New Truck/ Tow MPG Questions.
08-18-2015, 02:03 PM
#11
Senior Member
Just came back from the Forest River rally in Goshen Indiana. 550 miles r/t from our home. Ohio and Indiana turnpike all the way. Avg. 10.8 mpg. Mileage has come up from 9.1 to 10 on the same trip last year. Just under 9k on the truck. Running at 60 to 63 mph.
Weighed the truck and trailer on the way out. Trailer came in at 10,300 truck was 6,880. Total was 17,180, meaning I was 80 lbs over gross. Rear axel was 4,940 140 over. Have repacked some things in the trailer and I think we are good now.
Weighed the truck and trailer on the way out. Trailer came in at 10,300 truck was 6,880. Total was 17,180, meaning I was 80 lbs over gross. Rear axel was 4,940 140 over. Have repacked some things in the trailer and I think we are good now.
Last edited by Cover Dog; 08-18-2015 at 02:11 PM.
08-24-2015, 09:52 PM
#12
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just got mine
Took my first trip with my new F150 ecoboost and a new Windjammer 3025 7559 unloaded weight. Got about 8.8 on mine to. I need to do something about my rear sag though. Got the sway squared away. Nice rig.
08-25-2015, 10:44 AM
#13
Grumpy Old Man
Welcome to the forum!
Did you weigh the wet and loaded rig on a CAT scale while on your first trip? If you did, then tell us how much you were overloaded over the GVWR of your F-150. If you didn't weigh it yet, then put that on your to-do list.
Your EcoBoost drivetrain is a powerhouse that can PULL a lot heavier trailer than it can HAUL the hitch weight of that trailer without being overloaded. So lots of new RVers don't realize they're overloaded until the CAT scale ticket stares them in the face.
Too much rear sag might simply mean you don't have the spring bars on your weight-distributing hitch tight enough. Or maybe you didn't buy a hitch with enough tongue weight capacity. With a trailer that has empty weight of 7,559, your tongue weight was probably over 900 pounds, so your spring bars should be rated for at least 1,000 pounds tongue weight.
But more likely is you're overloaded over the GVWR of your F-150. That 900 pounds of tongue weight, plus your normal weight of people and stuff in the F-150, is more than the payload capacity of your F-150.
You cannot increase the GVWR of your F-150, thus increasing payload capacity, but you can mask the symptoms of overloading by installing air bags. Two or three brands are available, but the most popular is Firestone RideRite air springs, also called air bags. Air up for towing, and deflate the bags for unloaded driivng.
http://riderite.com/
There are three cost levels of air springs. Least expensive is a simple manual system where you manually air up or deflate each bag with an air hose separately.
Next level up is plumbing to connect the two air bags so there is only one place to air up or deflate the air bags.
Most convenient is an on-board air compressor tied to the air springs, with valves and a gauge to allow you to automagically adjust the air pressure in the bags from the driver's seat.
Last edited by smokeywren; 08-25-2015 at 10:56 AM.
08-25-2015, 02:39 PM
#14
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Redid hurch
Welcome to the forum!
Did you weigh the wet and loaded rig on a CAT scale while on your first trip? If you did, then tell us how much you were overloaded over the GVWR of your F-150. If you didn't weigh it yet, then put that on your to-do list.
Your EcoBoost drivetrain is a powerhouse that can PULL a lot heavier trailer than it can HAUL the hitch weight of that trailer without being overloaded. So lots of new RVers don't realize they're overloaded until the CAT scale ticket stares them in the face.
Too much rear sag might simply mean you don't have the spring bars on your weight-distributing hitch tight enough. Or maybe you didn't buy a hitch with enough tongue weight capacity. With a trailer that has empty weight of 7,559, your tongue weight was probably over 900 pounds, so your spring bars should be rated for at least 1,000 pounds tongue weight.
But more likely is you're overloaded over the GVWR of your F-150. That 900 pounds of tongue weight, plus your normal weight of people and stuff in the F-150, is more than the payload capacity of your F-150.
You cannot increase the GVWR of your F-150, thus increasing payload capacity, but you can mask the symptoms of overloading by installing air bags. Two or three brands are available, but the most popular is Firestone RideRite air springs, also called air bags. Air up for towing, and deflate the bags for unloaded driivng.
http://riderite.com/
There are three cost levels of air springs. Least expensive is a simple manual system where you manually air up or deflate each bag with an air hose separately.
Next level up is plumbing to connect the two air bags so there is only one place to air up or deflate the air bags.
