3.73 everybody not 5.73... The E rating on the tires does not mean 10-ply side walls as I said in the video. Just a load rating of 10 ply. Thanks to 73Excursion for catching the mistake.
I'm trying really hard here not to respond to the incredible amount of tactless negativity. I have been to the scales, many times in fact. The truck is slightly over on payload, but not as much as you would think. There's hardly anything in the truck while towing. The family and bikes and everything else rides in the van that my wife chases with. However for DOT standards it's still within the GCWR so thus legal. I don't respond because no matter what I'll say it won't satisfy the majority of people. The average watch time for this 18 min video is less than 7 min . That means the majority of people commenting and watching haven't even seen the whole thing. The trailer is big and I do plan on upgrading because I know that it would tow better. But the fact remains that I have been over the mountains and across this entire country twice already. Experience. Experience. I don't drive like an idiot, have never felt "white knuckled" and if an emergency stop does take place and I crash in to someone it'll be because I was following to close and didn't give myself room, not because I don't have a 1 ton (which would actually skid farther because its heavier- the speed, weight, and distance being the primary factors). I don't ever drive fast, especially going down a pass, typical speed is slow enough to stop by using the trailer brakes alone and also throughly annoy people stuck behind me...but better safe then out of control. If it's windy I don't drive. Honestly guys you're so much more statistically likely of having some random motorist hit you then me because of my trailer set-up. Or having a heart attack and causing an accident that way. I promise if you do happen to pass me going easy in the right lane you won't explode. For what its worth like I said I do plan on upgrading but for now after driving the amount of miles I have up and down steep grades and across the windy planes without any significant issues (moreso because of the things I do then the rig set up) I'm going to continue. After all would you rather have me behind you as you pass me going downhill or some brand newbie with a huge toy hauler in a 450 dully that's on his very first pass feeling over confident because of his big truck. Think about it.
No Ordinary Path Please don’t take my post as talking directly to you. I posted for everyone’s educational purposes. I 100% agree with your comment about a newbie drivers hauling large trailers (Including Toy Haulers) with 350/450/550 trucks. That is why I said everyone hauling a trailer should be held to the same standard as a OTR/DOT truck driver as far as safety standards go. As far as braking in heavy duty trucks and skidding if stopping in shorter distances, that really isn’t true because 3/4 ton and above trucks are all fitted with much heavier duty brakes than half ton trucks especially when you step into the 450/550 class and they are generally equipped with some sort of Transmission, Engine or Exhaust brake or a combination of the three types. The engine/ exhaust brake systems are extremely effective in slowing you down on their own and/or maintaining a slower speed when traveling downhill without the need to add a lot of heat to the brakes thus reducing the possibility of brake fade due to heat if used properly. Those features aren’t available in half ton trucks. There is a financial reason why I try to educate people on this topic. As a firefighter and DOT safety trainer I have worked/investigated many (towed vehicle) accidents. 9 times out of 10 Insurance companies will not cover the accident if the investigation finds that the GCVWR/GVWR was above the rated limit. I have seen them come out and deny any insurance claims once their investigation determines that and then it becomes very expensive for the operator wether they were at fault or not due to the fact that it was determined that they were over their rated weight limit and I do not want to see anyone put into that situation especially if injuries are involved because that can become extremely expensive and lawsuits are pretty much inevitable once the people in the other vehicle are informed. Again, please don’t think that I was directing that towards you because I wasn’t. I don’t know what your trailer weighs or how much you carried within it or your truck. I could make assumptions, but that’s all they would be is assumptions unless I saw the data tags on the trailer and/or a Cat Scale ticket. Be safe and have a great day!
@@P-J-W-777 Philliph Whirley I wanted you to know that I certainly don't lump in your comment with that group. Even if it appears to not directly support me I do agree with it. Although when it comes to a true emergency stop if I locked my brakes up to cause an abs (or if not equipped) a true skid and someone with a larger truck pulling my exact trailer and weight of mine did at the same distance wouldn't they go further? I'm not speaking of a quick braking situation to slow down fast - I'm talking about that elk stepping out in front of you at 50 feet while you're doing 55+ mph. The heaver coupling will take more distance to stop right? I'm specifically thinking the math of inertia. As a flight nurse I landed on highways several times working closely with heavy rescue, fire, and occasionally DOT and all those guys were amazing. I defer to your experience on the subject and cannot refute that the trailer deserves an upgrade. We did make the video because I knew it would be a hot button topic, people were asking about it, and honestly I've never ever felt unsafe. Nevertheless the bigger truck is in the works.
No Ordinary Path - Thank you! I have worked with many Flight Nurses (Care Star, Aero Care). As an EMT I always deferred to their experience and training. I didn’t mention anything about being an EMT because I felt it was irrelevant at the time, lol. You would think that vehicle with the larger mass would take longer to stop however in this situation it’s not true due to modern technology. F350 to F550 series trucks come equipped with much bigger and heavier duty brakes than F150 trucks. Anymore they all come equipped with a type of Trans-Brake. (Tow Haul Mode) changes the way your transmission up-shifts and downshifts thus helping in braking somewhat. The modern heavier duty trucks excel because they can be equipped with and engine and/or exhaust brake from the factory. Engine/exhaust brakes combined with the larger brake systems will reduce your stopping distance greatly over their half ton truck variants. Engine and Exhaust brakes are two different systems however both function in a similar manner. Another added benefit of engine/exhaust brakes is in the mountains or hilly terrain. You will use much less braking applications going down the mountain or hill thus reducing your brake temperatures, reducing/eliminating brake fade/failure from extreme brake heat. While operating the “Fire Truck” fully loaded with water we always utilize the engine/exhaust brake and it reduces stopping distance greatly, especially with all the brake checks in the city at intersections, keeping the brakes much cooler. When you add the addition of dual rear wheels that is stopping distance is even increased because you have more surface contact on the road. Another factor is in the difference between the weight of the trailer being pulled and the weight of the truck. A heavy trailer on a lighter truck can push against the truck when stopping or going downhill and will pick up the rear end of the truck reducing the amount of contact weight on the rear tires forcing your front brakes to work harder and could cause the truck/trailer to jackknife. I have personally seen this situation a few times and wouldn’t have believed it myself otherwise until you think about the physics behind it. You can try it without a trailer. Every time you brake especially hard the nose of the vehicle dips down and the rear raises up. Add a heavy trailer behind that and you have a recipe for disaster, especially with an overloaded truck. If you have a friend with a 3/4 - 1 ton truck single or dual rear wheel with the trans brake and engine or exhaust brake attach your trailer to their truck and perform a few braking tests to see the difference. You had said that you were just slightly overweight because your wife carried some stuff in the chase vehicle behind you. You could always go to a truck stop and get your total weight to see what you would need to shift to the chase vehicle to get you within the proper-legal weight limits. I would also check each axle individually to make sure I’m not over axle or tire rated weight as well. Again, I am only trying to educate people and not point fingers or blame. As, I stated previously, an overweight/overloaded situation can cause all kinds of legal problems in the event of an accident and the fault will almost always be placed on the person who was overweight/overloaded. It’s been great getting to chat with you on this. As I said, I could speak for hours on this one topic lol. Have a great day, Stay Safe and God Bless!
@@NoOrdinaryPath I hope I'm not in that "group" either.....I am truly concerned about you, your family and everyone else on the road.....Taking everything to it's limits and beyond is a dangerous scenario. I am a Mechanical Engineer and I also have been hauling heavy loads for long distances for about 15 years. My truck is rated to haul an obscene amount of weight.....and I would never attempt to push that limit especially with a high profile trailer (like a camper)....It is a giant sail....I look at your beautiful family and it reminds me of my family when I was younger....Please be careful and upgrade to a more capable truck ASAP.....There are good used vehicles out there that I'm sure you can afford.....God forbid something bad happens....you seem like a nice man....you will never forgive yourself.....not to mention the financial mess you will be in for violating the law...and I'm pretty sure you are over on payload.....Best wishes and luck to you.
I once owned a 29' Travel Trailer, and towed it with a new 2008 Tundra. Like you, all of my numbers were in-line. I was totally legal. I felt confident with my choice, right up until I was merging onto the Interstate. I was passed by an 18 wheeler. That 18 wheeler sucked my trailer in, and created a yaw so strong, that the trailer started to violently fish-tail. I came so close to losing the whole thing. After many years of towing EVERYTHING, I was scared. While all of your upgrades are nice, The one upgrade you didn't mention was a Sway-Elimination hitch. Your current setup reduces sway, but it doesn't eliminate it. The only way I would tow your rig would be with a pro-pride, or a Hensley sway - elimination hitch. this is just my humble opinion from a very lucky guy who had narrowly escaped a potential disaster. I fully understand your position with not having a truck note. I also hope I'm not coming across as a jerk. I wish you luck. And I wish me luck, as I might be headed to the exact same destination as you. Safe Travels!
I'm sorry you went through that. We do appreciate your comments and concern. We have traveled for almost two years up many passes, on major highways, next to many large rigs and semis and in high winds. We have never felt unsafe or that we are fish tailing out of control. When we are able to save up we will be purchasing a 3/4 ton or one ton but until then we will travel on. :)
@RandomBitsRV I own a Hensley and completely agree with your statement. There are no other sway control devices that eliminate lateral sway forces. Unfortunately for this F150, payload is severely lacking and adding 100 lbs to the truck's cargo would put the truck even more OVER on payload. A trip to the CAT scales and a photo of the driver's door jam placard would confirm everyone's already sound advice. I do really hope he reconsiders a new TV. He should also realize that the 70K+ views aren't necessarily from people who have similar interests in RN travel nursing or full timing. His small subscriber base may be. The reason 70K+ YT viewers have tuned in was in reaction to this video's title: "Towing 37ft Travel Trailer with a Half Ton SAFELY". It's a pretty gutsy declaration without any significant due diligence.
To be fair, a 3/4 ton or a 1 ton wouldn’t have stopped an unstable trailer from swaying. (Not saying your trailer is unstable, it was at that particular moment though). Most of the Trailer wrecks I see is with 3/4 and 1 ton trucks. The problem is people often think they have a 3/4 ton or 1 ton truck and throw due diligence out the window.
Glad to see you're not letting the F-150 get in the way of the life you want to live. One critical component you forgot to address is the payload capacity. I encourage you to know your tongue weight, truck cargo weight, and the weight of all the passengers. I had a half ton truck also and once I added all that up, I realized I was 500#'s over my payload. Just something to think about. Happy trails!
Yes, great point! Many new towers don't realize the difference between payload and towing capacity. Tongue weight is calculated as part of the payload. You can be well within the towing capacity and be over payload. That's the biggest benefit of a 3/4 ton vs a 1/2 ton!
@@jonathanjames4232 Yeah but the max payload rating from the factory takes into account P rated tires (for most light duty trucks 1/2 ton trucks) - not only that but it accounts only for factory shocks, and lack of airbags. The single biggest help I think is the upgraded tires. I did these on mine too. You're not in 3/4ton territory however probably somewhere in-between realistically. If you were to take the exact same truck (but completely stock everything) and hook it up to your trailer and compare it to your truck the way you have it setup - there would be a huge difference in handling; not just a small difference. Note one BIG thing - the payload rating is pretty much ALWAYS on the tire sticker in the doorjamb.... Why do you think that is? Sooooo... The payload sticker itself doesn't mean as much as some might think. Axle ratings, and GCVWR together with appropriate tires in my opinion are more important. And common sense :P
Yes I tow a rig that’s 1000 lbs less than this one and 11’ shorter. It’s all I wanna tow with my 2019 f150. I used a fulcrum to weigh my tongue weight. I’m at 80% of rating. My aluminum truck has a much higher payload than the older steel bodies. With 5 people and gear I’m about 200 lbs under the max. I use airbags for a nicer ride. Don’t need them for anything else. I wouldn’t do what this guy is doing but I respect all the things he’s done to make the ride and drive better.
I have towed for years owned two ram 1500s with gas hemis and towed long heavy trailers and he has done everything right and is safe especially with the distribution and sway control. I also did all the other stuff he showed. He knows what he is doing! I just bought a 2020 ram 2500 limited with 6.7 Cummins turbo and yes I like it and it is better for towing. But he is not wrong here. Smart guy. Side note I live on bumpy dirt road so I was concerned with a 2500 comfort. my 2500 has no leveling system only coil springs in the rear and was pleasently surprised it rode very good. The 3500 trucks still have leaf springs so I'm not sure if the comfort is their I added this. Comment in case others are on the fence about a 2500.
unless hes over his payload capacity....being under on GCVWR means nothing if you exceed payload capacity. then you are towing unsafely and like a dimwit
Most of these guys that are the critics of your combination never pull anything they're sitting behind there computer in the city wishing they had the truck and trailer you do and don't know nothing about Towing.... you are fine with your combination... I live in Idaho and i have towed camp trailers, boats , toy haulers you name it for 45 years... a good distribution hitch with sway bars and you're good to go... most important part is to keep good tires on the trailer and your truck and keep the speed down... and always check the bearings on the trailer tires... Id take my grandkids, my kids my uncles my cousins and even my aunt that I don't like in that setup and never think twice about it...Your Golden
Then let me give it a shot. I've got my Class A with all endorsements, and the heaviest I've ever weighed was 215,000lbs (Oilfield trucks) and let me tell you that this guys setup is ignorant as hell. If you can't afford the proper truck then you shouldn't be towing it. Simple as that.
Hay brother, nice job. You are spot on most Americans that have a f150 or any half ton can't afford or don't need a full time f250 or f350 for every day use. But have a 9000 lb rv camper for weekends or full time 3 months out of the year. My f150 platinum 2018 3.5L tween turbo with tow package has a rating of 11000 pound tow and a 1600 pound capacity it has more than enough power and capacity for my Brinkley Z285 travel with a B&W Continuum Weight Distribution System w/ Sway Control for 2.5" Hitch - 16K GTW, 1.6K TW. Here are some of the equipment I add to my truck RAS® Suspension kit for the rear leaf spring. Timbren ses suspension enhancement this upped my capacity 500 lb to 2100 lb more than enough safely, Five-star tune add 70 HP for 445HP and 90 ft pounds of torque for 565 torque. These enhancement gave me more power than a gas f250 and same as in capacity.. My ride and stability is perfect and with the max torque band at around 1800 it pulls like a freight train getting on the highway and up mountains with ease. All enhancement cost $2500 installed. My truck is paid off and with the money I saved buy not upgrading my truck paid for my Brinkley Z 285...So in summary. Suspension front within spec, Suspension rear in spec total capacity with enhancements within spec and power more than my upgrade would have been... To protect my engine and drive train change oil every 5000 miles, radiator flush 20,000 miles, transmission fluids and transfer case, rear gear every 40,000 miles. I have 88,000 miles on my truck towing miles between two travel trailers 40,000 miles of towing. She is going strong. I understand why all these guy always say get a 3/4 or full ton pick for safety and or ease of towing. But if you know what your doing and you set up your equipment for the task at hand. Side note I never tow more than 350 miles a day 80% of the time and never go over 65 miles per hour... it saves full and your always the last person to an accident. Once again great video 📹 👌..
We are in the same boat here. We currently have a 23' Lance TT rated at 5700# and want to upgrade to a 32.5' TT 8,500#. Our F-150 is 7050 GVWR and 15,600 GCWR with a Max Payload after options of 1,843#. We currently get 8,5-12,5 MPG towing, I know that is going to go way down. We intend to travel with less than 20 gallons of water unless we are close to a parking site and will pare down the truck payload to bring less of the heavy tools I considered essential but have not used except when parked for 6 months near our storage unit at Dad's site, he doesn't travel anymore. If the proposed TT OCCC and truck Payload were maxed out I calculate about 350# of margin, but I am planning to cut the TT load by 250 pounds from essentials we don't really use along with some of those tools in the trucks. We only have to stay with this truck for 2 more years until I get my pension from aerospace and then maybe the new truck crisis will be lessened. I have done everything you mentioned but shocks and airbags. I had airbags on a previous truck and I agree they opened up better stability. Cheers. Dave & Sheila
I have a 39' Travel Trailer equipped with a Hensley Hitch that I pull with a F-350 Dually Crew Cab...6.7 Diesel......I have pulled this from Coast to Coast.....Please don't do this with your rig....The high winds that we experienced in certain parts of the Country was challenging even with my rig.....I can't imagine trying to drive your rig with your setup in windy conditions.....Your Kids are Priceless....Be Safe. Happy Camping.
