|
06-23-2018, 12:50 PM
|
#1
|
Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 5
|
Newbie Confusion
Hi Forum, this is my first post here so please be gentle. lol
My wife and I have recently committed to getting into the RV lifestyle. I tried to prepare ourselves as much as possible by watching an ungodly number of hours of youtube videos and reading reams of forum posts, but I'm still a little confused.
The first "rule" I gathered from all you experts is that don't want to be the guy towing a big travel trailer with an underpowered (dangerous) vehicle. I want to be *well* into the safe range with all the appropriate safety and precautionary equipment.
Despite all the careful planning and preparation, yesterday we made a bit of impulse purchase. We can still get out of the deal for $300, but we found a 2012 F-250 XL Regular cab with the 6.2 gas engine. It has the long box, but I just realized it actually has a pretty short wheelbase at 137". The reason we snapped it up is because it looked almost brand new and had only 16,000 miles on it! I love the insanely low miles (if they are legit), and the fact that my wife loved such a relatively stark truck, but if the mileage is legit it had probably been sitting idle for long periods, which concerns me a bit.
My first questions to the forum are:
1) Is that short wheelbase a concern given the truck's relatively high towing and payload specs? (I believe they are 12,500 and 4000 respectively)
2) Should I be concerned with the ultra-low miles? Is there anything in particular I should be checking or replacing?
3) Assuming everything checks out and I get all the right equipment, how much travel trailer can I tow and be well within my desired generous safety cushion?
|
|
|
|
Join the #1 RV Forum Today - It's Totally Free!
iRV2.com RV Community - Are you about to start a new improvement on your RV or need some help with some maintenance? Do you need advice on what products to buy? Or maybe you can give others some advice? No matter where you fit in you'll find that iRV2 is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!
You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with other RV owners, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create an RV blog, send private messages and so much, much more!
|
06-23-2018, 02:03 PM
|
#2
|
Senior Member
Outdoors RV Owners Club
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 3,539
|
That should be a great first tow vehicle. Get it checked by a good private shop for basic safety stuff and get a carfax report.
If you are new to the world of towing you may want to stick to trailers under 30' bumper to tongue. Usually a 26' box or so. That truck would be fine for a 8000 pound travel trailer or a bit heavier 5th wheel if those load numbers are correct but check the sticker on the door sill to be sure. Don't believe the brochure numbers.
__________________
2020 F28 RKS Titanium
2017 Creekside 23 RBS Sold
2016 F250 Super Crew XLT Overworked
|
|
|
06-23-2018, 02:34 PM
|
#3
|
Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 5
|
Thanks for the reassurance. After looking at newer, more luxuriously appointed pickups, the extremely cheap price and low miles on this more basic model really caught our eye. It still has all the basic power options so what more do you need? We might avoid bankruptcy after all!
As for the trailer, I was thinking along the very same lines as you, so thanks. I was thinking a total loaded trailer weight of about 8000-9000. The floorplans are a bit restrictive at 26', but if it's one of the more luxurious models it should be just enough to keep my wife happy, which is the real #1 rule of RVing and everything else.
|
|
|
06-23-2018, 03:10 PM
|
#4
|
Senior Member
Forest River Owners Club RV Trip Wizard
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Mountain Home, Arkansas
Posts: 832
|
The F250 is a good truck, but don't get too much trailer for it.
Most common overload issue is tongue weight. On a door sticker will be your CCC (cargo carrying capacity). Tongue weight, people, luggage all go into that number.
After just tongue weight, you need approx 1,000 pounds, or a little less.
Check that number out.
__________________
Buzz & Jo Wolf, Mountain Home, Arkansas
TV 2014 Ford F350 Lariat Diesel
Fiver 2018 Cedar Creek 29ir
|
|
|
06-23-2018, 03:25 PM
|
#5
|
Senior Member/RVM #90
Monaco Owners Club
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Columbus, MS
Posts: 54,578
|
Hi ! Welcome to IRV2! We're sure glad you joined the gang!
The low miles is a plus in a gas engine. You're gonna be restricted in the size rig you can tow!
Good luck, happy trails, and God bless!
__________________
Joe & Annette
Sometimes I sits and thinks, sometimes I just sits.....
