What do I need to tow a 27FB?

[jeffmc306]

Originally Posted by stef0597

My husband is way too excited about getting a truck to tow our new Airstream. We are considering a 27fb Flying Cloud. He says we need more tow capacity than 8500. Is that true?

Stef0597, we have a 27’ Globetrotter and started with a 2019 Ram 1500 but found the payload capacity was insufficient. It had plenty of power and was capable of towing 11,400 lbs. As others have stressed, it’s “payload, payload, payload!’”

We ended up with a 2019 Ram 2500 6.4 gas with 2940 lbs payload and just returned from a 2400 mile trip to Rocky Mountain National Park. The new Ram with 8 speed transmission had absolutely no problem going up and more importantly, down the steep grades.

Take one for a test ride - it’s got the nicest interior, rides great and looks good too!

Good luck and congratulations on joining the Airstream community!

[GypsyCan]

6.7 Cummins in a 2500 Ram Limited 4x4. Works for us!

[Reid]

Not all 1/2 ton trucks are created equally, so opinions on what type of truck people think would work doesn’t really matter. All you need to do is the math for what you plan on towing and get the appropriate vehicle to handle that load.

Payload=tongue weight of what you’re towing+passengers+cargo
Towing capacity is the weight of what you’re towing.
Hitch capacity is what the hitch that is mounted to your frame can handle as far as weight and payload are concerned. Most of them have a label on it if you crawl under and look.

If the vehicle you want can handle your needs in those areas you’re good to go. New F150s with the 3.5 ecoboost can tow 13200 pounds and have a payload capacity of 3200 which is well within what you are looking for.

[Kwuser]

I see the replies and answers are all over the place. Everyone has there own opinions. So let me share mine:

[Bob Peahl]

We tow our 27 FB with a Ram 2500 diesel.

It is a great set up - no stresses for the truck, the trailer or the humans.
Have traveled across the nation four times with zero towing issues, including the mountains.

We've encountered several 1500 owners who wish they had purchased a 2500 for this task.

The 1500 is a better daily driver, but having a comfy daily driver loses its luster when rolling up or down a long mountain pass with semis all around you....

[majorairhead]

I'm a real life observant fellow. I've not seen a tank tow an airstream, but I have seen semi's towing 5th wheels

I towed a 2016 25' flying cloud with an equipped 2015 F150 AND then towed the same trailer with a 2017 F250.

I now KNOW the difference between towing with a half ton Ford, and a 3/4 ton Ford.

I now tow a 30' International with that same 3/4 ton Ford.....no worries.

On a side note, my brother is a wise guy. He's not an rv guy. He once told me "you can probably tow an airstream with a Prius.....just not very far, and likely not for very long".

[jeffmc306]

Originally Posted by Reid

New F150s with the 3.5 ecoboost can tow 13200 pounds and have a payload capacity of 3200 which is well within what you are looking for.

Reid, pardon the question but I think you misstated the payload for an F150. If Ford can deliver 3200 lbs payload on an F150 there wouldn’t sell many F250-350’s. Please post the door sticker if this is really true.

[Ray Eklund]

Originally Posted by majorairhead

I'm a real life observant fellow. I've not seen a tank tow an airstream, but I have seen semi's towing 5th wheels

I towed a 2016 25' flying cloud with an equipped 2015 F150 AND then towed the same trailer with a 2017 F250.

I now KNOW the difference between towing with a half ton Ford, and a 3/4 ton Ford.

I now tow a 30' International with that same 3/4 ton Ford.....no worries.

On a side note, my brother is a wise guy. He's not an rv guy. He once told me "you can probably tow an airstream with a Prius.....just not very far, and likely not for very long".

*******
Grrrrrreat post.

I used Wally Byam's example of pulling an Airstream with a bicycle on a previous Thread lost to the memories of all.

We get similar mileages with our 5.7L Toyota Land Cruiser and 6.7L Ford Diesel. The Diesel gets better mileage on the highways. Often better mileage towing on the highways than the Land Cruiser. Both are built like... tanks.

