Will my truck have any problems handling a 32 foot 8200 pound bumper pull travel trailer if I regeared to say 4.88? Im getting gears for graduation, and It looks like I'm getting the family Keystone travel trailer to spend my college years in! I need to tow this trailer to Alpine, TX from austin...about a 9 hour trip. I need some input on how effective regearing would be on my towing capacity. I have 35's so my truck is kind of a gas guzzling pig right now. thanks for the help

 

My opinion. Your truck in a supercab is rated to tow 9400# with the gears you already have.

Also, think about what percentage of the time you're pulling the trailer. If it's not alot, you'll be burning alot of fuel unnecessarily when not towing.

If you want more power to pull that 8200# trailer, I wouldn't go any lower than 4:10's. The F-150 supercabs with long beds and 4:10's are rated over 10,000# I think. 4:88's are way too low (with stock tires) for any kind of highway use. Your engine will be screaming.

Having said all this, you're biggest problem with towing a trailer that heavy and long isn't gears or horsepower. IT'S WHEELBASE. A truck as short as a reg cag 6.5 foot box can get pretty squirrely towing a trailer like that, and that's why they aren't rated as high for towing even with the same powetrain options. Just be careful

 

ya thats what the rv dealership told me. They said the truck has the power to pull it just not enough lead in it's *** lol. They also tried to talk me and my parents into a 5th wheel. They said with my truck's wheelbase, it would be a much easier pull to have the weight resting above the axle, rather than behind it. I see the guys point, but yet again I know he'd love to make a sale.

 

Actually, he's 100% right. When you tow with a short truck you get alot of rear-end sway because the trailer overpowers the truck. A fifth wheel set up will all but eliminate that. I wouldn't hesitate to pull an 8200# 5th wheel with that truck, and as I said before, power won't be an issue as the truck sits now. I've towed more with 3:55 gears.

 

so 5h wheel pver bumper pull in my situation? anyone else agree?

 

I would take off the 35's and go down to 33's or 32's to tow that much weight. Will pull much better.

 

That's a great point too. A smaller tire with reduce alot of body-roll, improve handing, and fuel economy, and it will also have the same effect as having a lower gear ratio due to the smaller circumference.

 

I always try to work to upgrade my truck...so wouldnt gears a....cost less than new tires? and b...let me keep my rather expensive brand new tires and still let me tow a decent load? My dad has regeared both of my past chevys to 4.10, so labor isn't an issue.

 

Well actually, I know a few guys on here have unloaded a few sets of stocker steelies and stock tires for next to nothing. If nothing else, they will come in handy when towing but when you have no trailer behind you, switch back to the nice tires. I know that is kind of a headache to switch back and forth but once you get to Alpine, how much will you actually be moving that thing around?

 

If I know I'm going to do a lot of towing I put on my 33" Toyo AT's and with the programmer on level 2 it pull's a lot harder than with my 35's. Re-gearing with 4.10 gear's will help if you decide to leave the 35's on. Whatever you do make sure you run LT tires aired up with that much weight.