough to find that >30'.