Averting a disaster...

Gonecampin said:

Just a little confusion on my part... @RBTripping said "The numbers on the trailer and tow vehicle look good to me." However, @grashley said "NO F150, except MAYBE  one with the Heavy Duty Payload Package will work for you.  The truck you linked does not have the HDPP." If possible, can I get clarification (in layman's terms)?

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My response was on the numbers provided by the OP on the capacities of the F150 he planned to purchase. I did not verify those numbers. Also, in a previous post I suggested the OP purchase an F150 with the HDPP package. When the OP posted the numbers, I assumed he was getting the HDPP package and got those numbers for that package. If the OP is NOT getting the HDPP, then his numbers cannot be correct.

IBTripping said:

My response was on the numbers provided by the OP on the capacities of the F150 he planned to purchase. I did not verify those numbers. Also, in a previous post I suggested the OP purchase an F150 with the HDPP package. When the OP posted the numbers, I assumed he was getting the HDPP package and got those numbers for that package. If the OP is NOT getting the HDPP, then his numbers cannot be correct.

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That makes sense. Thank you for the clarification! Will verify whether or not that is the HDPP. Appreciate the input.

No way would I touch anything that big with any F150.  You can spec it to death, but you are going to be always near the max, pushing the truck, turbos, everything, especially in the hills and mountains. I too am looking at a newer truck, and doing a lot of research. I have a much smaller setup, 20' TT gross weight 7100# tops, and I am questioning if I truly will be happy with a F150 or equivalent.  I'm considering also that I might upgrade my trailer in a few years, and I hate being under-powered on hills. I currently have a 2005 YukonXL 5.3v8, and meets my needs and requirements, however, I would not be happy with it in mountain territory. I highly, highly recommend with what you want, your 3 kids, (ps: they grow, and so do their toys and bikes), that you get a 250 truck.  By the time you spec a F150 with every option to meet your needs (and many of those packages include stuff you'd rather not pay for) you would be in the same range as a F250 or equivalent.

"3,180 lbs Payload Rating"

I would be really leery of this number. Seems awfully high for a half ton PU.

edjunior said:

Listen to these people.  Not a one has steered you wrong.  With the payload you are talking about (wife and 3 kids, plus all their gear...oh yeah, and yours), you really are out of the F-150 range.  There is no reason a F-250 can't be a daily driver.  It was for me for many years.  I probably still would  be, but my new truck will not fit in my parking garage at work, so I would have to park in less than desireable places. 

But really, do yourself a favor and do not skimp on the truck.  The Eco-Boost is a great truck, and it has its place.  I just do not believe it is here.  Even if you modified your trailer to work the numbers better, you would still greatly benefit from the F-250.

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edjunior sez it all.. Right There. And I think you will find.. the difference in Price, between a 1/2 ton Pick-up, with  Towing Packages, and a 3/4 ton.. is not that great ? For the Safety of You & Yours.

OBTW ? If you look around.. you might find some Brand NEW model year 2018 3/4 tons.. at substantial savings.. this time of year ?

I think I am going to go with the SC 277BHS by Cruiser. Running the numbers, it looks like it will work. It may be towards the upper end of the capabilities of the truck, but definitely less than some of the other TTs I've looked at previously. I also used a website to enter in all the numbers for the tow vehicle and the TT to make sure they are compatible. It shows that I am good. Here are the links to the TT as well as the website I used to input the information (GVWR, GCWR, Curb weight, passenger weight, TT GVWR, Dry weight, Fresh water and grey water capacity, etc.). Thoughts would be appreciated.

https://www.huskytow.com/towing-calculator/

https://www.cruiserrv.com/2018/travel-trailers/shadow-cruiser/sc-277bhs/

Again, I plan on using an F-150 3.5L ecoboost HDPP. I know the recommendation has been to go with an F-250 but for cost reasons I can't go that route. I have done some research and there is at least a 10-15K difference between the two. More than I can afford. So I went lighter on the TT.

Are you getting the F150 with the HDPP package?

IBTripping said:

Are you getting the F150 with the HDPP package?

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Yes sir. I found an F-150 forum that has a section specifically for the 3.5L V6 EB HDPP. It's CRAZY what some people pull with those things. Far more than what I have seen "seasoned" haulers are recommending. In any case, several people have confirmed that as long as I go with the HDPP setup, I will be well within the limits (safety and capacity wise) for this truck/trailer combo.

