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Old 03-14-2018, 06:19 PM   #1
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25 FB and Ford F150 3.5 eco with 3.31 or 3.55

Hi all,

We bought our first AS! It's a FC 25FB (2017). I am looking at a Ford F150, 3.5 liter V6 Ecoboost. There is the 3.31 or the 3.55 with max tow package. I am thinking we will need the 3.55 axle with the max tow. Thoughts? We don't want to overbuy, yet don't want to cut it close either. Thanks!
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Old 03-14-2018, 06:26 PM   #2
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3.55 with max tow. You will need the features of the tow package like the transmission cooler and 7 pin connector
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Old 03-14-2018, 06:31 PM   #3
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Truck

Check the weights for both trucks and consider your cargo weight and passengers. The 25 footer has a pretty heavy young, but the WD hitch helps with that.
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Old 03-14-2018, 06:51 PM   #4
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I got my '17 F150 with Max Tow. With the 10-speed, non-towing RPM on the highway is still quite low and it's never lacked for grunt towing our 26U. In really good highway conditions I get a little over 20 hwy not towing (I've seen 21 averaged over long trips if I'm not in too many long 75+ mph zones) and 10-11 most of the time towing 65-68.
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Old 03-14-2018, 06:53 PM   #5
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Oh and get the tow mirrors... I *LOVE* the big towing mirrors, whether I'm towing or not. Pulled in close and adjusted properly they eliminate blind spots, and extended they give a decent view past the trailer.
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Old 03-15-2018, 06:46 AM   #6
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This is always a slippery topic, but please look at the payload. As has been previously pointed out, you have a pretty heavy tongue weight on that trailer. Look at the driver's door sticker that shows the payload capacity of the truck. Subtract from that the tongue weight, your weight and that of passengers and see what you have left over. If you don't carry much in the bed or back seat, you may be okay. If you like to carry generators, water, chairs, etc., then you might want to look at a bigger truck.
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Old 03-15-2018, 08:10 AM   #7
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I would second the tow mirrors advice. I place them in the "gotta have" category. The ecoboost has a lot of happy owners here on the forum. They are very good trucks. Enjoy the road. You are going to have a very good combination with your 25.
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Old 03-15-2018, 09:06 AM   #8
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The 3.55 axle ratio is a better choice than the 3.31 for towing. My Expedition also has the 3.5 EcoBoost, but with s 3.73 limited slip.
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Old 03-15-2018, 10:03 AM   #9
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Payload will be the issue. I haven't paid attention to max Cargo WR for aluminum F150s but here is what happened to me:

We have a 2014 FC25FB twin with factory solar (52 lb. Lifeline batteries). The tongue weight is 1252 lbs. loaded for a three week trip and with an Andersen hitch (less than 60 lbs.), and about 75% propane and 50% water. Add about 7 lbs. for the missing propane. Add 150 lbs. for the missing water, but most of that would be on the axles. The 1252 lb weight is from the Airstream production line scale—I had them weight it while I was there for warranty work.

My first TV was a 2013 F-150: Steer GAWR 3,900, Drive GAWR 4,050, GVWR 7,700, Max Trailer WR 11,300, GCWR 16,900, and Cargo WR 2,000. I know these numbers don’t exactly “add up”, but they are what Ford quoted. This truck had 3.73 axles.

My first hitch was an Andersen that I switched to a Blue Ox with 1500 lb. bars. Certified scale weights are shown here:

Unhitched: Steer 3,500, Drive 3,340
Andersen Hitch: Steer 3,120, Drive 4,900, Trailer 5,600
Blue Ox Hitch, 1,500 lb. bars, zero links showing: Steer 3,500, Drive 4,140, Trailer 5,860

As can be seen the drive axle was over loaded with either hitch. I could have lived with 100 lbs. over with the Blue Ox however the trailer ride was apparently smooth with the Andersen but I think the Blue Ox setup would have shaken it apart.

The Ford was a great truck but there just wasn’t enough of it. I traded for a 2016 GMC 2500 Duramax and reinstalled my Andersen hitch. Nothing is over loaded.

We have been to Alaska and back and throughout Newfoundland (the worst roads in Canada in my opinion) with this rig with no interior damage and minimal cargo rearrangement.
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Old 03-15-2018, 10:08 AM   #10
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Don't travel with your anvil collection in the bed of the truck and you may be OK. Weigh the trailer. Load smart.

I have a hard tri-fold tonneau and I'm a fat guy, we have a 60-lb dog and my partner's no dainty skinny thing either. Our 26U has real-world tongue weight around 920 lb loaded for travel (full fresh water and all) and my non-HD-payload Supercrew Lariat 502A is under rated weight across the CAT scales. Tailgate step and bed-side steps and 4x4.

If we were half-timing or more, I'd want to carry more crap with us every trip and would probably buy a 1-ton. By the time that's a real option for us, either I'll have won a lotto (and therefore swapping trucks won't be a significant expense) or I'll have run through my 8-10 years on this truck and be ready for a shiny new toy anyway.

