Perfect vehicle for 25' twin Flying Cloud

[PatLee]

Hi all,
I am shopping for a "perfect marriage" between my 25' Flying Cloud twin (2016) and a future tow vehicle. I was looking at the Ford Expedition with tow package but MSRP is 55K which is more than I want to spend. I'm now looking at Ford 150s and downloaded their brochure on the F-150 with several pages showing their "Trailer Towing Selector." The options are overwhelming as I have no idea of what I should be looking for and I have found the car dealers not to be the best informed when it comes to what I need in a tow vehicle. I know I want more power than I need because I feel safer but also don't think I need a towing capability of 12,200 pounds - or do I? Here are the relevant trailer specs: GVWR = 7300 lbs
Unit Base Weight (UBW) = 5600 lbs
Net carrying capacity (NCC) - 1,100 lbs
Hitch weight = 835 lbs
Please advise and thank you very much,
Twink

[Wayne&Sam]

I happily tow mine with a 2012 Dodge Durango Hemi.

Although max weight on the trailer is 7300 and max towing for the Durango is 7200, it has not been an issue. Thant's because my trailer fully loaded and a full water tank only weighs 6600lbs.

You won't scream up mountain passes out west, but you'll keep up with the speed limit.

[SeaLevel]

We tow ours (2016 25' FC Twin) with a 2015 Silverado 1500 LT. It is rated to tow up to 9400# and it has a cargo load rating of 1680#. We've towed mostly in FL where it's flat, but we've also towed through TN where there were some 6-8% grades. No problems going either up or down. So far we are very happy with our setup.

[mojo]

You will find that your hitch weight will be closer to 1000 lbs +/- with full propane tanks and loaded trailer. So what you need to look at is the payload numbers of any TV you decide to choose. Subtract the hitch weight and you are left with the weight of gear and people you can carry in your TV. Now, are you a minimalist or do you want to load a family of four, dog and kitchen sink?

[KJRitchie]

I would suggest reading through this towing forum. The subject has been discussed heavily. There are members who tow Airstreams from mini vans to 1 ton and heavier trucks and everything in between.

Kelvin

[Wayne&Sam]

And always remember "perfect" is a very personal thing.

[FCStreamer]

Originally Posted by mojo

You will find that your hitch weight will be closer to 1000 lbs +/- with full propane tanks and loaded trailer. So what you need to look at is the payload numbers of any TV you decide to choose. Subtract the hitch weight and you are left with the weight of gear and people you can carry in your TV. Now, are you a minimalist or do you want to load a family of four, dog and kitchen sink?

This is good advice. You can get an F150 with enough payload for the trailer, a couple of people and their gear. Now, if you wanted to also bring a motorcycle in the bed of the truck, the F150 would not be the best choice.

[dkottum]

It's more about the truck owner than the Airstream, so everyone has their own perfect Airstream tow vehicle.

Here's ours

[Peanut]

You'll want to look at the yellow sticker on the door jam to get the actual payload - don't rely on the web or salesman.

[rostam]

Sierra/Silverado 1500, with 6.2 V8 engine, 8 speed auto, and the Max Payload package, giving you around 2000# of actual payload per yellow door sticker. Talk to member DC Bruce, who has one of these.

[greghoro]

Originally Posted by Wayne&Sam

And always remember "perfect" is a very personal thing.

In most every endeavor, perfection is rarely reached on the first attempt. Confucius: "Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without."

Tow vehicle questions are one of the most contentions, opinionated and asked about topics on the forum. Advanced warning, so are topics inquiring about hitches, tires, front vs back bed, twin vs queen bed.


Greg

[RamRider]

Any 1/2 ton Pickup (Crew Cab) or better. but 3/4 ton would be best, My 1500 Ram is almost maxed out per load wt

[Rjpuckett]

If it's to be a daily driving vehicle the F150 crew Cab should be considered. Especially if the F250 price makes you pause.

