Our tow vehicle?

[Ourving]

Hi all, I'm a new member and my wife and I are looking to jump in with both feet this next year. We want to get into a Flying Cloud 30' with a GVWR of 8800 lbs. My question: Does anyone have experience towing with a Ford F150 Ecoboost? Ours is a crew cab 4x4 with 3.73 rear end and tow package. We like our truck and would prefer to keep it. Thank you all for your advice. We will have many more questions for you Airstream sages.

[SteveSueMac]

Welcome!


I don't have the experience you're looking for. What does your Ford user manual say about towing, tongue and payload capacity with a weight distributing hitch? That would be a fairly definitive view (at least for starters - and then we'll all share our wild and deeply held opinions with you for free :-) ).

Good luck and have fun here!

[SCOTTinNJ]

What is the payload capacity as listed on the door sticker of YOUR actual truck?

Per this you should be able to tow at least 9600 lbs, so you are good there. Assuming you have a 2014. I haven't checked other years.

http://www.ford.com/resources/ford/g...F150_Sep11.pdf

[Ourving]

Great! Thank you both.

[SCOTTinNJ]

There's more to towing than the tow rating. You should check the payload capacity of YOUR truck. Add up the tongue weight of the Airstream and the weight of cargo (including people) and see if that is under the payload capacity.

[ghaynes755]

Lots of information here on the forum. Lots of opinions on hitches and tow weights. I look at this as a two part question/answer? Will the truck be able to tow the trailer (GVWR and hitch weight)? Once hooked up what useful load will be left to put in the bed of the pickup (Rear axle weight limit and overall tow vehicle max weight).

I had a 2014 GMC Sierra 1500. Question 1 was easy. All the numbers worked and it towed fine. Question 2 failed. Two passengers and the dog left 80# usable for the bed of the pickup. Made it useless.

Using typical weights, weights in the marketing materials, etc will only get you close. Take your current rig outfitted with people and stuff that you will take camping and get it weighed at a CAT scale. Each axle on a different platform. Cost is the best $10 you will spend. That will give a good starting point and give you a better idea of what will happen when you add 800#'s or so of tongue weight.

[SCOTTinNJ]

Originally Posted by ghaynes755

Lots of information here on the forum. Lots of opinions on hitches and tow weights. I look at this as a two part question/answer? Will the truck be able to tow the trailer (GVWR and hitch weight)? Once hooked up what useful load will be left to put in the bed of the pickup (Rear axle weight limit and overall tow vehicle max weight).

I had a 2014 GMC Sierra 1500. Question 1 was easy. All the numbers worked and it towed fine. Question 2 failed. Two passengers and the dog left 80# usable for the bed of the pickup. Made it useless.

Using typical weights, weights in the marketing materials, etc will only get you close. Take your current rig outfitted with people and stuff that you will take camping and get it weighed at a CAT scale. Each axle on a different platform. Cost is the best $10 you will spend. That will give a good starting point and give you a better idea of what will happen when you add 800#'s or so of tongue weight.

In my short time looking at vehicles for towing I have found that question 2 is the tougher of the two to figure out from marketing materials. You really need to look at the door sticker of the vehicle you are evaluating as they vary depending on the options.

Question 1 is ruled by marketing and can be found rather easily.

[kamadeca]

Hi there,

We have a 2012 F150 EcoBoost Crew Cab with the 6.5 box. We just picked up our new 30 International Serenity and towed it back from Ontario to Saskatchewan through northern Ontario. Lots of steep hills both up and down and then a good 50-60 km headwind across Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

Absolutely love the combination. The truck performs flawlessly, easily towing the Serenity under all conditions.

At the risk of being "flamed" and starting yet another war on towing and tow vehicles, I look at published numbers from manufacturers as guidelines not limits. Most of these numbers are established by lawyers and the marketing department and not by engineers.

[Airrogant]

I don't have experience with your TV.

It is all about payload. First the advertised tongue weight of AS trailers is notoriously low. Second if you travel with lots of other people and stuff you'll quickly exceed your payload number.

You can probably make it work if you travel light. If not you'll need to be comfortable with bending the rules.

[BoldAdventure]

Originally Posted by SCOTTinNJ

In my short time looking at vehicles for towing I have found that question 2 is the tougher of the two to figure out from marketing materials. You really need to look at the door sticker of the vehicle you are evaluating as they vary depending on the options.

Question 1 is ruled by marketing and can be found rather easily.

Number 2 is the hardest, because whose to say or even know how much their stuff will weight, let alone how much stuff you will have/need.

Everyone is quick to say, figure out what all your stuff weights. Well the OP stated they are getting ready to jump into an Airstream.

Maybe, like myself they don't even know what they'll put in it yet.

My TV tows my empty Airstream fine and dandy without exceeding payload.

When I go full time, should I find myself needing more truck and cannot do with less, I'll just get more truck.

So maybe an option is, to always place yourself in a position of being able to get more truck if needed.

I'm sure that's enough truck to bring your Airstream home from the dealer at least.

Where you go from there.... well that's a lot of variables. And plenty of opinions to be offered.

Just my .02 cents and personal opinion.

[RamblinManGa]

Hi from AZ. . . I DO have the experience you're looking for, at least close. We're pulling an FC 28 with our '11 Ecoboost FX4 without problem or drama. We use WD hitch set up. It all works great, and the truck gets nearly 20 mpg not towing. Trailer weighs 5950, unloaded, with 950 TW. If you put 'tow vehicle' in the Search box, you'll get hundreds of opinions, testimonials, stories. . .& Regards, welcome to the forums, Craig