Planning our first vacation with the F150 - ~800 mile round trip from Houston to Arkansas for spring break. Tow vehicle is a 2018 Platinum 4x4 super crew 5.5' bed with Max Tow. On the CAT scale, with a full tank the truck weighs 5600 lbs and with passengers about 6100 lbs. GVWR is 7000 lbs so I have 900 lbs for hitch weight.

We're renting a TT, and I'm looking to see how big a trailer I can safely tow. I'm looking at the following 2:

Grand Design Imagine 2800BH - 5885 lbs dry 575 lb hitch, 7495 lbs GVWR - 32' overall length
Keystone Outback 276UBH - 5675 lbs dry 655 lb hitch, 7600 lbs GVWR - 31' 4" overall length

With both these trailers I'm going to be close to (maybe even over) the truck GVWR. I'd be surprised if we have more than 1000 lbs of cargo in the trailers putting them at about 6700-6900 lbs, so estimating hitch weights of 870-900 lbs + the weight of the WDH. I'd still be way under my rear axle rating of 4050 lbs - with passengers it still has ~1400 lbs of capacity.

So Question 1 - are these 'too much trailer' for my truck? I've seen pictures of both these trailers being pulled by F150s but ones with likely a higher payload than my heavy beast.

Another issue is that while both rentals come with a WDH, neither offers one with sway control. So Question 2 - what are the thoughts on towing a TT of this length without sway control?

 

Ignore the dry hitch weight.


Count on gross trailer weight of about 7,000 pounds, with 910 pounds tongue weight, plus another 100 pounds for a good WD hitch = about 1,000 pounds hitch weight.




Very close to the same weight as the other rental. I'd still estimate hitch weight at abut 1,000 pounds

If you are the nasty old grouch that fusses at everybody to leave stuff at home so as not to exceed the payload capacity of your luxury tow vehicle, then you might be able to scrimp by without being overloaded. Travel with empty holding tanks and only enough fresh water to flush the pottie while in the road. No heavy pots and pans or dishes. But weigh the rig on a CAT scale before you get out of town to be certain you aren't exceeding the payload capacity of your F-150.

I wouldn't do it. In fact, I retired my "good" $1,000 WD hitch and replaced it with a $2,700 ProPride, just in case I encounter sway-causing conditions that can cause uncontrollable trailer sway. If you have ever experienced uncontrollable trailer sway, then you too will spend a bunch to be certain it never happens again.

 

This is a boarder line combo without sway control. Don't recommend. To iffy for me to recommend without setting it up myself and testing it.

 

Thanks for the responses - you guys have confirmed my thoughts around sway control at least. I ended up finding another trailer that does supply a sway control hitch which I am much more comfortable with. It's also slightly smaller and lighter which helps with the hitch weight. We will be traveling with empty tanks (have water at the campsite), and in this new trailer I'd expect to be well under 6500 lbs. I'll still be close to my truck's GVWR but will confirm with a trip to the scales before hitting the road.

 

With 89% Front Axle Load Restoration, my WDH transferred 20.5% of the tongue weight to the trailer axles.
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