I know what you mean, I tow with my ram 3500 6.7l cummins, like your truck it weighs 8k+ in weight, has the frame for that weight & trailer, and the brakes to slow it and a trailer down. 1/2 tons just are not built for that heavy duty role (not talking HP) . I just hope he does not run into a situation where his trailer overwhelms the f150 chassis design specs and ends up in a bad conclusion. Like the man said Be safe, and happy camping.
We have a 34' Jayco White Hawk bunkhouse...original tow vehicle was a 2015 Ram 1500, we installed air bags & a brake controlled, but after our first pull we decided to upgrade to a 2019 Ram 2500 which is built for towing. We feel MUCH safer riding down the road with our kids & our home. 🙂👍🏻
Pulling a new camper 7890lbs 1/2 tundra added sumo springs and Bilstein 5100 rear shocks no squat,love them I’m still under tow capacity and hitch weight great video stay safe.
Years ago I pulled a 35 foot TT with a Chevy half ton extended cab. A heavy duty radiator, additional transmission and oil coolers. Already had progressive leaf springs and heavy duty shocks. A PullRite hitch that put the load almost at the differential. Never had a problem from Washinton DC, Yellowstone, New Mexico cross country trips.
Funny thing after lots of very difficult research the AXLE LOAD between the 1500 and the 2500 is 60 lbs, which means its the same axle in both. Mostly everything is the same in the two trucks except springs and I added 1500 lb coil helpers to my 1500 axle. and saved a lot of money. Its a little slow with a 200 hp v6 but I am in Florida and we dont have hills. Its almost a scam between the two trucks. Helpers cost me $50.
Honestly I have been looking for exactly this video thank you for all the info. I am about to buy an RV and I'm in the same boat as you with founds. Thi s video is the best one I have seen so far and more informative. For those of you hating just watch another video and feel blessed that it easy for you to say. Oh just get a better truck 🤦♂️. Thank you for sharing you journey with us.
Funny thing after lots of very difficult research the AXLE LOAD between the 1500 and the 2500 is 60 lbs, which means its the same axle in both. Mostly everything is the same in the two trucks except springs and I added 1500 lb coil helpers to my 1500 axle. and saved a lot of money. Its a little slow with a 200 hp v6 but I am in Florida and we dont have hills. Its almost a scam between the two trucks. Helpers cost me $50.
My f150 2013 5.0 single cab long box I ordered then put 5000lb air bags then added helper springs and 10 ply tires. My camper is a 23’ with a stretched tongue to 30’ total length my Harley goes on the tongue. I’m 10600 on trailer Pulls great 10-15mpg Canada to Florida every year.
I drove over the road for 40+ years. Three years ago we downsized. Went from a 39' front kitchen, super slide, king bed towed with an '01 Dodge high output 3/4 ton to a 2018 connect 24rl towed with a 2017 Nissan frontier 4d long bed. If I didn't have the heavy truck experience or the 45 years RV experience, I wouldn't have done it. At 3 thousand miles on the trailer, I changed the road King tires for the Michelin Endurance. Last November I added airbags and a compressor from etrailer. Install was free because of the video I allowed them to do. It helped a lot with my sag. The RV dealer adjusted my hitch for me and actually increased my trailer sway. I have since readjusted it completely, they flubbed on the install and setup, and eliminated the sway. In February I replaced the standard mirrors with trailer tow mirrors from an older Nissan Titan. My next upgrade will be an Anderson hitch. Yes I am pushing the limits of my truck and if I didn't have the experience, I wouldn't trust my ability. Having almost 3 million accident free miles, I'm now retired and not in a hurry. Stay safe.
My father-in-law had a 1986 F150 Supercab with the max tow package; 302EFI V8, AOD transmission and the 3.73 rear diff. He towed a 42’ Holiday Rambler TT. Never an issue.
This video and all the comments made me dig deeper into my recent truck purchase. Turns out the truck wouldn’t pull my trailer after all, rather would pull but not stop! Traded today and we will be so much safer. Thanks to all for the information and productive exchange you all had.
We had the same 4x4 37 feet trailer. Yes it worked but after two trips we changed the truck to a 2020 f250 f4x4 and after a other trip upgraded our Rv to a 43 foot 5th wheel best change we ever made
Liked your video we have a wildwood xlite about 36 or 37 ft total length as well weighs in at 6200lbs. We use our 2005 suburban lt z71 4x4 door sticker has it at 7200lbs. Before we got the trailer I had changed the radiator out to one that was for an engine oil cooler set up and put the lines in for that and changed tires and shocks as well. I also added the air lift air bags to level it out and it pulled very well with the family of 5 we need the room and we do about 8-10 mpg did an average of 6 going to Colorado from Texas with the steep hills. Enjoy what you have be safe.
I commend you for getting all the upgrades to make it work. I have a 34' Whitehawk that weighs in around 7k. I am towing with a Ram 1500 that is rated (yes I checked the vin) to tow 11,250. I have only had it out once or twice and so far it does good. I also don't drive crazy with the trailer hooked up so I think that helps. I drive the Ram as my daily driver so I don't want to drive a big 2500 every day. I feel that I am within the weight limits like you and as long as you are careful it seems to work.
I know a lot of folks won't agree with you on what you say about this truck and trailer weight combination because in fact you are at the limitations of your tow vehicle but it helps me a lot because it ended up makes me feel better about Towing my gnash 18 FM , 6000 lb dry weight with my 2004 F150 with the same payload as yours but mine has a 6 and 1/2 ft box 373 gears and the same 5.4 l
I don't drive when it's windy either, until I do. Year before last in Wyoming it was a nice day, not very windy. We turned down a shallow valley and I could not keep it on the road and could not find a place to turn into the wind. Very scary experience. Trailer was pitching up violently, maybe onto two wheels. DW almost demanded we head home and sell the setup. Then there was the time when a guy passed me and pulled into my nice big up front gap for stopping just when the car ahead of him hit the brakes. I used every bit of the huge brakes on my 2500. BTW, disk brakes by design are very difficult to lock-up. That's good because you will stop more quickly if they don't lock up. ABS takes advantage of this. But, if the brakes are overloaded, the ABS won't be as effective (won't get as close to lock-up) as it will with larger brakes. Compare yours with those on a 2500. You will be surprised at the difference. Then there's the force equals mu times the normal thing (from high school physics). The larger tires on a 2500 or 350 have a higher mu. Yes, more weight, but only on the truck; same trailer. Percentage-wise the braking to GCWR will be higher.
As long as you’re safe and within spec you’re good imo. Nothing replaces a safe driver and good reactions to situations. Good on you for your research and commitment to ensure safety. I have a 2016 ecoboost and with it tuned etc it’s pretty amazing how much it will tow.
I have the F 150 like yours and I agree with the changes you've made to make it as safe as possible for towing. My truck has the transmission temp gauge, factory, which I like. Some trucks come with additional trans cooling systems or you may be
Funny thing after lots of very difficult research the AXLE LOAD between the 1500 and the 2500 is 60 lbs, which means its the same axle in both. Mostly everything is the same in the two trucks except springs and I added 1500 lb coil helpers to my 1500 axle. and saved a lot of money. Its a little slow with a 200 hp v6 but I am in Florida and we dont have hills. Its almost a scam between the two trucks. Helpers cost me $50.
GREATTTTTTTT VIDEO!! THK U FOR making this. I have a F150 2019 Twin Turbo Platnium. I didn't want to go past 29' but after your video IM ALOT MORE CONFIDENT!!!! HUGS TO YOU & the family!!!! Thk u for the job you do, HERO!!!!!
Hay brother, nice job. You are spot on most Americans that have a f150 of any half ton can't afford or don't need a full time f250 or f350 for every day use. But have a 9000 lb rv camper for weekends or full time 3 months out of the year. My f150 platinum 2018 with tow package has a rating of 11000 pound tow and a 1600 pound capacity it has more than enough power and capacity for my Brinkley Z285 travel with a B&W Continuum Weight Distribution System w/ Sway Control for 2.5" Hitch - 16K GTW, 1.6K TW. Here are some of the equipment I add to my truck RAS® Suspension kit for the rear leaf spring. Timbren ses suspension enhancement this upped my capacity 500 lb to 2100 lb more than enough safely, Five-star tune add 70 HP for 445HP and 90 ft pounds of torque for 565 torque. These enhancement gave me more power than a gas f250 and same as in capacity.. My ride and stability is perfect and with the max torque band at around 1800 it pulls like a freight train getting on the highway and up mountains with ease. All enhancement cost $2500 installed. My truck is paid off and with the money I saved buy not upgrading my truck paid for my Brinkley Z 285...So in summary. Suspension front within spec, Suspension rear in spec total capacity with enhancements within spec and power more than my upgrade would have been... To protect my engine and drive train change oil every 5000 miles, radiator flush 20,000 miles, transmission fluids and transfer case, rear gear every 40,000 miles. I have 88,000 miles on my truck towing miles between two travel trailers 40,000 miles of towing. She is going strong. I understand why all these guy always say get a 3/4 or full ton pick for safety and or ease of towing. But if you know what your doing and you set up your equipment for the task at hand. Side note I never tow more than 350 miles a day 80% of the time and never go over 65 miles per hour... it saves full and your always the last person to an accident. Once again great video 📹 👌.
When you air up the air bags, you increase the amount of weight on the rear axle and decrease the weight on the steering tires (front tires). Its counter-intuitive, but a real effect (picture a see-saw, with the pivot point your rear tires. The Camper is one side, the engine is the other side. Raise the pivot point (rear axle), and more weight gets added to the rear axle and less weight to your front tires since the camper is going to be now pulling "down" more as it weighs more). So yes, it levels out the rear end, but it also messes with your weight distribution. If your equalizer hitch is properly adjusted, there should be little to no squat in the rear end. I tow a very long camper as well with my f150, and almost no squat in the rear end, but it took some time to adjust the equalizer to be perfect. That said, I ALSO have airbags - however, I never use more than 7-10lbs of air. Primarily, I use the airbags to remove some of the "bounce" of the trailer - they give a smoother ride. Another upgrade to look into is a rear sway bar - I found that with the rear sway bar it helped a bit in the windy conditions and also helps with unloaded drive quality. Its easy to install yourself as a bonus.
As a professional truck mechanic, 45 years, I can say that air bags have zero effect on moving weight. Every tractor built in the US, today, has air bag suspension, they also have springs that control the weight rating. No matter how much air you put in the bags, the weight does no move. Only moving cargo or the fifth wheel, will do that.
What applies to tractors designed and built for airbags and using 5th wheels does not apply to single axle bumper tow pickup trucks. Weight distribution absolutely does change when you use airbags in a single axle f150. You can find the videos here on TH-cam using individual corner scales that show the changes and why you should always use a load distributing hitch vs airbags when towing a trailer.
@@ltbarkley not just worked on them, but as a field engineer, cars and trucks. Absolutely very little difference and it doesn’t raise your axle weights or GVWR at all. It can make the vehicle more stable, but there are less expensive alternatives, that are easier to install and operate, such as Timbrens, Sumo’s etc or helper springs. None of which requires any manipulation or air compressor.
You may have misunderstood what I am saying. It does NOT change the GVWR. It DOES change how much weight is distributed to the front axle vs the rear axle. Using airbags on the rear axle to remove sag when towing a bumper pull will decrease the amount of weight on your front tires while increasing the weight on the rear axle. It’s just moving around the weight distribution, weight remains the same. Taken to the extreme, it can make the front end feel like it’s “floating”. This is fact. You are more than welcome to try yourself with scales one each tire, I did. I use my bags to get a smoother ride but rely on the load distributing hitch to level out the weight distribution between the front and rear and remove the sag when towing.
@@ltbarkley it doesn’t move any significant amount of weight. The only way to do that is to affect the point of the fulcrum, like weight distribution hitches. Increasing the height of the fulcrum, can level the ride height, which is a good thing, but don’t be deceived that the weight has moved. The amount of weight change is insignificant as a safety matter. You would need to decrease or increase the distance from the weight point(hitch point)to the axle, to change the weight.
I don't care what people think. Great job. I tow with a 2010 chevy silverado 1500 with 3'4 ton springs and new 15000lb hitch , 38 foot 2002 Keystone with no problems at all. Rebuild on a 5.3 with a dod put in it. I have done all my own motors for years in race cars [Street stocks] for many people. 5.3 is one of the better motors with a AFM out of it. It tows just fine, and we'll see you on the road sometime.
You are putting everyone on the road at risk and are most likely overweight and operating illegally. Just because you can doesn't mean you should, that's plain ignorance.
The negative comments are the people jealous because while you're out full timing, they're stuck flipping burgers at a job they hate and living in their Mom's basement. Posting negative comments somehow makes them feel better about their sorry situation. Drive safe and have fun!!
Or do you think that maybe those comments are from people that actually understand the numbers behind towing? I mean quick math based off the stated campers UVW and its payload tell all of us that his campers GVW is above his trucks tow capacity.
Some of us that aren't stuck flipping burgers have much bigger trucks and much bigger trailers to pull and realize you don't do this shit with an F150 because we've been through situations where even a SRW 1 ton is struggling... Not everyone is jealous of a 15 year old f150 towing a 37 foot trailer...
I'm not talking about being jealous of the trailer and truck, but of the ability to fulltime. Do I need to break this down further, or do you understand now?
@@adampecore7890 I didn't even mention what i drive or what I tow. Being able to fulltime is cool, and you can do that without putting everyone around you in danger every time you move the trailer. That's all, you brokedick wonder.
I use a similar approach - 2020 F150 XLT FX4 crew, Firestone bags, Helwig anti-sway bars front & rear, Falken Wilderness AT3W 18” load E, and a Hensley Arrow hitch (zero sway) towing a 2021 Grand Design Imagine 2500RL. Bilstein 5100s will be a spring add. Previously towed 2006 40’ Weekend Warrior 5th with 2004 Silverado 2500HD Duramax/Allison w/Firestone bags, Bilsteins, Helwigs, Edge chip, and MBRP stainless exhaust w/cat delete.
Ideally the tow vehicle should outweigh the trailer, but I think a Hensley (ProPride) hitch is key to making a 1/2 tons more capable of living up to their tow ratings comfortably. I just bought an MPG 2780RE and will bring it home from dealer with my 2022 Turbomax Silverado. Next spring I plan to get a Silverado with the 3.0L Duramax and a 3P hitch, bridging that gap between 1/2 and 3/4 ton.
I'm a truck driver with 27 yrs experience. About 10 years ago we had an Open Range Roamer bunkhouse that was 37 feet and weighed 8250 dry. We pulled it all over Michigan with a 2009 Toyota Sequoia. It had independent rear suspension. I took a lot of weight off the tongue with my Weight Distribution Hitch. I had no problems and never got nervous. We pulled up at many campgrounds and RV resorts and got MUCHO funny looks though. I have no doubt I was over what it was rated for, but that 5.7 pulled it like it was a popup. Absolutely loved that Sequoia. PSA: Don't try this at home.
What's your payload rating and tounge weight? It is usually exceeded before your max tow rating. By the time you put a 900lb tounge weight you will only have a few hundread lbs left for passengers and whatever you have in the bed. Highest payload in those era f150 is 1500lb but usually are 1200-1300
I was going to comment on the same thing....no way this is within the payload specs. That's where this class of trucks fail to perform with towing. Most people don't know their payload rating and in reality it's lower than what the manufacturer posts online due to upgrades and so on. It's really easy with hitch weight, passengers, coolers, dogs, or whatever, to exceed the truck payload rating
Thanks for the great video! I'm in a similar situation as you. I own a 2013 f-150 3.5 ecoboost. We later purchased a Grand Design Imagine 2150rb. The truck pulls with more than enough power, but I found myself wishing for the stability of f250. As it is, I simply can't afford to switch over to an f250 at this time, but I can afford to upgrade the f150. My first was to change the axle ratio from 3:31 to 3:73. For weight distribution and sway control, I first installed the Anderson hitch. Unfortunately it just couldn't adequately correct squat. I changed over to a Husky hitch with tension bars rated 600-800 lbs...huge difference in the squat! Last year I installed a set of Hellwig helper springs, but not really satisfied as the handling still feels "mushy" and bouncy. Those will soon be replaced with a Roadmaster Active suspension kit. Like you, my goal is not to increase my truck's capacities, but to equip it to better handle what it's rated to handle.
Back in the late 80's I towed a 24' TT with a short wheelbase F150. I used a Reese weight dist. hitch with 1000 lb bars and dual cam sway control. Didn't need any air bags with those bars.
