25ft FBT Globetrotter - What do you tow with?

[Curran]

We just bought a 2020 25ft FBT Globetrotter! Now, we're looking at tow vehicles. We *think* we've landed on a Ford F150, with the following specs, but wondered if others with similar trailers have experience with a similarly spec'd F150 and can speak to how happy they are. I really appreciate any insight - we are BRAND NEW to this entire adventure!

Airstream
Dry Weight6,074 lbs.
Payload Capacity1,226 lbs.
GVWR7,300 lbs.
Hitch Weight882 lbs.

F150, we understand:
Payload 1830
Tow capacity 11,000
2021 4x4 Supercrew
3.5 Powerboost Hybrid
3.73 electronic lock rr axle
7350 GVWR package
trailer tow package with integrated trailer brake control

[jeffmc306]

Looks like a nicely equipped F150.

Before you sign, make sure to verify the payload on the yellow door sticker. We made the mistake of accepting the dealer’s number of 1840 lbs. payload (dealer trade) and didn’t check it at the time of purchase.

Turned out to be 1220 lbs! We took the truck and trailer (27’ GT) to the CAT Scales and found we were 100 lbs over the truck’s rear axle max. After 7 months of discussions with the dealer and FCA, they agreed to buy the truck back. The truck towed fine but occasionally felt like the tail was wagging the dog.

We now have a 3/4 ton with 2940 lbs of payload. No more anxiety of payload or getting pushed around (truck is over 1000 lbs heavier and gets the same or better mileage).

Hope the F150 works out for you!

[Last Mango]

Our 2021 F150 xlt 4x4 Supercrew 3.5 eco boost, 5.5 ft bed, max tow which includes 3.55 locking rear, oil and transmission coolers, upgraded front stabilizer bar, upgraded rear bumper, 36-gal gas tank and integrated brake controller. 19,400 GCWR, 13,900 tow cap and 1810 payload. We are lite travelers and only have a 36 lb genny, tote box with propane hoses, tools, 80lb tonneau cover plus the two of us as far as payload and of course the 1040 hitch weight and equalizer hitch. All weights were checked on cat scales which is very important. Keeps the axle weights true.
Our 25 FBT Globetrotter fully stocked, water and propane comes in at 6900-7000k. We have about 18k miles on this AS with 10k in the Rockies and rest mostly in New England. We average 11-12.5 mpg, Pulls with no problems whatsoever for us. We also are never in a hurry either going up or down. Just OUR two cents.

[Rich Anthony]

Payload is the isssue...2500 pick up truck for peace of mind. I travel light and the toung weight nearly always comes in at 1000Lbs.

[GettinAway]

We tow our 2020 25GT twin with our Toyota Tundra. I modified my Tundra to make it more capable. It pulls the 25 with ease. Many many thousands of miles all over the US. Over many mountain passes. I am more than likely at or over my payload door sticker, and modifying the truck does not change the door sticker. However, it’s like it’s on rails. I read about folks buying smaller trailers than they want because they are afraid of the door stickers. I almost feel sorry for them. It’s a choice though. Lots of folks here won’t like it if you don’t live by the door sticker. All I can tell you is that it works, and it works very well.

[Dan and Liz]

[QUOTE=jeffmc306;2665694]Looks like a nicely equipped F150.

Before you sign, make sure to verify the payload on the yellow door sticker. We made the mistake of accepting the dealer’s number of 1840 lbs. payload (dealer trade) and didn’t check it at the time of purchase.]

Critical advice here. Dealers/salesmen often know little to nothing about towing. If the payload checks out this truck should work well for you -- very pleased with ours with similar specs and older (slightly lighter) 25'.

[thewarden]

As has already been said, check the payload sticker of the particular truck you are buying. In reality, no 1/2 ton with any options at all will have anywhere near 1800 lbs of cargo capacity.

Also, in reality, the 882 lbs hitch weight advertised by AS is inaccurate. The 25' AS has a heavier tongue weight than most ASs. You will be much closer to 1100 lbs with full propane tanks and loaded for camping. With a realistic 1200-1300 payload capacity for most 1/2 tons, there is not much left for people and gear.

[uraljohn]

The towing mirrors are a stand alone option on F150's. Not included with tow package. You're going to need to upgrade to factory style tow mirrors with an 8' 6" wide AS. You can get these aftermarket and install yourself for way, way less than having Ford do it. Option is to use some kind of clip-on mirror extenders. I am not a fan of the clip-ons. Get proper towing mirrors to be safe. First time you back into a spot you will be glad you got proper mirrors.

[s1000pre]

If you’re interested, take a look at the Expediton.

Better turning radius
More bells & whistles, ours is nicely equipped, panoramic, leather, heated/cooled seats. 1,780 lbs of payload (door sticker). An f-150 with 1,780lbs won’t have leather or panoramic.
Smoother ride
8 seats if ever needed
More secure: no leaky bed or possible theft of items in the rear.
Still pulls 9k lbs.

[JeffKim]

Congratulations on the GT 25' FBT! I don't know if a SUV is on your radar, but we just bought the exact same model in a 2023 and will be towing with our Audi Q7 when we pick it up in April. Maybe a truck is in our future but we camp maybe 60 days a year and I don't want to drive a truck around for the days we are not camping. There are several other vehicles that share our chassis (including the Porche Cayenne) and there are quite a few people in this forum who tow up to 28' with this setup. It does require getting a hitch modification ($1,800) from Can-Am to tow safely. Can-Am rates these vehicles as one of the best Airstream TVs.

[Dennis C]

Congrats on your new Globetrotter! You’ve made a smart decision buying the trailer that you want first, and then shopping for the right tow vehicle.

