Howdy Folks! I am about to sign my John Hancock on a travel trailer this upcoming weekend. The only thing I am concerned about is the truck's capability of handling of the trailer.

Here's what I have:
2010 FX4 CrewCab, 145" WB 5.4L and 3.73 Rear Diff

Here's what I am looking at:
34' Summerland, 855LBS Hitch Weight
7200LBS Dry Weight

According to the RV dealer, my current hitch system is rated for 1,050LBS so after the propane tanks are full and the battery added on the front tongue of the trailer, that adds 100LBS, which is pushing the hitch capability. They advised that I upgrade the hitch (which they can do there) to a ClassIV(?). They said that upgrading the hitch brings me up to 1,200LBS hitch weight rating. They also said that with the truck being rated for 9,700LBS towing capacity, that the 7,200 LBS should be just fine. That leaves about 2,500LBS for gear and equipment, etc. They would install the weight distributing hitch and an aftermarket TBC.

I'm not that knowledgeable about the threshold on these trucks and where I should 'draw the line', that's why I posted this. Has anyone had similar experience? Any input on whether this setup is a good idea or not?

Thanks guys (and gals )

Steve

 

Hi!
Good idea to investigate before purchase!
With that setup, I would expect the trailer to be at right around 8,500 lbs when you go camping. That will not leave you much headroom.
Your real limitation will be your payload / tongue weight. It could be as high as 1,200lbs after loading up the trailer, water, etc. What does the sticker in your door jamb say about your max payload? Subtract people, and anything else in the truck. Is the remaining number 1,200 lbs or higher?
Towing at the edge is most likely not "very happy" towing, but some people don't mind. That part will depend on you.
A friend of mine tows a similar trailer with a 2WD F150. It sure works so far, but he does not like towing it very far. To be honest though, he has 2 kids, wife, dog, generator, etc, so a lot of extra gear / stuff in the truck.
If I were you, I'd ask the same question also at the towing section of rv.net before committing. Lots of very experienced TT towers there, many with F150's.

Good luck, TT's are fun!

 

The 5.4L is NOT enough power. I talk from experience. That is why I got rid of mine and got the 6.2L. Towing now is a pleasure whereas it was extremely frustrating before with the 5.4L.

 

The 5.4L does have enough power to handle the load but it's not as quick or powerful as the 6.2L.

 

You should also consider the added weight of all of the camping gear that you will be carrying in the camper. That weight can add up quickly.

 

Your RV dealer is full of crap. Unless he is talking about putting a Class V on there

Your truck (and all other F-150's) already has a Class IV hitch from factory. Should be rated to 10,000 lbs. What does the tongue capacity sticker on the hitch say? Should be on the left side next to the 7 pin

The trailer you are after is going to put you at the very limits of your trucks ratings. The truck will do the job. I'd personally avoid anything but straight roads. As far as power, the 5.4 3v will do the job. Just slowly. Don't expect to win races, but she'll get you there

 

Thanks guys! I've been doing more thinking and probably will lay off of this deal. There is a trailer that is 6 feet shorter (28 feet long), 1500 LBS lighter (Dry Weight 5600 LBS) and 200 LBS lighter on the tongue (645 LBS Hitch Weight) that is made by the same manufacturer with almost the same layout. I feel more comfortable with towing a 5600 LBS trailer with this truck than the 7300 LBS.

How do these numbers look to you guys? They look more in the range of a healthy F150 type trailer?

 

They do. I would still do the payload exercise. Add up all the numbers.

 

F150's are rated to tow heavy weights but I don't know if taking them to the limit is a good idea. Towing occasionally to the limit for shorter distances is one thing, but if one wants to tow longer distances and more often, a Super Duty would be a better choice. Just my opinion. And another opinion of mine is that my 5.4 has plenty of power to tow and haul with the 6 speed tranny, but of course a 6.2 is much better.

 

much better. the truck will be happier, you will have a more stable comfortable tow, it will allow you to carry more of your gear rather than doing a "pick 'n choose" deal to avoid overweight

as suggested, I would do a weight theory to practice. see what all you will carry, load the truck and then all the people who will be with you. then go get weighed. subtract that from your GCVR and see how much trailer you can still yank around

 

One thing to consider. My neighbor has a 2011 Silverado and he pulls a 2011 Rockwood 31' ultra liite. He says it's all aluminum construction and is lighter than many on the market.

He's and old man and doesn't know the exact weight specs and such.

 

Best I can find is about 6500 lbs dry and a max of 8000 lbs gvwr on the ultralites. Depending on his truck, he should be ok.

 

Agreed - you're going to be pretty close to the max. It really depends on how much towing you'll be doing and how far.

I tow a max of 8,000 pounds totally loaded with everything - toys (2 ATVs), gear, generator including people and fluids (water and gas). I have a weight distribution system and a 9,600 max tow rating.

It tows but on long hauls, I'd say the truck isn't very happy. The 5.4 engines are beasts (I have a 5.0 and it rocks too) but expect poor gas mileage - depending on speed, wind and grade, expect anywhere from 8 to 10mpg.

Good luck

 

Towing is one situation where I would not have a problem with over-kill when it comes to making everything safe.

 

Amen to that.