F450 Too Much Truck for 20-25 Foot Airstream

[pdavitt]

Before everyone starts flaming me, the F450 will primarily be used as a ranch towing truck. Mainly goose-neck stock trailers, horse trailers, flatbeds, etc. I am concerned that this truck will beat up a small, 20-25 foot airstream.

Any guidance is appreciated.

Thanks,
Pat

Specifications are as follows:
2018 Ford F450 Lariat 4x4 DRW 6.7L Turbo Diesel
450 Horsepower - 925lbs Torque

Weight Information:
Gross Axle Wt Rating - Front : lbs 5990
Gross Axle Wt Rating - Rear : lbs 9900
Curb Weight - Front : lbs 4909
Curb Weight - Rear : lbs 3681
Option Weight - Front : lbs 29.00
Option Weight - Rear : lbs 19.00
Reserve Axle Capacity - Front : lbs 1052.00
Reserve Axle Capacity - Rear : lbs 6200.00
As Spec'd Curb Weight : lbs 8638.00
As Spec'd Payload : lbs 5362.00
Maximum Payload Capacity : lbs 5410.00
Gross Combined Wt Rating : lbs 41800
Gross Axle Weight Rating : lbs 15890.00
Curb Weight : lbs 8590.00
Reserve Axle Capacity : lbs 7252.00
Total Option Weight : lbs 48.00
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating : lbs 14000.00

Trailering-Hitch Receiver:
Dead Weight Hitch - Max Trailer Wt. : lbs 21000
Dead Weight Hitch - Max Tongue Wt. : lbs 2100
Wt Distributing Hitch - Max Trailer Wt. : lbs 21000
Wt Distributing Hitch - Max Tongue Wt. : lbs 2100
Maximum Trailering Capacity : lbs 21000

Gooseneck Weight Max 34,000lbs
5th Wheel Max 27,500lbs

[Dtrentr]

Look at a shocker hitch. Mine works great on my f-250

[rmkrum]

Or Airsafe system to take out some of the stiffness...

[moosetags]

I towed my 23FB and two 25FB's with my with my 2011 Silverado 3500 long bed Duramax for six years. The trailers were towed about 80,000 miles with this one ton pick-up. This truck was not quite as hefty as your F-450, but still a hard ride. I never experienced any damage to the Airstreams from the hard ride of the tow vehicle.

Brian

[pdavitt]

Thanks for the info on the Airsafe and Shocker hitch accessories. Will research them.

Pat

[BradS]

I pull a 22’ with a Dodge Ram 3500. I used to find stray robots and hardware every time I pulled it. I bought an Airsafe and it changed everything.

[Burnside Bob]

We pull our 25' FB Flying Cloud with a 2010 F350 with the optional 11,200 lb suspension. This is not as heavy as your F450, but our observations may be useful. We have not tried the Airsafe Hitch.

We have been very concerned that we are beating up our poor little trailer with the 1 ton, especially after reading so many cautionary posts here on Air Forums. But after pulling the trailer for 10,000 miles I'm not so sure.

Truck axle ratings per stickers, 5600 front, 7000 rear, total GVWR 11,200. Total cargo per sticker 3,818. PO changed out tires to a Pro-Comp tire, 3415 lb rating at 65 psi, so rear axle cargo capacity needs to be downrated 170 lbs., putting total cargo at 3,648.

To get into the details a little more, I weighed our rig after our last trip. Truck axles, trailer not connected, 4500 front, 3700 rear. Trailer connected, weight distribution hitch bars on, 4250 front, 5000 rear. Trailer axles 5700 lbs, total combined weight 14,950. Trailer tongue weight estimated at 900 lbs (forgot to do a full disconnect with only trailer jack on scale). As weighed, we had 1730 lbs unutilized cargo capacity but these weights made with full gas tank, no passenger, no dog, one trailer propane tank empty, no fresh water, partially full grey and black tanks, usual camping paraphernalia but no firewood in truck bed

Pickup ride is pretty harsh even with all camping paraphernalia. However, adding the 900 lb trailer hitch weight markedly improves ride and slightly, in my estimation, handling.

Over the 10,000 miles we have had several incidents indicating violent bouncing in trailer--two times galley faucet bounced up, turning water on and draining fresh water tank (memo to self, turn of water pump before departure--DOH!! forgot again). One time the refer door opened and a casserole and a dark chocolate cake dumped out. (Tragedy here is that casserole dish broke when it hit cake plate, showering cake with shards--it was a truly marvelous chocolate cake). Several times we have had the atlases, stored in the overhead compartment at the rear of the trailer, fly out. Granted, this latter problem has gotten worse since we added more books and they are now stacked higher than the bottom of the door.

On our most recent trip we toured the desert southwest and many of the more rural roads had multiple cattle guards, some with sunken approaches. Road surfaces were generally clean, pothole and irregularity free. On some days we had big bounces in the truck and I opened the trailer door expecting to find stuff all over only to find everything perfect. But other days, days where we felt no noteworthy bounces in the pickup, the atlases were all over.

To return to the cake incident, we were checking out a campground for a possible future trip when we drove thru a water-filled pothole at very low speed. Turned out the hole was extraordinarily deep and both truck and trailer made big lurches sideways. Unfortunately we did not check the trailer and did not discover the big mess till we pulled over for a piece of cake an hour down the road.

