toynaround

Im hoping someone might have some insight or experience with towing with a 2017 platinum. Im having alot of difficulty to get the truck to tow properly compared to my old 2012 FX4. I assumed my new platinum would be equivalent but im having alot of problems with the rear end being very soft compared to my old truck, lots of bouncing front to back with the trailer running the show. Nothing has changed in what im towing, i have a large travel trailer, 33 feet, gvvr at 8800 and im using a Equalizer hitch. i also tow a car trailer (aluminum) with either two side by sides or sometimes a skidsteer on the car trailer. (7.5 k for the skidsteer and the trailer is about 2.2k).

In all these cases the fx4 did well with the factory set-up. no issues what so ever. surprisingly towing the skidsteer on the aluminum car trailer i didnt need any hitch equalization. it towed fine, definately felt the weight but no sway and the tongue weight had some rear squat but not excessive amounts.

The platinum was so bad even towing the car trailer with one side by side the back end has alot of squat. (around 4k total).

I then added airbags with hopes this was the solution which helped with the light loads but not with towing the camper. The bouncing and bobbing towing my camper was so bad that during a camping trip i fedexed in bilstein rear shocks with hopes that it would settle the back end down. Again this has helped but even with airbags and new bilsteins in the rear i cant get the truck tow anywhere near as well as the old fx4.

Was the 2012fx4 stiffer springs and better shocks both front and back then a new platinum?

do i need to upgrade springs in the back?

do in need upgraded springs and shocks in the front?

sorry for the long ramble but really frustrated on what to do , if its fixable or do i need to get a 3/4 ton (which i really dont want to do.) .

this cant be just me

peter

tcp2

Not sure what the answer is for you, sorry, but I find my 2016 has almost no rear damping at all when attached to my trailer. Things bob up and down for wayyy too long after a dip. The old truck had bilsteins and airbags. The new truck has airbags and will get bilsteins shortly. The air bags on their own didn't help other than keeping the rear up a bit.

Simnut

Are you within weight limits of your truck? Your axles GAWR's, your truck GVWR, your payload GVWR and your trailer GWVR?

All Hat No Cattle

Did you re-calibrate your old Equalizer to the new truck?

Treat the hitch as if it is a brand new installation.

The lighter weight of the new truck will affect everything. I had to do that, and my 2016 tows the same boat as well as or better than my 2010 did.

toynaround

Thanks, i did re-set up and probably tried 5 different tweaks to optimize and cant improve the situation any further. I do suspect that im pushing the limit of my equalizer hitch, 1000lbs/10,000 . Im going to try the next model up but again it was fine with the old truck.

Peter

toynaround

I think so all though i cant say i understand fully how to run each number. I have the 2017 platinum super crew with max towing, 10 speed. Towing on this is 11.7k. Im running it with four passengers, 600lbs, 200 lbs in the bed of the truck. Camper dry weight is 7k, gvwr is 8.5k which im sure my payload has not exceeded.

Peter

chimmike

it sounds like you haven't calculated your tongue weight.

dry weight means nothing.
figure at minimum 7500lbs. at 13% tongue weight: 975lbs. Add in your 800lbs for pax and cargo, you're at 1,775lbs payload.
I'd assume your platinum isn't rated for payload that high...

trailer tow rating is meaningless (the 11,700lb number).

chimmike

CAN it tow that much weight? It definitely has enough power. Does that probably exceed manufacturer recommendations? yup.

toynaround

According to fords website the payload capacity on my truck is 2060lbs, 2017, super crew, max towing, 3.55, 5.5 bed, 3.5 eco boost. I should be well within specs,

Iam curious about my actual tongue weight, might have to buy a scale

Summers22

iTrader: (2)

Trash those rear shocks and throw on some Bilstein 5100's. You should have asked or even looked in the 2015 up section. The rear shocks on our trucks are junk. So much so that Bilstein went of national backorder due to the amount of 15 and up people replacing their shocks.