June 2024.... JUST FOUND Y'ALL. Thanks for the info. SERIOUSLY. I have a 2019 F150 Twin turbo. Love my truck. Still looking for the right trailer. Been looking for 3 years now, might have found it. Plus I was gifted air bags. Had trailers since mid 80s.
Cool..I basically did the same thing with my 2005 E150 Chateau with low miles. After market stereo with CarPlay and backup camera. I put Hellwig helper springs on the rear with Monroe Air Shocks. After looking at new trucks and trailers and the cost, I decided to just keep the van and the old 97 fleetwood trailer. Best part is that it’s all in good shape and PAID FOR.😊
Just bought a 30 ft camper. I own a f150. 1st things I bought was a weight distribution hitch and sway bar. I’m new to towing 30 ft but I did my research and I have not seen many trucks without both weight distribution and sway bar. Good luck bro. Safe travels.
Hate to break it to ya, but you are way over on payload for your truck. Your hitch weight dry is 835lbs. Add 100lbs for propane, and battery. Add another 100 lbs for the WD hitch. The payload on your truck is probably around 1,250 for your trim configuration. I'm guessing you weigh near 200lbs. Congratulations! You can carry a fishing rod and a tackle box and leave your wife and kids at home while you go camping!
Love your family and all that says about you. Your personality was told by what your youngest child said about her feelings about you dude. Sooooo, coooool. Stay blessed by knowing what your blessings are.
@@jonathandougherty3677 exactly. My guess is the loaded tongue weight of that trailer is going to be close to 2/3 of the truck's payload capacity. Add up the weight of all the humans, pets, and all other gear, objects etc in the vehicle and I seriously doubt he's within the payload capacity of that truck. But I could be wrong. Another number to consider is the rear axle weight rating. Adding airbags is only going to exacerbate the strain on what is probably an already overloaded axle. People say, "with the right weight distribution hitch and a proper set up you can tow the world". Man, that is so not true for so many reasons. People so often don't think about all the factors; how much the loaded tongue weighs, how that impacts tow vehicle payload, staying within tow vehicle gvwr and payload capacities, axle weight rating capacities etc. Sure, a good wdh that's dialed in is important, but damn, there's so much more to consider.
I also used to pull my Premier 34BHPR with my Chevy 1500, with a tow capacity of 10000 pounds and had no issues. I did upgrade to an F350 6.7 diesel and love the difference in towing and everything.
I own a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. 10k tow capacity. Just purchased 38' camper. Even when loaded it's 8600lbs. Don't want to pay these outrageous prices for a 2500. Sierra should do fine?! Any diesel is better than gas. I only do about 5-7 trips a year so can't really see paying 80k just for that.
@@fxdwings hi Mark I have a 2018 Silverado Z71. short bed I'm buying a 36 camper 8600 pounds. upgraded 4x4 off road package. tow package. trailer has anti sway. also what are your thoughts. ?
I towed for years with that same truck (except 2wd), and it us a great truck. I recently upgraded to a 3/4 ton because we started loading above capacities. That being said, your payload numbers (approximately 1400 with 4wd) are being exceeded and you are at least very close to your gawr (3850lbs). Just to be sure, go scale it.
2WD will increase payload. 4WD kill a lot of a 4x4's payload. Added weight like transfer case, extra axle and differential all comes of the payload GVWR. If you do not need 4x4 get a 2WD for towing.
I think your good man. Here's the big three though and I think you touched on them somewhat. #1 Pay attention, #2 slow down and #3 maintain your stuff. Happy RVing!
I tow a 36’ 2017 Grand Design Reflection with a 2018 F150 5.0 tow package and 373 rear. No issues towing with this truck or my older 2012 F150 with the 3.5 eco boost and trailer tow package.
I Pull 31ft 18 ram 1500 4way air susp , 7600 Loaded, 6200 empty, 600 toungue weight here in Alberta Canada. I know that its sway sometimes , doing 85 to 90 kph for my safety.
You got this man .. Good for you. Half tons are so expensive today. I’m shopping 1500 now and I’m at $48k MSRP realistically $45k crazy.. Love the aftermarket vlog . Heading to the 2020 Tampa, Fla Super RV show Friday. Man the Mirror gizzmo is awesome ! Love the Belstien shocks.
The trucks today are cheaper when comparing features. Could buy a loaded diesel 2500 for about 33k in the mid 90's. "Loaded" was maybe leather(usually vinyl or cloth), carpet, tape player, power mirrors, and A/C. Base model today has all that and more. 50k for a similar spec. Adjusting for inflation, that 33k truck is closer to 55k today.
I'm in a similar setup as you (2005 F150 w/5.4, pulling 35' TT); I'll be adding upgraded Rancho's front and rear this spring, as well as heavy duty front and rear sway bars, and instead of air bags, I'm going to use Helper springs. Additionally, I added a K&N Cold air filter to the truck and it added an noticeable amount of extra power. Get the cheap version with the plastic tube, and you can do the install in 30 minutes.
@@tickytacky8078 Thanks, I had read that they can be a bit noisy; but they're cheap, and since I am hoping to upgrade to an F250 next year I don't want to invest too much money in extra upgrades.
Thanks for sharing this information I have a GMC 1500 4 door 4x4 with the 5.3 motor. I bought a 2019 mallard 28 ft box 32 ft total length. I had a 24ft camper and pulled it well hopefully this one will also. I will be changing the shocks and tires. Again thanks for the video. Stay safe out there.
I've used my 1/2 ton truck to tow for years. Can't/Won't pay $70K for a truck. I tell everyone that I do more with my 1/2 ton Ford than most do with a 3/4 ton Chev or Dodge. I've towed trailers anywhere from 10' to 35', from 2,000 lbs. to 10,000 lbs and my truck does it just fine. I tow a 25' fifth wheel on an Andersen hitch and have had absolutely no problems whatsoever. Happy camping.
Honestly if budget is a concern get yourself a decent late 80s or mid to late 90s dually. You don't need power or high tow ratings. What you need is a stable platform to set that trailer tongue on so that wind doesn't knock you around when it hits the sides of that barn you're pulling.
You can increase the towing capacity. Reinforce the frame, upgrade axels and suspension/ dually conversion, bigger engine and trans, change gearing. Follow all these steps and you will increase your towing capacity. I have a 92 f150 flareside xlt lariat single cab, dana 80 duallys rear, dana 60 front, 6BT 12 valve Cummings, e40d transmission, 90 gallon auxiliary tank in the bed, over 800 lbs added to frame. I did all this myself for under 9 grand. I bought 3 trucks that where wrecked and chopped them all down. I was not planning to do it, but when your bored and have a junk yard on your family property things happen
Thats all good till you wreck. State trooper and insurance company will only look at your gvwr and your combined gvwr with what you are hauling. Your first limiting factor to tell you are towing to much is if you are exceeding the payload of the vehicle ( people+cargo+tongue weight of trailer). If you dont stay in your vehicle limits for ffffff’ddd with insurance and your liable.
I went down this exact path once, similar 1/2 ton pickup, 10k pound 26ft toy hauler with Ride Rite air spring helpers and a 20k pound GVWR rated trans cooler. After about 5000 miles, I started eating through axle bearings on the semi-floating rear axle. Recommend checking your rear end gear lube for sparkles. Fully floating rear axle on the 3/4 ton + trucks is required to get reasonable life out of the rear axle bearings with this amount of payload.
I think that Ford has been great and great upgrades, we bought a 1 ton Dodge Cummins to pull our 24ft travel trailer lol Very impressed with your Ford!
I pull a 8500 lb fifth wheel with a f150 and also put the same air bags but the biggest help was changing the tires to LT tires . Also upgraded the brakes to power stop brakes .
A typical ball hitch puts about 10 percent of the trailer weight on the truck. A fifth wheel puts 20 percent on the truck. In your case, that is 1700 pounds. I think you are far exceeding the GVWR of any 1/2 ton. Be safe.
@@eternitywas Agreed. You can be within the payload numbers, but still not be a good idea. If your towing 50.... No big deal. A thousand mile trip, good luck. I did the Vortec Max with a 9200 lb GVWR trailer. Cranked up the equalizer bars, had the air lift bags, set bolts in the reciever, and added a second friction type sway bar (old school). Drove sweet, plenty of power with the V-Max, but toasted the front hubs (at 17,000 miles). Payload includes the weight the trailer puts on the vehicle. Without a weight distributing hitch, like the 8500 lb fifth wheel drscribed above, she's going to be heavy on the F-150 rear axle. Likely to exceed the gross rear axle rating (GRAWR ?). For short trips, slow down and your fine. If towing over 7000 pounds a long distance..... 3/4 ton. Hard stop. GM has backed away from the 1/2 ton pockup towing wars. They have acknowledged weight is one thing, a low trailer with 10,000 pounds of gravel for example, but a 10 foot tall box going through the air at 70 mph is another. Handling/control is an issue. I can testify to this. At 70 mph, my 9200 lb trailer would start leading the dance in wind. Wanted no part, set the cruze at 60. Chers
We're all for safety here and want to make sure everyone is towing within their capability, makes the roads safer for EVERYONE, I understand that. BUT when you are towing at your limits (regardless of mods) you need to take that into consideration with your driving style. Now I'm not going to crunch his numbers to say he's correct or not but there are more factors than just weight limits when towing. How your rig will handle the push of air when a semi is passing you (or the other way around) or how your rig will react when making an emergency lane change or having to stop NOW. Not to mention for those that do...mountain passes, up and down. You see so many loaded down transport trucks broken down on these passes due to overheated brakes or cooked transmissions. If you are towing at MAX these environmental stresses are going to push you over your limits. A good piece of advise is to maintain a load 25% less than you're MAX for the rare instances you as a driver will be put to the test to avoid a collision and regain control of that swaying trailer or whatever obstacle may lie ahead. The 25% is not a rule nor a written guideline found anywhere so please don't start arguing about it, it is just an extra cushion of safety for you and your family. Personally I would have either went with a smaller trailer or get a good used 3/4-1ton truck (Sometimes it pays to pay a little more) But enough of my rambling, this guy knows he's got a big load so hopefully he does drive like that and takes extra care. Oh, and as someone else pointed out, DON'T EVER TRUST THE RV SALESMAN WHO SAYS YOU CAN TOW ALMOST ANYTHING WITH ALMOST ANY VEHICLE. One salesman tried to sell me a 4500lb TT to go behind my Dodge Grand Caravan (3500lb max tow rating, not to mention WAYYY over hitch weight) trying to make me believe that its ok, the TT has a really slanted front nose so its not like trying to tow a brick through the air.
I'm pretty sure shocks have no effect on how much the truck squats when loaded up with weight, they simply control the rate of up and down movement from bumps in the road. Stronger/stiffer springs however would keep the truck from squatting just like the air bags do.
@@bjack8645 They do if the GVRW is only limited because of the springs capability of holding a higher load..Case in point, the Chevy 6.2 liter half ton gas trucks...3/4 ton rear end with 1/2 ton bolt pattern and light half ton springs for ride comfort....The axle's capacity is much higher than a half ton's GVRW, when equipped with airbags and heavy duty tires.
People will always think a half ton can't tow. Actually I have had people with circa 2005 model 3/4 tons say things to me and my 2017 Ram was actually rated for more not to mention the additional safety features. I just purchased a 2020 F150 rated for 12,300. These are not the half tons of 20 years ago!
I yank a 35ft keystone cougar TT with a 15 silverado ltz crew with the tow package zero issues, Rear Timbren make a massive difference. I've use Timbren on a few of my vehicles one was up front of a XJ with a 7ft Curtis home pro plow.. fantastic product. !
Not trying to be a troll here - I think you're doing a good job at your best to be safe, but Just FYI - your numbers cannot be correct. Payload + Dry Weight cannot be greater than GVWR - since your GVWR is 7200 (which is probably correct) and your calculation your payload cannot be 2900. The truck dry weight is likely not 6500 pounds either, it's probably more like 5500 - meaning your allowable payload would be in the 1700 pound range. Being that ultralight of something like that probably has a tongue of ~900-1000 pounds when loaded, so you're probably still very close to being inside payload range. I saw in your updated video you've upgraded to a F350 so good on you, but maybe this will be helpful in those number calculations. Cheers! keep having fun!
@@travisguy6044 you also have to take into consideration that anything and everything you put in that truck goes towards that GVWR! Your hitch probably 150lbs Tongue weight 900/1000 Kids ???? Your wife???? Plus the light weight of the truck 5/ 6000 lbs if the truck weighs 5500lbs that leaves you only 1200lbs of extras to put in the truck! Anything you put in your bed also goes towards that 7200 gvwr!
I came here to say the same thing... also his max trailer weight is off, there is a little room to play here depending on how much weigh you put in the truck but he really should be subtracting the GVWR from the GCVWR because especially pulling a trailer like this he's probably coming very close to the GVWR. 15000 - 7200 is only 7800. My guess he is only looking at the tongue weigh rating that could be 920lbs or his dry weight is more like 5800 and he subtracted that from 15000 to get a trailer weight of 9200, which both leaves you zero cargo capacity in the truck.
Another thing that most people towing is to drive too fast. I was an owner/operator for 36 years and cannot begin to tell you how many folks over drive for the vehicle they are towing.
Nicely done! I have been using a Hensley anti sway hitch system for the last 15 years. It really works well. I will look into the billsein shcks. Stay safe. BTW you children are adorable!!😀
I must honestly say I am so appreciative of your video I have been searching for the last 3 weeks for information on debating on my trailer in my truck. I'm thinking I'm going to have to go buy new truck because of the trailer I have. But to know and hear you explain it all and for me to see that it's possible I am so happy I came across your video!! That I had to subscribe Just because of the fact you gave what I needed to hear and know
Just remember you can add air bags, helper springs etc. The GVWR is what it is. I tow a 10000lb trailer with my 2017 f150, with the 3.5 EcoBoost without a problem. I can't stress this enough. Set up is key. A weight distribution hitch with anti sway, properly set up and you can pull the asshole out of the world. Lol. It looks like you get that. Happy trails.
Melissa Rubio there are many factors to consider. You need to look at your payload for YOUR truck (for Ford it should be on driver side inside door panel), look at the GAWR for both drive and rear axles, look at GCVWR for your truck, look at GVWR for your truck and the trailer GVWR. For trucks, payload is typically the most limiting factor. The payload for YOUR truck has been calculated specifically for YOUR truck and does assume a full tank of gas (Ford). When you add up weight of all occupants, all gear/supplies in your truck (including the bed of the truck), AND the tongue weight of the trailer, that will give you your payload amount. My guess is the 8,000# trailer with your loaded F150 will exceed payload capacity of your truck.
@@allencoleman2319 very important. I just bought a 2020 F150. I got the heavy duty payload package and max tow package with the 3.5 I can do 12,500. Without those items it's closer to 10. If you drop to the 2.7 ecoboost it's 8. A few items can make a huge difference.
I believe everyone should be held to the same standards as DOT/OTR Truck Drivers. I am speaking mainly about safety standards such as lighting, proper loading, strapping/tie down, safety chains, tires/brakes, etc. etc... Too many people are pulling private/personal trailers and RV’s down the road that absolutely should not be there. There are even too many people pulling trailers down the road that requires a CDL because of the combination truck/trailer GVWR without having the proper driver’s license and knowledge of the laws. When pulling an RV or any other trailer that weighs this much or more with a half ton truck you aren’t leaving any extra safety factor gap. Things such as braking, brake fade and high wind are just some of the factors you have to thank about. They may be able to stop on flat roads somewhat okay but when they get into the mountains they are going to experience brake fade because the brakes on half ton trucks aren’t HD rated and the trailer weighs more than the truck which will push the truck down the mountain in a manner that is uncontrollable. Think about how many times you’ve questioned the safety of you and your family while driving down the road with someone else pulling a larger load down the road. Everyone else will think the same thing about you. All it takes is that one time for the brakes to give out because they have been pushed so hard and so far past their limits for so long that they fail. I’ve towed just about everything imaginable down the highway and as a certified safety and DOT safety instructor and firefighter I hold myself to a higher standard when traveling down the roadways where other families will be traveling along with mine. My personal truck and trailers are weight matched (well within the GVWR tow rating) and pre-trip inspected before every trip starts and also every stop during the trip as well as a post trip inspection. Always think safety first. “Do I feel comfortable driving next to someone that is pulling at or beyond the weight limits of their truck, and/or an overweight trailer, and/or the trailer is in poor mechanical condition while my family is in the vehicle with me. We all gamble with our lives while on the road everyday, there is absolutely no reason to make that gamble more risky. I could go on about this for hours lol!!! My apologies for making this so long, however it’s not a subject that can be discussed quickly. Safety starts with you! Hope everyone drives safe - God Bless...
