First Time Buyer

[bnp]

We have just started looking into purchasing a bumper hitch travel trailer (first time buyers). I have done some research online and spoke with a local dealership. There is so much information out there, that it can be a bit over whelming.
We have a Ford F150 Lariat 4x4, Supercrew, Ecoboost 3.5L V6, 145" wheelbase, Towing Pkg, Truck GVWR Pkg 7200, Trailer Brake & Sway Control, 3.55 (Axle Ratio).
Ford's Towing Guide for our truck states:
GCWR 15,500 lbs, Max Loaded TT 9,600 lbs
We looked at a used 2014 Gulf Stream Innsbruck 295SBM.
Specs per salesman: 29' length and that we should not have a problem pulling it with our truck. Not to be insulting, but I am a little leery of sales people.
Online Gulf Stream website has the following specs for this TT:
Length 34'3"
Height 11'1"
GVWR Dry Weight 7,320 lbs.
Hitch Weight 1,010 lbs.
Net Carrying Capacity 2,290 lbs.
My questions are; can our truck really tow a TT at this weight and length safely? If not, I would greatly appreciated any suggestions on size and what are a few quality built brands.
Thank you in advance!!

[Nighthawk 96]

Think that trailer is too heavy and too long for your truck (or most any 1/2 ton)


Look for something with a GVWR of no more than 7500 lbs.


My trailer weighs 6800 lbs fully loaded and the tongue weight is close to 1000lbs.


Your truck has pretty similar specs as mine. My GCVWR and tow rating are 500 lbs more than yours.


My CAT Scale Combined vehicle weight is 12800lbs which is 80% of my GCVWR of 16000 lbs.


I believe in the 80% rule which is for your actual GCVW to be about 80% of your GCVWR.


I am right at my vehicle payload rating with approaching 1000 lbs on the tongue.


Hope this helps!


Go to the Jayco Owners Forum towing section, which has a lot of useful information about towing and how to weigh your truck and trailer.


Welcome to the forum!

[dcarver]

What does your truck's hitch weight rating say? If by chance you do load the trailer to the 9600lb GVWR then you're looking at 1400lbs of tongue weight at 15% (which will help reduce sway). My yukon xl 2500 has a hitch rating of 1500lbs with a weight distribution hitch. I think the 1500 yukon xl has 1200lb hitch rating.

[tuffr2]

A TT will catch a lot of wind and a 34' trailer is likley to sway and cause white knuckle driving. You will have the power to tow it but again that is a lot of bumper pull trailer to control.

Saying that, if you stay local and stat off the highway and keep speeds below 60mph you probably will not have trailer sway.

[bnp]

Originally Posted by dcarver

What does your truck's hitch weight rating say? If by chance you do load the trailer to the 9600lb GVWR then you're looking at 1400lbs of tongue weight at 15% (which will help reduce sway). My yukon xl 2500 has a hitch rating of 1500lbs with a weight distribution hitch. I think the 1500 yukon xl has 1200lb hitch rating.

I cannot find the hitch weight rating. I have looked for it on the panel of the truck door, under the bumper (by the hitch) and on the vehicle spec sheet (when purchased). Any idea where I might find it? Tomorrow I am going to contact Ford and have them pull the truck specs from the vin number.
This is all a learning experience for me.

[bnp]

Sorry, new to this form. Not sure if you received my response??
I cannot locate the hitch weight rating. I looked on the door panel, under the bumper (by the hitch) and in the truck spec sheet from when purchased.
Any suggestions? I am calling Ford tomorrow, when the vin number to get the complete information.

[dcarver]

Ford towing selector says 1,130lbs max tongue weight. If you kept trailer weight to 8500lbs or less and tongue weight to 13% or less then it's doable but lowering the tongue weight will induce sway. Usually recommend between 10-15% tongue weight. There are lighter trailers out there with that floor plan. The length of trailer is OK, just invest in a good WDH hitch and that will help.

[SmokeyWren]

Originally Posted by bnp

Ford's Towing Guide for our truck states:
GCWR 15,500 lbs, Max Loaded TT 9,600 lbs

Extreme exaggeration. Don't believe it.

My EcoBoost F-150 has a tow rating of 8,400 pounds. But I'm overloaded with my small TT that grosses only 4,870 pounds when wet and loaded on the road.

We looked at a used 2014 Gulf Stream Innsbruck 295SBM.
Specs per salesman: 29' length and that we should not have a problem pulling it with our truck. Not to be insulting, but I am a little leery of sales people.

