Can I tow with an F-150

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
A

analemma77

Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2016
Posts
23
Looking at buying the Wildwood 263BHXL.  The gross weight is listed as 7685 and the "Ext Length" is 31'8".  I'm thinking that I would buy a new F-150 with the tow package and extended range fuel tank, which has a towing capacity of 13,000 pounds.  The weight of the trailer does not seem to be an issue, but I'm hearing that the overall size/length of trailer may be more than a half-ton can handle.  I consider myself to be a very competent driver in terms of large vehicles and towing, so I'm tempted to just go for the F-150.  I guess I'm wondering what happens if you tow with a truck that is not quite big enough for the task at hand?  Thoughts?  Thanks
 
Tow capacity is only one factor.
Payload capacity of the truck is very important. That trailer is going to take up about 1100 pounds of your payload capacity.
Next is the gross combined weight of the. F150 plus the trailer fully loaded should not exceed the gross combined vehicle weight rating.
 
I think you have answered yur own question. An F-150 is barely adequate for towing what amounts to a huge sail, it will struggle in any kind of wind and be very unstable. That 13,000 towing capacity is for a bare bones truck with the largest motor and lowest gear ratio available and doesn't represent the real world. Our first trailer was on paper within the capability of the truck we had but two trips out convinced me otherwise. It was not a pleasant experience.
 
analemma77 said:
Looking at buying the Wildwood 263BHXL.  The gross weight is listed as 7685 and the "Ext Length" is 31'8".  I'm thinking that I would buy a new F-150 with the tow package and extended range fuel tank, which has a towing capacity of 13,000 pounds.  The weight of the trailer does not seem to be an issue, but I'm hearing that the overall size/length of trailer may be more than a half-ton can handle.  I consider myself to be a very competent driver in terms of large vehicles and towing, so I'm tempted to just go for the F-150.  I guess I'm wondering what happens if you tow with a truck that is not quite big enough for the task at hand?  Thoughts?  Thanks
Click to expand...

As the owner of said truck ....I wouldn't do it.

Our trailer is at least 4 feet shorter and about a 1000 pounds lighter. It's a good match for our truck but I wouldn't want to add anymore.

 
I would guess tha'ts a bit much for an F-150. 250 perhaps 350 defently but 150.. No those are really toy trucks. Ford likes to brag but .. DO NOT BELIEVE THEM.

one of the most dangerous ads on TV is the Pick up ads showing a way too small truck pulling a way too big load.
 
Without more specifics on that F150 configuration it is hard to be definite. There are more than 80 possible configurations of an F150 and only a few of them are as high as 13,000 lbs. What seems like very slight differences can cut that by 1/3 or more.  The popular one is the 3.5L Supercrew 2 WD with standard bed and that indeed is rated for 13,200, so ok on that score.  The truck payload may come up short, though. Figure 10% of that 7685 as the minimum hitch weight, so 768 for that alone. 12% hitch weigh is 922. You may find the payload (CCC) of that a nicely trimmed F150 isn't much more than that, but it varies widely with trim level and options.

The official SAE standard tow ratings are done with low-boy trailers with little or no frontal area. RV trailers are the opposite, both tall and wide. Ford explains in their tow guide that towing performance is significantly reduced if the frontal area exceed 60 sq ft and that Wildwood is over 80 sq ft.

https://www.ford.com/cmslibs/content/dam/brand_ford/en_us/brand/resources/general/pdf/guides/19Towing_Ford_F150_Oct25.pdf


I'm not quite as negative as the others, but you should not expect the best performance or handling from that combination. It is definitely stretching the limits of what that F150 is capable of doing.
 
If the bulk of your trips are local trips, you would probably be alright. If you plan on driving all over the country, you might not enjoy driving too far with a vehicle at max.
 
I have a TT approximately the same length, whuch I pull with a 1/2 ton.  my experience is that when you are out on the interstate, those sims trucks going by at 75 mph will move you all over.
 
my experience is that when you are out on the interstate, those sims trucks going by at 75 mph will move you all over.
Click to expand...
Yeah, but towing the same trailer with a 3/4 ton isn't going to change that much. A "bumper pull" travel trailer is going to get moved regardless, and it's going to pull the back of the truck along with it. A heavier 3/4 or one ton will resist a bit more, but it's not going to be a huge difference.