I meant to add this additional information however the post was already getting long enough. 9 times out of 10 Insurance companies will not cover the accident if the investigation finds that the GCVWR/GVWR was above the rated limit. I have seen them deny any insurance claims once their investigation finds out about it being overweight. Once that happens it becomes very expensive for the operator wether they were at fault or not due to the fact that it was determined that they were over their rated weight limit, especially if injuries are involved. Lawsuits are pretty much inevitable once the people in the other vehicle are informed about the overweight/overloaded and/or improper load securement. It’s always a good idea to have your vehicle and trailer scaled separately and together as well as each individual axle. I always check each axle in order to make sure I am not over axle weight as well as beyond the rated weight limits of my tires for each axle.
Beats a high mileage 3/4 or 1 ton with questionable ball joints etc. Not everyone wants a 65k truck just to pull their trailer. Or a 20k diesel with frequent breakdowns. I mean hell its not like he’s pulling a flatbed with oilfield pipe on it
@@Range-X actually pulling a flatbed with oil field pipe would be safer. Less wind resistance. Less sway. Lower center of gravity. I could go on , but I think you see the difference.
I do about the same thing except i'm more of a weekend warrior. With that being said, if you are doing allot of towing and far distances safety has to be your number 1 priority. There is no replacement for 3/4 or 1 ton truck. All your upgrades are what i have too. Be safe.... :)
Bryan E We are weekend warriors too. Towing a Jayco 28 RLS right now. Looking at MAYBE a slightly larger one for our next one. Only because we REALLY want a king bed. Still within our numbers but def will come closer to our max. We live in FL and mostly stay around in the state.
Thank You for the info. I pull a 34" with a 2017 Chevy 1500 I put Brand New Tires as well as New Brakes, Both on my Truck and Trailer. I have the Truck towing/ down shift system and an added break system. I have the Correct weight distribution hitch & Sway bars for my weight. I just keep my Rig completely Empty of Stuff! Like nothing but the essentials for the Rig.
I pull a 11,000 lb. 37' travel trailer, with a 3500 dually, and use an Equalizer hitch. Pulling a travel trailer is like pulling a heavy billboard down the road. In addition to payload numbers think about stability, stopping and towing comfortably. There is no way I would pull my trailer with a half ton, even if it was within ratings.
That’s good you don’t pull it with a half ton. It ways 11000 lbs. I have a 36 ft coachman and weighs 7068 lbs empty and 9800 lbs is its max I’m never really near my max. I’m usually around 8000 to 8500 and my 2017 Nissan Titan SL does just fine with it. And it’s all in within my towing limits.
I have the exact tt and I tow with a. Ram 1500 with 3.92 axle. I have been all over with all the way to south Carolina from canada. No issues except the occasional wind pushes.
Another excellent video.....I been pulling my rv Forest River VIBE 35 ft. With an F-150 for the last three years...from Kentucky to Las Vegas...Texas to Orlando and back to Oklahoma...I do not recommend....but has been the Truck work for me.... PS...of course looking for F-250
First thing,never ask an rv dealer what trailer can I tow with a 1/2 ton regardless of the numbers,,I tow a 27ft(OA 32ft} Flagstaff with a 2005 f-250 ext cab short box..6600lbs tongue weight 700 ,,it squats maybe an inch,with factory susp.the truck could probably pull 2 of these,,cause the numbers are right,,,but i find it can still sway a bit,brakes really good,im thinking the longer the trailer the longer the tow vehicle,,BUT try to keep the hitch as close to the differential,,Im thinking of parting with truck,(lots of $ put into it,6 liter wallet eater)and going for a long box extra cab,just to have that extra control..I get where your coming from,as I use to tow a 3200lb 21ft searay cuddy with my 1992 mazda MPV.tow rating 4200lbs,I was proud of that van as I didnt have to get rid of it,But i still didnt feel right towing it,,even when the numbers were right.Take care
I have pulled a 36 foot two car hauler gooseneck trailer for five years behind my Ram 1500. I have upgraded the brakes and added rear air spring boosters. Works great.
@@stephencooper4987 Not necessarily. The car trailer has inherently aerodynamic vehicles on it that the air flows over. The travel trailer has big walls that air will smack and push. A 36 foot 2 car goose is most likely a wedge, which doesn't put the foremost vehicle up super high. But yeah if he's got two pickups on there he's not ideal.
@@dchawk81 after 36 years on the road, I've talked to many people pulling different types of trailers, with and without loads I think a lot of people would be surprised at what the drivers would tell them.
@@stephencooper4987 It's science. And experience on my part. I've pulled all kinds of stuff myself. Like, back to back. I know WTF I'm talking about. I know some so-called professional drivers who don't even know wtf an alignment is.
I can remember one trip home with our travel trailer. It was stormy with strong winds. We had to pull over several times because we just knew it was not safe. We have a 3/4 ton but it was just extreme wind. A 5 hr trip took 9 hours. I always say my world is in this truck (my family) and I won’t chance it. We are going to buy a 5th wheel for our full time Rv and a bigger truck but I will never drive with strong winds again, no matter what.
15 years ago I towed a 27,000 pound tri-axle trailer with a Dodge Ram 1500. On the trailer was a Tractor and other heavy equipment. I had no trailer breaks, and I did it from Kansas to Pennsylvania. Obviously that was a terrible idea, among many others I made as a youth. But the point is that I made it, and without incident. Granted when I got home I had to replace pads and rotors; but I made it back with literally zero issues. People obsess about these trailer weight numbers; which are calculated to be within the absolute best case scenario. Vehicles are capable of doing SO much more than the recommended weight rating, and they can do it with ease. I would not do that trip across the country again; but I also now don't freak out about adhering to the precise numbers the manufacturer stipulates. I have no issue going a little over "recommended" weight.
vehicles are capable yes but are totally illegal because they are overweight which also would make you liable if you ever get into any unfortunate situation.
I am big on having the right tires. Everyone that has complained about camper sway gets 2 answers from me, first- go to the scales and verify acceptable tongue weight. 2-get better (more ply) tires on the rear. No one bothers to do either, because 'the sticker says the truck can tow it', so i applaud your efforts.
First time I've seen one of your vedios. Good information. Yes I disagree with your 1/2 ton. I will be getting a 3/4 ton for our tt. I feel I can tow just fine with a gas engine so I'll save nearly $10000 there.
Thanks for your comment. We agree it isn't ideal but we do feel we are being safe despite a lot of negative comments here. We've been looking at 3/4 tons but aren't quite financially ready.
Take a look at the new Ford 250 with the brand new 7.3L gasser! Old School push-rod engine with port injection! I love Diesel engines and own a 2003 Dodge Cummins but anything 2007 and newer is total crapp unless you trade it in before the warranty run out! The emission systems on these new trucks are the biggest problem plus all the new electronic bells and whistles they keep adding on.
Hi John - Great video, Just a couple of cautions here. 1 Hope you have a heavy duty tranny cooler stock from the factory, Not the one that s standard that goes in to the bottom of the rad - heavy duty means its totally separate and sits between the radiator and the condenser coil of your air conditioning - 2 Yes keep up on the oil changes and run a bit thicker oil like a 5w30 instead of the 5w20 - and don't follow Fords recommend time interval as it is way to long between changes. this is due to the roller followers and the cam phasers being a problem of the 5.4 3valve. 3 it wouldn't hurt to go to a load range {D} on the trailer tires for durability. Safe travels :)
One thing that will help ride... Balance your trailer tires!!!!..Really Really.. I did on my 30ft travel trailer.. They where new tires and we added about 2.5oz of weight to each tire.. The ride was WAY better .less vibration and the harmonics of vibration was gone.. so nice.!!!It worth the cost
I'm a retired driver that was loaded 115 thousand plus and dreaded seeing this kind of combination. Don't know what is worse no common sense or sales people that only look at sales and don't care or know. Industry says run 80% of max.
I get mad at half tons empty. with a 100 dollar welder you can go by 3/4 tons with 2.5 inch angle iron from a home depot. the most painful trucks to live with start in 1996.. everyone got 100 more horse, 100 more foot pounds..and the same wimpy underpinnings. I have fun with this subject. I grew up with family trucking... since 1978. we hauled steel out of bethelehem... anyway, I hope more people tackle this and save money. I personally think it is a ripoff for everyone who does not put some work into it.
Well I have to say I’m a current truck driver and see no issue with his set up, people today think they need 800 horse power 500 torque to pull a 9000 pound trailer lol give me a break. What do you think they did 30 years ago when they had less them half the power as today and half the suspension lol.
@@tonicetobegood1 Not sure who you're racing but 385HP and 405-430 torque is pretty stout for a gasser. Especially since it's more of a longevity engine than an ego sword.
Trans cooler. That's the heavy half ton(has the big sterling). I would suggest that you get the best brakes too. Stopping distance is the biggest factor in tow ratings. You got everything else nailed. I always tell people to get the most shock they can afford. You get what you pay for.
I hear alot of people saying the 3/4 ton truck tow better because they're heavier, but when you look up the numbers it's less that a 300lb difference, and to me that's the difference between my GF and a typical Alabaman.
Wow, I've watched videos saying 26' is the max towable by a 1/2 ton. While I think that is a bit too conservative, I couldn't imagine ever trying to tow something that long w/ a 1/2 ton. I have a 28' Whitehawk and a 2017 F150 and I feel I would not go any larger. I like many 31-32' trailers, but I will never go even that big unless I had a 3/4 ton. As others said, the payload and tow capacity are meant for smaller trailers with much less surface area on the front & sides. Good luck and stay safe, but since you have your family with you and tow full-time I encourage you to upgrade to a larger truck sooner than later!
We have a 34' White Hawk...original tow vehicle was a 2015 Ram 1500, we installed air bags & a brake controlled, but after our first pull we decided to upgrade to a 2019 Ram 2500 which is built for towing. We feel MUCH safer riding down the road with our kids & our home. 🙂👍🏻
This video was exactly what i needed to see. Thank you for your advice. Me and my family are considering traveling with an RV using this exact half ton truck.
As of yesterday, my '06 F150 STX was retired and traded in on a '19 F250 Lariat Super Duty. I have no doubt it'll haul a Shasta Phoenix RE25 fifth wheel with no problems. OMG... I _love_ this truck!
I had a half ton Ford Expedition 4x4 that was within the numbers for a 37 foot keystone Laredo. On my first trip from Atlanta to Charlotte, I got pushed all over the road when 18 wheelers passed me. 55-60 max and had to stop twice die fuel. I traded that in the following week for a diesel excursion 4x4 and have never regretted it.
I just watched your video, and I know what you are trying to do. BUT.....But....I can promise you that you are way over payload capacity for that truck. And hopefully 3 years later you all have figured that out and moved up to a 3/4 ton. Be safe all and I hope you are still having a ball!
The old cliche’ is relevant here; the tail wagging the dog. I had a 30’ trailer that I towed with my F150. My friend is the engineer at Ford that writes and tests roll stability software for the F series trucks. 30’ is the max for a 1/4 ton. It has nothing to do with weight per se, when that thing starts to sway you don’t have enough truck to handle it. Your truck is an analog, where I had electronic sway control. My trailer started to sway and it scared the hell out of me, the truck applied the brakes for me in the proper way to stop the sway. I’ll never tow that way again. Good luck, don’t put your family in there when you tow. Don’t hurt anyone in an accident, you’ll never recover.
You got big cajones towing that rig with that truck. The safety of your family, especially the kids, should have been the first consideration when purchasing your TT.
We have similar upgrades, another major upgrade is a trailer tire pressure monitor system. Peace of mind when running down the road and can glance at all wheels tire pressures and temps.
![[TH] VALORANT Champions Seoul - Grand Final - EDG vs TH](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/WvObMc9VelI/mqdefault.jpg)
3.73 everybody not 5.73...
The E rating on the tires does not mean 10-ply side walls as I said in the video. Just a load rating of 10 ply. Thanks to 73Excursion for catching the mistake.
I'm trying really hard here not to respond to the incredible amount of tactless negativity. I have been to the scales, many times in fact. The truck is slightly over on payload, but not as much as you would think. There's hardly anything in the truck while towing. The family and bikes and everything else rides in the van that my wife chases with. However for DOT standards it's still within the GCWR so thus legal. I don't respond because no matter what I'll say it won't satisfy the majority of people. The average watch time for this 18 min video is less than 7 min . That means the majority of people commenting and watching haven't even seen the whole thing. The trailer is big and I do plan on upgrading because I know that it would tow better. But the fact remains that I have been over the mountains and across this entire country twice already. Experience. Experience. I don't drive like an idiot, have never felt "white knuckled" and if an emergency stop does take place and I crash in to someone it'll be because I was following to close and didn't give myself room, not because I don't have a 1 ton (which would actually skid farther because its heavier- the speed, weight, and distance being the primary factors). I don't ever drive fast, especially going down a pass, typical speed is slow enough to stop by using the trailer brakes alone and also throughly annoy people stuck behind me...but better safe then out of control. If it's windy I don't drive. Honestly guys you're so much more statistically likely of having some random motorist hit you then me because of my trailer set-up. Or having a heart attack and causing an accident that way. I promise if you do happen to pass me going easy in the right lane you won't explode.
For what its worth like I said I do plan on upgrading but for now after driving the amount of miles I have up and down steep grades and across the windy planes without any significant issues (moreso because of the things I do then the rig set up) I'm going to continue. After all would you rather have me behind you as you pass me going downhill or some brand newbie with a huge toy hauler in a 450 dully that's on his very first pass feeling over confident because of his big truck. Think about it.
No Ordinary Path
Please don’t take my post as talking directly to you. I posted for everyone’s educational purposes.
I 100% agree with your comment about a newbie drivers hauling large trailers (Including Toy Haulers) with 350/450/550 trucks. That is why I said everyone hauling a trailer should be held to the same standard as a OTR/DOT truck driver as far as safety standards go.
As far as braking in heavy duty trucks and skidding if stopping in shorter distances, that really isn’t true because 3/4 ton and above trucks are all fitted with much heavier duty brakes than half ton trucks especially when you step into the 450/550 class and they are generally equipped with some sort of Transmission, Engine or Exhaust brake or a combination of the three types. The engine/ exhaust brake systems are extremely effective in slowing you down on their own and/or maintaining a slower speed when traveling downhill without the need to add a lot of heat to the brakes thus reducing the possibility of brake fade due to heat if used properly. Those features aren’t available in half ton trucks.
There is a financial reason why I try to educate people on this topic. As a firefighter and DOT safety trainer I have worked/investigated many (towed vehicle) accidents.
9 times out of 10 Insurance companies will not cover the accident if the investigation finds that the GCVWR/GVWR was above the rated limit. I have seen them come out and deny any insurance claims once their investigation determines that and then it becomes very expensive for the operator wether they were at fault or not due to the fact that it was determined that they were over their rated weight limit and I do not want to see anyone put into that situation especially if injuries are involved because that can become extremely expensive and lawsuits are pretty much inevitable once the people in the other vehicle are informed.
Again, please don’t think that I was directing that towards you because I wasn’t. I don’t know what your trailer weighs or how much you carried within it or your truck. I could make assumptions, but that’s all they would be is assumptions unless I saw the data tags on the trailer and/or a Cat Scale ticket.
Be safe and have a great day!
@@P-J-W-777 Philliph Whirley I wanted you to know that I certainly don't lump in your comment with that group. Even if it appears to not directly support me I do agree with it. Although when it comes to a true emergency stop if I locked my brakes up to cause an abs (or if not equipped) a true skid and someone with a larger truck pulling my exact trailer and weight of mine did at the same distance wouldn't they go further? I'm not speaking of a quick braking situation to slow down fast - I'm talking about that elk stepping out in front of you at 50 feet while you're doing 55+ mph. The heaver coupling will take more distance to stop right? I'm specifically thinking the math of inertia.
As a flight nurse I landed on highways several times working closely with heavy rescue, fire, and occasionally DOT and all those guys were amazing. I defer to your experience on the subject and cannot refute that the trailer deserves an upgrade. We did make the video because I knew it would be a hot button topic, people were asking about it, and honestly I've never ever felt unsafe. Nevertheless the bigger truck is in the works.