Gonecampin said:

I will be well within the limits (safety and capacity wise) for this truck/trailer combo.

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Sometimes, just being within the limits is not enough.  I wish you luck, since you seem to be absolutely firm with this truck.  It may be within the limits, but you may still find the driving experience not what you wished for.  I still believe you should be looking at more truck, and less trailer.  Not necessarily less trailer as in smaller or not with the options you want or need, but maybe look at an older used one.  And then beef up the truck as needed.  I will leave it at this, and again, I wish you luck and happy camping.

edjunior said:

Sometimes, just being within the limits is not enough.  I wish you luck, since you seem to be absolutely firm with this truck.  It may be within the limits, but you may still find the driving experience not what you wished for.  I still believe you should be looking at more truck, and less trailer.  Not necessarily less trailer as in smaller or not with the options you want or need, but maybe look at an older used one.  And then beef up the truck as needed.  I will leave it at this, and again, I wish you luck and happy camping.

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I am going with the HDPP on this one and have opted for a trailer that still meets my needs (wants) and is a bit less weight. This one should be within the safety AND weight limits.

https://www.bluedogrv.com/product/new-2019-heartland-wilderness-2725bh-890458-29

Wise decision to get the HDPP package. However, towing a 33 ft. trailer with a light 1/2 ton pickup will get pushed around from passing semis and cross winds. You'll definitely need a top quality weight distribution/sway control hitch. The best you can get is a ProPride hitch which costs about $3,000. Just remember your gross trailer weight will be about 8000 lbs which means the tongue weight will be a minimum of 800 lbs.

ProPride here: https://www.propridehitch.com/propride-3p-trailer-sway-control-hitch/?gclid=CjwKCAiA_P3jBRAqEiwAZyWWaNGaI2PuWd8IlNusWVcg1nSnYr5IiD_XnmpwJYmTVJ-sr4oG88X1GxoCaOEQAvD_BwE

There are less expensive WDH with sway control hitches that have a good reputation including Equal-i-zer 4-point Sway Control Hitch, Blue Ox, and others. However, if it was me, given how large a trailer you will be towing with an F150, I'd grit my teeth and buy the Propride hitch. And I hate to spend money. I'd NEVER spend that much for a new WDH for my current trailer ($500 range only).  But, I wouldn't ever be towing a 33 ft trailer with my 1/2 ton Durango.

IBTripping said:

Wise decision to get the HDPP package. However, towing a 33 ft. trailer with a light 1/2 ton pickup will get pushed around from passing semis and cross winds. You'll definitely need a top quality weight distribution/sway control hitch. The best you can get is a ProPride hitch which costs about $3,000. Just remember your gross trailer weight will be about 8000 lbs which means the tongue weight will be a minimum of 800 lbs.

ProPride here: https://www.propridehitch.com/propride-3p-trailer-sway-control-hitch/?gclid=CjwKCAiA_P3jBRAqEiwAZyWWaNGaI2PuWd8IlNusWVcg1nSnYr5IiD_XnmpwJYmTVJ-sr4oG88X1GxoCaOEQAvD_BwE

There are less expensive WDH with sway control hitches that have a good reputation including Equal-i-zer 4-point Sway Control Hitch, Blue Ox, and others. However, if it was me, given how large a trailer you will be towing with an F150, I'd grit my teeth and buy the Propride hitch. And I hate to spend money. I'd NEVER spend that much for a new WDH for my current trailer ($500 range only).  But, I wouldn't ever be towing a 33 ft trailer with my 1/2 ton Durango.

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As always, I appreciate the advice. I will absolutely look into that WDH.

Gonecampin said:

I am going with the HDPP on this one and have opted for a trailer that still meets my needs (wants) and is a bit less weight. This one should be within the safety AND weight limits.

https://www.bluedogrv.com/product/new-2019-heartland-wilderness-2725bh-890458-29

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That ad only states the dry weight, not GVWR.

Our trailer's dry weight 7470lbs but GVWR is 10,500lbs.......

I towed a trailer longer than that with a 1/2 ton Ram, and length was never an issue. It did have a GVWR of 9600#, and that was an issue. I had to keep the loaded weight down to 8200#, and keep my tongue weight close to 12 1/2% to be right at my limit. I never had a towing issue or handling issue. Even with a real good instance of having to do an emergency manuver. The only time the length of the trailer was an issue was with 30 mph + cross wind gusts. Wasn't really an issue, just knew it was back there and slowed down for a while.