Definitely consider how you're going to use it during its service life and "do the numbers" but if your use case makes a well-configured half-ton viable and that's what you want, go for it.
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Old 03-15-2018, 10:23 AM   #11
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We have a 2015 FB 25 FC. the tongue weight with water and propane was 1300 lbs. Too much for our expedition also with cargo. No way. Consider that the weight distribution did not help that much with tongue weight.
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Old 03-15-2018, 10:57 AM   #12
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1250 and 1300 lb tongue weight in 25' trailers? Those are some heavy mattresses!!
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Old 03-15-2018, 12:07 PM   #13
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Thumbs up F150 eco

We have a 28’ 1978 ambassador 7200 lb and tow with 2011 f150 3.5 eco boost
Long bed full tow package 12000 lb towing, truck and trailer handle great with 10to12 mpg.without trailer I get 15 to 16 mpg . Eco boost engine is very strong for a 6 cylinder eng love it ,enjoy your trips
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Old 03-15-2018, 12:10 PM   #14
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Guaranteed more responses after this one but hey, here's my experience. We had a '15 F150 with tow package and 3:31 rear. Towed our Flying Cloud 25 rear twins.

Now have a '17 F250.

Like towing with the F250 much more than the F150.

thanks!
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Old 03-15-2018, 12:22 PM   #15
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More thoughts on GVWR/TW and hitches

Thanks to BillfromWI for the detail info about TV/AS trip to the scale.
Different ratings for GVWR and Axle ratings are common in truck specs.
Axle ratings depend on axel strength, bearings, and wheel and tire ratings.
GWWR includes all of these and several more things, like frame and brakes.

Each rating is independent and must be met for SAFE and LEGAL operation.
Even 100 lbs of overload is enough to get warrantee department and lawyers in a bad mood. Be safe: overkill in TV is not very expensive up front and very cheap in the long run.

I, too, had a less than perfect experience with a ½ tone truck as TV. After loading a motorcycle, generator, tools, people, fuel and TW, I was at the ragged edge of GVWR.
So I bought a Chevy 2500HD Duramax Diesel for more capacity and confidence.

BTW BillfromWI, was the Anderson hitch not adjustable for better forward bias of TW?

I agree that a scale is the best way to know the details, but there is another way to ‘guesstimate’ steer axel load. Measure the fender height at front and rear wheel opening when not loaded or towing. Then if your front clearance when loaded and hitched is greater than when unloaded, you have a problem. Poor steering control and handling because of reduced weight on steering axle. BOTH fender clearances should be less than when unloaded. This is only a GUESTIMATE! A starting point! The scale is the real answer.

Save travels.
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Old 03-15-2018, 12:32 PM   #16
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Please note that all of the storage is in the front lockers, inside and outside are under the twin beds. Also the location of tanks and solar batteries. So before your sarcastic response, if you read all of the 25 FB notes, tongue weight far exceed quoted factory numbers. Why do people have to use sarcasm in their responses to people who are trying to be helpful. This is why I limit my reading on airforums
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Old 03-15-2018, 01:45 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jamlarcara View Post
Hi all,

We bought our first AS! It's a FC 25FB (2017). I am looking at a Ford F150, 3.5 liter V6 Ecoboost. There is the 3.31 or the 3.55 with max tow package. I am thinking we will need the 3.55 axle with the max tow. Thoughts? We don't want to overbuy, yet don't want to cut it close either. Thanks!
I tow my 2018 25 FC RB with a a 2015 F150 with a 3.31 electronic locking rear axle, a 7000# GVWR package, and the trailer tow package. It does just fine. I drove cross country and was able to go 80 mph and pass semis with no problem. With the 3.55 you should do even better. Just make sure you get a good weight distribution and sway control hitch setup. I use the Equalizer 4 point sway control hitch and it does a great job.
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Old 03-15-2018, 05:58 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cegardner View Post
We have a 2015 FB 25 FC. the tongue weight with water and propane was 1300 lbs. Too much for our expedition also with cargo. No way. Consider that the weight distribution did not help that much with tongue weight.

That doesn't seem correct. Our 30' Classic fully loaded LP has a tongue
weight of 1040 lbs.
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Old 03-17-2018, 05:07 PM   #19
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F-150 eco 4x4

We have a F150 ecob traveled 8,000 mi last year. Our trip gauge was on from the time we left til back home.Gone for 5 months, 8,300mi. 1,300 gal of gas, 489 hours of drive time, 13.6 mpg. avg. F-150 is a wonderful vehicle plus when you unhook it's 20mpg and drives like a car with a 6'6" clearance for parking garages. Going up the Rockies I didn't have to use the right lane if I got behind a slow truck and needed to pass, plus the 36 gallon gas tank is also awesome. Have fun with whatever you decide.
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Old 03-17-2018, 06:14 PM   #20
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Max tow way to go

I pull a 2006 25ft. safari se/ls with 2016 3.5 eco boost max tow. Eco beast almost 12 m.p.g. power and stopping never an issue.
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