No Ordinary Path - Thank you! I have worked with many Flight Nurses (Care Star, Aero Care). As an EMT I always deferred to their experience and training. I didn’t mention anything about being an EMT because I felt it was irrelevant at the time, lol.
You would think that vehicle with the larger mass would take longer to stop however in this situation it’s not true due to modern technology. F350 to F550 series trucks come equipped with much bigger and heavier duty brakes than F150 trucks. Anymore they all come equipped with a type of Trans-Brake. (Tow Haul Mode) changes the way your transmission up-shifts and downshifts thus helping in braking somewhat. The modern heavier duty trucks excel because they can be equipped with and engine and/or exhaust brake from the factory. Engine/exhaust brakes combined with the larger brake systems will reduce your stopping distance greatly over their half ton truck variants. Engine and Exhaust brakes are two different systems however both function in a similar manner. Another added benefit of engine/exhaust brakes is in the mountains or hilly terrain. You will use much less braking applications going down the mountain or hill thus reducing your brake temperatures, reducing/eliminating brake fade/failure from extreme brake heat. While operating the “Fire Truck” fully loaded with water we always utilize the engine/exhaust brake and it reduces stopping distance greatly, especially with all the brake checks in the city at intersections, keeping the brakes much cooler. When you add the addition of dual rear wheels that is stopping distance is even increased because you have more surface contact on the road.
Another factor is in the difference between the weight of the trailer being pulled and the weight of the truck. A heavy trailer on a lighter truck can push against the truck when stopping or going downhill and will pick up the rear end of the truck reducing the amount of contact weight on the rear tires forcing your front brakes to work harder and could cause the truck/trailer to jackknife. I have personally seen this situation a few times and wouldn’t have believed it myself otherwise until you think about the physics behind it. You can try it without a trailer. Every time you brake especially hard the nose of the vehicle dips down and the rear raises up. Add a heavy trailer behind that and you have a recipe for disaster, especially with an overloaded truck.
If you have a friend with a 3/4 - 1 ton truck single or dual rear wheel with the trans brake and engine or exhaust brake attach your trailer to their truck and perform a few braking tests to see the difference.
You had said that you were just slightly overweight because your wife carried some stuff in the chase vehicle behind you. You could always go to a truck stop and get your total weight to see what you would need to shift to the chase vehicle to get you within the proper-legal weight limits. I would also check each axle individually to make sure I’m not over axle or tire rated weight as well.
Again, I am only trying to educate people and not point fingers or blame. As, I stated previously, an overweight/overloaded situation can cause all kinds of legal problems in the event of an accident and the fault will almost always be placed on the person who was overweight/overloaded.
It’s been great getting to chat with you on this. As I said, I could speak for hours on this one topic lol.
Have a great day, Stay Safe and God Bless!
@@NoOrdinaryPath I hope I'm not in that "group" either.....I am truly concerned about you, your family and everyone else on the road.....Taking everything to it's limits and beyond is a dangerous scenario. I am a Mechanical Engineer and I also have been hauling heavy loads for long distances for about 15 years. My truck is rated to haul an obscene amount of weight.....and I would never attempt to push that limit especially with a high profile trailer (like a camper)....It is a giant sail....I look at your beautiful family and it reminds me of my family when I was younger....Please be careful and upgrade to a more capable truck ASAP.....There are good used vehicles out there that I'm sure you can afford.....God forbid something bad happens....you seem like a nice man....you will never forgive yourself.....not to mention the financial mess you will be in for violating the law...and I'm pretty sure you are over on payload.....Best wishes and luck to you.
I once owned a 29' Travel Trailer, and towed it with a new 2008 Tundra. Like you, all of my numbers were in-line. I was totally legal. I felt confident with my choice, right up until I was merging onto the Interstate. I was passed by an 18 wheeler. That 18 wheeler sucked my trailer in, and created a yaw so strong, that the trailer started to violently fish-tail. I came so close to losing the whole thing. After many years of towing EVERYTHING, I was scared. While all of your upgrades are nice, The one upgrade you didn't mention was a Sway-Elimination hitch. Your current setup reduces sway, but it doesn't eliminate it. The only way I would tow your rig would be with a pro-pride, or a Hensley sway - elimination hitch. this is just my humble opinion from a very lucky guy who had narrowly escaped a potential disaster. I fully understand your position with not having a truck note. I also hope I'm not coming across as a jerk. I wish you luck. And I wish me luck, as I might be headed to the exact same destination as you. Safe Travels!
This is the best advice I have read here
I'm sorry you went through that. We do appreciate your comments and concern. We have traveled for almost two years up many passes, on major highways, next to many large rigs and semis and in high winds. We have never felt unsafe or that we are fish tailing out of control. When we are able to save up we will be purchasing a 3/4 ton or one ton but until then we will travel on. :)
My 24' enclosed car trailer was a white knuckle experience with a half ton at only 9990GVWR. It's not about the weight.
@RandomBitsRV
I own a Hensley and completely agree with your statement. There are no other sway control devices that eliminate lateral sway forces. Unfortunately for this F150, payload is severely lacking and adding 100 lbs to the truck's cargo would put the truck even more OVER on payload. A trip to the CAT scales and a photo of the driver's door jam placard would confirm everyone's already sound advice. I do really hope he reconsiders a new TV. He should also realize that the 70K+ views aren't necessarily from people who have similar interests in RN travel nursing or full timing. His small subscriber base may be. The reason 70K+ YT viewers have tuned in was in reaction to this video's title: "Towing 37ft Travel Trailer with a Half Ton SAFELY". It's a pretty gutsy declaration without any significant due diligence.
To be fair, a 3/4 ton or a 1 ton wouldn’t have stopped an unstable trailer from swaying. (Not saying your trailer is unstable, it was at that particular moment though). Most of the Trailer wrecks I see is with 3/4 and 1 ton trucks. The problem is people often think they have a 3/4 ton or 1 ton truck and throw due diligence out the window.
Glad to see you're not letting the F-150 get in the way of the life you want to live. One critical component you forgot to address is the payload capacity. I encourage you to know your tongue weight, truck cargo weight, and the weight of all the passengers. I had a half ton truck also and once I added all that up, I realized I was 500#'s over my payload. Just something to think about. Happy trails!
Yes, great point! Many new towers don't realize the difference between payload and towing capacity. Tongue weight is calculated as part of the payload. You can be well within the towing capacity and be over payload. That's the biggest benefit of a 3/4 ton vs a 1/2 ton!
@@jonathanjames4232 Yeah but the max payload rating from the factory takes into account P rated tires (for most light duty trucks 1/2 ton trucks) - not only that but it accounts only for factory shocks, and lack of airbags. The single biggest help I think is the upgraded tires. I did these on mine too. You're not in 3/4ton territory however probably somewhere in-between realistically. If you were to take the exact same truck (but completely stock everything) and hook it up to your trailer and compare it to your truck the way you have it setup - there would be a huge difference in handling; not just a small difference. Note one BIG thing - the payload rating is pretty much ALWAYS on the tire sticker in the doorjamb.... Why do you think that is? Sooooo... The payload sticker itself doesn't mean as much as some might think. Axle ratings, and GCVWR together with appropriate tires in my opinion are more important. And common sense :P
@@rjhein I guess the simplest way to put it is... "Your vehicle is only as strong as the weakest link!"
Yes I tow a rig that’s 1000 lbs less than this one and 11’ shorter. It’s all I wanna tow with my 2019 f150. I used a fulcrum to weigh my tongue weight. I’m at 80% of rating. My aluminum truck has a much higher payload than the older steel bodies. With 5 people and gear I’m about 200 lbs under the max. I use airbags for a nicer ride. Don’t need them for anything else. I wouldn’t do what this guy is doing but I respect all the things he’s done to make the ride and drive better.
@@rjhein tires and shocks, youre kidding right?
I have towed for years owned two ram 1500s with gas hemis and towed long heavy trailers and he has done everything right and is safe especially with the distribution and sway control. I also did all the other stuff he showed. He knows what he is doing! I just bought a 2020 ram 2500 limited with 6.7 Cummins turbo and yes I like it and it is better for towing. But he is not wrong here. Smart guy.
Side note I live on bumpy dirt road so I was concerned with a 2500 comfort. my 2500 has no leveling system only coil springs in the rear and was pleasently surprised it rode very good. The 3500 trucks still have leaf springs so I'm not sure if the comfort is their I added this. Comment in case others are on the fence about a 2500.
unless hes over his payload capacity....being under on GCVWR means nothing if you exceed payload capacity. then you are towing unsafely and like a dimwit
Most of these guys that are the critics of your combination never pull anything they're sitting behind there computer in the city wishing they had the truck and trailer you do and don't know nothing about Towing.... you are fine with your combination... I live in Idaho and i have towed camp trailers, boats
, toy haulers you name it for 45 years... a good distribution hitch with sway bars and you're good to go... most important part is to keep good tires on the trailer and your truck and keep the speed down... and always check the bearings on the trailer tires... Id take my grandkids, my kids my uncles my cousins and even my aunt that I don't like in that setup and never think twice about it...Your Golden
Then let me give it a shot. I've got my Class A with all endorsements, and the heaviest I've ever weighed was 215,000lbs (Oilfield trucks) and let me tell you that this guys setup is ignorant as hell. If you can't afford the proper truck then you shouldn't be towing it. Simple as that.
It’s not what you can pull, its what you can stop!
Agreed. We were always very careful driving with this set up.
We pull a 32 BHS with a 2007 F150! Saving for an upgrade while still enjoying this life! Thank you!
Just pulled it today!
@@eternitywas 9608lb ..32 ft
@@eternitywas I will measure in the spring and let you know for sure.
@@eternitywas 2014 Avenger AVT32BHS. FORD had a good tow package put on. I eventually also purchased a weight distribution hitch.
@Eternity Was you should have no problems with your max tow.
Hay brother, nice job. You are spot on most Americans that have a f150 or any half ton can't afford or don't need a full time f250 or f350 for every day use. But have a 9000 lb rv camper for weekends or full time 3 months out of the year. My f150 platinum 2018 3.5L tween turbo with tow package has a rating of 11000 pound tow and a 1600 pound capacity it has more than enough power and capacity for my Brinkley Z285 travel with a B&W Continuum Weight Distribution System w/ Sway Control for 2.5" Hitch - 16K GTW, 1.6K TW. Here are some of the equipment I add to my truck RAS® Suspension kit for the rear leaf spring. Timbren ses suspension enhancement this upped my capacity 500 lb to 2100 lb more than enough safely, Five-star tune add 70 HP for 445HP and 90 ft pounds of torque for 565 torque. These enhancement gave me more power than a gas f250 and same as in capacity.. My ride and stability is perfect and with the max torque band at around 1800 it pulls like a freight train getting on the highway and up mountains with ease. All enhancement cost $2500 installed. My truck is paid off and with the money I saved buy not upgrading my truck paid for my Brinkley Z 285...So in summary. Suspension front within spec, Suspension rear in spec total capacity with enhancements within spec and power more than my upgrade would have been... To protect my engine and drive train change oil every 5000 miles, radiator flush 20,000 miles, transmission fluids and transfer case, rear gear every 40,000 miles. I have 88,000 miles on my truck towing miles between two travel trailers 40,000 miles of towing. She is going strong. I understand why all these guy always say get a 3/4 or full ton pick for safety and or ease of towing. But if you know what your doing and you set up your equipment for the task at hand. Side note I never tow more than 350 miles a day 80% of the time and never go over 65 miles per hour... it saves full and your always the last person to an accident. Once again great video 📹 👌..
We are in the same boat here. We currently have a 23' Lance TT rated at 5700# and want to upgrade to a 32.5' TT 8,500#.
Our F-150 is 7050 GVWR and 15,600 GCWR with a Max Payload after options of 1,843#. We currently get 8,5-12,5 MPG towing, I know that is going to go way down.
We intend to travel with less than 20 gallons of water unless we are close to a parking site and will pare down the truck payload to bring less of the heavy tools I considered essential but have not used except when parked for 6 months near our storage unit at Dad's site, he doesn't travel anymore.
If the proposed TT OCCC and truck Payload were maxed out I calculate about 350# of margin, but I am planning to cut the TT load by 250 pounds from essentials we don't really use along with some of those tools in the trucks.
We only have to stay with this truck for 2 more years until I get my pension from aerospace and then maybe the new truck crisis will be lessened. I have done everything you mentioned but shocks and airbags. I had airbags on a previous truck and I agree they opened up better stability.
Cheers. Dave & Sheila
Use what you got and make it the best/safest you can. :) We had this truck for almost 2 years before we traded up and never had any problems with it.
I have a 39' Travel Trailer equipped with a Hensley Hitch that I pull with a F-350 Dually Crew Cab...6.7 Diesel......I have pulled this from Coast to Coast.....Please don't do this with your rig....The high winds that we experienced in certain parts of the Country was challenging even with my rig.....I can't imagine trying to drive your rig with your setup in windy conditions.....Your Kids are Priceless....Be Safe. Happy Camping.
I know what you mean, I tow with my ram 3500 6.7l cummins, like your truck it weighs 8k+ in weight, has the frame for that weight & trailer, and the brakes to slow it and a trailer down. 1/2 tons just are not built for that heavy duty role (not talking HP) . I just hope he does not run into a situation where his trailer overwhelms the f150 chassis design specs and ends up in a bad conclusion. Like the man said Be safe, and happy camping.
@@thudtheace A buddy of mine has a Ram like yours....Very nice truck....
He said he's in spec and he's towing a super light. What else you want?
@@midnightsmoker3767 Weight isn't the only thing to consider....Sway is a huge problem with these long travel trailers....
Maybe he doesn’t tow in windy conditions. Not everyone can afford $70,000 truck. These F150’s do the job just fine.
We have a 34' Jayco White Hawk bunkhouse...original tow vehicle was a 2015 Ram 1500, we installed air bags & a brake controlled, but after our first pull we decided to upgrade to a 2019 Ram 2500 which is built for towing. We feel MUCH safer riding down the road with our kids & our home. 🙂👍🏻
I got the same trailer as you and a 2017 ram 1500 with 5000Lb airbags and thinking about trading my half ton for a 3/4 ton
Pulling a new camper 7890lbs 1/2 tundra added sumo springs and Bilstein 5100 rear shocks no squat,love them I’m still under tow capacity and hitch weight great video stay safe.
Years ago I pulled a 35 foot TT with a Chevy half ton extended cab. A heavy duty radiator, additional transmission and oil coolers. Already had progressive leaf springs and heavy duty shocks. A PullRite hitch that put the load almost at the differential. Never had a problem from Washinton DC, Yellowstone, New Mexico cross country trips.
We never had any issues either but eventually upgraded trucks when we could
Funny thing after lots of very difficult research the AXLE LOAD between the 1500 and the 2500 is 60 lbs, which means its the same axle in both. Mostly everything is the same in the two trucks except springs and I added 1500 lb coil helpers to my 1500 axle. and saved a lot of money. Its a little slow with a 200 hp v6 but I am in Florida and we dont have hills. Its almost a scam between the two trucks. Helpers cost me $50.
Honestly I have been looking for exactly this video thank you for all the info. I am about to buy an RV and I'm in the same boat as you with founds. Thi s video is the best one I have seen so far and more informative. For those of you hating just watch another video and feel blessed that it easy for you to say. Oh just get a better truck 🤦♂️. Thank you for sharing you journey with us.
Funny thing after lots of very difficult research the AXLE LOAD between the 1500 and the 2500 is 60 lbs, which means its the same axle in both. Mostly everything is the same in the two trucks except springs and I added 1500 lb coil helpers to my 1500 axle. and saved a lot of money. Its a little slow with a 200 hp v6 but I am in Florida and we dont have hills. Its almost a scam between the two trucks. Helpers cost me $50.
My f150 2013 5.0 single cab long box I ordered then put 5000lb air bags then added helper springs and 10 ply tires. My camper is a 23’ with a stretched tongue to 30’ total length my Harley goes on the tongue. I’m 10600 on trailer Pulls great 10-15mpg Canada to Florida every year.
What's your payload capacity?
