brulaz

8200# trailer needs about 1000# (~12%) on the tongue. Not 500# (6%). Otherwise you'll be swaying all over the road.

bigredsledx2

Actually did some more reading and I messed up. The hitch weight is 955! This puts me over I think.

bigredsledx2

Yeah, the dealer showed us a bigger trailer and said no worries. Keep looking. I know there are versions out there with 500-600 hitch weight.

smokeywren

Sounds like your GVWR is 7,200 pounds. So there are very few tiny 5ers you can tow without exceeding the GVWR of your F-150.

On a PCS to Alaska, you'll probably want a topper to keep stuff in the bed from getting weather beaten. So your truck could look just like mine. But GVWR is your limiter. My SuperCrew 4x2 with 6.5" bed and Leer topper is slightly overloaded with my 20' TT and only DW and me and two dogs. Plus I haul a full complement of tools, but you probably will to if you expect to travel the AlCan with no problems.

And speaking of the AlCan, has anyone suggested the first purchase you make tomorrow is a current copy of the book "The MilePost". My 2012 copy has a list price of $29.95. Available at Amazon.com for around $20.

Back on topic. If you don't want to be overloaded, then the only 5er you can consider is something like the Escape. Made in Canada. Not cheap, but very lightweight:
http://escapetrailer.com/Products/Escape50.aspx

At least that one has a queen-size bed. GVWR is 4400 pounds, and wet and loaded hitch weight should not exceed 660 pounds.

By shipping heavy stuff with your household goods and hauling only lightweight stuff in the trailer and under the topper, you can probably load it up to stay within your 7,200 GVWR. But it will be a challenge.

Sorry if you wanted a 5er with more GVWR more than 4,400 pounds, but you didn't buy the right truck for that.

There are also small ultra-light TTs with wet and loaded hitch weight less than 600 pounds.

Your best bet without trading trucks is a fold-down camping trailer with GVWR less than about 4,000 pounds. There are lots of those available, and the heavier ones have hot and cold running water, flush toilet, and even AC.

When I was your age with two small rug rats and serving in the Air Force, we had a tent camper that didn't have AC or nothing. We used a Coleman camp stove, Coleman lattern, slop jar with a pottie seat, and enjoyed the heck out of that camper for 20 years.

Here's a modern model with GVWR less than 4,000 pounds therefore wet and loaded hitch weight less than 600 pounds, with toilet, stove, reefer, hot water heater, and nice-size beds. AC and even a microwafe are optional. Add a memory foam mattress topper to the "master" bed and it should be comfortable for a small family. That's a lot more luxurious than the one we had.
http://www.forestriverinc.com/PopUpC...floorplanid=69

Caveat: If your trailer doesn't have a tire size that's available at any Mom&Pop tire store in the boonies, then you need to haul a couple of extra trailer tires with you - in addition the spare tire and wheel.

It's my pleasure to attempt to help the younger generation of campers.

smokeywren

Do you mean you ordered one, or are you actually driving it now? I didn't think any 2014s had been delivered yet.

If it's on order, and you didn't order something weird, then the dealer will probably be glad to cancel that order and sell you a heavier-duty pickup. Even if it's too late to cancel the order, most dealers would be glad to have another nice Platinum in stock.

A 5er that has a dry shipping weight of 7,585 will probably have a GVWR of about 10,000 pounds. For example, the Keystone Cougar "½-ton series" model 277RLSWE had a dry weight of 7590 and GVWR of 10,330. A 5er with 10,000 pounds GVWR will have hitch weight of 17 to 20 percent of the GVWR of the 5er. 10,000 pounds 5er with 17% to 20% pin weight would have a pin weight of 1,700 to 2,000 pounds. So you need a pickup with unused payload capacity high enough to haul your family and stuff as well as 1,700 to 2,000 pounds hitch weight without exceeding the GVWR of the pickup. No F-150 is going to make it. No F-250 diesel CrewCab 4x4 is going to make it. So you're looking at either a 6.2L gasser F-250, or an F-350 SRW. I would hold out for the F-350 SRW diesel., but the gasser will work fine for dragging a 10,000 pound 5er if you don't mind really awful MPG when towing.

