Well, I bit the bullet and bought a new FX2, 5.4, 3.55 limited slip with tow package and trailer brake.

Was wondering what everyone else has towed with theirs. I want to get a camper, and would like a small 5th wheel, but thinking a hitch pull might be just as good.

Any experience with towing campers?

 

I have the xlt, 5.4, 3.55, limited slip, with the tow package, and trailer brake and sway control. We have a 30ft camper, Salem 30QBSS. Dry weight 6500, Loaded with all of our stuff, camping gear, water 60 gals, propane tanks filled, the trailer is around 8500 lbs. We do use weight distributor, and a sway bar. It pulls it great. Gets right up to speed, 65 on the interstate, holds the speed fine. You know it is there when you take off, but in handles it nicely. Brake controller works great. Have a prodigy in our other vehicle, the ford brake controller works much better. I get 17.1 normal driving, when pulling the camper I get 8.9 . I love the truck.

 

Yea I already had it figured on using a WD hitch. Sounds like the 30 ft is going to be my bench mark for length and weight.

Thanks.

 

If you pull a 5th, you will never go back to pull type. We pull 10K with 09 SC 5.4. 3:31 gears and get 13MPG doing it.

 

we have an 09 4.6 3v. our camper is 30ft give or take, and with all our 'stuff' probably weighs in at 7000lbs or just over. it is a bumper pull with the wd hitch. the trailer is certainly noticable especially with a crosswind. if i had it to do all over again, i'd get the bigger engine and a 5er. we get about 8 mpg when towing. the truck does strain against a headwind, but usually in tow/haul runs at 60mph at 1500-2000 rpm.

 

My Dad tows a 5th dry weight 8,200 lbs. with his '10 5.4 3.73 Scab...

The trans went out last week pulling a 2,200 lbs. boat- chipped gear from the factory, Ford is fixing her right now...

Right now I'm pulling it with my V8 Explorer. 5th wheel mounted on the rollcage reinforced roof.

 

That's funny. The scary part is that I am sure someone, somewhere has tried that!!!!

 

LOL!

I turned around and saw the angle when I got to his house and parked and I couldn't pass up the picture.

 

And yeah- they do...

Those crazy Chevy guys...

 

Go with light weight 5th wheel!! I have pulled both, and there is no comparison. I have a 2009 F150 6.5' bed, 5.4, 3.73 LS with factory brake controller. I pull an Open Range 287 RLF 5ver, dry weight 7700", probably under 10000" fully loaded with gear.

 

Hi curtw48 - I have a very similar Truck (09 F150 Screw Platinum 4X4) but with a 5.5 box. So how far over your GVWR (7200# as listed on the drivers door) are you with the trailer connected and ready to roll? Have you changed the rear suspension (extra leaves, air bags)?

The reason I ask is I just took my 09 F150 to a CAT Scale and it came in at 6320# with me (190 lbs) and 36 gallons of fuel with NOTHING else in the truck/bed. That 880 lbs for additional passengers, truck cargo, and Pin weight or tongue weight for any trailer. I have to assume your truck with a longer bed has to weight about the same or heavier.

The Open Range Roamer RF287RLS 5er has a dry Pin of 1375#, on my truck that would but me almost 500 lbs over my Truck's GVWR without my wife and other cargo in the Truck and Trailer.

I have been looking for a TT (ruled out 5er because of the very short 5.5 bed and pin weights) and liked the Open Range Journeyer TT Line, but once I actually weighted my truck I realized most Open range trailers (TT)(most Trailers) would push me over the trucks GVWR.

Just wondered about the weights.

On a side question, how's the 5.4L and 6spd combo handle pulling your 287?

 

I have not weighed it, so I cannot comment on that. I did add Firestone air bag helper springs in the rear to help with the load of the pin weight.

I can tell you that this truck handles it very, very well. If I am overloaded you cannot tell it by the way the truck stands up to and handles the load.

The 5.4 and 6 speed aod transmission are great, and the integrated trailer brake controller is wonderful. I would take this setup over a swaying TT anyday. I have pulled both, and love the 5ver. I have only pulled it once so far, but that was in a blinding wind and rain storm and it was rock solid the whole time.

The only reason I would trade this truck is if and when Ford offers the 6.2L in the F150.

 

Well curtw - I guess we're tracking each other today as I just replied to your Post on the Open Range forum (I'm rgrimm user over there)

Thanks for your replies

Russ

 

Hey, anytime Russ.

Good luck with whatever you decide to pull. We are taking another weekend camping trip in August, about a 3 1/2 hr trip, then out to Garner State Park in Sept. which is about 6-7 hours from here. Can tell you more after that.

Where do you live? We are in Texas, gulf coast area.

Curtis

 

Curtis,

We are in Northeast Florida (North of Jacksonville - actually about 1/2 mile from the GA border.

So did you get your OR from Terry Vaughn's RV? When I search for OR unit's they seem to be a pretty big OR Dealer in TX.

While the JT287RLS (TT) was the first model of OR I saw, OR came out with the new JT305RLS and while we have not found one close enough to actually see one, we really like the floorplan. But the weight, especially the tongue weight concerned me (and that was before I weighed my truck). So we then go back to the JT287RLS (basically the same Floorplan as your's just as a TT) which we really like. While I can deal with the weights, especially since the CAT Scales showed I was only running 2800 lbs on the rear axle (it's rating is 4000 lbs), my concern has been the pulling power of the 5.4L / 6 spd with a TT around 8000/8500 loaded. I had an experience of towing a 3200# Pontoon Boat from Macon Georgia to FL with my then new 2008 Ranger (V6, long bed, with towing pkg) and the Ranger pulled 4000 rpm most of the trip and it was all pretty flat. I just don't want to get into that type of towing situation again.

Our RVing will just be the 2 of us (me and the wife) once she retires in a year or so - I'm already retired. We hope to start to explore (see) the country. Since at that point time won't be a factor (retraints of vacation time limits - dealt with that for many years) my driving speeds will slow down - I won't be in any hurry to get there. I know things may slow down some on the mountains, I just hope that the 5.4 will not work to hard to go down the level road at 60/65.

So your 'experience' of towing is a great value to me, having the same type of TV and even sharing our interest in OR.

Thanks
Russ