Tires/Air bag for F150

[graydond]

we have a 2015 F150 and recently got a 32' KEYSTONE OUTBACK.
well....the truck is at about the max towing capacity and we were considering a 3/4 ton truck but we were inspired by someone to get 8 ply tires and air bags for the rear suspension. this is a LOT more interesting than shopping for another truck!

we were wondering if this is a good route to follow.....


or am I at the max towing for this truck?

[JIMNLIN]

depend on which F150 you have.
What is the trucks RAWR ?

what is the trucks GVWR ?

Both are on the drivers side door post certification placard.

Depending on the trucks RAWR a 8 ply rated tire may or may not be a good idea....reasons can be wheel load and pressure capacities.

Have you weighed the trucks front and rear axles separately ? If the rear axle/tires/spring pack/wheels are overloaded a load D tire help that situation but not the others.

There are two max number when pulling trailers.
1...is max load carrying carrying capacity.
2... is how heavy the trailer is (tow rating)

[Ray,IN]

First read this Ford pdf and tell us the specs for your specific pickup. Next, use actual weights in this fifth wheel weight calculator, keeping in mind the weights of what you plan to haul in the truckbed, occupants including pets.
Yes, I see Ford says 12,200lbs, BUT that is calculated with a 150# driver, no passengers, 12 tank of gas and an empty truckbed.
As that calculator shows, never anticipate towing a 5er or trailer at the mfgrs. listed empty weight; well, unless you plan to camp that way. Always use the 5er/trailer GVWR when deciding what you may safely tow.

Any vehicle operated at or over it's maximum capacity will wear out much quicker than normal. Driving will not be pleasant and relaxing. Fuel consumption will be increased.

[happycamperz]

If all the weights of the fully loaded truck and trailer fit in the numbers your specific truck is rated for, then I recommend bfg tako 2 tires. They are 10 ply. Ride a little rougher than the stock 4 ply but take most of the squish out of the ride. I have had them on three trucks now and I love them.

[happycamperz]

I am close to capacity but with enough with enough wiggle room for comfort with my 30’ keystone bullet. I don’t feel that airbags are needed. With the new tires, mine rides pretty good with my 2015 f150 ecobeast pulling it.

[graydond]

I don't understand these numbers very well.
I have RAWR 3,800#
GVWR 7,000#
front GAWR 3,375#
rear GAWR 3,800#

the travel trailer is GVWR 8,200#
with a cargo capacity of 1,140#

what should I do using these numbers?
a new truck.......?

[graydond]

Happycamperz….what is your trailer GVWR?
I have a 2015 F150 with the 5.0.
just wondering for comparison reason.

[tuffr2]

Man, those are some ugly looking winter tires.

[ASTMedic]

Originally Posted by graydond

I don't understand these numbers very well.
I have RAWR 3,800#
GVWR 7,000#
front GAWR 3,375#
rear GAWR 3,800#

the travel trailer is GVWR 8,200#
with a cargo capacity of 1,140#

what should I do using these numbers?
a new truck.......?

You're going to want to weigh the truck and trailer combo on a CAT scale. You want to be loaded just like you would be going on a trip. The reason being that you want to see how much weight you have sitting on your axles when loaded.

Most trucks say they can tow X and that's the weight you can make roll down the road not the weight you can put pressing down on your truck axles and tires. That weight is your axle capacity. Rear is usually higher since you have all the weight back there. The only real way to get that is to hit the scale. It's really easy to go over that capacity in a 1/2 ton truck. I did it with my 30ft trailer, me and 2 little kids and the wife and our dogs. I was almost 1000lbs over axle capacity but still 2000lbs under towing capacity. That's why I moved up to a 3/4 ton.

[Cumminsfan]

Originally Posted by tuffr2

Man, those are some ugly looking winter tires.

I had them on my Ram 2500 CTD. The best snow tire I've ever had. They have the snowflake on them so they're rated for snow without chains when chains are required. A little noisy but not bad. On my Ram CTD they tended to wear faster than I'd like. Very very stable though when towing.
BTW they looked dang good on my Ram IMO.

[60sumtin]

Originally Posted by tuffr2

Man, those are some ugly looking winter tires.

One buys tires for their utility, not for their looks. I have similar tires and they do the job they were designed for.

[tuffr2]

I have to disagree, tire and wheel combos are for looks for most people. For example, I would never put this ugly tires on any of my trucks.

They make way too much noise fir other people also. I hate that humming sound...ugh.

[60sumtin]

Most people would be who? Those that don't need or want winter rated all-terrain tires? If so I agree. If not then looks do not matter for those of us who DO want or need such tires so I stand by my utility comment. My truck is not just for towing a TT. 95% of its use is for other year round purposes and I'm not about to buy another set of tires for the other 5% of the trucks use.

As for the noise the tires I have are quieter than the Goodyear Wrangler all season garbage that came with the truck. Obviously not all such tires are going to be designed equally just as all season tires or LT tires are not designed equally. Tread design has come along way from the typical lug winter tires of yesteryear.

[agilabs]

My first tow vehicle was a Silverado 1500 w/ 5.7L pulling a 27'TT. I did the same with helper springs on the back and heavier sidewall tires. I wore that truck out in a few years - 2 engines and a transmission. Finally upgraded to a RAM2500 6.7L diesel. Wow! Wish I had done that several years earlier, if nothing else, for the stability, power, and towing capability. The trailer was no longer telling the truck where to go. And the stress on the driver was greatly reduced.



I wouldn't go back to towing that size trailer with a 1/2 ton truck again. My advice, after living the same scenario, is to get the 250/2500 series truck.