I recently picked up a '88 F150 4x4 and i want to pull with it...

My Fiancee digs the idea of moving out of our apartment and into an RV. I have been doing research and am thinking about a older 5th wheel. The door tag says 4500lbs with E Class rated tires... I dont doubt the truck will pull a 5th whee..l I pulled a dump trailer with it a few weeks back and it had some slouch in the *** end. Should i update the suspention? Leafs and Air Bags?

I pulled 7500lbs (lawn business) with my '87 with an inline 6 for 3years. The '88 has a heavily modified 302, aluminum radiator and oil cooler kit on it already. I dont see missing power being an issue. Dual piston Brakes up front with drums in the back... will it stop with a 5th wheel behind it?

 

if the trailer has brakes it barely taxes the vehicles brakes, if at all

 

you will need a trailer brake controller. Also wiring and of course a hitch.

figure 20% for kin pin wt...the weight that goes in the bed of the truck.

Place to start is the scales. Get the truck on the scales and see what each axle current weights. Then go from there.

 

A brake controller is mandatory. What gears and tire size are you running?

 

Current tire size... 33 12.5 15... IT needs tires and i was thinking about going back to a stock rim and tire... It has a 10.5" wide rim on it currently. Gearing, stock. I need to change it out tho. I can hit 60MPH and that is about my max on RPM. 4speed granny low transmissions. Pulls like hell. The drive train has less than 50K miles on it. The dude i bought it off of rebuilt both differentials, transfer case, transmission and modified the motor. Used it to pull around his mud trucks and his 36ft pull behind.

I am on the hunt for brake control and wiring... and deciding on what to do with the suspension in the rear. Found out that th 1988 has the same suspension as a 1997 F250 4x4... may just put new leaf springs and shocks and call it a day.

 

Are you talking about pulling this thing alot or just to buy it and set it up somewhere. I dont really think a trip here or there with it will be that big of a problem. However it also depends on the weight of the trailer.

 

I think you need to go check this out a little closer. A 97 F250 had a 8 lug wheel with free floating axles. Never have seen an F150 with that unless someone changed it.
I can understand your enthusiasm over moving into an RV, but with a 1/2 ton truck you will be limited, as to the trailer you can pull legally. I have lived full-time in an RV for almost 20 years & my pull trucks have all been 3/4 ton 4x4. I pulled with an 86 F250 4x4 460/C-6 modified. My present puller is a 99 Dodge 2500 4x4 QC V-10/5SP.
I have a 95 Ford F150 4x4 302/5SP & it can pull our small Mallard 4300# but it doesn't like it one bit. So I use my V-10. Our main trailer is a 32' Tahoe with a 12' slider with our stuff it comes in around 10,000#.
So may I suggest slowing down a little & doing some more research.
Our 86 F250 4x4 had issues even with 5000# AirLift springs (air bags which ever you wish to call them) hauling our big trailer. Oh it had power but the trailer wanted to control the truck in winds & steep downhills. On the freeways the Semi trucks would suck me into them.
That is a part of why we got rid of it. Now my 1999 Dodge & I'm sure a 1999 Ford set up like my Dodge would do as good. But my point is the newer trucks handle the weight surprisingly much better than the older trucks. My Dodge hardly knows that 10,000# trailer is behind it until you hit a 6 to 7 % grade, or hard headwinds then 3rd & 4th gear are in use.
A side note our V10 Dodge pulls almost side by side with a stock Cummins of the same generation. I know it for a fact my buddy has a 95 3500 2wd Dodge with a 12 valve Cummins with a Banks turbo & trans setup & we pulled the same trailers over the same 7% grade. The difference was he was in overdrive @ 40 mph half way then into lockout & stayed 40 mph. My V-10 pulled 3rd gear 35 mph but topped the pass at 50 mph in 4th. So pretty close. Yes a 7% grade steeper than a 6% the road is Hwy 160 west of Las Vegas over Spring Mountain. Anyone who pulls that knows what I'm talking about.
Just my two cents.
Craig

 

You may physically be able to pull a fifth-wheel with it, but it may not be completely legal depending on weight...

If you're going to do it... Add a leaf (or maybe two) in the rear, shocks, do regular maintenance on or upgrade brakes, brake controller, good tranny cooler.

You may want to keep running larger tires depending on ride height and how it'll match up with the trailer since F-150s are about 2" lower than stock F250s, and 4" lower than stock F-350s. Just something to keep in mind.

 

SO... Update... I traded my F150 for a 1994 F350 with 351/ e40d transmission. Runs like a champ but the second day i had it it got a Check Engine light and a Hard shift from 1st to 2nd with high rpm rev. From what i have researched... could be a whole slew of things. Taking it to O'Riellys since they have a scanner i can use to get the codes. We shall see!

Looking into a 16Klb 5th Wheel kit.

Adding a proportional brake control.

Done Deal!