So I am looking for some advice, hopefully from people who have done the same thing. Here are the truck details, 2016, 4X4, CC, 6.2, 4.30. I am currently towing a trailer with a max weight of 6,000lbs; I am looking at moving up to a fifth wheel that will max out at 9,000lbs. I am happy with how the truck pulls the current trailer, but concerned that I might not like the heavier fifth wheel. I am not worried about pin weight and issues like that; the truck can more than handle the weights. The question I have is how much will I feel the increased weight in actual pulling. Will the truck slow down significantly? Will the 3,000lbs increase cause a large difference in pulling hills? Also what will moving from a bumper pull to a fifth wheel effect pulling in head winds, concerned about wind resistance. Thanks for any help you might give.

 

my 2012 6.2L tows a Tall 32 foot travel trailer @ 8,300 pounds empty and also carries 1,500 pounds in the truck bed..

Truck does well .. I lock out 6th gear on the hills.
total rolling weight of 17,000 pounds.
and my truck has 152,000 Miles, and it does 1,800 miles in 4 days .. no problem

 

I do not have the 6.2.
That being said:
The trailer height will probably cause you more issues most of the time. (Big wind board)
The 5er will tow better with weight in the bed over the wheels.
If you do not have an issue with wind you should be good unless you pull decent hills normally.

Keep in mind it tows and turns differently.

...of course these are my opinions, except for the towing and turning (thats physics).

 

You know, I guess I must be on a different page. I tow a fiver that weighs in right at 9,000 pounds with a 6.2 and 3.73s and I didn't know that was supposed to be a problem (which it is not).

I am not in the West, but it handles everything around the S.E. United States just fine. In the hills I lock out 6th, get about 8 mpg, and go on with life. When the wind is up over 30 miles per hour, I feel it some no matter what I am towing or have towed in the past including travel trailers, but never thought the difference was significant.

I just don't see this as an issue.

Steve

 

Did not say (or mean for someone to read in) it would not work.
Was pointing out:
it will tow heavier
with more wind resistance (lots forget they pull a sled not a shed during testing)
NOT having the 6.2 I do not know where it runs into its practical limitation.

Ford specs: 3.5 eco-boost = 12,000 lb conventional towing (speced right)
Would not want to myself... Specs: so it works. Pratical limit: would people comfortably tow with it?
Having been on the farm, I have worked with, "it should tow it".

AS with everything is depends on your point of view.
Grew up working on a farm, could not get it through my thick head that an engine screaming at 4500 rpm was Ok. Grew up with 'set it at 2250 and run all day'.
...so i went to the 6.7 Crew 8' Dually in 2011 (moved on since) from a 2010 V-10 SB 6' SRW. For me it works.
Does not mean it will not work for someone else, does not mean they did not build it to work and we all have our own opinions from our experience.
Does not mean everyone needs a Dually, told the wife if we were in the mid-west I would have kept the Ford V-10 (though since then we had to go to a larger trailer, so she told me ).

Some people buy other brand trucks...

... I would do a Freightliner M2 106 stop trailer even if no brakes... she aint biting on that

Enjoy Labor day and thoughts to Texas.

 

Understood. I was responding to the entire thread, not just to your post.

My thought about aerodynamics is towing any thing that resembles a barn door down the road will be felt in the wind. Fivers are taller when hitched, but many have a tapered front ends. I don't think the industry gives a lick's worth of thought to how they go through the air. I don't know what a wind tunnel might show with one type versus another, but I bet it is not good.

Same with gearing. I understand the impact of 4.30s versus 3.73s, but wonder how many folks really need to be concerned given the where they tow and how often.

Those revs? Yeah they drive me nuts. If I were towing out West I would go diesel and not look back just to get away from the commotion. No doubt my truck would pull our current variety fiver, just don't like the way it would do it regardless of what is in the pumpkin.

A Freightliner? Nice!

Steve

 

RV_Tech:
Is it just perception, or in your opinion, have the RVs quality ..... shall we say slipped?

 

Oh brother, don't even get me started. For anyone looking for a career willing to do a little training and get some experience repairing these things, the opportunities are endless and only increasing!

Steve

 

Here's a post by a manufacturer about RV wind dynamics: Aerodynamics

For those of you that don't have the time to read it, they focus a lot on the shape of the rear of the trailer. That position has more wind turbulence than any other. They also point out that all that stuff sticking out below the belly of the RV isn't doing you any favors.

 

same reason the retired Space Shuttle had a Tail Cone over the engine ports when it was transported by its transport aircraft

aka the semi truck-trailer Duck skirts and tails.

https://realtruckdriver.com/what-do-...trailer-tails/
Semi Truck Skirts | STEMCO

 

There is not much science here and the folks doing the testing should not be employees of the company making the innovations. They do the same with 18-wheeler, but it may take hundreds of thousands of miles to show an improvement the gain is so small.

My guess is frontal area plays such as dominate role that it overwhelms whatever else is in the equation. Just a guess on that.

 

Above certain speeds the shape of the rear affects things greatly, even more than the front. Turbulence behind the trailer causes massive drag, like you’re dragging an anchor.

Speaking of boats, there was an interesting story years ago about one of the America’s Cup teams hiring an aeronautical engineer to analyze their hull designs. These were the old style knife-edge bow, blunt stern, designs. He looked at them and immediately told them the most obvious thing they were doing wrong was they were sailing them backwards. Took the scale models to a wave tank, and sure enough, when positioned stern first there was less drag. Counterintuitive to us mortals, but...

 

Driving my truck/trailer at 65 MPH in reverse is going to be really difficult.

 

I believe it.

Friend of mine has a large thule plastic rooftop carrier he uses on his vw car for ski trips out west. Says he gets better economy with it mounted backwards and less noise. He is usually driving stupid fast. Illinois to Utah and/or Colorado several times a year for the past decade.

 

Maybe just the trailer!?