I drove over the road for 40+ years. Three years ago we downsized. Went from a 39' front kitchen, super slide, king bed towed with an '01 Dodge high output 3/4 ton to a 2018 connect 24rl towed with a 2017 Nissan frontier 4d long bed. If I didn't have the heavy truck experience or the 45 years RV experience, I wouldn't have done it. At 3 thousand miles on the trailer, I changed the road King tires for the Michelin Endurance. Last November I added airbags and a compressor from etrailer. Install was free because of the video I allowed them to do. It helped a lot with my sag. The RV dealer adjusted my hitch for me and actually increased my trailer sway. I have since readjusted it completely, they flubbed on the install and setup, and eliminated the sway. In February I replaced the standard mirrors with trailer tow mirrors from an older Nissan Titan. My next upgrade will be an Anderson hitch. Yes I am pushing the limits of my truck and if I didn't have the experience, I wouldn't trust my ability. Having almost 3 million accident free miles, I'm now retired and not in a hurry. Stay safe.
My father-in-law had a 1986 F150 Supercab with the max tow package; 302EFI V8, AOD transmission and the 3.73 rear diff. He towed a 42’ Holiday Rambler TT. Never an issue.
This gives me hope lol!
This video and all the comments made me dig deeper into my recent truck purchase. Turns out the truck wouldn’t pull my trailer after all, rather would pull but not stop! Traded today and we will be so much safer. Thanks to all for the information and productive exchange you all had.
We had the same 4x4 37 feet trailer. Yes it worked but after two trips we changed the truck to a 2020 f250 f4x4 and after a other trip upgraded our Rv to a 43 foot 5th wheel best change we ever made
Car payment means someone owns your property. Everything paid off is a no hassle freedom and no stress! Great towing educational video!
Until you stress your vehicle and wear it out too soon!
Liked your video we have a wildwood xlite about 36 or 37 ft total length as well weighs in at 6200lbs. We use our 2005 suburban lt z71 4x4 door sticker has it at 7200lbs. Before we got the trailer I had changed the radiator out to one that was for an engine oil cooler set up and put the lines in for that and changed tires and shocks as well. I also added the air lift air bags to level it out and it pulled very well with the family of 5 we need the room and we do about 8-10 mpg did an average of 6 going to Colorado from Texas with the steep hills. Enjoy what you have be safe.
Finally a video with the truck that I own exact same model and specs ... thanks for showing the upgrades to tow ...
This is nuts.
I commend you for getting all the upgrades to make it work. I have a 34' Whitehawk that weighs in around 7k. I am towing with a Ram 1500 that is rated (yes I checked the vin) to tow 11,250. I have only had it out once or twice and so far it does good. I also don't drive crazy with the trailer hooked up so I think that helps. I drive the Ram as my daily driver so I don't want to drive a big 2500 every day. I feel that I am within the weight limits like you and as long as you are careful it seems to work.
How’s the 1500 been holding up. I just bought a 2022 1500. How’s it towing
What do you mean you "feel" like you're within the ratings? You're either within the numbers or you're not.
I know a lot of folks won't agree with you on what you say about this truck and trailer weight combination because in fact you are at the limitations of your tow vehicle but it helps me a lot because it ended up makes me feel better about Towing my gnash 18 FM , 6000 lb dry weight with my 2004 F150 with the same payload as yours but mine has a 6 and 1/2 ft box 373 gears and the same 5.4 l
I don't drive when it's windy either, until I do. Year before last in Wyoming it was a nice day, not very windy. We turned down a shallow valley and I could not keep it on the road and could not find a place to turn into the wind. Very scary experience. Trailer was pitching up violently, maybe onto two wheels. DW almost demanded we head home and sell the setup. Then there was the time when a guy passed me and pulled into my nice big up front gap for stopping just when the car ahead of him hit the brakes. I used every bit of the huge brakes on my 2500. BTW, disk brakes by design are very difficult to lock-up. That's good because you will stop more quickly if they don't lock up. ABS takes advantage of this. But, if the brakes are overloaded, the ABS won't be as effective (won't get as close to lock-up) as it will with larger brakes. Compare yours with those on a 2500. You will be surprised at the difference. Then there's the force equals mu times the normal thing (from high school physics). The larger tires on a 2500 or 350 have a higher mu. Yes, more weight, but only on the truck; same trailer. Percentage-wise the braking to GCWR will be higher.
As long as you’re safe and within spec you’re good imo. Nothing replaces a safe driver and good reactions to situations. Good on you for your research and commitment to ensure safety. I have a 2016 ecoboost and with it tuned etc it’s pretty amazing how much it will tow.
Big ole honkin massive fuckin brakes and reasonable reaction time replace the best driver in the world in an undersized truck.🙄
I have the F 150 like yours and I agree with the changes you've made to make it as safe as possible for towing. My truck has the transmission temp gauge, factory, which I like. Some trucks come with additional trans
cooling systems or you may be
Funny thing after lots of very difficult research the AXLE LOAD between the 1500 and the 2500 is 60 lbs, which means its the same axle in both. Mostly everything is the same in the two trucks except springs and I added 1500 lb coil helpers to my 1500 axle. and saved a lot of money. Its a little slow with a 200 hp v6 but I am in Florida and we dont have hills. Its almost a scam between the two trucks. Helpers cost me $50.
GREATTTTTTTT VIDEO!! THK U FOR making this. I have a F150 2019 Twin Turbo Platnium. I didn't want to go past 29' but after your video IM ALOT MORE CONFIDENT!!!! HUGS TO YOU & the family!!!! Thk u for the job you do, HERO!!!!!
Hay brother, nice job. You are spot on most Americans that have a f150 of any half ton can't afford or don't need a full time f250 or f350 for every day use. But have a 9000 lb rv camper for weekends or full time 3 months out of the year. My f150 platinum 2018 with tow package has a rating of 11000 pound tow and a 1600 pound capacity it has more than enough power and capacity for my Brinkley Z285 travel with a B&W Continuum Weight Distribution System w/ Sway Control for 2.5" Hitch - 16K GTW, 1.6K TW. Here are some of the equipment I add to my truck RAS® Suspension kit for the rear leaf spring. Timbren ses suspension enhancement this upped my capacity 500 lb to 2100 lb more than enough safely, Five-star tune add 70 HP for 445HP and 90 ft pounds of torque for 565 torque. These enhancement gave me more power than a gas f250 and same as in capacity.. My ride and stability is perfect and with the max torque band at around 1800 it pulls like a freight train getting on the highway and up mountains with ease. All enhancement cost $2500 installed. My truck is paid off and with the money I saved buy not upgrading my truck paid for my Brinkley Z 285...So in summary. Suspension front within spec, Suspension rear in spec total capacity with enhancements within spec and power more than my upgrade would have been... To protect my engine and drive train change oil every 5000 miles, radiator flush 20,000 miles, transmission fluids and transfer case, rear gear every 40,000 miles. I have 88,000 miles on my truck towing miles between two travel trailers 40,000 miles of towing. She is going strong. I understand why all these guy always say get a 3/4 or full ton pick for safety and or ease of towing. But if you know what your doing and you set up your equipment for the task at hand. Side note I never tow more than 350 miles a day 80% of the time and never go over 65 miles per hour... it saves full and your always the last person to an accident. Once again great video 📹 👌.
When you air up the air bags, you increase the amount of weight on the rear axle and decrease the weight on the steering tires (front tires). Its counter-intuitive, but a real effect (picture a see-saw, with the pivot point your rear tires. The Camper is one side, the engine is the other side. Raise the pivot point (rear axle), and more weight gets added to the rear axle and less weight to your front tires since the camper is going to be now pulling "down" more as it weighs more). So yes, it levels out the rear end, but it also messes with your weight distribution. If your equalizer hitch is properly adjusted, there should be little to no squat in the rear end. I tow a very long camper as well with my f150, and almost no squat in the rear end, but it took some time to adjust the equalizer to be perfect. That said, I ALSO have airbags - however, I never use more than 7-10lbs of air. Primarily, I use the airbags to remove some of the "bounce" of the trailer - they give a smoother ride. Another upgrade to look into is a rear sway bar - I found that with the rear sway bar it helped a bit in the windy conditions and also helps with unloaded drive quality. Its easy to install yourself as a bonus.
As a professional truck mechanic, 45 years, I can say that air bags have zero effect on moving weight. Every tractor built in the US, today, has air bag suspension, they also have springs that control the weight rating. No matter how much air you put in the bags, the weight does no move. Only moving cargo or the fifth wheel, will do that.
What applies to tractors designed and built for airbags and using 5th wheels does not apply to single axle bumper tow pickup trucks. Weight distribution absolutely does change when you use airbags in a single axle f150. You can find the videos here on TH-cam using individual corner scales that show the changes and why you should always use a load distributing hitch vs airbags when towing a trailer.
@@ltbarkley not just worked on them, but as a field engineer, cars and trucks. Absolutely very little difference and it doesn’t raise your axle weights or GVWR at all. It can make the vehicle more stable, but there are less expensive alternatives, that are easier to install and operate, such as Timbrens, Sumo’s etc or helper springs. None of which requires any manipulation or air compressor.
You may have misunderstood what I am saying. It does NOT change the GVWR. It DOES change how much weight is distributed to the front axle
vs the rear axle. Using airbags on the rear axle to remove sag when towing a bumper pull will decrease the amount of weight on your front tires while increasing the weight on the rear axle. It’s just moving around the weight distribution, weight remains the same. Taken to the extreme, it can make the front end feel like it’s “floating”. This is fact. You are more than welcome to try yourself with scales one each tire, I did. I use my bags to get a smoother ride but rely on the load distributing hitch to level out the weight distribution between the front and rear and remove the sag when towing.
@@ltbarkley it doesn’t move any significant amount of weight. The only way to do that is to affect the point of the fulcrum, like weight distribution hitches. Increasing the height of the fulcrum, can level the ride height, which is a good thing, but don’t be deceived that the weight has moved. The amount of weight change is insignificant as a safety matter. You would need to decrease or increase the distance from the weight point(hitch point)to the axle, to change the weight.
I don't care what people think. Great job. I tow with a 2010 chevy silverado 1500 with 3'4 ton springs and new 15000lb hitch , 38 foot 2002 Keystone with no problems at all. Rebuild on a 5.3 with a dod put in it. I have done all my own motors for years in race cars [Street stocks] for many people. 5.3 is one of the better motors with a AFM out of it. It tows just fine, and we'll see you on the road sometime.
You are putting everyone on the road at risk and are most likely overweight and operating illegally. Just because you can doesn't mean you should, that's plain ignorance.
The negative comments are the people jealous because while you're out full timing, they're stuck flipping burgers at a job they hate and living in their Mom's basement. Posting negative comments somehow makes them feel better about their sorry situation.
Drive safe and have fun!!
Or do you think that maybe those comments are from people that actually understand the numbers behind towing? I mean quick math based off the stated campers UVW and its payload tell all of us that his campers GVW is above his trucks tow capacity.
Some of us that aren't stuck flipping burgers have much bigger trucks and much bigger trailers to pull and realize you don't do this shit with an F150 because we've been through situations where even a SRW 1 ton is struggling... Not everyone is jealous of a 15 year old f150 towing a 37 foot trailer...
Don't wet yourself "dre". No one gives a damn what u drive.
I'm not talking about being jealous of the trailer and truck, but of the ability to fulltime.
Do I need to break this down further, or do you understand now?
@@adampecore7890 I didn't even mention what i drive or what I tow. Being able to fulltime is cool, and you can do that without putting everyone around you in danger every time you move the trailer. That's all, you brokedick wonder.
I use a similar approach - 2020 F150 XLT FX4 crew, Firestone bags, Helwig anti-sway bars front & rear, Falken Wilderness AT3W 18” load E, and a Hensley Arrow hitch (zero sway) towing a 2021 Grand Design Imagine 2500RL. Bilstein 5100s will be a spring add. Previously towed 2006 40’ Weekend Warrior 5th with 2004 Silverado 2500HD Duramax/Allison w/Firestone bags, Bilsteins, Helwigs, Edge chip, and MBRP stainless exhaust w/cat delete.
Ideally the tow vehicle should outweigh the trailer, but I think a Hensley (ProPride) hitch is key to making a 1/2 tons more capable of living up to their tow ratings comfortably. I just bought an MPG 2780RE and will bring it home from dealer with my 2022 Turbomax Silverado. Next spring I plan to get a Silverado with the 3.0L Duramax and a 3P hitch, bridging that gap between 1/2 and 3/4 ton.
I'm a truck driver with 27 yrs experience. About 10 years ago we had an Open Range Roamer bunkhouse that was 37 feet and weighed 8250 dry. We pulled it all over Michigan with a 2009 Toyota Sequoia. It had independent rear suspension. I took a lot of weight off the tongue with my Weight Distribution Hitch. I had no problems and never got nervous. We pulled up at many campgrounds and RV resorts and got MUCHO funny looks though. I have no doubt I was over what it was rated for, but that 5.7 pulled it like it was a popup. Absolutely loved that Sequoia.
PSA: Don't try this at home.
What's your payload rating and tounge weight? It is usually exceeded before your max tow rating. By the time you put a 900lb tounge weight you will only have a few hundread lbs left for passengers and whatever you have in the bed.
Highest payload in those era f150 is 1500lb but usually are 1200-1300
I was going to comment on the same thing....no way this is within the payload specs. That's where this class of trucks fail to perform with towing. Most people don't know their payload rating and in reality it's lower than what the manufacturer posts online due to upgrades and so on. It's really easy with hitch weight, passengers, coolers, dogs, or whatever, to exceed the truck payload rating
Thanks for the great video! I'm in a similar situation as you. I own a 2013 f-150 3.5 ecoboost. We later purchased a Grand Design Imagine 2150rb. The truck pulls with more than enough power, but I found myself wishing for the stability of f250. As it is, I simply can't afford to switch over to an f250 at this time, but I can afford to upgrade the f150. My first was to change the axle ratio from 3:31 to 3:73. For weight distribution and sway control, I first installed the Anderson hitch. Unfortunately it just couldn't adequately correct squat. I changed over to a Husky hitch with tension bars rated 600-800 lbs...huge difference in the squat! Last year I installed a set of Hellwig helper springs, but not really satisfied as the handling still feels "mushy" and bouncy. Those will soon be replaced with a Roadmaster Active suspension kit. Like you, my goal is not to increase my truck's capacities, but to equip it to better handle what it's rated to handle.
If you have to bolt or add anything to your truck to tow better or handle better then you need my truck. Its that simple.
Back in the late 80's I towed a 24' TT with a short wheelbase F150. I used a Reese weight dist. hitch with 1000 lb bars and dual cam sway control. Didn't need any air bags with those bars.
June 2024.... JUST FOUND Y'ALL. Thanks for the info. SERIOUSLY. I have a 2019 F150 Twin turbo. Love my truck. Still looking for the right trailer. Been looking for 3 years now, might have found it. Plus I was gifted air bags. Had trailers since mid 80s.
Cool..I basically did the same thing with my 2005 E150 Chateau with low miles. After market stereo with CarPlay and backup camera. I put Hellwig helper springs on the rear with Monroe Air Shocks. After looking at new trucks and trailers and the cost, I decided to just keep the van and the old 97 fleetwood trailer. Best part is that it’s all in good shape and PAID FOR.😊
I traded in my 1/2 ton for a 3/4 ton after towing my 24ft in high winds. I don't like getting anxiety over stuff like that if I can prevent it.
Just bought a 30 ft camper. I own a f150. 1st things I bought was a weight distribution hitch and sway bar. I’m new to towing 30 ft but I did my research and I have not seen many trucks without both weight distribution and sway bar. Good luck bro. Safe travels.
Hate to break it to ya, but you are way over on payload for your truck. Your hitch weight dry is 835lbs. Add 100lbs for propane, and battery. Add another 100 lbs for the WD hitch. The payload on your truck is probably around 1,250 for your trim configuration. I'm guessing you weigh near 200lbs. Congratulations! You can carry a fishing rod and a tackle box and leave your wife and kids at home while you go camping!
Hate to break it to ya but that weight for propane and battery is typically included.
Lloyd Buchter no it is not. Just the tanks empty. Each unit is weighed prior to shipment. These units ship with tanks empty, and no battery.
Nicea Trya no it’s not, it was included when I bought mine.
Lloyd Buchter provide me the manufacturer, and I’ll provide you the documentation. Never trust a word from the salesman. Cheers!
@@niceatrya3477 SportTrek
I didn't. Did a lot of research to include learning airbags are not the best option. Weight distro hitch all the way.
Love your family and all that says about you. Your personality was told by what your youngest child said about her feelings about you dude. Sooooo, coooool. Stay blessed by knowing what your blessings are.
