Maury82

The HDPP will get you the highest payload, and the 4x2 will add ~ 200lbs.

Maury82

I didn't even bother looking in the dealer lot, but went straight inside with my configured printout and my offer, and they didn't counter my offer. 😊

If you plan on towing a travel trailer with the HDPP, if it falls within its ratings, it can tow it (I can't vouch for the Max Tow).

I got my first truck last June and racked up 4,000 towing miles, and it was my first truck and first time towing a trailer...37 ft 8,400lbs dry (9,900 lbs max) trailer. 😊

I gained my confidence with driving a truck - not quite there yet - and towing at the same time, and I can't wait until camping season so I can get back out...that means my setup is a comfortable tow.

snerf

Maury, thanx for all the feedback. The reason I went by the dealer lot was to get an actual visual of the door jamb ratings. I'm at a cross-roads of either custom ordering a HDPP/Max tow 4x2 to achieve 2,600-2,700 lbs, or seeing if I can get away with a generic XLT at around 1,825 lbs.

The appeal of the generic XLT is a lotof 2017s will be coming off 3 year leases over the next 6 months. (2017+ for obvious reasons.) People in LA love to drive F150s as their regular car, but almost all of them are the generic 302A package. There's already some low mileage (20k), single owner, certified pre-owned lease returns showing back up @ authorized Ford dealer lots - and this will only increase over the next 6 months. (CPOs are at Ford dealers - regular used are at non-Ford dealers; obviously stay away from fleet/rental.)

So, here's the math: A 25' Airstream has a base of 5,500 lbs, with a GVWR of 7,300. Assume 1,300 lbs loaded, so around 6,800 lbs wet and ready to roll. 13% TW equals 885 lbs. WDH 100, gear + stuff 400, and 2 passengers 325 adds up to 1,710 lbs. Max capacity for generic XLT (4x2, 3.5, 5.5 box) is 1,825 lbs, which gives me a cushion of 115 lbs TW or 93.5% of limit. Close, but doable.

Of course, I really don't have 400 lbs of stuff in the truck bed, nor do I have 1,300 lbs to put in the TT beyond the normal propane, solar, batt, food, clothing, cookware. So, let's say I really come in @ 1,642 lbs payload weight. That should provide an OK cushion of around 10%.

The other way to calc is to go back from the 1,825 carrying capacity. 1825 - 325 - 100 - 400 = 1,000 lbs payload capacity for TW. Divide by .13 results in 7,692 lbs max gross trailer weight. Obviously, no way I'm going over the GVWR of 7,300 lbs, so it looks like I'm also under limits using this reverse calculation.

Still, the thought of having 2,400-2,700 capacity is nice, but I'm not sure it's worth special ordering a new F150. The price guide is showing $46k, with -0- incentives. The 2017 lightly used lease returns are coming in around $27.5.

smokeywren

No. DW insisted on Lariat trim, so I ordered Lariat 501 trim with Max Tow, but without HDPP. To Save weight, I ordered SuperCab 4x2 instead of SuperCrew, tailgate steps but without bed steps. DW is handicapped so we have to have cab steps.. Yellow sticker is 1904 before I had dealer add a hard trifold tonneau cover, so max payload is about 1,800. That's plenty for my needs, but not over 2,000 it could be with HDPP.

snerf

Happy wife, happy life. I'm juggling these numbers because my wife is driving the decision on which size/style Airstream to get. The 23' wouldn't be noticed by a generic XLT/Lariat; the 25' starts getting up to around 90% of capacity (see numbers above). The 26' and larger needs the HDPP or F250.

Also, thanks for all the info & tips you've posted. I studied the crap out of them before I felt comfortable penciling out my own calculations.

pilotpip

We are already seeing some of those here in the STL area. Bare bones, no towing package ETC. For what you want to do, I think you need at least a Max Tow package, or order an HDPP. Here's the kicker with the max tow: The coolers, bigger tank, and hitch all eat into the payload. I had a rental from Enterprise while getting some accessories installed at time of purchase and they don't allow towing so they don't have the hitch, or heavier cooler and all the other good stuff. The payload on the rental truck was 2300lbs with a 5.0 and 3.31 gears.

When we were camper shopping and realized the 1375 payload of my 13 F-150 wasn't going to cut it, I started truck shopping too. I was looking to order an F-250 with the 6.2 when the sales manager asked if I'd be ok with 1800lbs payload. I'm a 2 year old, let someone else pay for depreciation kind of guy and could only find around 1600 pounds on the trucks with my wants that were used. Sure enough, my 18 Screw XLT FX-4 with sport appearance has 1775 on the sticker. The price was significantly lower than ordering a 250 because of incentives. I looked at my wife, and asked if we could eliminate a couple trailers and she said yes. Ended up with a 150, and bought a smaller camper. In our case that was a Rockwood Mini Lite 2509S. It's right at 26' hitch to bumper. From the dealership with no stuff other than 2 full 30lb propane tanks and 2 batteries it weighed 5300lbs. My tongue weight on a sherline scale was just a tick over 700lbs. Using an Equal-I-Zer hitch with 10,000lb bars it tows very well. I definitely know it's there, I definitely feel semis passing me. I came to the same conclusions you did although I limited myself to under 30 feet total. I'm glad I did. I feel comfortable towing my camper.