This is a great lesson for folks thinking about getting into this pastime. Not only do you have to get extremely knowledgeable but you have to have a chunk of money. Purchase the wrong truck; trade it in on one bigger and maybe lose thousands of dollars on an already massive amount of dollars spent. Buy an RV that just does not fit your or your families needs and  lose more thousands of dollars. If you do everything right you are still going to spend something just shy of a hundred grand. Go the Class A route and you?ve busted that hundred grand ceiling. RVING is not for the faint of heart. It?s serious business. Both truck and RV dealers are out there to separate as much of your money from you as possible. The best thing to do is research, research, research and then forget the whole thing. Quit while your ahead. Take a cruise every year. If you can?t get RVing out of your head buy what you want (can afford) and never look back. Have Fun!

A lot also has to be the comfort level one has. I'm pretty cautious and don't like things to worry me to death. My BIL on the other hand can hook up a 14x 70 mobile home behind an old Ford Ranger and not having a problem pulling it cross country. Naturally, that's an exaggeration, but he's a lot more comfortable towing stuff than most people.

Rabkcs said:

I went through the same process you're going through - almost exactly. We bought our truck first, and then my wife finally agreed to get a camper. Naturally.

We bought a 2018 F150 XLT with 3.73 diff, tow package, v8. We then settled on the Jayco 284BHS (33' total) and had it ordered.

AFTER doing all of this, I came to this forum thinking I was good to go, and read about payload capacity, tow rating, etc. Immediately, I was concerned, so went to the RV dealer and hooked up a different 284 (with WDH) and took it down the road.

It was windy, so I expected some tail wag, but man - it was scary. I know some RV vets who would have no issues with my rig, but I was very uncomfortable. And we bought the RV to have fun and enjoy the experience. I'd be so stressed about pulling this thing that I'd have no fun!

So, I ended up getting another truck (which I wanted anyway) - F250 King Ranch (v8) - loaded for towing. Went back to the dealer and took the trailer out again - on a windy day again! Night and day. Pulled like a dream.

Some of this might be a mental thing for me, but if I don't feel comfortable with pulling the rig, I'd have no fun. The F150 wasn't fun for me.

Again - just my experience in the last 3 months. Other RVers might thinking differently.

Good luck - that Jayco you're looking at is awesome!

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BEST personal experience EXAMPLE EVER!!!!

Punomatic said:

"3,180 lbs Payload Rating"

I would be really leery of this number. Seems awfully high for a half ton PU.

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If you delve deeply into the literature you will find this is max payload for a single cab truck, 2 X 4, with the heavy duty payload and probably the heavy towing package.  If someone wants a single cab truck, this would work but I don't see too many of them on the road anymore.

When I was shopping last year I compared the F150 and F250 with the same layout (cab size, bed size, capacities) and found the MSRPs to be roughly equal.  I asked the local Ford dealer and he said they were correct which is why they mostly sell the F250. 

Sorry for the delay. Flu bug hit hard.

Ford does indeed build a F150 with a 3100# payload.  Therefore, they can advertise "up to 3100# payload on the F150".  They make ONLY ONE MODEL / TRIM / OPTION CHOICE THAT HAS THAT PAYLOAD.  Specifically, that is a Reg cab, Long bed, XL trim with HDPP (Heavy Duty Payload Package), tow package and 18" wheels.  NO OTHER OPTIONS!  No Crew Cab F150 has a Payload over about 2800# due to the extra weight of the larger cab.  Remember Payload = GVWR minus weight of truck.  Heavier cab or bed; 4WD, more options means lower Payload.

With the HDPP, a F150 can handle a larger load, and there is one gentleman here pulling a small FW with a F150 WITH THIS PACKAGE.  He could not do it without HDPP.  The catch is this package includes a higher rear end ratio, which reduces fuel economy, and dealers are reluctant to put that lower mileage truck on the lot.  Most F150 with HDPP are special ordered, so very few are made.  Any blanket comment about towing a heavy load with a F150 without specifically including the HDPP in the same breath implies any F150 can do it.  NOT TRUE.

Most ? ton trucks have a payload between 1200# and 1800#, depending on specific model, body, options, etc.  With the HDPP and 18" tires, this can go up a few hundred pounds.

I hope this helps.

EVERY TRUCK IS DIFFERENT.  CHECK THE YELLOW PLACARD TO SEE THE PAYLOAD FOR THAT TRUCK!