Brady420

I am looking to prep my 2013 FX4 (max tow/7650 GVWR, 1536payload) for towing. The travel trailer I want will be well within my tow capacity but will be close to maxing my payload. After MANY RV shows and walking hundreds of brands of countless floor plans, we have decided that the travel trailer for us is the Rockwood Windjammer 3006WK. This trailer will likely have a dry weight of ~7500 pounds (GVWR of ~8850 lbs.) and a dry hitch weight of 879. Fully loaded I expect to have a hitch weight around 1000 lbs. My family weight (only thing in the truck during towing) is estimated at ~500 pounds. I will do final weights on the scales once I get the travel trailer and will closely watch my hitch weight and payload capacity.

My question is about truck set-up and towing performance improvements. After reading many threads on this site, I am going to add the Roadmaster Active Suspension. I will also be purchasing a quality WDH and ensuring proper setup.

I am looking for opinion on shocks. Is it recommended/helpful to also upgrade the shocks? Bilstein 5100s seem to be very popular. I am only looking at it from a strictly performance/towing improvement standpoint. Would the upgraded shocks add benefit to the towing stability/performance? Is it recommended to upgrade all four? Just the back?

(I also know that upgrading tires would help with towing, but that’s not in the budget this year.)

Is there anything else recommended?

I will likely also (finally) add wheel well covers while the wheels are off for the upgrades.

Any opinions are welcome. Please let me know your thoughts on brand, why that brand, recommended settings, and what benefit you think they might provide (or anything else that may be helpful).

Thanks for your help!!!

B-xp

Personally the truck wont have any issues with that trailer, you will need a wdh, with out a doubt. As for the roadmaster suspension, I cant comment on that. I have air bags but also haul a quad with my truck, I wouldn't bother with aftermarket shocks at this time unless you plan on giving it some lift, the stocks are fine. Opps didn't see the hitch weight, are you sure about that number?

xcntrk

Air bags will be a must. I have the same truck and my 7500# loaded trailer sags the rear no matter how much WD you can dial in. Also a high end WD hitch with quality sway control will be required.

bmach

If we're me I would get a good WDH and hold up on everything else until I knew what I really needed.

bmach

If it was me I would get a good WDH and then see what I needed after I got the trailer.

brulaz

Think your WDH must be undersized? Mine is 1000#, but that's barely enough, and I'm looking to upsize it to 1200#.

To the OP:

But agree a suspension upgrade, of some sort, will be a big help with a trailer that big. The stock suspension on our 7500# GVWR F150 is just not designed for a full load.

I have RAS, HD shocks and LT tires, but still wish it were stiffer when towing. The truck "wallows" some when loaded up close to 7500#, even now.

The HD Payload option has stiffer front coils, and as I'm using the WDH to push a lot of weight back onto the front axle, maybe those would help. Or maybe I should get something stiffer than or in addition to RAS in the rear. Or maybe even stiffer shocks.

What I should have done was just get the HD Payload option and be done with it.

One suggestion: adjustable shocks and air bags might allow you to dial in just the suspension you need.

EDIT: Also, some people tow/haul more than others so notice the suspension issues more (We're snowbirds and travel a lot with ours). And some people are just more sensitive to the issues I guess. You will see people here that are perfectly happy with the stock F150 suspension. So, like others have said, try it first before investing big $$$.

xcntrk

I use 1400# bars and 1000# of tongue weight. Even if you can curb the sag with a bunch of WD dialed in, you still get the "wallowing" as you put it. The bouncing and bobbing as the TV and TT hit bumps along the way. Air bags will address the leveling issue and curb unnecessary bouncing & bobbing.

Norotso

+1

I would look at the 1000# or 1200# Equal-i-zer with 4 point sway control:

http://www.adventurerv.net/equalizer...bs-p-1377.html

http://www.adventurerv.net/equalizer...00-p-1378.html

Dirttracker18

I know you said it was out of the budget but if you have P rated tires on your truck now then I would push new LT tires up the list to the top. For the truck you have that would make the most significant difference.

As for shocks, I doubt you would see a significant difference between what came on your truck stock with that package and new aftermarket shocks.

willieboy

All that stuff you want to add will lower your payload. Depending on how "legal" you want to be, be careful on what you add.

For upgrades, I would skip the RAS, wheel covers, shocks, etc and go straight to LT tires. Yes it is going to be a big cost, but I would guess it makes the biggest difference in comfort, but more importantly safety. A good WDH is going to make all the difference as well, so spend the money on those two first. The other items you can add as needed, but if you are typical weekend camper, you may decide they are not worth it.

WDH: Equal-i-zer 1400 lbs. Bigger WDH does nothing to hurt performance, but too small will. If you really want to throw money at it,my could go Propride 3p or Hensley arrow. I personally used the equal-I-zer and thought it was great.