applianceman

Getting ready to lease a new F-150 ecoboost w/ the max-tow package. As this is a lease I do not want to make any modifications. Have had Hemi-Rams in the past but did not tow with them. Going to buy a new travel trailer this fall. Here are the specs on the trailer we like best... Hitch weight 769 lbs, Ship weight 7,416 lbs, & a GVWR of 8,800 lbs. Any opinions on towing this trailer with this truck would be appreciated. Thanks!

brulaz

The F150 is a nice truck, but Ford has emphasized the unloaded handling.

Many have found the suspension/tires to be too soft and bouncy/floaty when fully loaded. If you only load up occasionally that may be fine, but if you do a lot ...

Probably the best/cheapest solution is to get an F150 with the HD Payload option which, with the Ecoboost brings in the the MaxTow.

Even if you don't need the xtra payload, the HD Payload option gives you stiffer springs, heavy duty shocks and LT-metric tires. This makes for a much stiffer suspension and better handling under load.

But the HD payload option isn't available in all models and configurations, so the rest of us are doing after-market customizations, which you don't want to do.

So with the rig you're talking about, I'd try to lease an F150 Ecoboost with the HD Payload (and Maxtow).

willieboy

The best piece of advice (other than the above) is to get a good Weight Distributing Hitch. Look at the Equal-I-Zer brand of WDH hitches. They are a good value, do a very good job when setup properly, and they have sway control built in.

As far as the truck goes: Air bags, Roadmaster Active Suspension or Timbrens are all pretty easy to install and reverse when you get ready to turn in your lease. All of these are literally bolt-ons, so they are not too big of a deal. They will make your squating truck a happy camper again. Of course with the HD Payload, you likely will not need them.

Last thing, 769 lbs of tongue weight is quite a lot for an unloaded trailer towed with a 1/2 ton. It is certainly doable, but keep in mind a loaded trailer is going to weigh a lot more. Remember, the tongue weight cuts right into your payload, as does the weight of the WDH hitch. Ford's payload ratings are calculated with the truck full of fluids, but no passengers. Also, they calculate the trailer weights with no options, no propane tanks, no batteries, and no fluids on board. Assume a loaded trailer will have 13-20% of the total weight on the tongue + the weight of the hitch, plus the weight of the poeple in the truck, plus the firewood, bikes, etc. in the bed, and you can see that you are running out of payload quickly. So, as you are thinking about your trailer/truck combo, think about everything your are going to take along.

Based on years of camping with an RV, I would estimate your trailer will add 1200 lbs once it is geared up and loaded. Assume a 150lbs on the tongue weight, so now your trailer has a tongue weight of 919+100lbs for the hitch = 1019lbs of payload on your truck, and there are no people in it yet. Depending on your configuration, you can see where payload is a big deal. That is why a lot of people look for lighter trailers, and why I chose to go to the HD Payload package.

mbopp

Oh, yeah. For a trailer that heavy I'd want both the Max Tow and Max Payload packages.
The Equalizer is a very good hitch and a lot of people are running a Reese Dual Cam also (me included.)
Over on the rv.net forum Skip (aka "skipnchar") is towing a 34' Rockwood trailer with a HD Max Tow F150 rated for 2550# payload and 17,100# GCVWR. He's very happy with it.

SkiSmuggs

With a good Weight Distributing Hitch, the Max Tow will be sufficient. It moves some of the weight off the rear axle forward to the front (keeping those tires on the road for steering) and rearward to the trailer axles. A good WDH also provides some anti-sway function. RVWarehouse seems to have about the best prices on the Equalizer.

applianceman

Thanks so much for the advice. Spent the day looking at F-250's. Looks like to go with the Ford HD payload I will need the longer bed. In which case I will go ahead and move up to the 3/4 ton. Either that or we will look at smaller trailers.

blueovelboy

only thing i can add to all the others is keep it slow till you get the hang of it (travel trailer towing) and double check every thing twice! set your trailer brake to the recommended .5 off of full lock up at 25 mph and have a blast. if your leasing the truck be aware of the mileage that you don't go over the limit of your lease. good luck and post up some pic when you get it all set up.

applianceman

I am curious SkiSmuggs how much does that five weigh and how much is the pin weight?

SkiSmuggs

No convenient scales, but dry weight was 1400/7700 so am guessing that I am about 1500/8500. I load heavy things to the rear, carry no firewood and the fresh water tank is in the rear if I want to offset some pin weight. Like most of the others towing 5ers, I am probably over the GAWR, but she rides fine and tows like a diesel.
I am a little perplexed about the HD Payload advice for TT towing as a WDH moves much of the hitch weight off the rear axle. I would just go with an F150 with Max Tow and a WDH and you will be just fine.
The HD Payload was not available with the 2011 model, but if I were to start making long trips, I would think about going to HD Payload for a bigger cushion. The EB with Max Tow is a very capable truck and no way would I go to the reduced comfort and fuel mileage of a Super Duty. Some go by the book, I go by my personal experience. I made my decision on truck and trailer after talking to folks much further over the limits who had no problem. The brakes are made for towing 11K and the SuperSprings, while not officially raising the load limit, practically do so. BTW, since you are leasing, the SuperSprings are an easy DIY bolt on and removal without doing anything permanent to the truck, but don't think you will even need them for a TT with a WDH.
Maybe this towing chart from Ford will help:
http://www.ford.com/trucks/f150/specifications/towing/

flixden

Yes, quite a bit is transferred off the rear axle with WD, but without it, the rear axle is loaded up by much more than the tongue weight.
In the end, almost all the tongue weight is carried by the TV anyway. In a typical setup, 20-25% of the tonge weight is transferred to the trailer, the rest remains to be carried by the truck. Now add the weight of the WDH itself,and you are almost back to everything being carried by the truck. Example: 800 lbs tongue weight. A max of 200 lbs will be transferred to the trailer. Now add the 150 lbs of the WDH, and you are at 800-200+150 = 750# (> 90% of the tongue weight) that will be carried by the truck.
With the OP's trailer and a final tongue weigh approaching 1K lbs, he will be better off getting the HD payload package IMO. Heck, I maxed out the payload of my HD on our last trip with a 5K lbs trailer and just over 600 lbs tongue weight.