Don't want to kill my 2015 F150 5.0! 8000 lbs?

Molaker said:

There are pros and cons with hybrids.  One "con" is you may not be able to use it in certain "bear country" campgrounds.  Some CGs require hard sided campers only.  Just be aware of this possible restriction.

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Hahaha!!!!  I just need a bigger truck!  Or be extremely smart about planning stuff until I'm ready to trade in truck and trailer!  We do plan on staying inside of Yelllowstone this summer.  Would be cool to stay in Glacier as well but doubt we'll have the time.  Glacier I bet they would have such a rule.  Not sure about Yellowstone?  Just one more google search to do!  I do appreciate the input.  Any other cons I would greatly appreciate. This is stuff I would not know about until I'm showing up or trying to reserve.

Thanks!

Molaker said:

There are pros and cons with hybrids.  One "con" is you may not be able to use it in certain "bear country" campgrounds.  Some CGs require hard sided campers only.  Just be aware of this possible restriction.

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LOL....EVERY campground in the Mountain West is in bear country......not unusual to see them wandering through the campground.  I've got pics from a couple years ago....I'm sitting outside having coffee at dusk, and "Rufus" wanders through the campground not 30' from where I'm sitting.  He completely ignored me....walked by and sniffed the dumpster, then wandered off.    ;D

jnbettes said:

Hahaha!!!!  I just need a bigger truck!  Or be extremely smart about planning stuff until I'm ready to trade in truck and trailer!  We do plan on staying inside of Yelllowstone this summer.  Would be cool to stay in Glacier as well but doubt we'll have the time.  Glacier I bet they would have such a rule.  Not sure about Yellowstone?  Just one more google search to do!  I do appreciate the input.  Any other cons I would greatly appreciate. This is stuff I would not know about until I'm showing up or trying to reserve.

Thanks!

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Like mentioned already there are pros and cons to hybrids and for me the cons outweigh the pros.

If it were me I would be looking more at something like the Jayco 25BHS Whitehawk. Those bunks look rather large. Even if you have to convert the dinette to a bed I'd rather do that then setup a hybrid. It's still grosses at 6,500 lbs which gives you a 20% margin. And you get a slide which makes things seem a lot bigger.
http://www.jayco.com/products/travel-trailers/2015-white-hawk/25bhs/



Michael

Tinmania said:

Like mentioned already there are pros and cons to hybrids and for me the cons outweigh the pros.

If it were me I would be looking more at something like the Jayco 25BHS Whitehawk. Those bunks look rather large. Even if you have to convert the dinette to a bed I'd rather do that then setup a hybrid. It's still grosses at 6,500 lbs which gives you a 20% margin. And you get a slide which makes things seem a lot bigger.
http://www.jayco.com/products/travel-trailers/2015-white-hawk/25bhs/



Michael

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You totally found my RV!!!  So similar to what we I originally wanted but was too heavy.  The differences are the kitchen table can be removed which creates even more room and there's an outdoor kitchen.  It is a bit more pricey but not falling off the side of a mountain or having a bear break in and stilling my kids and wife would make it worth it.  I think I have something to work with here without looking to buy a new truck!  The dry hitch weight (don't quite understand yet) but I'm concerned it may be too high?  I assume I have to put some money into this to make it ok?

jnbettes said:

You totally found my RV!!!  So similar to what we I originally wanted but was too heavy.  The differences are the kitchen table can be removed which creates even more room and there's an outdoor kitchen.  It is a bit more pricey but not falling off the side of a mountain or having a bear break in and stilling my kids and wife would make it worth it.  I think I have something to work with here without looking to buy a new truck!  The dry hitch weight (don't quite understand yet) but I'm concerned it may be too high?  I assume I have to put some money into this to make it ok?

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You need a WDH (weight distributing hitch) but that would be the case for just about any trailer you would consider. I would also go with one that has anti-sway capability. This is something that you buy and it slides into the existing receiver on the truck. The other part bolts onto the trailer. Those hitches are not terribly expensive, in my opinion. The selling dealer will often throw one into the deal, but I'd want to be certain it was a good one (and had anti-sway).




Michael

jnbettes said:

You totally found my RV!!!  So similar to what we I originally wanted but was too heavy.  The differences are the kitchen table can be removed which creates even more room and there's an outdoor kitchen.  It is a bit more pricey but not falling off the side of a mountain or having a bear break in and stilling my kids and wife would make it worth it.  I think I have something to work with here without looking to buy a new truck!  The dry hitch weight (don't quite understand yet) but I'm concerned it may be too high?  I assume I have to put some money into this to make it ok?

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Hitch weight is typically 10-12% of total trailer weight.  If the trailer grosses at 6500 and is theoretically loaded to capacity, hitch weight would be somewhere between 650 and 780 lbs.  That should be well within your F150's capabilities even if you've loaded the bed with a couple hundred lbs of firewood, a case of beer, and a couple mountain bikes. 

