Trip / tow report:
05-20-2015, 11:53 AM
#1
I'd rather be sailing.
Thread Starter
Trip / tow report:
Tow report:
From:Everett Wa.
To: Long Beach Ca. Via Crater Lake OR. and straight back.
Vehicle: 2013 Ford F150 XLT Ecoboost 4X4 Max tow package.
Tow TT:2014 Keystone Cougar 21rbswe
RV specs found here: click here to be whisked off to the vender of our trailer web site
Empty black and grey tanks full water tank.
Occupants:my wife, myself, and a 23lb Pem Corgi
LOADTruck bed had 1 folding bicycle, 2 4X8 cynder blocks for trailer tongue, two anti gravity chairs. Nothing in Cab except occupants.
Hopefully that answers all the basic questions about our setup.
The trip:
We left Everett Friday night afterwork knowing darn well we'd get stuck in traffic. We did. Spent the night at a great RV park South of Olympia.
Saturday found us arriving at Crater Lake Resort with reservations for two nights but only after driving and extra 60 miles to Crater Lake RV Park and back for a totol 120 miles going to the wrong destination! LOL! Doh, a simple typo in the GPS sent us to the wrong park!
We spent Sunday at the park and drove trailerless the South entrance of Crater Lake Park. The road around the lake was sadly closed do to snow. SO we settled at the lodge for 7K foot altitude and spectacular panaramic views of the lake.
Monday we drove to a KOA park South of Sacremento on I5 where they tagged us 71 bucks for a night! YIKES! It was a beautiful place though. It was this leg of the trip where we were stopped by authorities and asked if we had fresh produce. Uh . . . yes . . . . a bunch of fresh apples. No problem they said, move along! No idea what they were looking for.
Tuesday we drove in strong winds and arrived at Long Beach where we had reservations for two nights. Great times spent visiting our son, riding my bike, walking the boardwalk, meals, etc. Note the Park in Long Beach was 2 miles from our sons house. We felt a bit out classed in our new 21' Trailer and truck. This place had lots that were permanently carpeted! Entire LOTs! Not old, not warn out carpet but new! The RVs I would speculate to be worth a million each for some of them! SHEESH! It was a very nice place.
Thursday we had to go. "So we loaded up the truck and moved to Bever . . ." oh wait, no we just hooked up and left. We drove straight through to a little town called Colusa but not quite as far as Redding CA. Why you might ask? It's ten miles off the freeway. Well, the big sign said Casino Resort and RV Park! We saw the sign earlier on the way South and agreed lets go there on the way home! As we arrived Security came out in a golf cart and I'm thinking now what. Much to my surprise he just offered me his cell number and said call for ANY reason even if we simply want a ride to the front door and back! He said to set up completely, slide out can come out, we can disconnect and stay as long as we want free! NICE!! Great Casino no big payouts but we do not gamble much but the dinner was great!
Friday we moved on to Northern Oregon where we dropped in on a park and spent the night.
Saturday we simply drove home.
This was our first trip more than a weekend in the trailer/truck combo and was a trial run for longer planned trips.
Over all the trip was fantastic! It was way to short of a visit with our son however he may say otherwise! LOL!
The F150 towed our TT without a hiccup! We set the cruise control for 65 mph where it held solid. She did slow to 63 on enclines until she downshifted and stepped right back up to 65! Some of the down mountain runs she did exceed in speed on cruise control as down shifting was not enough. Minor braking was applied.
Many times silly yahoos would pass us with BIG pickups and trailers on the flats only to be left behind on hills because they could not maintain speed. There was one particular fellow that I took great delight in leaving well behind as he tailgated us on flats and did not even attempt to pass us where there was opportunity.
Lastly the wind. One day it was blowing and crossing us so hard I slowed to 60 and sometimes 55. Whill passing a semi, we get protected from the wind and sucked in close to the big rig. As we got ahead the wind would hit and we'd have to correct quickly then another semi as they seem to run in packs. Gave is a great white knockled rock and role ride in the breaze! I would have happily slowed and dropped in behind the big rigs but we were on a schedule. Doh!
As I read somewhere here, you can get Eco or you can get Boost but not at the same time! LOL! We averaged 9mpg over 2600 miles per the trip computer. Several mountain passes, winds and 65 MPH and I am happy!
TWO BIG thumbs up for the F150 and a big **** eaten grin for the Ecoboost!
Scott
From:Everett Wa.
To: Long Beach Ca. Via Crater Lake OR. and straight back.
Vehicle: 2013 Ford F150 XLT Ecoboost 4X4 Max tow package.
Tow TT:2014 Keystone Cougar 21rbswe
RV specs found here: click here to be whisked off to the vender of our trailer web site
Empty black and grey tanks full water tank.
Occupants:my wife, myself, and a 23lb Pem Corgi
LOADTruck bed had 1 folding bicycle, 2 4X8 cynder blocks for trailer tongue, two anti gravity chairs. Nothing in Cab except occupants.
Hopefully that answers all the basic questions about our setup.
