Need some Towing Help!
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 1,729
Likes: 80
From: New Jersey
Just to put some closure to this....
Thanks for all your advice and suggestions. Gave me a lot to think about and go over with the wife. Also found an interesting towing whitepaper written by the RVIA that echoed a lot of points made here.
Ended up pulling the trigger on the F150 on Friday. We both really liked the truck, at 43k it is practically new and with the max tow package should serve us well. Been driving it the last few days and it's a great truck and almost as smooth of a ride as the SHO (which I am keeping).
We looked at a lot of floorplans in the under 30 ft range and around 8k GVWR. We're both confident we can find something that will work with the truck and allow us to tow safely.
Thanks again!
Thanks for all your advice and suggestions. Gave me a lot to think about and go over with the wife. Also found an interesting towing whitepaper written by the RVIA that echoed a lot of points made here.
Ended up pulling the trigger on the F150 on Friday. We both really liked the truck, at 43k it is practically new and with the max tow package should serve us well. Been driving it the last few days and it's a great truck and almost as smooth of a ride as the SHO (which I am keeping).
We looked at a lot of floorplans in the under 30 ft range and around 8k GVWR. We're both confident we can find something that will work with the truck and allow us to tow safely.
Thanks again!
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 5,338
Likes: 3
From: Grants Pass, Oregon
Keep in mind when you travel, how big is a typical motel room? How big a trailer do you need, how big do you want?
Will you spend a lot of time in the trailer, or are you likely to cook outside, and sit in a couple campchairs under an awning, or in front of a campfire.......Personally i would want to stay well shy of the tow vehicles maximum ratings
Will you spend a lot of time in the trailer, or are you likely to cook outside, and sit in a couple campchairs under an awning, or in front of a campfire.......Personally i would want to stay well shy of the tow vehicles maximum ratings
New User
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
From: Missouri
We gave our son our old trailer. 30 ft max weight of 7000 lbs. told him to get at least a super duty gas. He went with f150 with ecoboost. They called the first time they towed. Can't do over 55-60 mph and fuel mileage is 6 mpg. He wishes he had listened but now is stuck.
hard time keeping up 55 to 60 on roads. So when we got back my wife and I talked it over and guess what we ended up going out and trading it in for a 2013 F250 6.2L 3.73 2whl drive and it pulls our trailer great with no problems.. I guess what I'm saying is as others are telling you check it out GOOD before you decide on truck verses trailer... We wasted lots of time and MONEY because we listened to the salesman and did not ask someone not associated with them about what we really should have bought.. I do LOVE my superduty ...
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 1,729
Likes: 80
From: New Jersey
We gave our son our old trailer. 30 ft max weight of 7000 lbs. told him to get at least a super duty gas. He went with f150 with ecoboost. They called the first time they towed. Can't do over 55-60 mph and fuel mileage is 6 mpg. He wishes he had listened but now is stuck.
Itguy, how is the new ride treating you?
Lead Driver
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 7,782
Likes: 221
From: Huntington Indiana
Where he lives he has some 4% grades. But his main problem is that the old prowler is not very aerodynamic and he has basically car tires so a lot of flex in the sidewalls giving him a lot of sway. His max tow capacity is just over 7k. So when he loads up for travel he is maxed out. I could push on the truck from the side and it would move a couple of inches just sitting still in parking lot.
Thread Starter
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Freshman User
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
From: Carlisle, PA
So far so good. Have had it for a little over a month now and really like it. Took it on a road trip a couple weeks ago and it was great. Comfortable and lots of room for 4 of us and our stuff. MPG was about what I expected - we were in the hills of NY state and a lot of stop and go and ended up at about 17-18 MPG over 700-so miles. I'm happy with that.
Did have an issue we found out about during the trip - when you punched it to pass (or just enjoy the power
), it would start missing at 4000 RPMS. Popped in the updated Motorcraft Iridium plugs and she's purring like a kitten and no miss.
It does have the standard F150 low speed shudder and sometimes shifts firm. I'll have the dealer address them the next time it's in there. I suspect it needs greased and, like my SHO, a transmission programming update.
All in all, I love the truck and next up is the search for the RV. Planning to go to an RV show next weekend to get ideas.