THE BLESSINGS ARE HE HAS NOT KILLED ANYONE YET
You forgot the most important numbers! Truck payload and loaded tongue weight.
dimplez dimples That’s really the most important number, because payload will max our way before actually towing capacity.
@@jonathandougherty3677 exactly. My guess is the loaded tongue weight of that trailer is going to be close to 2/3 of the truck's payload capacity. Add up the weight of all the humans, pets, and all other gear, objects etc in the vehicle and I seriously doubt he's within the payload capacity of that truck. But I could be wrong. Another number to consider is the rear axle weight rating. Adding airbags is only going to exacerbate the strain on what is probably an already overloaded axle. People say, "with the right weight distribution hitch and a proper set up you can tow the world". Man, that is so not true for so many reasons. People so often don't think about all the factors; how much the loaded tongue weighs, how that impacts tow vehicle payload, staying within tow vehicle gvwr and payload capacities, axle weight rating capacities etc. Sure, a good wdh that's dialed in is important, but damn, there's so much more to consider.
Yupp its probably over in just that fact
12% of the trailers loaded tongue weight on his trailer is going to be right around 1100-1200 lbs.
Your kids made me smile
I also used to pull my Premier 34BHPR with my Chevy 1500, with a tow capacity of 10000 pounds and had no issues. I did upgrade to an F350 6.7 diesel and love the difference in towing and everything.
I own a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. 10k tow capacity. Just purchased 38' camper. Even when loaded it's 8600lbs. Don't want to pay these outrageous prices for a 2500. Sierra should do fine?! Any diesel is better than gas. I only do about 5-7 trips a year so can't really see paying 80k just for that.
@@fxdwings hi Mark I have a 2018 Silverado Z71. short bed I'm buying a 36 camper 8600 pounds. upgraded 4x4 off road package. tow package. trailer has anti sway. also what are your thoughts. ?
@@thomasthompson4999 install airbags. Really helps with the the bounce and sway. Doesn't mean you can tow more but tow much more comfortably.
I towed for years with that same truck (except 2wd), and it us a great truck. I recently upgraded to a 3/4 ton because we started loading above capacities. That being said, your payload numbers (approximately 1400 with 4wd) are being exceeded and you are at least very close to your gawr (3850lbs). Just to be sure, go scale it.
2WD will increase payload. 4WD kill a lot of a 4x4's payload. Added weight like transfer case, extra axle and differential all comes of the payload GVWR. If you do not need 4x4 get a 2WD for towing.
I think your good man. Here's the big three though and I think you touched on them somewhat. #1 Pay attention, #2 slow down and #3 maintain your stuff. Happy RVing!
My 2 cents if it’s working for you, go for it enjoy your family and keep on being you!!
Yes! Thank you!
I tow a 36’ 2017 Grand Design Reflection with a 2018 F150 5.0 tow package and 373 rear. No issues towing with this truck or my older 2012 F150 with the 3.5 eco boost and trailer tow package.
Did you do any upgrades?
I pull my 36ft bumper pull with 2014 ram 1500
Dangerous
@@miklomorales4768 Not really bro my truck is rated to pull it as long as I don't overload
Hell yeah brother 🤘1500 all day long I pull a 30ft trail runner no issues same year
We tow a 37 footer with a 17 armada
I Pull 31ft 18 ram 1500 4way air susp , 7600 Loaded, 6200 empty, 600 toungue weight here in Alberta Canada. I know that its sway sometimes , doing 85 to 90 kph for my safety.
You got this man .. Good for you. Half tons are so expensive today. I’m shopping 1500 now and I’m at $48k MSRP realistically $45k crazy.. Love the aftermarket vlog . Heading to the 2020 Tampa, Fla Super RV show Friday.
Man the Mirror gizzmo is awesome ! Love the Belstien shocks.
My 1 year old preowned 1 ton dually was $48k and it only had 2600 miles on it.
You don't have to buy brand new.
dchawk81 this 💯 %. New trucks are so damn expensive. Used deals can be found. Let someone else take the hit on depreciation!
@@sean808080 Yeah lots of "oh crap what have I done?" Buyer's remorse trade ins out there.
I put two of them on lots myself. 😂
@@sean808080 Besides, this guy doesn't need power, he needs stability. Any 1 ton made in the past 15-20 years will do what he wants to do.
The trucks today are cheaper when comparing features.
Could buy a loaded diesel 2500 for about 33k in the mid 90's. "Loaded" was maybe leather(usually vinyl or cloth), carpet, tape player, power mirrors, and A/C. Base model today has all that and more. 50k for a similar spec. Adjusting for inflation, that 33k truck is closer to 55k today.
I'm in a similar setup as you (2005 F150 w/5.4, pulling 35' TT); I'll be adding upgraded Rancho's front and rear this spring, as well as heavy duty front and rear sway bars, and instead of air bags, I'm going to use Helper springs. Additionally, I added a K&N Cold air filter to the truck and it added an noticeable amount of extra power. Get the cheap version with the plastic tube, and you can do the install in 30 minutes.
Helper springs are really noisy. They only help a little bit. You'll eventually want to change them out for bags.
@@tickytacky8078 Thanks, I had read that they can be a bit noisy; but they're cheap, and since I am hoping to upgrade to an F250 next year I don't want to invest too much money in extra upgrades.
Thanks for sharing this information I have a GMC 1500 4 door 4x4 with the 5.3 motor. I bought a 2019 mallard 28 ft box 32 ft total length. I had a 24ft camper and pulled it well hopefully this one will also. I will be changing the shocks and tires. Again thanks for the video. Stay safe out there.
I've used my 1/2 ton truck to tow for years. Can't/Won't pay $70K for a truck. I tell everyone that I do more with my 1/2 ton Ford than most do with a 3/4 ton Chev or Dodge. I've towed trailers anywhere from 10' to 35', from 2,000 lbs. to 10,000 lbs and my truck does it just fine. I tow a 25' fifth wheel on an Andersen hitch and have had absolutely no problems whatsoever. Happy camping.
Make due with what works for you and your family! Great looking setup and looks like a happy family. Thanks for all the tips. Happy camping ⛺️
Honestly if budget is a concern get yourself a decent late 80s or mid to late 90s dually. You don't need power or high tow ratings. What you need is a stable platform to set that trailer tongue on so that wind doesn't knock you around when it hits the sides of that barn you're pulling.
You can increase the towing capacity. Reinforce the frame, upgrade axels and suspension/ dually conversion, bigger engine and trans, change gearing. Follow all these steps and you will increase your towing capacity. I have a 92 f150 flareside xlt lariat single cab, dana 80 duallys rear, dana 60 front, 6BT 12 valve Cummings, e40d transmission, 90 gallon auxiliary tank in the bed, over 800 lbs added to frame. I did all this myself for under 9 grand. I bought 3 trucks that where wrecked and chopped them all down. I was not planning to do it, but when your bored and have a junk yard on your family property things happen
Thats all good till you wreck. State trooper and insurance company will only look at your gvwr and your combined gvwr with what you are hauling. Your first limiting factor to tell you are towing to much is if you are exceeding the payload of the vehicle ( people+cargo+tongue weight of trailer). If you dont stay in your vehicle limits for ffffff’ddd with insurance and your liable.
I went down this exact path once, similar 1/2 ton pickup, 10k pound 26ft toy hauler with Ride Rite air spring helpers and a 20k pound GVWR rated trans cooler. After about 5000 miles, I started eating through axle bearings on the semi-floating rear axle. Recommend checking your rear end gear lube for sparkles. Fully floating rear axle on the 3/4 ton + trucks is required to get reasonable life out of the rear axle bearings with this amount of payload.
I think that Ford has been great and great upgrades, we bought a 1 ton Dodge Cummins to pull our 24ft travel trailer lol Very impressed with your Ford!
So far so good! Its really been a great truck for us. Of course we'd love to have a one ton though! :)
@@NoOrdinaryPath ours is used brand new are outrageous and like you we don't want a payment
I pull a 8500 lb fifth wheel with a f150 and also put the same air bags but the biggest help was changing the tires to LT tires . Also upgraded the brakes to power stop brakes .
A typical ball hitch puts about 10 percent of the trailer weight on the truck. A fifth wheel puts 20 percent on the truck. In your case, that is 1700 pounds. I think you are far exceeding the GVWR of any 1/2 ton.
Be safe.
@@eternitywas Agreed. You can be within the payload numbers, but still not be a good idea. If your towing 50.... No big deal. A thousand mile trip, good luck.
I did the Vortec Max with a 9200 lb GVWR trailer. Cranked up the equalizer bars, had the air lift bags, set bolts in the reciever, and added a second friction type sway bar (old school). Drove sweet, plenty of power with the V-Max, but toasted the front hubs (at 17,000 miles).
Payload includes the weight the trailer puts on the vehicle. Without a weight distributing hitch, like the 8500 lb fifth wheel drscribed above, she's going to be heavy on the F-150 rear axle. Likely to exceed the gross rear axle rating (GRAWR ?).
For short trips, slow down and your fine.
If towing over 7000 pounds a long distance..... 3/4 ton. Hard stop.
GM has backed away from the 1/2 ton pockup towing wars. They have acknowledged weight is one thing, a low trailer with 10,000 pounds of gravel for example, but a 10 foot tall box going through the air at 70 mph is another. Handling/control is an issue. I can testify to this. At 70 mph, my 9200 lb trailer would start leading the dance in wind. Wanted no part, set the cruze at 60.
Chers
We're all for safety here and want to make sure everyone is towing within their capability, makes the roads safer for EVERYONE, I understand that. BUT when you are towing at your limits (regardless of mods) you need to take that into consideration with your driving style. Now I'm not going to crunch his numbers to say he's correct or not but there are more factors than just weight limits when towing. How your rig will handle the push of air when a semi is passing you (or the other way around) or how your rig will react when making an emergency lane change or having to stop NOW. Not to mention for those that do...mountain passes, up and down. You see so many loaded down transport trucks broken down on these passes due to overheated brakes or cooked transmissions. If you are towing at MAX these environmental stresses are going to push you over your limits. A good piece of advise is to maintain a load 25% less than you're MAX for the rare instances you as a driver will be put to the test to avoid a collision and regain control of that swaying trailer or whatever obstacle may lie ahead. The 25% is not a rule nor a written guideline found anywhere so please don't start arguing about it, it is just an extra cushion of safety for you and your family. Personally I would have either went with a smaller trailer or get a good used 3/4-1ton truck (Sometimes it pays to pay a little more) But enough of my rambling, this guy knows he's got a big load so hopefully he does drive like that and takes extra care. Oh, and as someone else pointed out, DON'T EVER TRUST THE RV SALESMAN WHO SAYS YOU CAN TOW ALMOST ANYTHING WITH ALMOST ANY VEHICLE. One salesman tried to sell me a 4500lb TT to go behind my Dodge Grand Caravan (3500lb max tow rating, not to mention WAYYY over hitch weight) trying to make me believe that its ok, the TT has a really slanted front nose so its not like trying to tow a brick through the air.
Actually if your “payload “ is surpassed is what matters of what is safe to tow regardless of any modifications on a half ton truck.
I'm pretty sure shocks have no effect on how much the truck squats when loaded up with weight, they simply control the rate of up and down movement from bumps in the road. Stronger/stiffer springs however would keep the truck from squatting just like the air bags do.
Neither increase the GVWR
@@bjack8645 They do if the GVRW is only limited because of the springs capability of holding a higher load..Case in point, the Chevy 6.2 liter half ton gas trucks...3/4 ton rear end with 1/2 ton bolt pattern and light half ton springs for ride comfort....The axle's capacity is much higher than a half ton's GVRW, when equipped with airbags and heavy duty tires.
Exactly, he says a lot of incorrect information.
Does not increase payload either.
People will always think a half ton can't tow. Actually I have had people with circa 2005 model 3/4 tons say things to me and my 2017 Ram was actually rated for more not to mention the additional safety features. I just purchased a 2020 F150 rated for 12,300. These are not the half tons of 20 years ago!
Half tons are for towing small utility trailers., not 7000 lbs rvs. It might be able to tow 12k but the more important number is payload.
@@bradschak ok.... 2460 payload on my F150 with the HDPP. Pretty sure I'm good. Keep on with the misinformation though!
@@upminer6162 I stand corrected. Thank you for correcting my error.
I yank a 35ft keystone cougar TT with a 15 silverado ltz crew with the tow package zero issues, Rear Timbren make a massive difference. I've use Timbren on a few of my vehicles one was up front of a XJ with a 7ft Curtis home pro plow.. fantastic product. !
I pull a Puma 31RLQS with a 2013 Chevy Z71 half ton and I use the solid bar stabilization bars and airbag overloads.
Not trying to be a troll here - I think you're doing a good job at your best to be safe, but
Just FYI - your numbers cannot be correct. Payload + Dry Weight cannot be greater than GVWR - since your GVWR is 7200 (which is probably correct) and your calculation your payload cannot be 2900. The truck dry weight is likely not 6500 pounds either, it's probably more like 5500 - meaning your allowable payload would be in the 1700 pound range. Being that ultralight of something like that probably has a tongue of ~900-1000 pounds when loaded, so you're probably still very close to being inside payload range.
I saw in your updated video you've upgraded to a F350 so good on you, but maybe this will be helpful in those number calculations. Cheers! keep having fun!
Right..I agree bro sometimes its about ppl wanting everyone to hear look at me iam smart lol..
@@travisguy6044 you also have to take into consideration that anything and everything you put in that truck goes towards that GVWR! Your hitch probably 150lbs
Tongue weight 900/1000
Kids ????
Your wife????
Plus the light weight of the truck 5/ 6000 lbs if the truck weighs 5500lbs that leaves you only 1200lbs of extras to put in the truck!
Anything you put in your bed also goes towards that 7200 gvwr!
I came here to say the same thing... also his max trailer weight is off, there is a little room to play here depending on how much weigh you put in the truck but he really should be subtracting the GVWR from the GCVWR because especially pulling a trailer like this he's probably coming very close to the GVWR. 15000 - 7200 is only 7800. My guess he is only looking at the tongue weigh rating that could be 920lbs or his dry weight is more like 5800 and he subtracted that from 15000 to get a trailer weight of 9200, which both leaves you zero cargo capacity in the truck.
He was saying his truck GVWR is 7200. He was saying his RV dry weight is 6550 and RV CCC/max payload is 2930.
Another thing that most people towing is to drive too fast. I was an owner/operator for 36 years and cannot begin to tell you how many folks over drive for the vehicle they are towing.
Agreed. Towing fully loaded at 70, vs 55, is HUGE with emergency braking.
chris pemkowski Just don’t be that guy that’s doing 55 on a 65 2 lane highway. Cause more trouble than you save.
Bud Ranger in some states, like California, 55 is the max speed while towing, so I guess I’ll be that guy.
jet052673 Yeah that’s why I specified a posted speed limit. Sucks for you.
@@XploreAz I would think that California sees more stop and go traffic on the freeway which is why they implement 55 limit.
Nicely done! I have been using a Hensley anti sway hitch system for the last 15 years. It really works well. I will look into the billsein shcks. Stay safe. BTW you children are adorable!!😀
I must honestly say I am so appreciative of your video I have been searching for the last 3 weeks for information on debating on my trailer in my truck. I'm thinking I'm going to have to go buy new truck because of the trailer I have. But to know and hear you explain it all and for me to see that it's possible I am so happy I came across your video!! That I had to subscribe Just because of the fact you gave what I needed to hear and know
Just remember you can add air bags, helper springs etc. The GVWR is what it is.
I tow a 10000lb trailer with my 2017 f150, with the 3.5 EcoBoost without a problem.
I can't stress this enough. Set up is key. A weight distribution hitch with anti sway, properly set up and you can pull the asshole out of the world. Lol.
It looks like you get that. Happy trails.
Tongue weight is also key to safety
I have the same truck EcoBoost twin turbo so this means i cal tow my 8,000 lb trailer 36 ft?
Melissa Rubio there are many factors to consider. You need to look at your payload for YOUR truck (for Ford it should be on driver side inside door panel), look at the GAWR for both drive and rear axles, look at GCVWR for your truck, look at GVWR for your truck and the trailer GVWR.
For trucks, payload is typically the most limiting factor. The payload for YOUR truck has been calculated specifically for YOUR truck and does assume a full tank of gas (Ford). When you add up weight of all occupants, all gear/supplies in your truck (including the bed of the truck), AND the tongue weight of the trailer, that will give you your payload amount. My guess is the 8,000# trailer with your loaded F150 will exceed payload capacity of your truck.