My current thinking is that the really big bounces/jolts the trailer gets come from the trailer suspension, not the truck's. The front of the trailer close to the hitch is always AOK. Its the back of the trailer where we see effects of a rough ride.

So I think you'll be OK. Sure, overkill on the TV, but I'm not at all convinced the TV suspension causes my problems. So if you have enough weight in your F450 to load the suspension some, I think you'll be OK.

For us, we will experiment adjusting the weight distribution hitch and maybe throwing some heavier stuff in the pick up (tow chains, hi-lift jack). Will require road trips for research; I can hardly wait.

[RandyNH]

The Airsafe is all you need, it will replace the cushion you lost with that stiff suspension.

[pdavitt]

Thanks everyone. Looks like the Airsafe may be the way to go.
Pat

[hickory]

Love my Airsafe,
Hickory

[Rgentum]

Bought a 2016 27FB. Drove from Seattle to WVA Rally & back home (9K miles). Lost interior rivets. Found microwave on floor too many times to remember. Most cushions repeatedly found on floor. Anything on countertop gravitated to floor. Etc.

Got home. Bought AirSafe (Class 5). Problem solved.

My only regret is that the combination of my AirSafe plus the Blue Ox hitch attached to it has gotta weigh over 100 lbs and is a real bitch to put in the 2.5 in hitch receiver.

BTW, AirSafe has occasional discount sales from time to time, so if you don't need one immediately, you can save $$$ by waiting for one.

[nevermoor]

I never heard of an Airsafe, so just checked it out. Read where it helps with metal fatigue from pot holes, etc. A questions to you all, I'm towing my 64 globe trotter with a 2011 F-150, primarily in the NE, pot hole capitol of the nation. Is this something to get to reduce the road wear on the trailer?

many thanks!
diane

[Melissa Lee]

[UOTE=pdavitt;2055550]Before everyone starts flaming me, the F450 will primarily be used as a ranch towing truck. Mainly goose-neck stock trailers, horse trailers, flatbeds, etc. I am concerned that this truck will beat up a small, 20-25 foot airstream.

Any guidance is appreciated.

Thanks,
Pat

Specifications are as follows:
2018 Ford F450 Lariat 4x4 DRW 6.7L Turbo Diesel
450 Horsepower - 925lbs Torque

Weight Information:
Gross Axle Wt Rating - Front : lbs 5990
Gross Axle Wt Rating - Rear : lbs 9900
Curb Weight - Front : lbs 4909
Curb Weight - Rear : lbs 3681
Option Weight - Front : lbs 29.00
Option Weight - Rear : lbs 19.00
Reserve Axle Capacity - Front : lbs 1052.00
Reserve Axle Capacity - Rear : lbs 6200.00
As Spec'd Curb Weight : lbs 8638.00
As Spec'd Payload : lbs 5362.00
Maximum Payload Capacity : lbs 5410.00
Gross Combined Wt Rating : lbs 41800
Gross Axle Weight Rating : lbs 15890.00
Curb Weight : lbs 8590.00
Reserve Axle Capacity : lbs 7252.00
Total Option Weight : lbs 48.00
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating : lbs 14000.00

Trailering-Hitch Receiver:
Dead Weight Hitch - Max Trailer Wt. : lbs 21000
Dead Weight Hitch - Max Tongue Wt. : lbs 2100
Wt Distributing Hitch - Max Trailer Wt. : lbs 21000
Wt Distributing Hitch - Max Tongue Wt. : lbs 2100
Maximum Trailering Capacity : lbs 21000

Gooseneck Weight Max 34,000lbs
5th Wheel Max 27,500lbs[/QUOTE]


Howdy: I have 3500 Dodge 4x4 diesel that is used to pull my 23 Airstream.
I have not done to much to the trailer except put a lift on it and 16'' tires.
I use a Gen-y HITCH, which has the same technology as the Dexter axle. The hitch is mounted off of the receiver just like all others, they use tourchen rubber suspension to soften the ride. The other great advantage it's very simple to change the height of the ball for other trailers.
Check it out at: WWW.Gen-y HITCH.COM It is also American made, which is a great pluss.

[airstreambob]

A few years back I looked at a 1993 21" Sovereign for sale that had been towed by its owner with a F450 with a utility body. It didn't drop the suspension on the truck at all, but he also towed with a weight distributing hitch. The A frame of the trailer tongue had battered the front wall of the trailer so badly that the aluminum body had 4" high indentations from the frame bouncing up and down. Everything forward of the axles was distorted, from the underbelly to the roof. Because of the smashed metal, water was also coming into the trailer, turning the floor into mush. Otherwise, it would have been a nice trailer, as it showed well. I passed, but often wonder who the poor person was who purchased the wreck.

Get a shock absorbing hitch!

[Airstreamer67]

The Class V AirSafe I bought in 2006 has cushioned me, my F250 and my trailers for the past 12 years without a hitch, er, problem.

No more sheared rivets, torn skin or scrambled interiors for me when going over those deteriorating roads out there.

It does make a difference, just like their website claims. And it's made to last.

[Adiredneck]

Love my AirSafe. It does just what it says it will.