Quote:
Originally Posted by JeanneL
I have the keystone cougar with a dry weight of about 8000.
What else should I look at and what is the opinion out there?
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Payload capacity is your limiter as to how heavy a trailer you can tow without being overloaded.
You're probably concerned with your Chevy because you at overloading it. And you would also overload the new F-150 unless you bought a very special F-150.
Ignore that 13k tow rating. You'll exceed the payload capacity of the F-150 even with a 10k travel trailer (TT). You can
PULL it, but the truck's suspension is not strong enough to handle the hitch weight plus the normal weight of passengers and stuff in the truck.
Your 8k dry TT probably grosses over 9,000 pounds when on the road for an RV trip. Including the weigh of your weight-distributing hitch, that's about 1,250 pounds of hitch weight hanging off the rear end of your truck.
To tow a 9k TT without being overloaded you must have a F-150 with the max tow pkg, order code 53C. That requires the towing monster 3.5L EcoBoost engine, and includes the receiver hitch, increased cooling capacity, integrated trailer brake controller (ITBC), and the 36-gallon gas tank.
But even with the max tow pkg, you cannot load everything you own in the truck when towing. The kitchen sink's in the trailer, but if you haul everything but the kitchen sink in the truck you'll exceed the payload capacity of the truck.
The fix to haul more weight in the truck, or more hitch weight, is the rare heavy duty payload pkg (HDPP). HDPP combined with the 3.5L EcoBoost engine requires the max tow pkg, so with that combo you could probably haul all sorts of campfire wood, tools, toys, cap (camper shell) and other weight in the truck without concern about being overloaded.
But F-150s with HDPP are not usually stocked by dealers, so you probably won't find one in stock. But no problem if you have the patience to order exactly what you want (and are willing to pay for) then wait 6 to 8 weeks for delivery. Surely your Chevy will last another 6 weeks.
But the HDPP option has restrictions. Not available with a shorty bed. Requires 8' bed in a SuperCab or 6.5' bed in a SuperCrew (CrewCab). The fanciest trim level available is Lariat with the base Lariat trim pkg. So if you want luxury more than you get with Lariat base trim, it's not available with HDPP.
And tow mirrors are no longer included in the max tow pkg. But you must have tow mirrors, so be sure your new F-150 has them. Tow mirrors are cheap if ordered in a new truck, but cost an arm, a leg, and your first-born kid if you retrofit the standard dinky little mirrors with tow mirrors from Ford parts. I know. Been there, done that.
If ordering an F-150 sounds like something you 'd like to avoid, then the easy fix is to simply move up a notch to the F-250. Any new F-250 can tow your 9k trailer with no problem, and you can have any cab, bed length, and trim level you want - even the luxury models such as a Platinum.
Good luck in your shopping.
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