Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
RV Trip Planning Discussions

Go Back   iRV2 Forums > TRAVEL TRAILER, 5th WHEEL & TRUCK CAMPER FORUMS > Trailer Towing and Tow Vehicles Discussion
Click Here to Login
Join iRV2 Today

Mission Statement: Supporting thoughtful exchange of knowledge, values and experience among RV enthusiasts.
Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on iRV2
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 02-24-2014, 01:31 PM   #1
Senior Member
 
gpscotty's Avatar
 
Winnebago Owners Club
Vintage RV Owners Club
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Texas 76036
Posts: 152
Trailer Length:

I have read all about weight calculations and not over loading, I am wondering about trailer length so tail does not wag the dog. We have an 2013 F150 Ecoboost 4 door & 6.5 box and heavy duty tow package, max tow wt 11000. The truck is 20ft. long. I am thinking 24/28 ft trailer, equalizer anti sway hitch. Max loaded weight of 6000 lbs and hitch of 1000lbs or less, which will not put me over GVWR. What do think my max length should be? All thoughts welcome, rather be safe than sorry. gpscotty
gpscotty is offline   Reply With Quote
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!

Old 02-24-2014, 04:34 PM   #2
Moderator Emeritus
 
SmokeyWren's Avatar


 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: HillBilly country, Smokey Mtns
Posts: 4,171
I think you're on the right track. About a 24' box length, or 28' total length including hitch and rear bumper and spare, is about the max for an F-150. If you have the max tow pkg but not the HD payload pkg, then you'll run our of payload capacity long before you get near the 11,000+ tow rating. So ignore that Ford hype and stick to a max trailer weight of not more than about 7,000 to 8,000 pounds.

Here's a TT that will match up nicely to the real-world capability of your F-150:



Keystone Bullet model 241 BHS (BHS = bunkhouse with slide). 27' total length, with about a 23' inside length. 4570 dry weight with net carrying capacity (NCC) of 1930 is a GVWR of 6500 pounds. So very likely you will load that rascal down to around 6,000 pounds. Good match for your tow vehicle.
__________________
Grumpy ole man with over 60 years towing experience. Now my heaviest trailer is a 7'x16' 5,000-pound flatbed utility trailer, my tow vehicle is a 2019 F-150 Lariat 3.5L EcoBoost SuperCab with Max Tow (1,904 pounds payload capacity).
SmokeyWren is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-24-2014, 05:58 PM   #3
Senior Member
 
Superslif's Avatar
 
Thor Owners Club
Pond Piggies Club
Outdoors RV Owners Club
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: NE. Ohio USA
Posts: 5,973
I have seen people using the F-150 eco-boost to pull 35' / 36' tt's...and 10k+...Kodak has a 30' one #279 or the Winnebago 27RBDS. I love these two floorplans.

To me a 30' + or - is about the limit for a 1/2 ton truck. I'll be pulling just a 25' hybrid ( 5100 wet) with my Tundra...but that will give me more truck than I need now, but in the future my shopping list can be larger if we ever start looking for a new tt. The issue with those two tt's I mentioned are they are "couples" trailers. Love the huge bathrooms, panty's, kitchen island, but there is no place for my son to sleep. The couch is a little short. At the RV show in Jan. the Winnebago rep said you can go with a free standing table and get a longer couch.
__________________
Jim Kathy & Robert ~ NE. OH.
2018 Outdoors RV Timber Ridge 24 RKS
2023 Toyota Tundra Limited 3.4 TT
IRV2 Photo Album ~Let's Go Places~
Superslif is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-24-2014, 06:13 PM   #4
Member
 
CanadianCrew's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 97
We had a 31 foot a few years ago. No slides or anything just a straight 31 foot trailer. We pulled it with what was at the time a brand new F150 supercrew 5.4 short box limited slip and tow package. We where just under the max combined weight. The hard part was keep the weight down on the truck. Had no capacity left to put anything in the box with a tongue weight of 900 lbs. Anyway we never had any problems. I would not go any longer but the rig handled great. Drove that rig from PEI Canada to the rockies to Florida and Myrtle beach. Many thousands of miles with no problems. The newer models may even have a slighter longer wheel base and a newer stiffer frame.
__________________
2013 Salem Cruise Lite 221RBxl
06 GMC
CanadianCrew is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-24-2014, 07:26 PM   #5
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: 4 Corners
Posts: 70
Good Evening GPScotty, FWIW ... We have a 13 XLT, Max tow, HD, 3.73, 6.5 bed Ecoboost and pulled a 31' TT weighting 8600# with a TW of 1045# all over the Rockies & Northwest part of the country. Used a Husky Centerline hitch and it pulled like a dream. In fact it towed the TT better than our old 04 6.0 F-250 did. It averaged 9.8-10.6 w/ high of 11.4. Now we're towing a 26SAB 5er and it tows it even better.

