Hitch height advice

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Jul 30, 2017 | 12:14 PM

dbraynor

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Mountain Pass

Joined: Jun 2007

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Hitch height advice

Have 2.5" 180 hitch from Weigh Safe, not the model with the scale built in. I think I need to go up 1 more setting/notch on my trailer. Do you think that will be better here. Maiden tow got 15.6 MPG and seat of pants much better than F-150 Ecoboost. Can't seem to figure out exhaust brake. Is it automatically on in tow/haul? Was surprised at how much the truck went backwards at idle at boat ramp. Sort of had to 2 pedal drive it at ramp putting boat in and taking it out, taking out was at low tide though. Thanks.

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Jul 30, 2017 | 02:31 PM

System

Prolocutor

Joined: Jan 2009

Posts: 13,618

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From: Western MA

Exhaust brake is not on with Tow/Haul. You have to turn it on with it's own button. When it tow/haul only you will get some transmission braking through downshifts but not the exhaust brake.

Trailer looks OK. You could try it on the next one up and see if you end up too high. If it's between a touch nose high and a touch low, stay with a touch low...

Jul 30, 2017 | 04:09 PM

JCU Delt Ox

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Joined: Sep 2010

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You might want to try engaging hill descent control. It should prevent the backwards at idle symptom.

Jul 30, 2017 | 04:15 PM

FmaxTurboSi

Senior User

Joined: Mar 2017

Posts: 357

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From: Riverside, CA

Trailer should be level if you're using a purge break system. Maybe go up 1 or 2 notches.

Jul 31, 2017 | 12:28 AM

CopterPilot

Mountain Pass

Joined: Jul 2017

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Try putting the truck in 4 Wheel Low while on the launch ramp. I bet it would not roll backwards then.

Jul 31, 2017 | 07:52 PM

dbraynor

Thread Starter

Mountain Pass

Joined: Jun 2007

Posts: 131

Likes: 3

Thanks for the replies. Yeah I think I'll go up 2 notches as my wife told me after we got home that the rear trailer wheels were off the ground going in and taking the boat out at the ramp. We live in Fl. so the ramps are not a steep incline. She waited till we got home so I wouldn't freak out! I usually freak out as I'm OCD and figure I've got everything covered. My bad on the exhaust brake.....I don't know what half of the buttons are for. Found it today with the hill decent. Thanks for the heads up. 4 wheel low is great advice. I changed my 99.5 7.3L 4X4 to manual hubs and put it into 4 low and did not engage hubs often and got "super granny gear" with our 6spd ZF. I have manual 4x4 shift and can do 2 wheel low with elocker and not engage front hubs at the ramp. Great advice from everyone and thanks. Next trip should be awesome! My rig weighs about 5,000 pounds and I get the same MPG towing the boat as my in town MPG.....is that about right? Our 99.5 7.3L 4x4 ZF and 02' X 7.3L 4x4 both got about 17MPG no matter what we did, hwy/city did not seem to matter, but our boat was tiny back then. Anyway thanks a lot for the great input.