When my wife told me which camper she wanted I said to her we will have the correct truck to tow it. The dealer tried to sell me a F150 to tow a 35' TT, weighing in at 9500 lbs fully loaded. He said it will be just fine, and it would have, if I did not go and buy a golf cart too. Now not only do I pull a 35' camper, but put a 1000 lbs golf cart in the bed at the same time. Total weight going camping with family, 18700 lbs. There is no way a F150 could do that, and do 80 mph down the highway and be safe. Did I plan on buying a golf cart, no, but everyone else at the camp ground had one so I wanted one. Just remember your plans will change, weather you use it more or less, it will change. I bought for growth, someone else might buy just for current needs. As long as you are happy with your decision then it's the right one. But please make sure you don't put me and my family at risk on the road because you settled for something that will work at it's max.

 

Just stay out of CA and you will be fine (grin). As I said, it is a package decision. You can guess high and waste money or low and waste money. There is no best decision in the abstract.

 

I certainly was not trying to change the op's mind about getting a bigger truck. Just bring something to the discussion.

As one who tows cross country and does many miles down the road, I think I already have about 10K on my 5er and it is only 1.5 years old.

 

No need to apologize Scott. Opinions were requested, some didn't like our opinions and therefore a healthy discussion ensued.


Happy Thanksgiving everyone and stay safe.

 

"There is no way a F150 could do that, and do 80 mph down the highway and be safe."

I dont believe any truck is safe pulling a trailer down the highway at 80mph??!! Aren't the tires on a camper only rated for 65mph??

 

LT tires are truck tires

ST is trailer tires that are limited to 65 mph.

so tires play an imporant part on the purchase as well. That F150 will need to have some LT tires on it.

 

I will also add that every summer i get 4 tons of wood pellets for our stove to heat the house in the winter. I am certainly over my payload with each trip weighing 2000lbs plus me and 2 buddies to help unload. But this is only a couple miles on the back roads. I don't know if I would feel comfortable with that much weight driving on the interstate at highway speeds. Airbags might do the trick but also keep in mind the 2012 HD models have more payload then my truck. Good luck!! Kevin

 

I very much appreciated your opinions and those of the other posters. They helped me think things through. There is a sort of tension, mpg and DD on the one side, more camper/towing flexibility on the other. Again many thanks and have a great Thanksgiving.

 

Not sure if the OP would care for the configuration or not, but an extend cab long box with the HD payload package EB XLT has a payload rating of 2440 lbs.

Thats about 1000 lbs shy of the f250, but 2400 lbs is nothing to scoff at. I couldnt find what "wet" weight he thought was "on the bubble", but a supercab long box would be about the same length as a crew cab short box.

I cant remember if the crew cab was a requirement or not.

these trucks are amazing .... 2400 lbs in a half ton ... 3400 lbs in a 3/4 ... crazy.

 

Not saying I was going that fast on purpose, just happened to look down and notice how fast I was going. With the bigger truck I could not even feel the trailer behind me, I could see it, but the truck takes care of everything for you. Makes driving a breeze and a lot less stressful when you know you have plenty of power and truck to do the job.

 

Running outside of the limitations (GVW) is never wise. I'd rather have it and not need it than need it not have it.
If I was going to pull a big trailer it would be preferable to "wag my tail" rather than my "tail wag me". It's not much fun to have a trailer "in control".

The 350 Dually is the be-all end-all of pulling trucks in the Ford "truck" lineup. I used to have one. It was a confident tow vehicle and I never doubted it's ability to stay in the lane and move the load without any surprises. A gooseneck trailer would be my 1st choice if I did it again. That's the best for a lot of reasons. Turning radius, balance and ease of backing up.

Ops.

 

Haha, damn you guys move alot of weight to go camping! Me, my pack, and truck weigh right around 5500 pounds. 165 pounds of me, 30 pounds of pack (sleeping bag, tent, sleeping pad, camp stove, fuel, food, water), and the rest is truck.

Anyway, sounds like the OP would be fine with a max payload F-150. Just don't drive like you're empty. Guys put decks on half tons that sit above the bed rails and haul 2 snowmobiles around. If they drive sensibly and have the proper equipment, it works fine.

 

A dually for the op would certainly be overkill. I come in at a combined of 22-23K with SRW and it does great.

 

Good post.

Common Sense. A rare commodity.