The trip:
We left Everett Friday night afterwork knowing darn well we'd get stuck in traffic. We did. Spent the night at a great RV park South of Olympia.
Saturday found us arriving at Crater Lake Resort with reservations for two nights but only after driving and extra 60 miles to Crater Lake RV Park and back for a totol 120 miles going to the wrong destination! LOL! Doh, a simple typo in the GPS sent us to the wrong park!
We spent Sunday at the park and drove trailerless the South entrance of Crater Lake Park. The road around the lake was sadly closed do to snow. SO we settled at the lodge for 7K foot altitude and spectacular panaramic views of the lake.
Monday we drove to a KOA park South of Sacremento on I5 where they tagged us 71 bucks for a night! YIKES! It was a beautiful place though. It was this leg of the trip where we were stopped by authorities and asked if we had fresh produce. Uh . . . yes . . . . a bunch of fresh apples. No problem they said, move along! No idea what they were looking for.
Tuesday we drove in strong winds and arrived at Long Beach where we had reservations for two nights. Great times spent visiting our son, riding my bike, walking the boardwalk, meals, etc. Note the Park in Long Beach was 2 miles from our sons house. We felt a bit out classed in our new 21' Trailer and truck. This place had lots that were permanently carpeted! Entire LOTs! Not old, not warn out carpet but new! The RVs I would speculate to be worth a million each for some of them! SHEESH! It was a very nice place.
Thursday we had to go. "So we loaded up the truck and moved to Bever . . ." oh wait, no we just hooked up and left. We drove straight through to a little town called Colusa but not quite as far as Redding CA. Why you might ask? It's ten miles off the freeway. Well, the big sign said Casino Resort and RV Park! We saw the sign earlier on the way South and agreed lets go there on the way home! As we arrived Security came out in a golf cart and I'm thinking now what. Much to my surprise he just offered me his cell number and said call for ANY reason even if we simply want a ride to the front door and back! He said to set up completely, slide out can come out, we can disconnect and stay as long as we want free! NICE!! Great Casino no big payouts but we do not gamble much but the dinner was great!
Friday we moved on to Northern Oregon where we dropped in on a park and spent the night.
Saturday we simply drove home.
This was our first trip more than a weekend in the trailer/truck combo and was a trial run for longer planned trips.
Over all the trip was fantastic! It was way to short of a visit with our son however he may say otherwise! LOL!
The F150 towed our TT without a hiccup! We set the cruise control for 65 mph where it held solid. She did slow to 63 on enclines until she downshifted and stepped right back up to 65! Some of the down mountain runs she did exceed in speed on cruise control as down shifting was not enough. Minor braking was applied.
Many times silly yahoos would pass us with BIG pickups and trailers on the flats only to be left behind on hills because they could not maintain speed. There was one particular fellow that I took great delight in leaving well behind as he tailgated us on flats and did not even attempt to pass us where there was opportunity.
Lastly the wind. One day it was blowing and crossing us so hard I slowed to 60 and sometimes 55. Whill passing a semi, we get protected from the wind and sucked in close to the big rig. As we got ahead the wind would hit and we'd have to correct quickly then another semi as they seem to run in packs. Gave is a great white knockled rock and role ride in the breaze! I would have happily slowed and dropped in behind the big rigs but we were on a schedule. Doh!
As I read somewhere here, you can get Eco or you can get Boost but not at the same time! LOL! We averaged 9mpg over 2600 miles per the trip computer. Several mountain passes, winds and 65 MPH and I am happy!
TWO BIG thumbs up for the F150 and a big **** eaten grin for the Ecoboost!
Scott
Last edited by 69Shark; 05-20-2015 at 12:48 PM.
05-21-2015, 08:26 AM
#3
Senior Member
That's what it's all about.
You sound like one of those not too upset by those white knuckle experiences. That's good. But you might also look at beefing up your WDH's anti-sway control some. Nothing wrong with a little adrenaline rush but too much can wear you out.
But sometimes the wind is so bad, the whole rig moves and all you can do is slow down, like you did.
Glad you had a good time.
You sound like one of those not too upset by those white knuckle experiences. That's good. But you might also look at beefing up your WDH's anti-sway control some. Nothing wrong with a little adrenaline rush but too much can wear you out.
But sometimes the wind is so bad, the whole rig moves and all you can do is slow down, like you did.
Glad you had a good time.
05-21-2015, 11:51 AM
#4
Grumpy Old Man
You had some sway problems, but no mention of which WD hitch you had. I suspect you did NOT have one of the better but affordable WD hitches, including the Reese Strait-Line, Husky Centerline, Blue Ox Sway Pro, or Equal-I-Zer. And I'm pretty sure you didn't have the more expensive Pro Pride which completely eliminates sway.
The WD hitch with excellent sway control or sway prevention can eliminate the white-knuckle driving when towing a TT.
I have towed TTs and enclosed cargo trailers thousands of miles using a Strait-Line or a ProPride with no problems at all caused by 18-wheelers blowing by at high speeds during windy conditions.