Milo
campnfool is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-24-2014, 07:28 PM   #6
Senior Member
 
NFlcamper's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Jacksonville, Florida
Posts: 614
Go to you tube and look up "an RV crash to remember".

Side wind on a 30-35 foot TT behind a 3500 GMC crew cab dually! With a topper for more weight on the truck (more stability) and I bet it WASN'T overloaded.

Then look at other 'trailer sway and crash' videos.

Keep on talking about how long of a TT a 150/1500 can tow....
__________________
Bob and sometimes - Nina - a Staffordshire Terrier/a SPOILED pit and her kitty Spaz
2006 Dodge SLT 2500 4x4 Cummins Quad Cab w/AT and 3.73
2007 Salem Sport LE 26FBSRV (TH) w/ my Victory Motorcycle in it or a EZ GO Shuttle cart.
NFlcamper is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-24-2014, 09:10 PM   #7
Member
 
CanadianCrew's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 97
Quote:
Originally Posted by NFlcamper View Post
Go to you tube and look up "an RV crash to remember".

Side wind on a 30-35 foot TT behind a 3500 GMC crew cab dually! With a topper for more weight on the truck (more stability) and I bet it WASN'T overloaded.

Then look at other 'trailer sway and crash' videos.

Keep on talking about how long of a TT a 150/1500 can tow....
Have seen the videos. As per other topics on this video we do not know all the circumstances behind this crash.

The rig we had had all the safety gear required and was 100 percent legal and we have many fantastic memory from the east coast to the rockies in Canada and the US. with many thousands of safe miles behind us.

I think a lot of RV crashes out there happen due to inexperience not the setup or TV. Maybe we should lay low on the weight police stuff and push for a separate class of drivers licence so people know how to use what they have properly. If you want to reduce RV crashes that would do more than expecting everyone that tows a trailer over 15 feet to drive a dually diesel. Maybe when I retire I will buy a diesel but right now me as many others need our TV to be be a daily driver as well.
I currently don't have a 31 foot anymore so don't worry. Its just the wife and I now. The kids all flew the nest so we now have a 2013 Salem cruise light. Its 24 feet long.
__________________
2013 Salem Cruise Lite 221RBxl
06 GMC
CanadianCrew is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-24-2014, 11:41 PM   #8
Senior Member
 
smurfsofwar's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 232
Quote:
Originally Posted by NFlcamper View Post
Go to you tube and look up "an RV crash to remember".

Side wind on a 30-35 foot TT behind a 3500 GMC crew cab dually! With a topper for more weight on the truck (more stability) and I bet it WASN'T overloaded.

Then look at other 'trailer sway and crash' videos.

Keep on talking about how long of a TT a 150/1500 can tow....
That video had nothing to do with TV selection. It had everything to do with horrible environmental variables and a giant sail on the back. That cross wind could have tossed ANY trailer/ TV combo.

FWIW I have been in an HD that had a tiny 19' yank it all over the road in an ugly crosswind. He had to pull over.
smurfsofwar is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-25-2014, 07:49 AM   #9
Senior Member
 
NFlcamper's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Jacksonville, Florida
Posts: 614
You are right. Someone comes here asking for advice and you tell him get one as long as you want - it is going to be OK.

What you do and brag about, may not be safe for someone asking for advice to be safe.
__________________
Bob and sometimes - Nina - a Staffordshire Terrier/a SPOILED pit and her kitty Spaz
2006 Dodge SLT 2500 4x4 Cummins Quad Cab w/AT and 3.73
2007 Salem Sport LE 26FBSRV (TH) w/ my Victory Motorcycle in it or a EZ GO Shuttle cart.
NFlcamper is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-25-2014, 08:55 AM   #10
Senior Member
 
smurfsofwar's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 232
Quote:
Originally Posted by NFlcamper View Post
You are right. Someone comes here asking for advice and you tell him get one as long as you want - it is going to be OK.