Did have an issue we found out about during the trip - when you punched it to pass (or just enjoy the power
), it would start missing at 4000 RPMS. Popped in the updated Motorcraft Iridium plugs and she's purring like a kitten and no miss.It does have the standard F150 low speed shudder and sometimes shifts firm. I'll have the dealer address them the next time it's in there. I suspect it needs greased and, like my SHO, a transmission programming update.
All in all, I love the truck and next up is the search for the RV. Planning to go to an RV show next weekend to get ideas.
Mountain Pass
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 169
Likes: 9
From: College Station, Texas
I can tell you from my expierence (last month) that I had a 1500 2012 Silverado 5.3 V8 3.08 gear 2whl drive and my wife and I went out and bought a 32 1/2 7500lb TT as the salesman told us it would be no problem pulling it.. We went to Branson, Mo.on a 4 day trip from Kansas city.Mo area... The truck did pull it but it was maxed out and had hard time keeping up 55 to 60 on roads. So when we got back my wife and I talked it over and guess what we ended up going out and trading it in for a 2013 F250 6.2L 3.73 2whl drive and it pulls our trailer great with no problems.. I guess what I'm saying is as others are telling you check it out GOOD before you decide on truck verses trailer... We wasted lots of time and MONEY because we listened to the salesman and did not ask someone not associated with them about what we really should have bought.. I do LOVE my superduty ...
hard time keeping up 55 to 60 on roads. So when we got back my wife and I talked it over and guess what we ended up going out and trading it in for a 2013 F250 6.2L 3.73 2whl drive and it pulls our trailer great with no problems.. I guess what I'm saying is as others are telling you check it out GOOD before you decide on truck verses trailer... We wasted lots of time and MONEY because we listened to the salesman and did not ask someone not associated with them about what we really should have bought.. I do LOVE my superduty ...I have the same truck in 4WD, and will be getting a 35' travel trailer soon;
what brand/type of hitch are you using?
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Lead Driver
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 7,782
Likes: 221
From: Huntington Indiana
Oh yes as the others have said. Get the truck after you get trailer. Add around 20% extra tow capacity. As tow capacity is based on flat lands and no wind. Add 15 mph headwind and 3% grades which is normal in most areas. Then you need a lot more power/capacity. Our son inherited our 30 ft 20 year old trailer. He just went by the tow capacity and got a standard 150 with ecoboost engine. He told me he cannot go over 55 mph because of tail wag. He is set up properly but the tires he has are automotive so doesn't have stiff enough sidewalls.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,164
Likes: 2
From: Tri-Cities, TN
Just a thought: I'd recommend going with the smallest trailer you can. We traveled from coast to coast with our 17' (just the two of us and 2-3 70lb. dogs, and we loved it. I know most will say you will want to keep going larger, but we found it to be plenty. We don't spend much time inside except to sleep and use the bathroom (that's why we camp, to be outside), so why tow around extra mass? Most of the 20-24' trailers with slides have amazing interior room, are light and short enough to be easily towable by an F150. My advise is to keep in mind how often you will be using it and how much actual time you will be spending inside when you do.
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 167
Likes: 1
From: Long Island, NY
I can tell you from my expierence (last month) that I had a 1500 2012 Silverado 5.3 V8 3.08 gear 2whl drive and my wife and I went out and bought a 32 1/2 7500lb TT as the salesman told us it would be no problem pulling it.. We went to Branson, Mo.on a 4 day trip from Kansas city.Mo area... The truck did pull it but it was maxed out and had hard time keeping up 55 to 60 on roads. So when we got back my wife and I talked it over and guess what we ended up going out and trading it in for a 2013 F250 6.2L 3.73 2whl drive and it pulls our trailer great with no problems.. I guess what I'm saying is as others are telling you check it out GOOD before you decide on truck verses trailer... We wasted lots of time and MONEY because we listened to the salesman and did not ask someone not associated with them about what we really should have bought.. I do LOVE my superduty ...
hard time keeping up 55 to 60 on roads. So when we got back my wife and I talked it over and guess what we ended up going out and trading it in for a 2013 F250 6.2L 3.73 2whl drive and it pulls our trailer great with no problems.. I guess what I'm saying is as others are telling you check it out GOOD before you decide on truck verses trailer... We wasted lots of time and MONEY because we listened to the salesman and did not ask someone not associated with them about what we really should have bought.. I do LOVE my superduty ...
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