When driving locally with the 6.7L... and entering a merge lane... it is very difficult not to give that Rivet Buster some extra peddle and this truck takes off. More power, larger truck, faster acceleration does not necessarily cost much more in fuel. The resale of a heavier truck is in high demand. Few can find a USED 3/4 to 1 ton rated pickup for sale.

Those who tow with a pickup can haul 4'x8' sheets of sheetrock. Our Land Cruiser, as nice as it is... costing as much as a pickup truck... cannot. Hauls posteriors and two pet porters in back and... already filling up cargo space.

Ranchers are very frugal. They also understand that hauling cattle, horses or livestock requires power and reliability from wear and tear. If they have a Forum to discuss towing options... it may make interesting conversation.

The discussions have been very helpful to those pondering these options, but 'pencil out' what you are towing, your needs and if you can afford to find the best combination.

Maybe Wally could have doubled the length of the trailer in tow if he added another bicycle. He may be still trying to... stop.

[Alumaholic]

That was a great post by majairhead
Cuts through all the discussion about what is adequate and goes straight to what is Outstanding!
My 2018 Yukon Denali XL is a triumph of automotive engineering. It gets 25 mpg hauling two human butts and two small dogs around the Soutwest at 75 mph. It tackles the mountains of Colorado towing the Flying Cloud 27 FB at a consistent 65 mph where conditions allow and gets 12-14 mpg. The long wheel base and weight make it very stable.
But... I miss all that extra power of the 2500HD Duramax and that Allison tranny. Sniff.

[Hyo Slvr]

I too own a 27fb and owned a F150 eb 3.5 Lariate w/tow pkg. Mine was the last year w/6 sp tranny. Fun tk to drive...zippy and responsive. Pretty good fuel economy if you fight the urge to engage the twin turbo's. However, after 1 trip out west fighting headwinds and probably a little overloaded I decided I wanted to go back to a diesel. (Had a big 5'r b/4 the AS). So happy! Head wind, side wind, up hill, down hill no problem. Newer F250 and larger diesels have the engine brake which is AWESOME! Thus far haven't needed to hit the brakes going downhill when engaged...luv, luv, luv it! Tk still not broken in yet (just under 10k mi-most towing) but, i'm getting just under 14 mpg at 70 w/cruise. If I need to throttle up to avoid something or the dreaded up hill, short entrance ramp out west, the power is there, much more than a gas engine hands down! Another consideration, diesels are purpose built for the added wear and tear of hauling and towing. Sure they cost more initially, but there is the return on the back end. They cost more for maintenance, but the ease of towing is well worth the cost to me. Plus if you tow as much as we do i'd flat wear out 2 gas engines before 1 diesel. Good luck, welcome to the "family" and all the best on your decision. Best I can say is do your homework and ask the dealership if they'll allow you to hook up before buying. My local Ford dealer did! That'll answer a lot of questions!

[civeng99]

Kenworth W900. 14.9L Cummins ISX. 18 speed Eaton Fuller. Nothing less will do.

[Ray Eklund]

The Twenty Mule Team could pull a 27 footer. This is a vintage photograph taken from the Internet. Actually, most Diesels are designed from this. Mine included.

[Lara Me]

I’m pretty certain that a 25ft AS or smaller doesn’t warrant a 3/4 ton, or a diesel. Also pretty opinionated that a 27 or larger warrants a 3/4 ton, and I prefer a diesel for performance and engine braking.

Owned a 28 FC and now a 27 FB INTL and have never wished for less truck, nor needed any more truck. I don’t daily drive my tow rig and I suspect that is a major reason for not looking at something smaller.

The 3/4 tons I looked at all had larger brakes, axles, beefier suspension and tow hitches, whether gas or diesel. Having capacity and significant reserves makes the towing chores, especially in the PNW passes, so much easier.

I’ve talked with many 1/2 ton truck owners. Most said they would reconsider a larger truck, especially if they weren’t daily driving it for work commutes.

[A W Warn]

Originally Posted by stef0597

My husband is way too excited about getting a truck to tow our new Airstream. We are considering a 27fb Flying Cloud. He says we need more tow capacity than 8500. Is that true?

I agree with your husband, you need a higher towing capacity because towing ability decreases as payload (cargo) is added onto the tow vehicle.