Of course an F-350 SRW diesel CrewCab 4x4 Platinum is going to cost a bunch more moola than the F-150. The diesel engine alone adds about $8,000 to the MSRP. If you go that route, skip the shorty and order the 8' bed, so you don't have to worry about a slider hitch. On Ford.com build&price, I "built" a 2013 F-350 SRW Platinum CrewCab with 8' bed, 4x4 diesel with 3.55 electronic locker axle and the 5er/gooseneck prep pkg (only $370 MSRP for that installed pkg) and the 18k 5er hitch (only $1,295 MSRP) . MSRP for that sweetheart was $65,485 before the $2,000 rebate.

And no, you don't need a 20k hitch for a 10k 5er. 16k hitch is more than enough. But if you order an F-350 SRW, order the 5er/gooseneck hitch prep as well as the optional 18k non-slider hitch. With an 8' bed, you'll be good to go.

Last I heard, Ford didn't offer the 18k slider hitch as an option. So if you insist on a shorty, then order the hitch prep pkg as part of the truck. Then order the 18k Reese Elite slider from ETrailer.com or other discount supplier. $370 MSRP for the installed prep pkg is a bargain, so then you just have to find a decent discount price for the Reese Elite slider hitch. If you order the long bed and the 18K hitch from Ford, then you'll get it for invoice cost, which is a lot less than you can probably buy that hitch from anywhere else.

bigredsledx2

Smokeyren, once again Thanks for all the info. I owe you a beer or a pepsi!

As of know we will not be purchasing a TT. We have around a month before we leave and to purchase a TT and take it out for a shake down trip would be difficult. This is the second time my wife and I have gone to look at campers and have come away empty handed. Fortunately we keep getting smarter along the way. We will have something in the future. By then I will ensure I have the rig vehicle set-up to pull exactly what we want.

We will still be driving and we already have the Milepost book in hand. That is one amazing book. Once we get settled in up in Alaska I'll start looking at my other options. I know things are more expensive up there but my piece of mind will be better.

Again I can't thank everyone enough for their inputs. We could have made a really big mistake without some advice from some great folks.

smokeywren

Prices are higher in Alaska (and Hawaii) because of freight charges. You will definitely want to shop in the commissary and AAFES while you're there.

But you have an option for the high prices for a truck and RV trailer in Alaska. You can fly to Seattle, buy your rig there, then either drive back to Alaska or take the ferry back to Alaska. But the ferry is very expensive when towing a trailer, so that probably wouldn't save you any money. And dragging a trailer from Seattle to Fairbanks or Anchorage is not exactly free. Plus the cost of the airline tickets, and it may be just as cheap, or cheaper, to pay the high prices in Alaska.

Back in the '60s, it looked like I might be assigned to AAC (Alaskan Air Command) when I finished grad school. So I planned to buy a new Toyota Land Cruiser before we moved, so I would have good 4x4 transportation during that assignment. But the orders came down for Hq SAC instead of Hq AAC, so I didn't buy a Land Cruiser. It turned out that 4x4 would have been useful in Omaha too, but not almost mandatory as it is in Alaska.

EcoboostKev

I recommend checking out the Keystone Passport line. They have a ton of different floor plans and much lighter on overall weight and tongue weight. I wouldn't give up so easily! Like you said, you still have a month until you leave. Good luck,
Kevin

http://www.keystonerv.com/passport/

brulaz

On the other hand, up in Alaska you might want a heavy duty, well insulated coach with off-road capabilities. But they are heavier! You'll need a new truck unless you go very small. Most are made in Oregon by Northwood Industries http://www.northwoodmfg.com or Outdoors RV http://www.outdoorsrvmfg.com

If the trailer comes with dual-pane thermal windows and shocks, you should be all set for Alaska.

bigredsledx2

We definitely know that we'll pay more if we decide to buy up in Alaska so all options are open.

There are definitely some serious options out there to consider. We may not be getting one right now but I know we will. Just have to match up all the pieces. I have all my notes and will continue to look.

I hope other folks take the time to read this forum before buying. If not for this forum I would have purchased a rig that would have seriously put a strain on my truck.