@@allencoleman2319 very important. I just bought a 2020 F150. I got the heavy duty payload package and max tow package with the 3.5 I can do 12,500. Without those items it's closer to 10. If you drop to the 2.7 ecoboost it's 8. A few items can make a huge difference.
I believe everyone should be held to the same standards as DOT/OTR Truck Drivers. I am speaking mainly about safety standards such as lighting, proper loading, strapping/tie down, safety chains, tires/brakes, etc. etc... Too many people are pulling private/personal trailers and RV’s down the road that absolutely should not be there. There are even too many people pulling trailers down the road that requires a CDL because of the combination truck/trailer GVWR without having the proper driver’s license and knowledge of the laws.
When pulling an RV or any other trailer that weighs this much or more with a half ton truck you aren’t leaving any extra safety factor gap. Things such as braking, brake fade and high wind are just some of the factors you have to thank about.
They may be able to stop on flat roads somewhat okay but when they get into the mountains they are going to experience brake fade because the brakes on half ton trucks aren’t HD rated and the trailer weighs more than the truck which will push the truck down the mountain in a manner that is uncontrollable.
Think about how many times you’ve questioned the safety of you and your family while driving down the road with someone else pulling a larger load down the road. Everyone else will think the same thing about you. All it takes is that one time for the brakes to give out because they have been pushed so hard and so far past their limits for so long that they fail.
I’ve towed just about everything imaginable down the highway and as a certified safety and DOT safety instructor and firefighter I hold myself to a higher standard when traveling down the roadways where other families will be traveling along with mine. My personal truck and trailers are weight matched (well within the GVWR tow rating) and pre-trip inspected before every trip starts and also every stop during the trip as well as a post trip inspection.
Always think safety first. “Do I feel comfortable driving next to someone that is pulling at or beyond the weight limits of their truck, and/or an overweight trailer, and/or the trailer is in poor mechanical condition while my family is in the vehicle with me. We all gamble with our lives while on the road everyday, there is absolutely no reason to make that gamble more risky.
I could go on about this for hours lol!!!
My apologies for making this so long, however it’s not a subject that can be discussed quickly. Safety starts with you! Hope everyone drives safe - God Bless...
That was well said friend. And I hope he listens what you said.
Very well said after something happens it is too late.
I meant to add this additional information however the post was already getting long enough.
9 times out of 10 Insurance companies will not cover the accident if the investigation finds that the GCVWR/GVWR was above the rated limit. I have seen them deny any insurance claims once their investigation finds out about it being overweight. Once that happens it becomes very expensive for the operator wether they were at fault or not due to the fact that it was determined that they were over their rated weight limit, especially if injuries are involved. Lawsuits are pretty much inevitable once the people in the other vehicle are informed about the overweight/overloaded and/or improper load securement.
It’s always a good idea to have your vehicle and trailer scaled separately and together as well as each individual axle. I always check each axle in order to make sure I am not over axle weight as well as beyond the rated weight limits of my tires for each axle.
Philliph Whirley Great advice better safe than sorry.
If you are driving a motor home or pulling a big trailer it is a recreational vehicle you are exempt from any CDL requirements!
Nice truck and camper. I just bought a 35ft keystone cougar. It weighs just under 7600 pounds. My 09 ford expedition will have no issues towing it
Not matter what size truck and trailer Mother Nature will always win. Be safe everyone
You know your own truck best , I like to drive slow when I tow , Im in no hurry, thanks for the great video ,
I like to drive fast with a 3/4 ton. That day we never saw the trailer.
I've seen F150s with fifth wheels...I shake my head everytime.
Beats a high mileage 3/4 or 1 ton with questionable ball joints etc. Not everyone wants a 65k truck just to pull their trailer. Or a 20k diesel with frequent breakdowns. I mean hell its not like he’s pulling a flatbed with oilfield pipe on it
@@Range-X actually pulling a flatbed with oil field pipe would be safer.
Less wind resistance.
Less sway.
Lower center of gravity.
I could go on , but I think you see the difference.
@@Range-X its illegal to be overweight and no matter what upgrades you do to your half ton truck it doesnt change the payload rating of the vehicle.
Driver is more important than vehicle hands down.
I do about the same thing except i'm more of a weekend warrior. With that being said, if you are doing allot of towing and far distances safety has to be your number 1 priority. There is no replacement for 3/4 or 1 ton truck. All your upgrades are what i have too. Be safe.... :)
Bryan E We are weekend warriors too. Towing a Jayco 28 RLS right now. Looking at MAYBE a slightly larger one for our next one. Only because we REALLY want a king bed. Still within our numbers but def will come closer to our max. We live in FL and mostly stay around in the state.
True dude
Just cause you can do doesn’t mean it’s safe or even legal
Thank You for the info. I pull a 34" with a 2017 Chevy 1500 I put Brand New Tires as well as New Brakes, Both on my Truck and Trailer. I have the Truck towing/ down shift system and an added break system. I have the Correct weight distribution hitch & Sway bars for my weight. I just keep my Rig completely Empty of Stuff! Like nothing but the essentials for the Rig.
I pull a 11,000 lb. 37' travel trailer, with a 3500 dually, and use an Equalizer hitch. Pulling a travel trailer is like pulling a heavy billboard down the road. In addition to payload numbers think about stability, stopping and towing comfortably. There is no way I would pull my trailer with a half ton, even if it was within ratings.
That’s good you don’t pull it with a half ton. It ways 11000 lbs. I have a 36 ft coachman and weighs 7068 lbs empty and 9800 lbs is its max I’m never really near my max. I’m usually around 8000 to 8500 and my 2017 Nissan Titan SL does just fine with it. And it’s all in within my towing limits.
I have the exact tt and I tow with a. Ram 1500 with 3.92 axle. I have been all over with all the way to south Carolina from canada. No issues except the occasional wind pushes.
How does it feel? I have a 2013 Ram 1500 5.7 Hemi 34 ft trailer
Would you try it with a 3.21? I have a 2018 5.7 hemi with a 3 21!
Another excellent video.....I been pulling my rv Forest River VIBE 35 ft. With an F-150 for the last three years...from Kentucky to Las Vegas...Texas to Orlando and back to Oklahoma...I do not recommend....but has been the Truck work for me....
PS...of course looking for F-250
First thing,never ask an rv dealer what trailer can I tow with a 1/2 ton regardless of the numbers,,I tow a 27ft(OA 32ft} Flagstaff with a 2005 f-250 ext cab short box..6600lbs tongue weight 700 ,,it squats maybe an inch,with factory susp.the truck could probably pull 2 of these,,cause the numbers are right,,,but i find it can still sway a bit,brakes really good,im thinking the longer the trailer the longer the tow vehicle,,BUT try to keep the hitch as close to the differential,,Im thinking of parting with truck,(lots of $ put into it,6 liter wallet eater)and going for a long box extra cab,just to have that extra control..I get where your coming from,as I use to tow a 3200lb 21ft searay cuddy with my 1992 mazda MPV.tow rating 4200lbs,I was proud of that van as I didnt have to get rid of it,But i still didnt feel right towing it,,even when the numbers were right.Take care
Thanks for your input. This was a great truck while we had it. We never had any issues with it. Eventually we did upgrade it.
I have pulled a 36 foot two car hauler gooseneck trailer for five years behind my Ram 1500. I have upgraded the brakes and added rear air spring boosters. Works great.
Yes. But that's aerodynamically not the same thing.
@@dchawk81 your right, the car trailer when loaded tens tend to be top heavy and more unstable .
@@stephencooper4987 Not necessarily. The car trailer has inherently aerodynamic vehicles on it that the air flows over. The travel trailer has big walls that air will smack and push.
A 36 foot 2 car goose is most likely a wedge, which doesn't put the foremost vehicle up super high. But yeah if he's got two pickups on there he's not ideal.
@@dchawk81 after 36 years on the road, I've talked to many people pulling different types of trailers, with and without loads I think a lot of people would be surprised at what the drivers would tell them.
@@stephencooper4987 It's science. And experience on my part. I've pulled all kinds of stuff myself. Like, back to back.
I know WTF I'm talking about.
I know some so-called professional drivers who don't even know wtf an alignment is.
I can remember one trip home with our travel trailer. It was stormy with strong winds. We had to pull over several times because we just knew it was not safe. We have a 3/4 ton but it was just extreme wind. A 5 hr trip took 9 hours. I always say my world is in this truck (my family) and I won’t chance it. We are going to buy a 5th wheel for our full time Rv and a bigger truck but I will never drive with strong winds again, no matter what.
Oh man that sounds scary. We have had a couple if times we chose to wait out wind. Its definently not. Something to mess around with.
15 years ago I towed a 27,000 pound tri-axle trailer with a Dodge Ram 1500. On the trailer was a Tractor and other heavy equipment. I had no trailer breaks, and I did it from Kansas to Pennsylvania. Obviously that was a terrible idea, among many others I made as a youth. But the point is that I made it, and without incident. Granted when I got home I had to replace pads and rotors; but I made it back with literally zero issues. People obsess about these trailer weight numbers; which are calculated to be within the absolute best case scenario. Vehicles are capable of doing SO much more than the recommended weight rating, and they can do it with ease. I would not do that trip across the country again; but I also now don't freak out about adhering to the precise numbers the manufacturer stipulates. I have no issue going a little over "recommended" weight.
vehicles are capable yes but are totally illegal because they are overweight which also would make you liable if you ever get into any unfortunate situation.
and yes i am a truck driver
I am big on having the right tires. Everyone that has complained about camper sway gets 2 answers from me, first- go to the scales and verify acceptable tongue weight. 2-get better (more ply) tires on the rear. No one bothers to do either, because 'the sticker says the truck can tow it', so i applaud your efforts.
First time I've seen one of your vedios. Good information. Yes I disagree with your 1/2 ton. I will be getting a 3/4 ton for our tt. I feel I can tow just fine with a gas engine so I'll save nearly $10000 there.
Thanks for your comment. We agree it isn't ideal but we do feel we are being safe despite a lot of negative comments here. We've been looking at 3/4 tons but aren't quite financially ready.
@@NoOrdinaryPath
Good to hear that y'all are looking at 3/4 ton pickups.
Take a look at the new Ford 250 with the brand new 7.3L gasser! Old School push-rod engine with port injection! I love Diesel engines and own a 2003 Dodge Cummins but anything 2007 and newer is total crapp unless you trade it in before the warranty run out! The emission systems on these new trucks are the biggest problem plus all the new electronic bells and whistles they keep adding on.
Hi John - Great video, Just a couple of cautions here. 1 Hope you have a heavy duty tranny cooler stock from the factory, Not the one that s standard that goes in to the bottom of the rad - heavy duty means its totally separate and sits between the radiator and the condenser coil of your air conditioning - 2 Yes keep up on the oil changes and run a bit thicker oil like a 5w30 instead of the 5w20 - and don't follow Fords recommend time interval as it is way to long between changes. this is due to the roller followers and the cam phasers being a problem of the 5.4 3valve. 3 it wouldn't hurt to go to a load range {D} on the trailer tires for durability. Safe travels :)
Sounds like you're keeping the speed and distance under control.....that's the KEY!! Don't throw Caution to the wind... Lol
One thing that will help ride... Balance your trailer tires!!!!..Really Really.. I did on my 30ft travel trailer.. They where new tires and we added about 2.5oz of weight to each tire.. The ride was WAY better .less vibration and the harmonics of vibration was gone.. so nice.!!!It worth the cost
I'm a retired driver that was loaded 115 thousand plus and dreaded seeing this kind of combination.
Don't know what is worse no common sense or sales people that only look at sales and don't care or know.
Industry says run 80% of max.
I get mad at half tons empty. with a 100 dollar welder you can go by 3/4 tons with 2.5 inch angle iron from a home depot. the most painful trucks to live with start in 1996.. everyone got 100 more horse, 100 more foot pounds..and the same wimpy underpinnings. I have fun with this subject. I grew up with family trucking... since 1978. we hauled steel out of bethelehem... anyway, I hope more people tackle this and save money. I personally think it is a ripoff for everyone who does not put some work into it.
barry donovan can you elaborate?
Well I have to say I’m a current truck driver and see no issue with his set up, people today think they need 800 horse power 500 torque to pull a 9000 pound trailer lol give me a break. What do you think they did 30 years ago when they had less them half the power as today and half the suspension lol.
Used f250s with the 6.2 are going to get a lot cheaper soon. I’d check those out.
I have a 2019 1 ton with the 6.2. It’s a truck they should of never made , way under power.
@user name taken 6.2L is a gas motor.
@@tonicetobegood1 Not sure who you're racing but 385HP and 405-430 torque is pretty stout for a gasser. Especially since it's more of a longevity engine than an ego sword.
@@tonicetobegood1 once you go above a 3/4 ton truck it's probably time to consider going diesel.
Trans cooler. That's the heavy half ton(has the big sterling). I would suggest that you get the best brakes too. Stopping distance is the biggest factor in tow ratings. You got everything else nailed. I always tell people to get the most shock they can afford. You get what you pay for.
I hear alot of people saying the 3/4 ton truck tow better because they're heavier, but when you look up the numbers it's less that a 300lb difference, and to me that's the difference between my GF and a typical Alabaman.
Wow, I've watched videos saying 26' is the max towable by a 1/2 ton. While I think that is a bit too conservative, I couldn't imagine ever trying to tow something that long w/ a 1/2 ton. I have a 28' Whitehawk and a 2017 F150 and I feel I would not go any larger. I like many 31-32' trailers, but I will never go even that big unless I had a 3/4 ton. As others said, the payload and tow capacity are meant for smaller trailers with much less surface area on the front & sides. Good luck and stay safe, but since you have your family with you and tow full-time I encourage you to upgrade to a larger truck sooner than later!
When I did the math after a trip to the CAT scales I am just over 200lbs close to my max payload! I tow a 26' camper with a f150.
We have a 34' White Hawk...original tow vehicle was a 2015 Ram 1500, we installed air bags & a brake controlled, but after our first pull we decided to upgrade to a 2019 Ram 2500 which is built for towing. We feel MUCH safer riding down the road with our kids & our home. 🙂👍🏻
A 26' campers actual length is cost to 29' from hitch to rear bumper. This is definitely max for a 1/2 ton!
This video was exactly what i needed to see. Thank you for your advice. Me and my family are considering traveling with an RV using this exact half ton truck.
Don't do it. The older F150 is weak framed. Watch it bend all day at the bed cab gap....
I have a 1/2 ton F150 STX with a UHaul hitch and wouldn't dream of it... seriously!
As of yesterday, my '06 F150 STX was retired and traded in on a '19 F250 Lariat Super Duty. I have no doubt it'll haul a Shasta Phoenix RE25 fifth wheel with no problems. OMG... I _love_ this truck!
Please do further research before jumping into towing a size able trailer with a half ton.
I had a half ton Ford Expedition 4x4 that was within the numbers for a 37 foot keystone Laredo. On my first trip from Atlanta to Charlotte, I got pushed all over the road when 18 wheelers passed me. 55-60 max and had to stop twice die fuel. I traded that in the following week for a diesel excursion 4x4 and have never regretted it.
I just watched your video, and I know what you are trying to do. BUT.....But....I can promise you that you are way over payload capacity for that truck. And hopefully 3 years later you all have figured that out and moved up to a 3/4 ton. Be safe all and I hope you are still having a ball!
The old cliche’ is relevant here; the tail wagging the dog. I had a 30’ trailer that I towed with my F150. My friend is the engineer at Ford that writes and tests roll stability software for the F series trucks. 30’ is the max for a 1/4 ton. It has nothing to do with weight per se, when that thing starts to sway you don’t have enough truck to handle it. Your truck is an analog, where I had electronic sway control. My trailer started to sway and it scared the hell out of me, the truck applied the brakes for me in the proper way to stop the sway. I’ll never tow that way again. Good luck, don’t put your family in there when you tow. Don’t hurt anyone in an accident, you’ll never recover.
yeah considering you just called a f150 a 1/4 ton im gonna throw everything you say out the window ya dumbass fudd
You got big cajones towing that rig with that truck. The safety of your family, especially the kids, should have been the first consideration when purchasing your TT.
I pull my 33' Keystone Passport with my 2021 Tundra. It's an ultralight model too, and I have zero issues towing or braking.
Super easy drive!
What’s the mpg on the tow?
We have similar upgrades, another major upgrade is a trailer tire pressure monitor system. Peace of mind when running down the road and can glance at all wheels tire pressures and temps.
Yes!