Now if the truck got changed to a 3/5 ton and the travel trailer to a 5W, the difference would likely be more noticeable.
 
Just want to say thank you to all of the responders on this thread. I am a Newbie and buying a truck this week and a TT this fall. Yesterday morning I thought I knew what I wanted and how it was going to work. Then I stumbled on this site and this particular thread and you guys probably saved mine and my wife's lives. Seriously, I'm buying a F150 (we need a daily driver and I am not about to spend $40k on a truck that's a lot more than I need) and then buying a 25' trailer. After reading this thread, and a lot of other You Tube videos and tutorials, I have come down to a North Trail 22RBK. The weight is only 6900 totally loaded with a 12% hitch weight of just over 800#. The payload of the truck is a shade over 2000# so we should be good. Just wanted to say thank you again
 
Firbug14 said:
Just want to say thank you to all of the responders on this thread. I am a Newbie and buying a truck this week and a TT this fall. Yesterday morning I thought I knew what I wanted and how it was going to work. Then I stumbled on this site and this particular thread and you guys probably saved mine and my wife's lives. Seriously, I'm buying a F150 (we need a daily driver and I am not about to spend $40k on a truck that's a lot more than I need) and then buying a 25' trailer. After reading this thread, and a lot of other You Tube videos and tutorials, I have come down to a North Trail 22RBK. The weight is only 6900 totally loaded with a 12% hitch weight of just over 800#. The payload of the truck is a shade over 2000# so we should be good. Just wanted to say thank you again
Click to expand...

That sounds like a better match. Get a good WD hitch and you could be good to go.
 
Firbug14 said:
Just want to say thank you to all of the responders on this thread. I am a Newbie and buying a truck this week and a TT this fall. Yesterday morning I thought I knew what I wanted and how it was going to work. Then I stumbled on this site and this particular thread and you guys probably saved mine and my wife's lives. Seriously, I'm buying a F150 (we need a daily driver and I am not about to spend $40k on a truck that's a lot more than I need) and then buying a 25' trailer. After reading this thread, and a lot of other You Tube videos and tutorials, I have come down to a North Trail 22RBK. The weight is only 6900 totally loaded with a 12% hitch weight of just over 800#. The payload of the truck is a shade over 2000# so we should be good. Just wanted to say thank you again
Click to expand...
I pull our Hideout 25RKS with a 2016 3.5 EcoBoost with Max Towing Pkg.  Trailer weight 6800 lbs. I've never experienced any significant swaying of the trailer when passed by semis, though I do grab the wheel a bit tighter, just in case LOL.  I have a Equalizer WD hitch.  That might help.
 
At my RV park, I sure see a lot of people pulling good sized trailers and 5th wheels with F150's, ... (I guess nobody told them.  ;D )

Seems like most of those that say it can't be done.. are the guys with bigger trucks.  Talk to a truck salesman he'll say what he wants you to hear,  talk to an RV dealer he'll say what he wants you to hear.    Go to an RV park and hear what those that are actually doing it have to say.


and remember...Any truck can be legally and easily modified for better hauling and towing with larger sway bars and heavier wheels tires and suspension to help it carry more.
 
then it should be safe to say...Those people can not drive an F150...or tow with one.    :))
 
sightseers said:
then it should be safe to say...Those people can not drive an F150...or tow with one.    :))
Click to expand...

And it's those people that make me want to keep my rig within the numbers to a point that I can swerve around them and not lose control of my trailer.
 
Gizmo100 said:
And it's those people that make me want to keep my rig within the numbers to a point that I can swerve around them and not lose control of my trailer.
Click to expand...

really ?...... then you should be able to tell all of us the actual "number" that is the maximum length trailer a F150 can safely tow ?

:)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Members online

Total: 1,346 (members: 22, guests: 1,324)

Forum statistics

Threads
133,371
Posts
1,409,227
Members
138,923
Latest member
Cmfr322
Back
Top Bottom