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Old 03-13-2016, 08:16 AM   #161
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They are self adjusting, the dealer adjusted them and then told me not to apply the brake when backing or it would go back to what it was. Well you know where it is today.
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Old 03-13-2016, 08:21 AM   #162
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I was under the impression that the 2015 wide body trailers have self adjusting drum brakes. The 23D seems to be an Airstream loss leader where cost cutting is evident everywhere. We are converting to auto adjust 10" drum brakes along with complete sets of new Timken wheel bearings in May.

Andy at CanAm adjusted the brake settings on the Tekonsha RF brake control system and there is plenty of stopping power
and can lock the 15" Michelin LTX (P) 235/75R15 XL tires mounted on the SenDel T03-56545T wheels. This system gets the brake power from their black box that has the trailer umbilical cord plug into it while it plugs into the 2007 Mercedes ML320,CDI. The brake power is direct from the trailer battery as no brake signal or power comes from the tow vehicle wiring as the wiring was not properly factory installed in the first three or four months of the 2007 model year production..
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Old 03-13-2016, 08:22 AM   #163
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Our Bambi will not lock up brakes on pavement for the most part. If the roads are wet or sandy it can be coaxed to do so but otherwise no way!
Just for the record, even after I found that rust had allowed grease to leak past the seals and Dexter sent me all new braking parts, including drums, it still didn't lock wheels. When you see how the brakes work, it is understandable.
I'm sure that a disc brake equipped Airstream is another story altogether...
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Old 03-13-2016, 09:03 AM   #164
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My trip yesterday to look at dealer inventory presented two choices for 3.5 ecoboost with reasonable payload in an xlt with the 302a option package. A super cab with 6.5' bed and 2010 lbs cargo capacity but with the standard 23 gal fuel tank. Or a super crew with 5.5' bed but 36 gallon tank but less cargo capacity at 1790 lbs. Since this is a daily driver we already decided not to jump up to the f250. And evidently at this point time Ford is not taking orders on the xlt super crew with HD payload package, but will take an order on the super cab with 8' bed, but we'd rather not have that longer wheelbase, or be limited to the 301a option package. Seems there are always trade-offs, but realistically I think we can make either of the in stock options work with our goal of getting a FC 27FB.
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Old 03-13-2016, 09:27 AM   #165
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Get the Super Crew with bigger fuel tank. 1,700# payload is still good.


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Old 03-13-2016, 10:16 AM   #166
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Originally Posted by DC Bruce View Post
I'm wondering if you have your trailer brakes adjusted correctly. I've pulled my FC 27 over the same route and the full length of the PCH and have never had an issue with overheating brakes. Granted, the larger 6.2 engine in my 2015 Sierra may provide more engine braking than the 3.5 engine in the Ford, but I can't believe that accounts for our different experiences (or that the Ford's brakes are so inferior, if at all). Iv
I have driven my 2012 EcoBoost over three years pulling our 30' International.
Every Summer we are driving through the Rockies. My wife loves Colorado. Never had a performance issue with the truck, uphill or downhill. I don't care what you drive descending down a steep grade one has to be measured and careful. Will a F-250 Diesel give you more braking power, yes it will, however for those few hours a season that I need to be patient going down hill with the F-150 I can not justify the additional cost of initial purchase and the additional operating cost, not to mention the stiffer ride. As I posted previously, a F-350 will give you even more braking power, and pulling your trailer, any size, with a Volvo Semi tractor you can go down hill 80 mph. Whatever floats your boat.
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Old 03-13-2016, 10:40 AM   #167
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same feeling here. I live in the Canadian roockies and we have some of the biggest/pass in north America.

My F150 as never had a issue with braking on those but when I pull my airstream, I m in vacation and not in a hurry, I have no issue staying in the slow lane, using engine braking to not let the speed go up and feather the brake of the trailer to slow down the total rig....I rarely have to use the truck brake at all. I also feel like I m often following the same pace as the commercial 18 wheelers.....slow and relax in those passes!