I disagree that you must have a 3/4 ton truck. Many 1/2 ton trucks have a towing capacity of ~12,000 lbs.

The reason you might need a 3/4 ton truck would be if you carry several passengers and heavy stuff in the truck bed while towing.

I tow my 34' trailer with a 1/2 ton truck.

The way a truck is equipped determines its towing capacity. Engine size, transmission type, bed/cab size, and gear ratio are the main elements that determine the truck's ability to tow.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

How crazy do you want to get each time you load up for a trip? Do you want to head over to the CAT s scale each time to be sure you are "in spec?". How much does being "over weight" worry you?

There are a lot of folks who very obviously are driving down the road in grossly overloaded vehicles. They apparently are not quickly killed off from doing this. Indeed I have run a bit over the limit from time to time. I also have blown out transmissions in odd parts of the country as a result.

The numbers and math on towing get very crazy very fast. Each axle (trailer or tow vehicle) has a weight limit. A CAT scale will tell you what's what in that regard. All tow vehicles have a weight rating for the combination of loaded trailer plus loaded tow vehicle. Things like brakes become an issue as you approach that number.

Montana has a speed limit of 80 MPH on some roads and 70 MHP on a lot of roads. Its not the only state with those sort of limits. Driving 50 MPH when the "other guy" is driving 85 or 90 probably is not the safest thing to do. To me, the era of having a trailer that maxes out at 60 MPH appears to be long gone. A somewhat higher (though not 85 MPH) target would seem to be a good idea.

How far do you plan on driving each day? If you never go more than 100 miles a day, a "white knuckle" tow process likely is fine. If you plan on 600 to 900 miles a day (as some seem to do), the towing process better be pretty effortless.

How much do you tow above 12,000 feet? You can go coast to coast by any number of routes and stay way below that limit. You also can easily point to a number of roads that are above that number. If you will spend a lot of time towing on those roads, then optimizing for them makes sense. If 99.99% of your use is below 6,000 feet then maybe not so much. ( One hint - none of the successful US transcontinental railroads took the "high road". The only one that came close went broke pretty quick).

How much stuff do you bring along? Do you plan on a generator? If so is it in the 160 lb plus gas range or in the 40 lb range? Do you have a full set of tools along? (if so there's about 200 to 400 pounds). Do you have E-bikes / boats / ... again another couple hundred pounds. Motorcycles .... yikes ....

Do you mostly travel as a couple or do you go past that on occasion? If so, how much stuff will there be with the others along on the trip? The setup has to work in whatever the max load condition is. Most of the time is not the target in this case.

Yes, this just goes on and on ....

Bob

[Reid]

Originally Posted by jeffmc306

Reid, pardon the question but I think you misstated the payload for an F150. If Ford can deliver 3200 lbs payload on an F150 there wouldn’t sell many F250-350’s. Please post the door sticker if this is really true.

https://www.ford.com/cmslibs/content...F150_Oct25.pdf

Hey Jeff. I know it seems crazy that it can handle that much but the 3.5 ecoboost can do it. Everyone is correct that if you are carrying a lot of luggage or a lot of people you could exceed the 3200 payload capacity. But with a roughly 1000 pound tongue weight it would take 2200 pounds of people and supplies to do so. I treat these maxes as within the limits of the truck so it won’t cause excessive engine wear.

[Daquenzer]

I mean you would think we are all going to die who don’t drive a 3/4 ton diesel.

[waninae39]

AS recommends the TV to weigh at least 1.5 times the AS weight for safe towing

[SteveSueMac]

Originally Posted by waninae39

AS recommends the TV to weigh at least 1.5 times the AS weight for safe towing

Where do they recommend that? My 3/4T diesel (already larger than needed for the job) comes in at about 8200# loaded for camping and the max for my 27FB is 7600#. What TV weighs 11,500#??

I’ve never heard AS say the TV needs to be 1.5X the trailer weight - is it in your manual?

I’m not trading in my behemoth for something bigger [emoji3]

[Profxd]

I’ve never heard of that Airstream recommendation. Trailer to TV weight ratio can help with stability but that one is not very practical. The main reason it works is because heavier longer trailers will likely have higher yaw inertia then a lighter one. Heavier TW will have a greater influence on TV handling.