Towing 27FB Globetrotter with Mercedes GL450

[KevinFH]

Originally Posted by Andrew T

Hi Kevin

I can try and help you out here.

What people often do is look at the payload number and go its 1394 pounds I have 1000 pounds of hitch weight I can only carry another 394 pounds.

Payload numbers refer to a truck that is not towing. If you were to load the bed of your truck all the weight would wind up on the rear axle and depending how you loaded it you could possibly even lighten the front axle. In this state the truck actually becomes fairly unstable in an evasive maneuver. Your rear axle capacity is 3800 pounds, your truck empty is likely around 2400 on the rear axle hence the 1400 pounds of load capacity. The Automaker cannot count on you being able to transfer weight to the front axle which is understandable. Also few people actually have their hitch set up to be able to do that. If you are transferring weight properly 250 pounds of the hitch weight will go to the front axle, 250 to the trailer axle and 500 to the rear axle. You only use 500 pounds of your load capacity on for the trailer hitch weight leaving you 894 pounds of additional payload.

Having said that if you want pickups and commercial vans on the road you will see thousands that are obviously well over their rear axle capacity. A truck does't have to sink very far to exceed it. However you never see trucks broken down at the side of the road with broken axles etc etc. So don't be concerned about durability of the axle and suspension components the determining factor is handling stability in an emergency maneuver.

So numbers do matter its just all of them do, weight numbers are nice easy spec to measure and access so we get a feeling of comfort with them. However there are other numbers that are often more important just harder to measure. Center of gravity, width of suspension stance, wheelbase to overhang ratio. Then there are other factors such as steering precision, shock control and how it relates to spring rates. Then if you want that suspension to work well you look at the torsional stiffness of the body structure and the list goes on.

So when someone tells you your F150 is not large enough for your Airstream and they site the payload number as the reason they are focusing in on one number. They are ignoring all the other factors that are much more important.

From your numbers it looks like your hitch is set up pretty well but you could move a little more weight to the front axle, I think it is around 3300 without the trailer. If it helps feel free to send me an email andy@canamrv.ca and I can send you the files that explain how to configure your hitch correctly.

Thanks Andy: The other mitigating factors like the frame and shocks are things I know little about (like most people here). Next time I weigh, I'll also get the truck with no trailer.

I dout my front end is 3300 without the trailer (but the 3.0L engine is 400lbs more than a 3.5EB). I worked very hard to get the TV/trailer level and setup the torsion bars such that tightening the torsion bars took a fair amount of oomph from this old man.

The truck specifications are provided on the sticker include a full load of fuel, so that is how I weighed her.

So, when I go to the scales loaded, I won't worry too much about the 300 or 400lbs over payload. Generator 100lbs, Cooler: 25lbs, Telescope and camera stuff: 100lbs

I retire in 12 more working days. Going to AK next summer. We'll see if the F-150 can handle the load going from FL to AK and back (the long way).

Thanks

[KK4YZ]

Originally Posted by jeffmc306

Jim & Dan,

Thanks for noticing the "2020 Retirement Plan"! I'll have 36 years with the company and my DW and I plan to make good use of the Airstream.

Looking forward to joining all the rest who paid their dues and enjoying the time off.

-Jeff & Caryle McCaffrey

👍 Consider getting on a caravan that would interest you. We did and it was a great experience. Made a lot of new friends as well.
Jim

[KK4YZ]

Originally Posted by KevinFH

Thanks Andy:

I retire in 12 more working days. Going to AK next summer. We'll see if the F-150 can handle the load going from FL to AK and back (the long way).

Thanks

“....12 days, 4 hours, 3 minutes and 42 sec. But who’s counting?” 😀

Congrats to you!

[Andrew T]

Originally Posted by KK4YZ

“....12 days, 4 hours, 3 minutes and 42 sec. But who’s counting?” [emoji3]



Congrats to you!

Lots of others have done Alaska with F150’s so I’m sure you will be fine. In the 80’s plenty towed to Alaska with 155 Horsepower Chev Caprice sedans so its not that tough.

[KK4YZ]

Originally Posted by Andrew T

Lots of others have done Alaska with F150’s so I’m sure you will be fine. In the 80’s plenty towed to Alaska with 155 Horsepower Chev Caprice sedans so its not that tough.

We’ve thought about the Alaska trip as well. Our main concern is damage to the AS from the rough roads. Are our concerns valid or are we being too cautious?
Sorry for getting off topic

[AShar]

Hi BruBen,
I was in your shoes not too long ago. We own a 2019 25 FB Flying Cloud that we bought a little more than a year ago. At the time, we already had a 2012 GL450 that we loved and had put very low miles on it, just 25k, so we didn't want to get a new tow vehicle. After doing a lot of research, we decided to keep GL450 as our tow vehicle. Since then, we have traveled more than 3k miles in our AS. We just came back from a trip to Joshua Tree NP yesterday.
So here's a solution to the problem that has worked well for our situation. We take one or two monthly camping trips typically within 200 miles of where we live; for such trips, we tow with our GL. Once or twice a year, we like to go on long trips like we just did to JTNP; for such trips, we decided that we will rent an F150 from our AS dealer. This recent trip was our first long trip, 1400 miles, and our first experience towing with F150. We encountered sudden snow, went over the passes, and had some other challenging scenarios during the trip. I think the F150 handled all this without a problem. The 4x4 came handy during the sudden snowstorm, but I have to say that towing the AS back from the dealer today with GL didn't feel any different even after driving F150 for the whole last week. I can now say from my personal experience that GL450 is a very stable tow vehicle, and as long as you are willing to be a disciplined driver, you will be fine. We always try to stick to the CA towing speed limit of 55MPH. I use GL's cruise control, which is impressive as it also maintains the speed while going downhill.
I pay a lot of attention to weight distribution. I take the TV, and AS to the CAT Scales anytime I feel a difference in towing and make sure we are not exceeding the axle limits. We have an Equalizer hitch setup, and I had to learn to make minor adjustments on my own. There are excellent YouTube videos from the company.
You can follow what we did if it suits your situation. However, I must admit that I am a big fan of CanAm RV and have been reading Andy's article for a long time. I would follow his advice, and if there is a shop in LA that can reinforce the hitch, then I would do that.
I hope this helps, Good Luck!

[Andrew T]

Originally Posted by KK4YZ

We’ve thought about the Alaska trip as well. Our main concern is damage to the AS from the rough roads. Are our concerns valid or are we being too cautious?

Sorry for getting off topic

I’m in the wrong business to get there myself but we have several customers go every summer. From what they tell me most of the roads are pretty good, more frost heaves and dips than pot holes. However you can come upon construction zones that can be 50 miles of gravel.

We often make brackets for customers that bolt on the a frame and then we add 2 Zip Dee Awning brackets below the front window. When you get North of Edmonton you can stop at a lumberyard and buy a 4x8 sheet of plywood and bolt it to the brackets. This pretty much eliminates stone damage. When you get back South you unbolt it and throw it away. 5/8” plywood will be jus about worn through in spots.

Michelin P235/75R x15 XL tires ride much smoother than the ST tires so could be worth considering. Once up there you can back them down to 35 - 40 PSI. Which is plenty for 50 MPH.

Some add headlight and or grill screens, these fancy new headlights are not cheap. I joked you could cover them with industrial carpet underlay as it won’t be dark anyway.

Andy