If I was in a rush and wanted to keep up with cars traffic...yep, I m sure braking would become a issue.
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Old 03-16-2016, 10:13 AM   #168
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2016 Ford F150 vs F250

I found a great video review comparing pickup trucks featuring the Ford F-150 on You Tube titled

2015 Ford F-150 3.5L Ecoboost Platinum 4x4 Pickup Truck Review in 4K!

The guy does a really good job going through features and capabilities. The payload is really the big difference between truck class but see below. At one point (5:39), he compares towing and payload to competition and 3/4 ton trucks:

1/2 ton limits 2015 (max equipped)
payload
3300# Ford
2120# GM
1910# RAM
3/4 ton payload (competition)
RAM 2500 3970#
Silverado 2500 3760#

I also finished watching the mountain Gauntlet run videos and some interesting data was shared regarding braking on the different models. One of the best self- braking (holding to speed) was the 2.7 Eco- go figure. The worst was the GM 6.2 8spd.-12 times the brakes had to be used to slow the tow down to speed limit.
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Old 03-16-2016, 12:26 PM   #169
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Love me some TFL Truck!


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Old 03-16-2016, 10:51 PM   #170
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rodsterinfl View Post
I found a great video review comparing pickup trucks featuring the Ford F-150 on You Tube titled

2015 Ford F-150 3.5L Ecoboost Platinum 4x4 Pickup Truck Review in 4K!

The guy does a really good job going through features and capabilities. The payload is really the big difference between truck class but see below. At one point (5:39), he compares towing and payload to competition and 3/4 ton trucks:

1/2 ton limits 2015 (max equipped)
payload
3300# Ford
2120# GM
1910# RAM
3/4 ton payload (competition)
RAM 2500 3970#
Silverado 2500 3760#

I also finished watching the mountain Gauntlet run videos and some interesting data was shared regarding braking on the different models. One of the best self- braking (holding to speed) was the 2.7 Eco- go figure. The worst was the GM 6.2 8spd.-12 times the brakes had to be used to slow the tow down to speed limit.
Hey, to each his own opinion....I love the EB except as mentioned....I do think Switz is correct about displacement being key in engine braking. I will keep an eye on 6.2...you really don't know how the Chevy in those videos was set up with gearing/tow mode... I saw the early EB video's which is why I have one...but owning/living is the real world for me... Good to see everyone tuned in...hope some real world owners can chime in here, vs the youtubs...
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Old 03-16-2016, 11:38 PM   #171
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As the owner of a 2015 GMC Sierra 1500 with the 6.2 and the max tow package, I know there are two huge problems with the TFL truck video. First, their test truck was not equipped with the towing rear axle and, more importantly, they didn't use the grade braking system correctly. While it's true that the "grade logic" system will activate engine braking to some degree on steep downhills, proper use requires engaging speed control, which TFLT says it never does. If you engage speed control, the transmission will start to gear down once vehicle speed exceeds the set speed by about 4 mph. If vehicle speed continues to increase, the transmission will continue to downshift, even spinning the engine over 4,000 rpm until the truck stops accelerating. The standard "hill descent control" alone is not nearly as aggressive in limiting vehicle speed.
So the TFLT "test" of that truck is pretty meaningless as it pertains to effectiveness of engine braking. BTW, if you apply the service brakes while engine braking is activated by the speed control, the speed control disengages but the aggressive engine braking does not until you apply the throttle.
I've never driven the Ford so I can't say it's better or worse than the GMC. But I've towed my FC 27 with this truck nearly 23,000 miles across country and all over the West, so I'm pretty familiar with how this truck works. I've never gotten the service brakes hot enough to even smell much less fade and I've been on grades far steeper than the 6% maximum specified for Interstate highways. Sure, I'm not saying I never use the service brakes. However, unless I can see that the end of the downgrade is close, I apply service brakes when vehicle speed goes over 65 and the rig is still accelerating (assuming the road is straight).
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Old 03-17-2016, 03:20 AM   #172
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Same with the Tundra video-
They used a TRD Pro 4 wheel drive-
Likely the least towing capable Tundra-
I still enjoy TFL videos, though.


