2018 towing 26' travel trailer @ 5,400 lbs?
07-04-2018, 08:00 AM
#11
I was going to make a similar TT post but I’ll stick it here to catch you TT guys viewing....
im thinking about picking up a 17-19ish ft single axle camper for a couple 1-3 week stays in diff places then on to final destination for hoewever long to find a house, close on it, etc. Seems like an easier way to go vs throwing out tons of money on hotel rooms, staying with friends/family too long, or apt/home leases at final destination (especially with all my home goods in storage that I don’t want delivered till I’m in a permanent place). Anyhow most I’ve been looking at have ranged 2.5-4K dry, with most being closer to 3k. I have a 16 supercab 2wd w/ 5.0, 3.55, rear sway bar installed, and tow package but not the TBC.
My questions are is the brake controller necessary? If not, does it make a significant difference with it? After all, they are well under $100 2nd hand and a forscan change away to add. Also do you think those trailers are light enough for just a standard connection at the hitch or should I still be looking at weight distributing and anti swaying stuff for the receiver?
im thinking about picking up a 17-19ish ft single axle camper for a couple 1-3 week stays in diff places then on to final destination for hoewever long to find a house, close on it, etc. Seems like an easier way to go vs throwing out tons of money on hotel rooms, staying with friends/family too long, or apt/home leases at final destination (especially with all my home goods in storage that I don’t want delivered till I’m in a permanent place). Anyhow most I’ve been looking at have ranged 2.5-4K dry, with most being closer to 3k. I have a 16 supercab 2wd w/ 5.0, 3.55, rear sway bar installed, and tow package but not the TBC.
My questions are is the brake controller necessary? If not, does it make a significant difference with it? After all, they are well under $100 2nd hand and a forscan change away to add. Also do you think those trailers are light enough for just a standard connection at the hitch or should I still be looking at weight distributing and anti swaying stuff for the receiver?
07-04-2018, 08:07 AM
#12
Senior Member
I was going to make a similar TT post but I’ll stick it here to catch you TT guys viewing....
im thinking about picking up a 17-19ish ft single axle camper for a couple 1-3 week stays in diff places then on to final destination for hoewever long to find a house, close on it, etc. Seems like an easier way to go vs throwing out tons of money on hotel rooms, staying with friends/family too long, or apt/home leases at final destination (especially with all my home goods in storage that I don’t want delivered till I’m in a permanent place). Anyhow most I’ve been looking at have ranged 2.5-4K dry, with most being closer to 3k. I have a 16 supercab 2wd w/ 5.0, 3.55, rear sway bar installed, and tow package but not the TBC.
My questions are is the brake controller necessary? If not, does it make a significant difference with it? After all, they are well under $100 2nd hand and a forscan change away to add. Also do you think those trailers are light enough for just a standard connection at the hitch or should I still be looking at weight distributing and anti swaying stuff for the receiver?
im thinking about picking up a 17-19ish ft single axle camper for a couple 1-3 week stays in diff places then on to final destination for hoewever long to find a house, close on it, etc. Seems like an easier way to go vs throwing out tons of money on hotel rooms, staying with friends/family too long, or apt/home leases at final destination (especially with all my home goods in storage that I don’t want delivered till I’m in a permanent place). Anyhow most I’ve been looking at have ranged 2.5-4K dry, with most being closer to 3k. I have a 16 supercab 2wd w/ 5.0, 3.55, rear sway bar installed, and tow package but not the TBC.
My questions are is the brake controller necessary? If not, does it make a significant difference with it? After all, they are well under $100 2nd hand and a forscan change away to add. Also do you think those trailers are light enough for just a standard connection at the hitch or should I still be looking at weight distributing and anti swaying stuff for the receiver?
07-04-2018, 08:27 AM
#13
Check the speed rating of the trailer tires. Most of the tires I looked at were rated no higher than 65. Any higher speed and your fuel mileage suffers. Just a thought to ponder. 5,000#'s is a light weight trailer compared to most RV's we looked at.
What is your max towing capacity of your truck?
What is your max towing capacity of your truck?
07-04-2018, 09:18 AM
#16
I agree with the statement that if you have either the Tow Package (53A) and add a TBC (trailer brake controller) or Max Tow Package (53C) (includes the TBC) you are good. I have a 2017 XLT with Max Tow and am towing a 23' Airstream with dry weight of 4806 with no problems. Note that the dry weight is meaningless (as is Ford's "Tow Capacity Rating") since you will never tow that trailer empty again after getting it home to load it up. You should use the GVWR (mine is 6000#) unless you want to load it up for camping and go to a CAT scale for an actual weight.
