Looking for some feedback on a new truck / trailer combo we are looking at....
2017 F150 4x4 SuperCrew . 3.5LV6 Ecoboost . Max Tow Package 3.55 Rear Axle
2018 Jayco Jay Flight 32TSBH . 8515 UVW, 745 hitch, 10,950 GVWR and 2435 Cargo Capacity . 36" long

Spoken to several sources including our local Ford Dealer, the RV Dealer and have also called Jayco in addition to several other local towers and the consensus has been
the vehicle should be fine to pull the camper. Any thoughts?

Appreciate any and all feedback in advance.
Ty

 

Invest in a good hitch. The weight is within your ratings, but at 36 feet long you will want the help of a good hitch to keep you straight.

I'd be looking at a Reese Straight Line, Husky centerline HD (not the TS), or even a propride

 

The GVWR of your trailer is just a smidge under the GVWR for my toy hauler. At least here in the Rocky Mountain region there is no way I would pull a trailer of that weight class with anything less than a Superduty with either the diesel engine or the gas engine with 4.10 or 4.30 gears. The mountain passes would eat up that EcoBoost engine and the transmission.

If you never plan to leave the flatlands then maybe it will be acceptable. But I think your towing experience will be much more pleasurable with a heavier truck.

The RV dealer will tell you whatever it takes to sell you a trailer. Often the sales people don't know enough about trucks to sell you a combination that is going to be safe.

 

That is a lot of trailer. I know the new(er) F-150's can pull way more than the older ones, like well into the F-250 range. I'd try to talk to a few people with the max-tow packages and get their feedback. Not sure if the latest model with max-tow option comes with E rated tires, but I believe some of the older models did not. Also make sure it comes with the "big" tow mirrors.

The Ecoboost engine pulls like a beast, but you will get terrible mileage while pulling (in the turbo boost range a lot). Bee bopping around town unloaded, the mileage will be pretty good (if you don't drive it like you stole it). If you were pulling a lot of grades, all the time, I'm not sure I'd go F-150. Mostly for the brakes, more so than the pulling power.

36 feet of travel trailer is a LOT of trailer. I'd get the best WDH with anti-sway you can find.

And salesmen will tell you whatever they have to tell you to make a sale. Our RV salesman told my wife and I that our F-250 would pull any trailer on the lot (very large dealer, with a ton of 5ers, toy haulers, etc).

 

salesmen will always say you are good... unless they have something they can not dump onto a Ill informed .


that long of a trailer and a light truck... and what about cargo.. people, and the always adding stuff next year.


aka the tail waging the dog.

my opinion..

unless you never travel on freeways and no semi is going to pass you.

REMEMBER ,, some trailer manufacturers.. do not included the weight of batteries, propane tanks, other add ones.. like microwave, deluxe interiors...

my trailer is 800 pounds more then BOTH weight tags... just an FYI...

 

I agree with the above that length is your biggest issue. Any with travel trailers I always assume that it'll weigh its full gvw going down the road. You also will run out of payload room pretty fast. Do you carry four people and a bunch of gear in the bed?

This setup will be very picky to setup. First focus on moving your cargo around to get decent weight distribution. Then adjust the WDH. All of this needs to be done at the cat scale to get real weights.

I'm a huge fan of the F150 for towing, and they are more capable than super duties of a decade ago, but they have limitations. The closer you get to these limits the more careful you need to be.

I'm not saying it can't be done, but it'll be a tricky thing to get set up right.

 

Agreed!

That unloaded UVW is a worthless number until you can physically look at the scale weight of the trailer listed in the doorjamb or the front left corner. Even then, add another 200 pounds of batteries and propane and you'll be in the ballpark. This will put your listed tongue weight up to 30% more. Then, start loading your gear.

Also, that listed tongue weight seems extremely light for the UVW of the trailer. The tongue weight should be between 10-15% of your over all trailer weight. As said above, if you're basing the tongue weight on the GVW of the trailer, you're looking at anywhere from 1095 up to 1642 pounds.

Like others have said, the truck may be able to do it on paper; however, the reality of that long of a bumper pull trailer behind that light of a truck could be a recipe for disaster.

Another thought....Have you considered a small 5th wheel?

 

What are the payload, hitch and rear axle weight ratings of the F-150?
Our 10,950 lb GVWR Jayco Eagle 338RETS has a real scale verified tongue weight of 1860lbs when packed for a long weekend and all of our "standard" gear onboard. There is no way that big Jayco will ever be anywhere near that "dry tongue weight" of 745 lbs when ready to travel. That is only about 7% TW of the GVWR, I typically use 15% of the GVWR when planning a setup and the WD needed, our TT is a real world 17% TW. I think that that your well setup and very capable F-150 might be slightly outclassed with that TT.

 

i pull a 34' over all trailer that is 9600 gross, 7100 "dry" with propane and battery. we don't take much, and don't haul with water so we are under 8100 im sure. it has 900 lb dry tw, loaded i'll find some day that the scale isn't swamped. It pulls great, granted we only have some hills and a few bridges but i barely notice them. Sway hasn't been an issue and im not using a fancy hitch just a simple round bar WDH and friction sway bar. It will move some, they all do but I don't get bounced around or sucked in to semis's or passing vehicles like some people claim. I did have to replace the rear shocks, they did not have the damping or rebound control for that much weight, rancho 9000xl adjustables really helped the ride. I thought i would need airbags but it sits level with the camper on.

 

So ... Did you get an answer you like?

Lol

 

For this I would consider the F150 if it has the max towing only and only if you are not traveling very far.


It is not that the F150 can do the job, but the amount of fuel and the driving you will have to do will not be pleasant.


Having a heavier truck like a F250 would be better over the long run.

 

“I'm a huge fan of the F150 for towing, and they are more capable than super duties of a decade ago, but they have limitations. The closer you get to these limits the more careful you need to be.”

I don’t agree that the current f150 is more capable than a ten year old f250. The TWR maybe close but GVWR, fawr, rawr, and overall mass makes the f250 more capable and you can only fool physics so much with electronics. The SAE j2807 towing standard hasn’t done consumers any favors.

 

Thank you everyone for the feedback and insight.

 

And remember it isn't so Much "pulling" the trailer as it is trying to stop it especially in a panic stop, or on hills. I posted a video in the superduty forum, now in the 5th wheel thread, He tried to panic stop a TH with an overloaded f250, it went through the red light and got totaled.

 

I sure wouldn't actually pay for a 3.55 rear end , order the 3.73 if available for that engine, I prefer the 5.0 over EB.