2002 Monaco Windsor 40PBT, 2013 Honda CRV AWD
|
|
|
06-23-2018, 03:46 PM
|
#6
|
Senior Member
Tiffin Owners Club
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Where we park it!
Posts: 13,145
|
Welcome and lots of good folks here with good info to share as you have seen. Good luck in your search and new adventure.
__________________
momdoc
2018 Tiffin Allegro RED 37PA
2020 JEEP Trailhawk
|
|
|
06-23-2018, 06:27 PM
|
#7
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 411
|
Personally I would look for 5th wheel campers with that truck, and go up to 32ish feet even 35. I would look into adding air bags or helper springs and making sure the brakes on both the truck and trailer are in top notch condition. The truck was designed to tow just optimize your set up and have fun.
__________________
Carl
1998 Beaver Patriot Savannah
330 hp Cat 3126 DP
|
|
|
06-24-2018, 06:11 AM
|
#8
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 472
|
sounds like a nice catch on that truck, hey with prices on vehicles today they can bankrupt ya Rv'ing can be done with reasonable prices, just take your time and search them out and you can get great equipment for good cost!
be sure to check out a lot of rv's, some are those Ultra Lite types and you can get good size for lower weights. just saying.
you could do a 5th, but then you need the big old hitch in your truck. Just a consideration tho if you want to explore 5th wheels.
can't wait to read what you do buy and post about your camping adventures! best of luck!
|
|
|
06-24-2018, 06:22 AM
|
#9
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Zebulon, NC
Posts: 5,208
|
Welcome to the forum!
__________________
Kelly and Jerry Powell with Halo (Lethal White Aussie), Nash the Rat Terrorist, and now Reid, the "Brindle we have no idea puppy"
2020 Grand Design Solitude 390RK-R
|
|
|
06-24-2018, 02:03 PM
|
#10
|
Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 5
|
[QUOTE= Most common overload issue is tongue weight. On a door sticker will be your CCC (cargo carrying capacity). Tongue weight, people, luggage all go into that number.
After just tongue weight, you need approx 1,000 pounds, or a little less.
Check that number out.[/QUOTE]
Sorry, more newbie confusion here. Isn't that the payload number you're talking about? My understanding is that the payload for this truck is around 4000 pounds, so I don't see how tongue weight is going to be an issue. Maybe I'm missing something.
|
|
|
06-24-2018, 02:06 PM
|
#11
|
Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 5
|
[QUOTE= The low miles is a plus in a gas engine. You're gonna be restricted in the size rig you can tow! [/QUOTE]
That's okay...for a rookie like me, this truck will tow more than I can handle.
|
|
|
06-24-2018, 02:08 PM
|
#12
|
Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 5
|
Thanks for the comments everyone...I'll give another report when we decide on a trailer. It will probably be another month or so, until after the sticker shock from this truck purchase wears off.
|
|
|
06-24-2018, 02:15 PM
|
#13
|
Senior Member
Forest River Owners Club RV Trip Wizard
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Mountain Home, Arkansas
Posts: 832
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by wgbllb
Sorry, more newbie confusion here. Isn't that the payload number you're talking about? My understanding is that the payload for this truck is around 4000 pounds, so I don't see how tongue weight is going to be an issue. Maybe I'm missing something.
|
You may be right on payload, was thinking diesel. My 350 only has 3,400 payload.
__________________
Buzz & Jo Wolf, Mountain Home, Arkansas
TV 2014 Ford F350 Lariat Diesel
Fiver 2018 Cedar Creek 29ir
|
|
|
06-24-2018, 02:51 PM
|
#14
|
Community Moderator
Monaco Owners Club
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Central, Arkansas
Posts: 11,202
|
Sounds like you enjoy research so the number one rule is do not ask the salesman what you can tow. Figure tongue weight at 12% of the GVWR on a travel trailer and pin weight at 20% of GVWR on a 5th wheel. They are not typically that high but can be. Stay within your total payload capacity as listed on the sticker in your drivers door after adding people weight, cargo in truck weight, hitch weight, and calculated pin weight and you will be fine.
__________________
2004 Beaver Monterey Laguna IV
Cummins ISC 350HP Allison 3000 6 speed
2020 Chevy Equinox Premier 2.0t 9 speed AWD
|
|
|
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|
|
Thread Tools |
Search this Thread |
|
|
Display Modes |
Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
» Recent Discussions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|