1/2 ton to pull 25ft Globetrotter?

[dznf0g]

Originally Posted by thewarden

Whether your hitch components are adding to the TV receiver or adding weight to the trailer tongue really does not matter, you are still adding to the tow vehicles cargo weight. As this weight is as far forward of the axles as you can get, very little will be taken up by the axles.

Well, in this case it is 68#.

[switz]

The most important question is not whether the proposed tow vehicle can pull the trailer, but can it stop the complete rig when going down slope in the mountains if the electric brakes on the trailer fail.

Do not exceed the recommended max combined weight.....

[RedSHED]

Originally Posted by cru-in

There are several threads (one linked below) that show (due to the added distance) the PP or HA does not increase weight on the TV and may decrease it.

https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f...ger-44430.html

I generally think of a weight distributing hitch as a springy arch ... whatever is "arched" away from the pin is split roughly proportionally (not often equally) between trailer and truck. The overall system cg stays the same regardless of hitch, but wd hitches push the cg of the truck side of the equation forward and the cg on the trailer side aft - the net change in moment arm for the combination pretty much has to be zero. Even if we create a cantilevered arm from behind the trailer axles or ahead of the steering wheels, the sum of all the vectors will be zero. I'm not an ME, but this passes a sniff test.

I'm happy to change my mind, but this feels like freshman physics except for all the springs involved. Thought about replicating this with Legos, chopsticks, and rubber bands. That'd be kind of fun.

[dznf0g]

Yes, it's a beam system. A bit more complex in that it has 3 load points to the ground and a swivel connection with springs as part of the beam.
I use 50/50 for the springs and struts. It's probably not exact, but pretty close.

[Fungus]

Yesterday, we drove through moderate to light rain on mostly flat terrain, then a 25 mph crosswind with rain, then just the wind. Don’t know how high the gusts were.

2020 F-150 max tow, 2017 Intl 25FB, PP hitch, weighed rig two days earlier, trailer perfectly level.

It was not a fun drive. I slowed down to 45 mph because the steering felt squishy. I wished that I had a big Diesel engine holding down the front axle. But maybe that wouldn’t have helped.

Adverse conditions might push a less-than-ideal TV out of the comfort zone.

The June 2021 RV magazine has a guide to towing including specs on all the trucks. I haven’t read it yet. DW got to it first.

[JonDNC]

It would have today’s drive was 120 miles in a 30 to 45 mph crosswind. Towing my 27 FBQ International with the F350. Never felt any influence due to the wind, could see it it hear it but didn’t push things around.

[1StreamDream]

Originally Posted by Fungus

Yesterday, we drove through moderate to light rain on mostly flat terrain, then a 25 mph crosswind with rain, then just the wind. Don’t know how high the gusts were.

2020 F-150 max tow, 2017 Intl 25FB, PP hitch, weighed rig two days earlier, trailer perfectly level.

It was not a fun drive. I slowed down to 45 mph because the steering felt squishy. I wished that I had a big Diesel engine holding down the front axle. But maybe that wouldn’t have helped.

Adverse conditions might push a less-than-ideal TV out of the comfort zone.

The June 2021 RV magazine has a guide to towing including specs on all the trucks. I haven’t read it yet. DW got to it first.

I had a very similar experience a year back when I pulled my 25’ FC with an F150. Posting these experiences seems to draw all kinds of contradictions in the point of view, but I still think most folks would be much better off with a 3/4 ton (or 1 ton) class tow vehicle for the 25’ and up airstream trailers. Sure, you *can* tow them with 1/2 ton vehicles, but in poor conditions it’s a white knuckle, elevated stress experience. That’s really the only reason I added here, I’ve shared my experience in other threads. If you are an accomplished driver with good skill and experienced at towing and the dynamics that come with it, and are comfortable in otherwise uncomfortable conditions, the pure numbers based assessment will support your view that 1/2 ton is enough, but my experience is the real world conditions make the 3/4 ton class vehicles the better choice. That’s just my experience based feedback, and I realize there is a wide range of opinions but this is a safety critical decision, much more at stake than simple personal preference. Hope that helps ...

[Fungus]

Thanks for taking the time to post. Your real world experience pushes me ever further into the camp of 3/4 ton or better. I’d trade tomorrow if I could find a new F-250 or F-350 near the beautiful Cedars of Lebanon state park.

[1StreamDream]

Yea thats one more area where good fortune landed in my lap. I had that white knuckle experience last year, and ordered a new F-250, I took delivery in Dec of 2020. I happened to be at my dealer for the first service interval (simple oil change, mine is a gas engine) and the lot was a ghost town, only a handful of USED trucks sitting there. They are not a huge volume truck dealer, but normally have a good selection, more 150 than 250 but always some around ... not now. This marketplace for RV is pure chaos ... hard to get trailers OR tow vehicles ... I am thankful I already have what I want, and thankful I made the decision to upgrade early enough that I avoided this current market condition. Wish you the best of luck searching, hopefully this is only a few months before the supply returns to decent levels.

[GettinAway]

Just makes me think something may not be right in your set up. I switched to Bilstein shocks, went to 10 ply tires, and added a Roadmaster Active Suspension and I’ve been through some crazy winds going out across Kansas and coming back across Oklahoma. I certainly can feel the wind, but it’s not a lot more than I feel when I’m not hooked up to the trailer. Just something to think about before you lay out the $$$ for a new truck.

[Fungus]

The combination of rain and wind made me slow down. I never felt that I had any sway just the squishy steering.

Nearly full water because we were unsure of water usage and availability but I’m dumping that for the next 10 days. Waste tanks at 20%.

I’m moving all the cargo except the generator (which I should have left at home) to the trailer. The only reason I brought it was because we boondocked for two nights, and the fridge was not running on propane. Fridge started behaving after restarting it 10 or so times.

Front wheel-well within 1/4 inch of unhitched. 7.5 inches on the WD jacks and highest hole. Two washers in the tilt. Trailer is perfectly level. Trailer rear axle heavier than front axle.

Should trailer be slightly nose down?

Scale weights:
1. WD activated
A. TV front: 3200
B. TV rear: 3780
C. Trailer: 6000
2. WD deactivated
A. TV front: 2800
B. TV rear: 4300
C. Trailer: 5860
3. TV only
A. Front: 3260
B. Rear: 2660
4. Trailer only
A. Front: 2580
B. Rear: 3300
5. TV GVWR: 7000
6. TV weight with trailer: 6980 (too close)
7. Trailer GVWR: 7300
8. Trailer weight: 7060
9. Tongue weight: 1180, 17%