If I had a car to drive daily I'd buy an F-250 in a heartbeat and never worry about it, but I like getting 20mpg and having a comfortable ride every day in my F-150. I also don't mind having a smaller camper as it's easier for me to maneuver and we only need the camper for sleeping and escaping the heat/rain.

snerf

Pilot, great information. So, I searched the Ford database, and a local dealer had a stripped F250 XL 4x2 Scab 6.2 gas with 8' box (164" wb) sitting on their lot. I headed on over to get a look at the door jamb ratings. Yes, that reads 3,859 lbs. Even better, the price was $37.5k.



So, here's the conundrum: The F150 HDPP requires a special order, which means the dealer isn't going to want to negotiate. Ford lists the price @ $46k, which is what I think it would actually end up costing. Of course, forget ever trying to find one of these used - that's unicorn territory. The plus side is it's a F150 - no dispute about the much better ride. Plus, the 3.5 EB, 10 spd, etc. are all modern tech.

The F250 is, well it's a truck and rides like one. The 6.2 gas, 6 spd gets what, 10-12 mpg? OTOH, Ford blows out these stripped work trucks for a fair price, and dealers who have them sitting on their lots should be willing to deal. Last, but not least, this would be a 3rd vehicle, used for house projects and of course ** towing a 7,000 lbs travel trailer **.

As you described, and I have experienced in my current motor home, it just doesn't pay having a tiring, nervous experience when you're suppose to be relaxing.

8100hd

pilotpip

That 3/4 ton will ride just fine when it has a bunch of weight on the hitch, and you could go buy just about any travel trailer you want and quite a few 5th wheels will be in range should you decide to "upgrade" in a few years. Like I said, if it were a 3rd vehicle, there's no question I would have been able to forego some of the creature comforts and went a little lower on the options.

One thing to consider though: F-150s almost always have more incentives/rebates but those are often only on dealer stock.

Maury82

I agree that a tiring and nervous experience would be a serious downer, especially for a newbie like me. I'm a newbie to these big long wide trucks, and one of the first thing that was a huge revelation, was how much adjustment I had to make versus driving my cars, and I can't imagine drivinga larger, slower, and more ponderous 3/4 ton truck. My truck is barely tolerable outside of towing... I'm on my third tank of gas since November, with more idling than driving.

When I first hooked up my HDPP to my TT, I got in a 65 mph zone doing 50. I gradually picked up speed to 60, then to 65.

The trailer was rock solid behind the truck, but I was feeling feeling a pushing sensation, and I was thinking I was having problems with my setup.
Then I noticed the big rigs swaying in front of me, and I then looked at the trees...it was windy out.

Turned out, it was gusting up to 30 mph that day.

First big rig was coming up, and I was nervous as heck, then it passed...nothing happened, so I thought that was a fluke.

Now more truck were passing, and and the only issue was a pushing sensation as the cab pass buy my truck, but no sucking in when it goes by, and the pushing just require a counter pressure on the steering wheel. Got on I 75 south in the middle lane, with trucks on my right, and cars on the left...the trailer was stable and not moving around in the lane.

My first first tow were long 12 hour trips from Ohio on State Route 35 along two lane roads to Charleston WV, I 64 through the Hampton Roads bridge tunnel to Va. Beach...with a full freshwater tank.

My second tow was from Ohio to Washington DC area, along State Route 50 over that high bridge to Salisbury Maryland. From Salisbury on State Route 13 over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge tunnels to Va. Beach... a newbie with no experience with a truck or towing.

In the left lane passing a big rig with a concrete barriers on my left and big rigs on my right...no problem.

in a tunnel with the tunnel wall a few feet on my right, and big rigs passing in the opposite direction on my left...no problem.

If it wasn't for that HDPP handling that loooong heavy trailer and allowing me to gain confidence in one situation after another, I would have turned around, parked my truck and put a for sale sign on it.

It's definitely not a one finger on the wheel tow, nor a tow if you have to keep a coffee mug in one hand at all times, but it's stable enough and relaxing enough for one hand on the wheel to change radio station, or to relax one arm most of the time.

And of course there are limitations with towing with 1/2 ton, but for me, there were no better option with the least compromise on the market at any price, any engine, or any capacity than the HDPP.

And for the record, I have never towed with an empty freshman water tank...half or full fresh water only.

I towed from Va Beach to W.Virginia turnpike with all tanks full, until I dumped at the rest stop. Truck handed it fine with full tanks, but when I emptied the gray and black, that sloshing sensation disappeared from the trailer.