aguynamedbryan

Hi everyone,

I bought a '16 Platinum 157" platinum crew cab with the 3.5 ecoboost a little while back and figured I'd never get into a towing a toy hauler... but here I am... interested in getting a toy hauler and a couple toys. I don't understand much about how to know if I'm looking at trailers that I can tow safely and legally so I'm hoping you guys can help me out. Here's what I understand so far:

My gearing is 3.73 which according to the brochure I can pull roughly 11,000 lbs
My payload is 1554 lbs
The longest trailer I've recently found myself considering is 30 ft long, something like this: https://www.jayco.com/products/toy-h...uper-lite/260/
The GVWR for that trailer is 9995 lbs
If I assume 10% tongue weight then that leaves roughly 554 lbs of capacity in my vehicle - after I subtract for me and my wife then we have 230 lbs of vehicle capacity left. This is cutting it super close IMO but we wouldn't get close to max capacity of the trailer so there would be plenty of storage there, plus a slightly lesser tongue weight. Something like this trailer is desirable because of the larger cargo area should we end up getting a side-by-side.

Can what I stated above tell me if I can safely pull this trailer or is there a better way to know this? Does length play a factor as well? Anything else that I need to consider?

Any input is greatly appreciated - I'm really nervous about buying a trailer that I can't pull safely or legally!

Thanks!

aguynamedbryan

Well, I just found the "Number one asked, can I tow this. Read this" thread - I should have known there was a thread out there like that...

redranger04g

That is a great thread and teaches you a lot. You are doing the research ahead of time which is more than most can say though.

Apples

As you learn more about these light weight 1/2-ton pickup trucks, you'll see that you don't want to be lugging around an aerodynamic brake... or a huge mainsail. And LONG before you reach an 11,000 lb tug goal you will be limited by your truck's Payload Capacity and it's GCVWR (gross combined vehicle weight rating - or, the total weight of the truck and trailer). You'll see too that perhaps automakers have misled consumers in the area of advertised tow capacity in order to increase sales...

If you cannot consider a trailer just HALF the size and weight of that 30-footer you had your eye on, then best be prepared to trade in your truck for an F250/350. Good luck to you. Just because some guys here yank 30' around with them doesn't mean you should too. That is my humble opinion. You may of course split the difference.

acdii

Thanks for looking and finding it. I was hoping for it to get some traction for sticky status, but the mods here are stingy it seems.

What I can tell you that your Plat can tow is about a 28' 6500# wet and loaded trailer. That is where mine sits with 1583 pound payload. It leaves me with very little capacity for anything but me, my kids and a few items in the bed, mainly an 80 pound generator, 5 gallons of gas, my 80 pounds of tools and a full LP tank. My wife takes her Focus when we go for any trip that is more than a few hours away and has my mom with her. Short trips under 3 hours distance we all pile in the truck, but it is over weight at that point by 400 pounds.

Hope that gives an idea of what you might want to look for. My trailer is a 2014 Coleman CT274BH bunkhouse with a GVWR of 7300 pounds. It weighed last year at 6400# with all our stuff and the LP tanks and water tank filled.

aguynamedbryan

Thanks for your input, I was thinking that might be the case... If only I could find a short toy hauler with a 12' garage!

Is there an easy answer to what makes an F250 a better vehicle? Is it just because it has a bigger payload or the added weight and size to counteract the weight I'd be pulling?

aguynamedbryan

Thanks for your input and the time you took to write that thread of yours I found. I appreciate the first hand experience you have with your truck and trailer - it really helps to put things into perspective for me. Unfortunately that perspective (and the other poster's input) is making me realize I don't think I can do what I want with the truck I currently have

I guess I'll need to upgrade the truck or downgrade what I'm looking for!

ambush

ambush

acdii

One thing to consider, and a lot of people do this, is if you have never done RV camping before, and invest a huge sum into a truck and trailer, only to find it is not to your liking, you are now stuck with some very expensive yard ornaments. Start out small, find out if it is really what you want, then move on up to where you want to be. In the long run it can save you thousands. I know I would have gone the dually route, 5th wheel right off the bat if I could, and then after a few years decided I had enough, then the trailer would sit, and I would have a huge truck to drive to work every day. Our first year we did 6 trips, last year I think we did 4. and this year, have 2 planned, which may not happen due to issues with the truck, so unless I can replace my truck in the next 2 months, we will be down to one planned trip in August.

I should add, if your truck does not tow well because it it too light in the payload department, too much trailer, or has issues while towing, it drastically cuts into your want to camp. That's what happened last year with me, and continues through this year, the truck is not very good at towing, even though the previous 2014 towed it just fine.

What you might want to do is rent a trailer similar in size/weight to what you are looking to get, and go for a drive to see how it handles. If it tows nice, then you know to go ahead with what you want, if not, then you know to look at other options.