Your EcoBoost drivetrain will probably pull that trailer over the Rockies with no big problems other than lousy MPG. However, your suspension will be severely overloaded because you will the exceed the 7,200 pounds GVWR of the F-150.

GVWR Dry Weight 7,320 lbs.
Hitch Weight 1,010 lbs.
Net Carrying Capacity 2,290 lbs.
My questions are; can our truck really tow a TT at this weight and length safely?

No. Note that the dry hitch weight is 13.8% of dry trailer weight. Expect that percent to also apply to the wet and loaded TT. The trailer's GVWR is 7,320 + 2290 = 9,610. If you load the TT to the max and have 13.8% tongue weight, that's 1,326 pounds of tongue weight (hitch weight). Even if you load the TT lightly, it can easily gross 9,000 pounds, which is about 1,250 pounds tongue weight.

What to do? Load the F-150 with everything and everybody that will be in it when towing. Include the head of the weight-distributing hitch that you must have to safely tow any decent-size TT. Drive to a truckstop that has a CAT scale and fill up with gas, then weigh the wet and loaded F-150.

Subtract the weight of the wet and loaded F-150 from the GVWR of the F-150. The answer is the max hitch weight you can have without being overloaded.

Divide that max hitch weight by 0.15 and the answer is the max GVWR of any TT you want to consider. (The TT you mentioned has 13.8% tongue weight, which is close to the average of 13%. But tongue weight can range from about 12% to 15%, so use 15% when estimating tongue weight.)

If not, I would greatly appreciated any suggestions on size and what are a few quality built brands.

For size, the available payload capacity for hitch weight will determine the maxsize you can tow without being overloaded. As a general rule, I'd say you're limited to a TT with not more than 24' gross length (including tongue). That's a 20' box, so not a very big trailer at all. My 19.5' box is about right for your truck to tow without being overloaded. It's adequate for two old adults and a couple of rug rats (or puppy dogs).

I'll leave it to others to discuss brands. I'll just throw in one caveat. Quality = heavy. So if you want a quality TT to drag with a half-ton pickup, then you need to find a much shorter TT that won't overload your F-150, Maybe a small AirStream?

[Cumminsfan]

With a 7200lb GVW and the Lariat trim, my guess is that your cargo load rating for the truck is going to be around 1400lbs. Subtract who and what ever you carry in the truck when you intend to go camping from the CCC rating and that's what you have left for tongue weight. The CCC number should be on the drivers side door or door jamb.


That's the 1st issue. The 2nd is the high tongue weight of the TT and the receivers max rating.


Smokey summed it up pretty good. Bigger truck or smaller trailer.

[bnp]

Husband bought the truck last summer so, no sizing up for now.
I will be looking at smaller size tt.
Thanks again for all the great information!!

[rbleau6885]

The overall length is way to much for a half ton truck the hitch weight alone is to much for a half ton truck. You would not feel comfortable hauling that trailer never mind on a windy day the trailer would be towing the truck. The weight to is dry weight you would want to be at about 7000 fully loaded with all your gear but that even so is at you max towing. Also hitch weight is 1000 pounds without any gear I think on a half truck you would want to stay at about a hitch weight of about a dry weight of 650 also I doubt your current hitch is rated for that type of tongue weight. The dealer will put you at you max load at a dry weight just to make a sale then you home load your new rv up and go camping and now the trailer is towing you. I have been hauling campers,boats,trailers all my life I've overloaded my truck to where it wont stop and thats a very uncomfortable feeling when things get hairy. Good luck hope you find what your looking for

[chertz]

Everyone has made great points. I have a 30' light weight TT that I got when I had a chevy 1/2 ton... weight was ok (right at limit per cat scales) but I hated driving it. Trailer threw the truck all over the place even with my equalizer well setup... never felt comfortable. I now pull the same trailer with a 3/4 ton truck and I sometimes forget it's even back there! From what I hear those eco boosts have the power to pull it but honestly pulling it is the easy part... handling the trailer and braking are so much more important, and rarely considered until it's too late.

[Superslif]

34" is way too much trailer for a 1/2 ton. Maybe 31' or shorter. Are you looking for a RV with sleeping for more than a couple? You can figure at least 800 to 1000 pounds of "stuff" if your traveling as a couple, but start adding 2-3 kids with toys, bikes, clothes and extra food, you can easily be over 1500 lbs. of stuff, not count people weight.

[cwf]

Do be cautious with sales folk. Number don't lie. Weigh your TV and be careful.