New Travel Trailer
#1
New Travel Trailer
I have a 2012 F150 Lariat, it does not have eco boost, it is a 5.0 litre engine. I have the tow package with integrated trailer brake and tow/haul. I want to make sure I am good with the trailer I just bought. I bought a 2014 Keystone Outback that has a shipping weight of 6600 lbs, total length is 30 feet, but 26 box feet. I just want to make sure I won't have a problem pulling this with my truck. I have a weight distribution hitch with a friction sway bar. The hitch set up is from a previously owned and much lighter trailer, I was told when I bought the new trailer I might need to upgrade the hitch to the tune of $1,000, not exactly sure what the difference in the hitch was. The tongue weight of my new trailer is 820 lbs. I would appreciate any insight on towing this trailer. I have only been towing a travel trailer for a year, so the comfort level is no quite there yet and I want to make sure I am safe with my family while towing. Also, should I replace the shocks and put heavy duty shocks on the truck? Thanks in advance.
#2
Standard cab, SCAB or SCREW?
How many people are you hauling?
What's the payload on the yellow door sticker?
What hitch are you using? You may need heavier WD bars but I don't think you'll need a whole new hitch.
6600# plus gear plus passengers may put you close to or even over your GVW. Only a scale will tell.
Power-wise you'll be making the 5.0 work but it's doable.
How many people are you hauling?
What's the payload on the yellow door sticker?
What hitch are you using? You may need heavier WD bars but I don't think you'll need a whole new hitch.
6600# plus gear plus passengers may put you close to or even over your GVW. Only a scale will tell.
Power-wise you'll be making the 5.0 work but it's doable.
#3
New Travel Trailer
The truck is a SCREW. It is only me and my wife plus two dogs. We typically only go about 50 miles to a campground in the mountains west of where we live. It is in the mountains and there is a 6 mile stretch that is uphill the whole way. GVWR is 7350 according to the door sticker. As far as the hitch setup, that is with the trailer right now so I am not sure what I have. I do know the hitch was set for just over 600# of hitch weight, one of the guys at the dealership suggested going with my current set up and if I got too much sway then decide if I wanted to switch out the hitch.
#6
It should tow just fine, however you should check the yellow sticker on the door post. That will tell you your payload capacity. Subtract you, your wife and two dogs from that number. Now subtract the tongue weight. You will find how close you are to the payload capacity. Your tongue weight will likely be pushing 1000lbs when fully loaded (you can also figure the WDH will add 100 or so lbs, but will also transfer some of the tongue weight back to the trailer axle. If the above total gives you concern, hit a CAT scale to get more exact numbers)
#7
I have a 2012 F150 Lariat, it does not have eco boost, it is a 5.0 litre engine. I have the tow package with integrated trailer brake and tow/haul. I want to make sure I am good with the trailer I just bought. I bought a 2014 Keystone Outback that has a shipping weight of 6600 lbs, total length is 30 feet, but 26 box feet. I just want to make sure I won't have a problem pulling this with my truck. I have a weight distribution hitch with a friction sway bar. The hitch set up is from a previously owned and much lighter trailer, I was told when I bought the new trailer I might need to upgrade the hitch to the tune of $1,000, not exactly sure what the difference in the hitch was. The tongue weight of my new trailer is 820 lbs. I would appreciate any insight on towing this trailer. I have only been towing a travel trailer for a year, so the comfort level is no quite there yet and I want to make sure I am safe with my family while towing. Also, should I replace the shocks and put heavy duty shocks on the truck? Thanks in advance.
As for the hitch I use a 1200lbs round bar hitch, I do have the friction sway controller but rarely use it. But if you are going to upgrade hitch, then Reese dual cam, blue ox swaypro, or equalizer hitches are the ones to use, if you have a lot of extra $$$ then the pro-pride p3 or the Hensley arrow, those two guarantee no sway at all.
Last edited by canadian-nut-fx4; 07-19-2013 at 09:31 PM.
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#8
#9
Senior Member
I have a 2012 F150 Lariat, it does not have eco boost, it is a 5.0 litre engine. I have the tow package with integrated trailer brake and tow/haul. I want to make sure I am good with the trailer I just bought. I bought a 2014 Keystone Outback that has a shipping weight of 6600 lbs, total length is 30 feet, but 26 box feet. I just want to make sure I won't have a problem pulling this with my truck. I have a weight distribution hitch with a friction sway bar. The hitch set up is from a previously owned and much lighter trailer, I was told when I bought the new trailer I might need to upgrade the hitch to the tune of $1,000, not exactly sure what the difference in the hitch was. The tongue weight of my new trailer is 820 lbs. I would appreciate any insight on towing this trailer. I have only been towing a travel trailer for a year, so the comfort level is no quite there yet and I want to make sure I am safe with my family while towing. Also, should I replace the shocks and put heavy duty shocks on the truck? Thanks in advance.
Now for the bad news... My trailer is 6500lbs dry, 850lb dry hitch weight and 32' 9" long. My truck is a 2011 FX4 with Max Tow pkg and has a 7700lb GVWR. I had my setup weighed at my local Cat scale and when my trailer and truck are loaded up for a trip along with my wife and two kids(8yr old boy and 5yr old girl) my truck weighed in at 7540lbs. The trailer weighed 7500lbs. We pack a bunch of stuff being there is 4 of us but with it being just you and the wife and depending how big your dogs are? You might be OK? The only way to tell is to get your setup weighed once you are loaded up for a trip and just make sure you load everything in the trailer and try and leave your truck bed empty.. The only thing that was in the bed of my truck when i had it weighed was fishing gear and my trusty little weber Q grill.. Best of luck with the new Outback!
Kevin