To get the actual trailer weight limit for YOUR truck, take your truck's "Payload Rating" off of the driver door sticker. Subtract the weight of the driver and all passengers who will be in the truck. Subtract the weight of the weight distribution hitch (you DO have a weight distribution hitch, don't you). If you have a topper or a tonneau cover, subtract its weight. Estimate and subtract the weight of all the stuff you will carry in the truck while camping, like chairs, tables, generators, grills, firewood, EVERYTHING. Now, take whatever is left of the payload rating and divide by 13%. Whatever number you get is the maximum-ish trailer weight (loaded, not dry) that you can safely tow.The trailer's tongue weight should be in the 10% to 15% range of its total weight for sway control. You can get a range of maximum trailer weights by dividing by 10% and 15%, but I think 13% gets you in the ball park +/- a couple of hundred pounds.
There is an RV forum called https://forums.trailerlife.com/index.cfm where you can read for a decade about towing.
To get the actual trailer weight limit for YOUR truck, take your truck's "Payload Rating" off of the driver door sticker. Subtract the weight of the driver and all passengers who will be in the truck. Subtract the weight of the weight distribution hitch (you DO have a weight distribution hitch, don't you). If you have a topper or a tonneau cover, subtract its weight. Estimate and subtract the weight of all the stuff you will carry in the truck while camping, like chairs, tables, generators, grills, firewood, EVERYTHING. Now, take whatever is left of the payload rating and divide by 13%. Whatever number you get is the maximum-ish trailer weight (loaded, not dry) that you can safely tow.The trailer's tongue weight should be in the 10% to 15% range of its total weight for sway control. You can get a range of maximum trailer weights by dividing by 10% and 15%, but I think 13% gets you in the ball park +/- a couple of hundred pounds.
There is an RV forum called https://forums.trailerlife.com/index.cfm where you can read for a decade about towing.
Last edited by rliles1; 07-04-2018 at 09:21 AM.
07-04-2018, 09:26 AM
#17
The Maximum Towing Capacity only comes into play if you are towing something like a hay wagon that has wheels on all 4 corners, so you have essentially NO tongue weight. No RV is built like that. To figure the maximum towing capacity of YOUR truck, see the post I made before this one.
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chimmike (07-04-2018)
07-04-2018, 09:31 AM
#18
TBC is not only necessary but required for the weight of trailer you are thinking about. A Tekonsha progressive brake controller is not expensive and is pretty much plug and play. You might want to rethink the size and axles of that trailer. That is small to be inhabiting for any length of time more than a few days. Also a single axle is more difficult to handle than a dual axle trailer.
ive dealt with utility trailers and a box or maybe 2 in the past so know the general rule of thumbs with CGVW, tongue weights, etc...but those past trailers have been all pretty much local and never any extended highway trips, so of course pulling essentially a big box across country I want to have everything proper but also don’t to waste money on unnecessary overkill.
07-04-2018, 09:38 AM
#19
space is subjective of course. I’ve dealt with less for longer for work. Layout/use of space is key. I’ve just started poking around and haven’t really dug into the technicals of campers yet. Good to know about tandem vs single...I would of guessed not much difference with lighter weight trailer, but less rolling resistance etc. brake controller not a biggy, as mentioned can put in the factory controller for not much money. Just wasn’t sure if those small light types like that might use surge brakes or something vs electric. what about weight distributing/anti sway hitches? Would that be necessary as well on the lighter ~3k lbs mark?
Although using the word "never" is risky, I will use it here. Travel trailers never come with surge brakes, they are always electric brakes. You will definitely need a weight distribution hitch for a "lighter ~3k lbs" trailer on an F-150. If you had an F-250 or F-350, you MIGHT be able to get away without one, but I still wouldn't recommend it.
Last edited by rliles1; 07-04-2018 at 09:41 AM.
07-04-2018, 09:51 AM
#20
Senior Member
space is subjective of course. I’ve dealt with less for longer for work. Layout/use of space is key. I’ve just started poking around and haven’t really dug into the technicals of campers yet. Good to know about tandem vs single...I would of guessed not much difference with lighter weight trailer, but less rolling resistance etc. brake controller not a biggy, as mentioned can put in the factory controller for not much money. Just wasn’t sure if those small light types like that might use surge brakes or something vs electric. what about weight distributing/anti sway hitches? Would that be necessary as well on the lighter ~3k lbs mark?
ive dealt with utility trailers and a box or maybe 2 in the past so know the general rule of thumbs with CGVW, tongue weights, etc...but those past trailers have been all pretty much local and never any extended highway trips, so of course pulling essentially a big box across country I want to have everything proper but also don’t to waste money on unnecessary overkill.
3k and under weight rating, I don't think brakes are built into the trailer, going by my cargo box trailer which is rated at 3k#. If you are staying with a light trailer like that the weight relationship between tow rig and trailer is much different. Pulling my loaded 30' 7k# TT is a much different proposition than the 12' cargo trailer. One I have to think through the moves and plan routes due to weight/size, the other I can't even feel back there. You figure which is which.
Last edited by Wicked ace; 07-04-2018 at 10:00 AM.