Man I love this forum!!!  Only thing I need to do now is go buy it!  I've thought about buying it without the family and driving it home to surprise them. 

Not sure if anyone else is still looking at this thread.....but I have my mind set on something about 800 lbs heavier (dry weight).  2015 Heartland RV North Trail 28BRS.  Dry weight is 5731 but for longer trips, I don't see ever getting the total weight of TT over 7200 or so?  I may travel with a bit of water in the tanks for emergency bathroom breaks (3 small kids). 

I will do a 1 time trip of 5500 miles this summer.  Next time I repeat I'll have a new truck.  Other trips I would take with this truck would be more around 600 miles.  That would allow me to visit quite a few states here in the Appalachians and down to the Gulf.  If Iu plan these longer trips out strategically but still take enough stuff that you would want to have with you, would it really come close to 1500 lbs over dry weight? 

Travel Trailer (addition to total weight)
200 lbs in water in the tanks (again, just emergency water for kids 200 lbs of water is roughly 33 flushes of solid disposal flush - 3 quarts per flush.  I've never had that many emergency bathroom breaks before.)
LP - not sure how much this weights (100 lbs?)
Battery - not sure how much this weighs (80 lbs?)
Female Beautification products/Clothes/things that typically go in suitcases - When we fly we usually weigh in around 150 lbs for luggage
Bikes/Toys -some in the truck, some in the trailer (200 lbs)
Stuff you would use at a tailgate party - cooler, chairs, some games, etc.  Most of this stuff would be in the bed of the truck as won't have a lot of water proof stuff. 
Septic drainage equipment (100 lbs?)
Tools, extension chords - (50 lbs)

What am I missing to to get me over the 7200 total weight mark?  I can only come up with 680 lbs in the trailer and included stuff i don't even own yet!    I probably have 10 lbs in tools that would be useful.

And last thing.  I went to the Ford dealership.  They were able to get me out of my truck with 12k miles on it and into a new 2014 3.5L ecoboost, supercrew for $50 more a month.  So this could be an option although I don't like all this extra $$$$! 

You're missing COFFEE!!

I mean, you've left out food and cooking utensils and pots and pans and stuff, along with towels, bed linens, sleeping bags, etc. With a lot of people, going with you, you may want an extra canopy on occasion. Do you have pets? If so, you would need to carry enough food for them too and litter if you have a cat. 

Im definitely not an expert, but Im not sure what septic drainage equipment would weigh in at 100lbs. 

If you can estimate 680 lbs, then 1500 lb actual is probably close to reality (in other words, double your estimate). Won't your RV be carrying any food, beverages, pot & pans, silverware, dishes, towels, or clothing?  Pillows, computer, toys?

LP is a bit under 5 lbs/gallon, but two 20 lb LP tanks have 2 x 20 lb of LP (the weight of the empty tank was included in the dry weight) and you can forget the gallons. Batteries run about 60-70 lbs each. Your water heater and water lines have about 8 gallons of water in them, and the fresh and waste tanks will have a gallon or tow each even when empty, so 200 lbs of water is a fair guess even for minimal use. Besides, its wise to have some water onboard in case you need to make an unplanned overnight stop or have a roadside breakdown. It's really nice to have a fully usable "home" when the unexpected happens. One of the advantages of taking it with you.

And last thing.  I went to the Ford dealership.  They were able to get me out of my truck with 12k miles on it and into a new 2014 3.5L ecoboost, supercrew for $50 more a month.  So this could be an option although I don't like all this extra $$$$! 

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And it has increased towing capacity? Axle ratio, 4x4 vs 4x2 and wheelbase are among the factors in tow rating within the same basic configuration (Supercrew). Ford's towing tables show that, with varying ones of the above, the max towing capacity varies from 7300 lbs to 11,200 lbs, and max combined weights go from 13,300 to 17,100. So you'll want to check the proposed new truck against the above-linked Ford towing capacity table, then allow at least a 10% and, preferably, a 20% margin.

cadee2c said:

You're missing COFFEE!!

I mean, you've left out food and cooking utensils and pots and pans and stuff, along with towels, bed linens, sleeping bags, etc. With a lot of people, going with you, you may want an extra canopy on occasion. Do you have pets? If so, you would need to carry enough food for them too and litter if you have a cat. 

Im definitely not an expert, but Im not sure what septic drainage equipment would weigh in at 100lbs.

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I was assuming gravity and a hose weighed a 100 lbs I guess!!    But hey, that 100 lbs can go towards food, pillows, blankets, perhaps additional fluids, and other equipment I will pick up along the way.  Oh yeah, no TV and video gaming system included either! 

Actually have a fairly robust spreadsheet now considering all factors.  I still am thinking about the white knuckle scenarios.  If my goal is to keep under 1200 lbs of cargo/fluids/etc I could limit but probably not reduce to zero the white knuckle scenarios.  I think my role will be asking, do we really need this, while my wife will be trying to throw everything else in!  We'll be more liberal close to home, but the longer trips, I'll have to sit her down and have a talk! 