05-21-2015, 01:18 PM
#5
You had some sway problems, but no mention of which WD hitch you had. I suspect you did NOT have one of the better but affordable WD hitches, including the Reese Strait-Line, Husky Centerline, Blue Ox Sway Pro, or Equal-I-Zer. And I'm pretty sure you didn't have the more expensive Pro Pride which completely eliminates sway.
The WD hitch with excellent sway control or sway prevention can eliminate the white-knuckle driving when towing a TT.
I have towed TTs and enclosed cargo trailers thousands of miles using a Strait-Line or a ProPride with no problems at all caused by 18-wheelers blowing by at high speeds during windy conditions.
The WD hitch with excellent sway control or sway prevention can eliminate the white-knuckle driving when towing a TT.
I have towed TTs and enclosed cargo trailers thousands of miles using a Strait-Line or a ProPride with no problems at all caused by 18-wheelers blowing by at high speeds during windy conditions.
05-21-2015, 03:55 PM
#6
I'd rather be sailing.
Thread Starter
I'm OP,
I'm pretty sure I have the Equal-I-zer set up. I'd have to confirm though. The RV Dealer set it up for me as this is our first. The dealer did NOT instill confidence in the use. They seemed more rookie than me.
Maybe it just needs adjustment. The truck does sit nice though.
Back to the previous post though. Correctly assumed the ENTIRE trip was just fine driving minus this one part of the day in the middle of California we had heavy winds.
As an avid sailor I am very aware of the wind affect on a big box! the wind was crossing, not head on or tail, and yes there was definite suction from the semis.
While white knuckled, it did not make me think there was a problem. Just a lot of freekin wind. There was a very definite impact on the entire rig as we passed the large trucks.
Simply slowing made major impacts on driver comfort.
Thanks for the kind comments and input!
Scott
Oh yeah, that last picture makes my bride look like she may be offering an obscene gesture, That is not the case. Simply an unfortunate feature of the building behind! LOL!
I'm pretty sure I have the Equal-I-zer set up. I'd have to confirm though. The RV Dealer set it up for me as this is our first. The dealer did NOT instill confidence in the use. They seemed more rookie than me.
Maybe it just needs adjustment. The truck does sit nice though.
Back to the previous post though. Correctly assumed the ENTIRE trip was just fine driving minus this one part of the day in the middle of California we had heavy winds.
As an avid sailor I am very aware of the wind affect on a big box! the wind was crossing, not head on or tail, and yes there was definite suction from the semis.
While white knuckled, it did not make me think there was a problem. Just a lot of freekin wind. There was a very definite impact on the entire rig as we passed the large trucks.
Simply slowing made major impacts on driver comfort.
Thanks for the kind comments and input!
Scott
Oh yeah, that last picture makes my bride look like she may be offering an obscene gesture, That is not the case. Simply an unfortunate feature of the building behind! LOL!
05-21-2015, 04:06 PM
#7
with Equalizer, you have sway control in the form of friction on your bars and the L brackets... adjusting them isn't too bad and mostly done with head angle. If it sits pretty level and your unhitched height of the front of your truck is NOT higher than when it's hitched, you're likely OK, but it's worth playing with it IMO. Smokey's suggestion of high end hitches is good if you can swing it, but you are not unsafe, assuming your hitch is properly adjusted, your trailer is properly loaded, and you have the proper amount of tongue weight. (obviously assuming your weights are in order)
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05-21-2015, 04:36 PM
#8
Senior Member
There are two bolts on the Equal-I-Zer head that hold the tension arms in the head. Equal-I-Zer has a recommended torque setting for these bolts but you can go higher for more friction and sway control.
I have a dedicated socket wrench for these and go as high as I can, once the arms are in place on the L brackets. To unhitch and get the arms off the L-brackets I also have to loosen these bolts.
It's also a good idea to ensure the tension arms are sitting flat on the L-brackets. Check the wear pattern. It should be all across the L-bracket, not just on one side or the other. It's easy to tilt the L- Bracket slightly if necessary. This will give you max friction there.
The other adjustments are primarily for weight distribution. But the more tension on the bars, the greater the friction on the L-brackets.
I have a dedicated socket wrench for these and go as high as I can, once the arms are in place on the L brackets. To unhitch and get the arms off the L-brackets I also have to loosen these bolts.
It's also a good idea to ensure the tension arms are sitting flat on the L-brackets. Check the wear pattern. It should be all across the L-bracket, not just on one side or the other. It's easy to tilt the L- Bracket slightly if necessary. This will give you max friction there.
The other adjustments are primarily for weight distribution. But the more tension on the bars, the greater the friction on the L-brackets.
05-21-2015, 05:54 PM
#9
Senior Member
Good report, and glad to hear the truck performed as expected. I'm from Grants Pass, Oregon on I-5, and a few of those passes are a great test for any tow vehicle. I-5 from Oakridge, Oregon to Redding, Ca is always going up or down, not much flat ground!
I've also been very impressed with the EB when towing, and when not towing. Great 1/2 ton powertrain!
I've also been very impressed with the EB when towing, and when not towing. Great 1/2 ton powertrain!