You can installed 3rd party rear view mirrors from the web to be able to extend them when towing. Set you brake control to 10 if you are going any mountain descents. Otherwise the trailer will try to push the truck downhill.

They also sell what they call a Super Spring that is engaged when your rear end is leaning down and the nose is lighting up the trees.
Get a WD hitch to get some of your weight off the hitch.

We have a 2013 and it handles our 25' FC fine.

In my case, when the wife wants to take everything I tell her she better not make me take her to the Cat Scales. It helps control her 'take it in case I need it problem'.

[thiel]

I have a 25FB twin which I have towed exactly once: home from the dealer. That being said, I research the crap out of it, ran all the numbers, and was nervous that my 1/2 Tundra would not handle it.

I could not have been more wrong: with my Tundra loaded with four people, the trailer was dead level and towed like a dream. And mind you, I have a 4x4 model with the SMALL 4.6L engine. The Tundra is cheap compared to others.

Again: I've only towed it once

[us3rnam3]

The Ford F150 will do just fine. Check out this site
http://www.tfltruck.com/2016/03/2016...llenger-video/
I toe a 2014 27FB (Hensley Hitch) with my 2015 Ford F150 with a 5.0L V8 and it does just fine. All the towing numbers work and it's a fine vehicle for everyday use. If you prefer, a 3.0 eco-boost engine will give you the same HP and slightly better torque.

[kapt59]

It ain't the ability to pull that you should worry about. Be sure it can stop you.

[dfschultz]

We tow our 25' Safari with a 2015 Silverado 1500, tows fine. Took it up some hills this summer and went fine, I was going 55 at the top of a pretty steep hill and seems to have plenty of power.

[DC Bruce]

I looked at a lot of f-150s in the search for a TV for my FC 27. Could not find a 4wd crew cab with more than about 1700 lbs cargo. I would have gone with that but the seats and my butt just didn't get along in the '14 Laramie that I test drive. I'm 6'3" and 215. Finally found the Sierra 1500 with the big engine and max tow package (difficult!). Just under a ton of cargo capacity. Wife, big dog and I went full time for a year, covering 35k miles. Very satisfied with truck performance. 11-13.5 mpg towing. Test drive both gas and diesel 3/4 tons and didn't like the extra weight (1,000-1,500 lbs.) length and height. We use ProPride WD hitch. Given the high hitch weight of the 25, I'd recommend at least 1900 lbs of cargo capacity for two people unless you travel real light with no generator, gas, tools, or big dog. Certainly no need for a 3/4 ton IMHO. Both the Ford Ecoboost and the GM 6.2 V8 develop lots of torque at low rpm, so they cruise at under 2,000 rpm and are quiet. 8-speed in the GMC does a great job of matching engine speed to load and maintains speed going downhill.

[Countryboy59]

Originally Posted by kapt59

It ain't the ability to pull that you should worry about. Be sure it can stop you.

The trailer has its own brakes. Make sure the gain is set right.

[switz]

When I went to pickup our new 2013 25FB International Serenity, that literature tongue weight of 833 pounds was actually 1,150 pounds with the Hensley hitch head attached, full propane tanks and fresh water tank. No other stuff but a brief case was in the trailer.

Electric drum brakes have been known to fail, so the stopping capability of the tow vehicle must also be considered during the selection process.

While I was able to tow the 25FB home with our 2007 Mercedes ML320 CDI V6 diesel, it was not happy when the trailer was over 7,000 pounds. We upgraded to the current 2012 Ram 2500HD Cummins diesel which is now towing the 2014 31' Classic. We tow this rig at 65 mph or the posted speed limit, whichever is lower.

The 2007 Mercedes is our tow vehicle for the 2015 23D International Serenity which crosses the scales at 6,068 pounds camping ready and a tongue weight of 968 pounds. We drive this rig at 55 mph or lower depending on the posted speed limit.