And who knows....after my first road trip (next week if all goes as planned) we'll be driving back from Virginia almost 600 miles.  I may go to Ford on Monday and pick up that Ecoboost.  Also have a guy in Alabama trying to beat the local price I received. 

 

Larry N. said:

And it has increased towing capacity? Axle ratio, 4x4 vs 4x2 and wheelbase are among the factors in tow rating within the same basic configuration (Supercrew). Ford's towing tables show that, with varying ones of the above, the max towing capacity varies from 7300 lbs to 11,200 lbs, and max combined weights go from 13,300 to 17,100. So you'll want to check the proposed new truck against the above-linked Ford towing capacity table, then allow at least a 10% and, preferably, a 20% margin.

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The one I was getting priced for (157 inch wheel base, 3.55, super crew, 3.5) on paper can tow an additional 1700 lbs.  That could be a nice addition!

And the dry weight is almost certainly not what the trailer will weigh when you pick it up, it will be heavier.  Until you actually weigh the trailer as loaded for camping you should use the gross vehicle weight rating when determining towing capability.

Also, consider this.... there is always some leeway on the weight limits, mainly for liability purposes ont he part of the manufacturers. If they test out at 5 gazillion lbs before something breaks, and someone breaks something at 4.9 gazillion lbs, they will more than likely be liable. However, if they lower that to 3 gazillion, they are reducing their risk.

That said, towing at or near capacity, even though it can be done, may make it difficult for you to control, along with wearing out parts of the tow vehicle over time. but, since you are going to be getting rid of your truck soon, I think you would be safe to at least hit the limits. So don't skimp on the coffee.

Other thing people miss is actual weight vs. advertised weights. Like my truck is advertised for 13,400 pounds. But after added all the junk in the truck that I carry then hitch up my trailer which is 8,020# last scale time it puts me right at my GVWR on the truck. So I highly suggest you weight you truck and trailer at least once a year because you find the trailer getting fatter and heavier over time and the truck will do the same and eventually you start to push outside the weight limits without knowing it. Just click my sig link to see.

At the risk of being "The Weight Police"....I'm wondering.....if you're looking at trading into an F150 Ecoboost....why not look into an F250 gas truck?  Bigger brakes, more stout steering and suspension, and room to grow.  It will tow just about any conventional travel trailer you should ever want and no worries about white knuckling it.

Frizlefrak said:

At the risk of being "The Weight Police"....I'm wondering.....if you're looking at trading into an F150 Ecoboost....why not look into an F250 gas truck?  Bigger brakes, more stout steering and suspension, and room to grow.  It will tow just about any conventional travel trailer you should ever want and no worries about white knuckling it.

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On average day, I drive 66 miles round trip to work.  I was looking at F250's and it appears their gas mileage is 12-14 mpg.  Right now I get 17.5 mpg no matter what I do.  The Ecoboost seems to get at least as good as my current truck.  While I probably do spend more money than I should, I'm still trying to consider other things.  Are my numbers incorrect?

So on my drive back from Virginia, I have located two Dodge dealers.  Both are working numbers for me right now for a 6.70L Cummins I6 Turbodiesel 4x4.  Sticker price is the exact same as the Ecoboost.  If either can come close to the deal Ford was offering for the Ecoboost, I will probably pull in and switch trucks.  I'll have 2 days to test the rig out.  Pick up on Friday, stay a few nights at some local camp sites, then drive home.  I suppose I can at least fill up the water tank and find some other heavy things to weigh in down and then go look for some hills to climb.

Also, where can you weigh your truck/trailer?  A landfill? 

Ned said:

And the dry weight is almost certainly not what the trailer will weigh when you pick it up, it will be heavier.  Until you actually weigh the trailer as loaded for camping you should use the gross vehicle weight rating when determining towing capability.

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Is it normal to have nearly a 3000 lb difference between dry weight and GVWR?  I figure since the new set up can fit more people, that's why they gave it a higher GVWR?  Not necessarily b/c you need to tow that much more weight?? 

On average day, I drive 66 miles round trip to work.  I was looking at F250's and it appears their gas mileage is 12-14 mpg.  Right now I get 17.5 mpg no matter what I do.  The Ecoboost seems to get at least as good as my current truck.

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Maybe you should consider diesel. I get in the low 20's MPG empty on a Cummins diesel. Even with fuel prices here in Idaho I can still beat the gasoline power vehicle for cost per mile. 12-14 MPG towing my 8,000 pound Jayco. Now here is the bonus I'm producing roughly 400 HP and 900 foot pounds of torque. (modified) I'm sure that neither Ford truck F-150 or F-250 can produce those kinds of number either in power or MPG's or cost per mile.