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Well I finally had a chance to hook up to my 5th wheel camper and tow now that I have greater than 1000 miles. I just did a test tow of about 10 miles but climbed a fairly steep hill and descended it.
First impressions are - WOW. The refinement of this truck compared to my 2011 just blows me a way. The transmission shift points are softer and the power - OMG! It was like the trailer wasn't even back there and it weighs 13K. The engine brake worked perfectly down a 3% grade descent. It held me at 55 MPH just as I set it.
I was worried about the height of the my F-350 compared to my 2011 F-250 and my trailer being nose up. Well - it is not. When hitched the trailer is perfectly level and my trailer height is still 13 feet 3 inches just as it was with the 2011 F-250.
Equipment Details:
2017 F-350 FX4 CC SWB with Camper Package, 18inch Wheels
B&W Companion Hitch - pivot arms set to highest setting
Made my first tow today 210 miles. You are correct with the WOW. Absolutely amazing how well it pulls put cruise on 65 and sit back and enjoy the drive.
How was the ride comfort while towing compared to your 2011? Any difference in how it did over bad road sections, etc.?
Thx
Entire rig seemed more stable and tight. The heavier springs cut out the "bounce" I had in the 2011. Short tow - I can provide more details when we go on a longer run in about 2 weeks.
Patiently waiting on my 2017 SD. Hopefully it will be here by January. Would like to take it to Florida along with my Bighorn 3160. Thanks for your review. I was wondering how it would perform. I have a 2011 SD now which handles it fine except for the hard shifting. Was hoping the trans got a lot of attention on the 2017's.
Thanks for the report Chris. Is the B&W hitch set higher in the new truck?
It does look to sit level with plenty of clearance.
Bob
I had the B&W Patriot in my 2011 and fully extended it was at 19 inches high above the bed. The B&W Companion is 1/2 inch shorter in max height at 18.5 inches high above the bed. My 2011 (even with air bags) sat a little lower when "loaded" so the 1/2 is not missed given the hight of 2017 and the lack of sag when "loaded".
I had the B&W Patriot in my 2011 and fully extended it was at 19 inches high above the bed. The B&W Companion is 1/2 inch shorter in max height at 18.5 inches high above the bed. My 2011 (even with air bags) sat a little lower when "loaded" so the 1/2 is not missed given the hight of 2017 and the lack of sag when "loaded".
Thanks. I should be OK with my setup. I'm a little envious when I look at your pictures. It's snowing here today and I have to wait to get my 2017.
Bob
Have you tried backing up sharply with that setup? I'm curious how easy it would be to impact the cab with that SWB and a non-slider hitch.
I had a non-slider in my 2011 and Yes you can hit the cab but I never got in a tight enough spot that I was even worried about it. I have always had short bed trucks so I always have it in my mind when backing up. Going forward, it is hard to turn sharp enough to hit the cab.
The thing to remember is they always say with a short bed is, you can have cab to RV contact if you aren't paying close attention. You can also have truck to tree contact if you aren't paying close attention. The solution? Pay attention....