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Old 03-17-2016, 12:06 PM   #173
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DC Bruce View Post
As the owner of a 2015 GMC Sierra 1500 with the 6.2 and the max tow package, I know there are two huge problems with the TFL truck video. First, their test truck was not equipped with the towing rear axle and, more importantly, they didn't use the grade braking system correctly. While it's true that the "grade logic" system will activate engine braking to some degree on steep downhills, proper use requires engaging speed control, which TFLT says it never does. If you engage speed control, the transmission will start to gear down once vehicle speed exceeds the set speed by about 4 mph. If vehicle speed continues to increase, the transmission will continue to downshift, even spinning the engine over 4,000 rpm until the truck stops accelerating. The standard "hill descent control" alone is not nearly as aggressive in limiting vehicle speed.
So the TFLT "test" of that truck is pretty meaningless as it pertains to effectiveness of engine braking. BTW, if you apply the service brakes while engine braking is activated by the speed control, the speed control disengages but the aggressive engine braking does not until you apply the throttle.
I've never driven the Ford so I can't say it's better or worse than the GMC. But I've towed my FC 27 with this truck nearly 23,000 miles across country and all over the West, so I'm pretty familiar with how this truck works. I've never gotten the service brakes hot enough to even smell much less fade and I've been on grades far steeper than the 6% maximum specified for Interstate highways. Sure, I'm not saying I never use the service brakes. However, unless I can see that the end of the downgrade is close, I apply service brakes when vehicle speed goes over 65 and the rig is still accelerating (assuming the road is straight).
Good input; thanks for your experience...6.2 looking better
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Old 03-22-2016, 05:12 AM   #174
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You are correct on the trucks not having the best setup options for their tests. The 3.5 ecoboost tested has a 3.31 rear in their test which means the truck tested did not have the max tow package; however, I learned some details for comparison. One thing I have mentioned over and over in the threads for truck shoppers is about the gearing and RPMs at speed of the various brands- it has a lot to do with what the tow experience will be like. It cannot be overlooked.

When someone shares about how much better they like towing with a diesel what qualifies that is really all that torque more than any other factor. I considered the Ram Diesel myself but was steered away from it by the manager for my AS payload- the payload rating was 1200# with max setup. Because of the technologies being implemented in the various engines they have to be geared differently. GMs need higher RPMs to get at their power due to push rod and other design factors. In the other 1/2 tons currently offered here is a tidbit of info based on the manufacturers own specs:

At 70 mph, what percentage of torque is available without shifting?

GM/Chevy- 40% (5.3 & 6.2/3.42)
Ram - 48% (5.7L/3.92)
Ford - 72% (3.5L/3.55)

These figures say a lot about what will happen while towing on hills, mountains, flat ground passes, etc.

As far as payload goes:

https://youtu.be/zYvNVmty7LM

The guy does a really good job going through features and capabilities. The payload is really the big difference between truck class but see below. At one point (5:39), he compares towing and payload to competition even between 1/2 ton and 3/4 ton trucks:

I too would think that the displacement would impact braking but the exact opposite was found in their runs, the smallest engine had the best braking. If you watch the vids, there are 3-4, you really get an overview of the various trucks in mountain driving- though not configured to their best, it still is interesting.
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Old 03-22-2016, 06:12 AM   #175
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I'm a big time diesel nut, but I wouldn't buy one with a 1200 pound payload. My trucks payload is 3500 pounds, of course it rides like a truck, because I wanted and needed that payload. But for 1200 pounds I would go gas.
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Old 08-03-2016, 07:33 AM   #176
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Ford150 vs F250

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Originally Posted by fran&frank View Post
Just looked at an Ford F150 XLT extended cab with 5 L engine and the comparable F250 with 6.2 L engine. F150 had a cargo capacity of 2000 lbs, F250 2900. What do you think about the capabilities of the F150 for towing a 25 or 27' AS? It has the payload capacity but what about the 5 L engine? The attractive part of the F150 would be its gas mileage for daily driving. Coincidentally sticker price if around 44,000 for each.
What did you decide to get?
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Old 08-03-2016, 08:37 AM   #177
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Did you look at the 2017 F250?
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Old 08-03-2016, 04:54 PM   #178
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What did you decide to get?
Good question Zak. So, FranklyFrank, now with all this bestowed wisdom, what did you go for?

It really comes down to if you need it for a daily driver, what the payload requirements are. I have one vehicle aside from a scooter so I want the car-like easier to park rendition of a truck but I completely understand there is a purpose for for bigger oil burners.
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Old 08-07-2016, 11:44 AM   #179
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Don't let the gas mileage decide for you. I have a 2012 F250 cc 4x4 with the 6.2 and the unloaded gas mileage is 13.5 and 12 dragging the 25 ft. Classic. Hardly ever commute in it and always wondered if a F150 with the 5.0 would be better mpg. Well I just retired from my lineman career and got recruited to work for Google Fiber. Guess what trucks they have to tool around in? F150 cc 2 WD with the 5.0 engines. And the mileage is a whopping 13.5 empty driving around town. Makes me very pleased with my 6.2 and the extra capacity and stuff that comes with it. Just saying...
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Old 08-07-2016, 03:08 PM   #180
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Amp man, that's as good as my 4x4 4.6 f150 gets.

I've been kicking around the idea of locking hubs for the front axle.

Has anyone ever tried this, and does it improve mpg much?
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