Most convenient is an on-board air compressor tied to the air springs, with valves and a gauge to allow you to automagically adjust the air pressure in the bags from the driver's seat.
Did you weigh the wet and loaded rig on a CAT scale while on your first trip? If you did, then tell us how much you were overloaded over the GVWR of your F-150. If you didn't weigh it yet, then put that on your to-do list.
Your EcoBoost drivetrain is a powerhouse that can PULL a lot heavier trailer than it can HAUL the hitch weight of that trailer without being overloaded. So lots of new RVers don't realize they're overloaded until the CAT scale ticket stares them in the face.
Too much rear sag might simply mean you don't have the spring bars on your weight-distributing hitch tight enough. Or maybe you didn't buy a hitch with enough tongue weight capacity. With a trailer that has empty weight of 7,559, your tongue weight was probably over 900 pounds, so your spring bars should be rated for at least 1,000 pounds tongue weight.
But more likely is you're overloaded over the GVWR of your F-150. That 900 pounds of tongue weight, plus your normal weight of people and stuff in the F-150, is more than the payload capacity of your F-150.
You cannot increase the GVWR of your F-150, thus increasing payload capacity, but you can mask the symptoms of overloading by installing air bags. Two or three brands are available, but the most popular is Firestone RideRite air springs, also called air bags. Air up for towing, and deflate the bags for unloaded driivng.
http://riderite.com/
There are three cost levels of air springs. Least expensive is a simple manual system where you manually air up or deflate each bag with an air hose separately.
Next level up is plumbing to connect the two air bags so there is only one place to air up or deflate the air bags.
Most convenient is an on-board air compressor tied to the air springs, with valves and a gauge to allow you to automagically adjust the air pressure in the bags from the driver's seat.
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Ricktwuhk (08-26-2015)
08-26-2015, 11:46 AM
#16
Grumpy Old Man
Yeah, you don't have a strong enough WD hitch. With 1,100 pounds tongue weight, you need a minimum of 1,200 pound spring bars.
For some brands of WD hitches, including Equal-I-Zer, you have to buy the whole hitch in order to increase the tongue weight capacity of the spring bars. But for my Reese Strait-Line hitch, you can simply replace the spring bars with stronger ones. Just to be sure, I asked Cequent (Reese). Here's their reply:
Originally Posted by Reese Tech Support
From: Tech Support (TechSupport@cequentgroup.com)
Sent: Wed 8/26/15 6:29 AM To
Smokeywren@hotmail.com)
Smokey,
The 600, 800, 1,200, 1,500, and 1,700 pound trunnion bars use the same ball mount.
Thank you for contacting the Technical Group.
The Reese Team
Cequent Performance Products
Tuesday, August 25, 2015:
Attention:
Technical Support
From: Smokey Wren ( Smokeywren@hotmail.com )
Subject: Replacement spring bars
Message:
I have a Reese Strait-Line hitch with trunnion bars rated max tongue weight of 800 pounds. Can I replace those trunnion bars with trunnion bars rated 1,200 pounds max tongue weight without changing the hitch head?
Smokey
Sent: Wed 8/26/15 6:29 AM To
Smokeywren@hotmail.com) Smokey,
The 600, 800, 1,200, 1,500, and 1,700 pound trunnion bars use the same ball mount.
Thank you for contacting the Technical Group.
The Reese Team
Cequent Performance Products
Tuesday, August 25, 2015:
Attention:
Technical Support
From: Smokey Wren ( Smokeywren@hotmail.com )
Subject: Replacement spring bars
Message:
I have a Reese Strait-Line hitch with trunnion bars rated max tongue weight of 800 pounds. Can I replace those trunnion bars with trunnion bars rated 1,200 pounds max tongue weight without changing the hitch head?
Smokey
Last edited by smokeywren; 08-26-2015 at 11:49 AM.
08-26-2015, 12:26 PM
#17
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Smokey great info I'm kind of new at this I always had 3/4 or 1 ton trucks but they just got to expensive so making the f150 work like the dealer said they would. I got a feeling a new hitch is in order but might try a second sway bar first
08-26-2015, 06:35 PM
#18
Senior Member
Driving that heavy puts your family and others at risk. But since you documented things with your name on the forum, if something does happen the lawyers should have a field day...
08-26-2015, 07:25 PM
#19
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Rick thanks for the confidence builder. Both the Ford dealer and the rv company assured me they were within range. The combined weight of the trailer and the truck are still under the gross weight allowed. Is anyone else out there towing this type of rig.