What you do and brag about, may not be safe for someone asking for advice to be safe.
When people are asking advice, why not politely offer advice rather than assaulting them with scare tactics, off topic situational videos and snide remarks? This is the point I was getting at. I don't get it.

Nobody is bragging about anything that I can tell. I pull 26'- to me that is on upper edge of my comfort zone with a half ton for what it's worth. I'd never consider a 30' TT.
smurfsofwar is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-25-2014, 09:09 AM   #11
Senior Member
 
NFlcamper's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Jacksonville, Florida
Posts: 614
The OP got good advice until a few came and tried to say 30+ feet is OK for a f150. One poster even said by going down in size, his tows better. The remarks weren't ment to be snide, and the video wasn't scare tactics. Just showing what can happen with a bigger TV and a long trailer.
__________________
Bob and sometimes - Nina - a Staffordshire Terrier/a SPOILED pit and her kitty Spaz
2006 Dodge SLT 2500 4x4 Cummins Quad Cab w/AT and 3.73
2007 Salem Sport LE 26FBSRV (TH) w/ my Victory Motorcycle in it or a EZ GO Shuttle cart.
NFlcamper is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-25-2014, 10:38 AM   #12
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: S.E. Louisiana
Posts: 13
The OP said he has the long wheelbase and HD payload as well as max tow. Based on that, it's really what your comfortable with. 30 ft. is entirely reasonable for the long wheelbase truck with a good WD setup. The payload should not be much of a limiting factor and I guess you have over 2000 lbs available, however you receiver is limited to 1130 max. Your truck is extremely capable. Don't let the naysayers that don't know much about the current vehicles confuse you. Just stay within your personal and your trucks limits.
__________________
2012 Aerolite 212RBSL - 2015 Open Range
2014 Berkshire 360QL
DwnSth is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-25-2014, 11:04 AM   #13
Senior Member
 
hondavalk's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 238
I pull a 33' trailer behind my Tundra. Loaded Im 3500lbs under tow limit, loaded 200lbs under cargo capacity, not bragging, not telling anyone else what to do, just saying I'm quite comfortable with my set-up. Between my Reese DC and the wide stance axles it tows better than any trailer I've had before.
hondavalk is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-25-2014, 11:41 AM   #14
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Oregon
Posts: 6,621
If in fact the OP has the HD option then he has a 3/4 ton 'lite'. Actually has more payload than some 3/4 tons. But not the brakes, suspension etc. That's beside the point. What he's looking at is easily matched to his truck. He's got E rated tires if it's an HD optioned F150. He will be perfectly fine towing a 24-28' TT.
I was going to say he needs a dually but there's already been enough ridiculous statements so far.
Off topic a hair but I towed a 31' 7300lb TT with a 2010 F150 5.4 3.73 MaxTow (not HD) and 70% of the time it was fine. It was out in the open areas with wind and running next to semi's that it was somewhat wiggely. Not white knuckle by any means. It just didn't feel as connected as when I towed the same TT with my current 3/4 ton. I used an EQ 1200/12,000 WDH that's got the friction sway control built in. Towed it all over Oregon and NorCal for 10,000 miles before getting a 5'er. So yes it can be done. TW was 12.5% @900-950lbs.

I think some of the problem with some saying theirs tows great and others saying theirs doesn't is based on TT design. Some TT's just tow better period. Our Heartland NT26LRSS never did track well. You could see the rear of the TT just wandering slightly all the time. I even bought a used Hensley Arrow and tried it for a few trips. While it took the movement out of the F150 you could still see the rear of the TT wandering slightly. If you watch the rear of TT's going down the road you'll see some will wander and some won't. It's either improper loading, wrong psi on the TT tires or poor TT design. Ours had the axles closer to center which IMO was wrong. I always though they should be further back. Didn't help that the two recliners, sofa and fresh water tank were behind the axles. My point is the balance needs to be perfect to get a perfect tow.
Cumminsfan is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply



Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
WD Hitch setup on a light trailer matchrocket Trailer Towing and Tow Vehicles Discussion 2 02-16-2014 06:39 PM
Trailer vs 5th wheel total length? DumOleBob Travel Trailer Discussion 4 01-23-2014 09:01 AM
Need a larger trailer! dukenrock Just Conversation 8 01-13-2014 06:26 AM
Length of trailer momto6ix Travel Trailer Discussion 14 11-14-2013 10:33 PM
Can't make up my mind.. utility trailer or no? Cubey Toads and Motorhome Related Towing 10 08-12-2013 08:55 AM

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 03:26 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.