Many people consider the 25 foot trailers to be the point where a jump from a 1/2 ton to a 3/4 ton truck makes sense. That said, many people successfully and happily tow 25 foot Airstreams with 1/2 ton trucks.

I think a properly equipped 1/2 ton can work fine, but it requires some compromises. You’ll have to load and pack very carefully. It probably won’t be ideal in mountain driving conditions, so you’ll have to plan and drive accordingly. You may not be able to bring along all the gear or people that you’d like.

I think a 3/4 ton truck would be better suited for the job, but it also requires compromises. On the good side, you can pretty much load whatever you can fit and not worry about it. It will already have towing mirrors and equipment. On the compromise side, they’re more expensive than half tons. They’re bigger and harder to park. If it’s your daily driver, you may find it impractical due to the size.

I think you need to consider the pros and cons of each and choose the one that best suits your needs.

If it were me buying a truck for a 25 foot Airstream, it would be a 3/4 ton truck. Again, this is just my opinion based on my experience with my 23 foot Airstream.

Best of luck with your decision!

[banderabob]

We tow our 25FBT with a 2017 Expedition Platinum, 3.5 ecoboost and payload capacity of 1,281. There’s only 2 of us, combined weight under 300 lbs, and worst case additional payload of maybe 400 lbs. Does wonderfully weather west Texas plains or in the Rockies. I’d rather drive this than a truck as my daily driver. So, beyond the numbers, personal choice.

[Aluminium Falcon]

Originally Posted by GettinAway

We tow our 2020 25GT twin with our Toyota Tundra. I modified my Tundra to make it more capable. It pulls the 25 with ease. Many many thousands of miles all over the US. Over many mountain passes. I am more than likely at or over my payload door sticker, and modifying the truck does not change the door sticker. However, it’s like it’s on rails. I read about folks buying smaller trailers than they want because they are afraid of the door stickers. I almost feel sorry for them. It’s a choice though. Lots of folks here won’t like it if you don’t live by the door sticker. All I can tell you is that it works, and it works very well.

As someone who tows his FC 25FB with a Dodge Durango R/T Tow N Go and a Ram 1500, I could not agree more with GettinAway.

If you are fixated on the door sticker payload, you will likely conclude that only a HD truck can tow an Airstream that is 25 feet or longer. In doing so, you will deprive yourself of a potentially very capable tow vehicle that is much more fun, comfortable and practical to drive when not towing.

The payload sticker number is only one of several factors to consider. Keep an open mind. A HD truck may or may not be for you.

[slofoks]

We had a 1966 26' Overlander which we pulled with a 1/2 ton GMC 5.3 V8. We upgraded to a 2007 25' Classic which is heavier. The 1/2 ton would pull it but overworked it in my opinion. Went to a 3/4 GMC Duramax diesel with the Anderson hitch. There is no comparison. Now it is what trailer? Uphill or down. The exhaust brake alone is a game changer on downhill runs. No more anxiety! On a recent trip to the Grand Canyon, I had to watch it to keep the rig under 70. It is that solid. Yes, there are compromises but for towing, you can't beat it. Good luck!

[Autumn94]

Congratulations on your new Globetrotter 25FBT! you have made a great choice in travel trailers and will find that the F150 that you have decided on will perform as a good tow vehicle. The payload of 1830 lbs. is a good number to work with although I would recommend that at some point you take it to the CAT scales to get weighed so you know exactly where you stand. We did just that with out 2022 Flying Cloud 25FBT and we tow it with our 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 with a payload of 1875 lbs. and found that the way we camp we were well within our truck limits. We have towed it all over the Northeast with no issues, tows like a dream.
Brest of luck and safe travels!

[mikeinca]

The various concerns about payload, checking the door jamb sticker, real world tongue weight for a 25' Globetrotter FBT, etc. have already been covered in other posts. I'll simply say that I've towed a 25' Flying Cloud RBT with an F150 EcoBoost and currently tow a 2020 25' FBT Globetrotter with an F250 diesel. IMHO, taking everything into consideration, the F250 is a better choice as a TV for that size trailer. Good luck and enjoy your new Airstream, regardless of your decision on the truck.

[superChop]

Curran - you are getting a great deal of advice on TV, which will require a lot of analysis on your part. I would recommend checking the F150’s rear axle rating. Our F150’s rear axle was rated at about 3800 lbs, with a trailer similar in weight to yours. We were several hundred over that rating and moved to a gas F250.

You do not need a diesel. They are the best towing vehicles out there, but are not required for most AS’s.

Whatever TV you decide on attempt to maximize payload and forget about max tow ability listed by the manufacturer. Payload examples permeate this forum and can be quite confusing at first. 1150 lbs payload on my brothers Tundra is an example of low Tundra ratings in that area. However, his rear axle rating is well over 4,000 lbs. A friend in my AS club purchased a diesel F250 Lariat with only 1850 lbs of payload on the sticker. That has no impact on hi decision to put a topper on the bed and carry a ton of camping stuff in his backseat and bed.

I wish we had a video of the 150+ AS’s at LYH in Melbourne, my winter home. Every type of TV is here along with all lengths of trailers. 99% love their TV, even the Tundra owners that are admittedly often way over payload.

Test drive examples of what you are interested in and then make your decision. I am sure you know that super duties are less friendly as daily drivers.

[TNOutback]

Congratulations on the Airstream! I am a former F150 XLT Crew Cab 4x4 3.5 EB 5.5 ft bed, 36 gal fuel tank owner. My payload rating was 1767 lbs per the sticker. With the vehicle fueled up with only me (200 lbs) in it, the CAT scale weight of the truck indicated I had only 1430 lbs of rated GVWR capacity left before hitting the max GVWR. So I was starting out with 1430 to play with to carry the spouse and cargo and hitch and tongue weight of trailer. Looks like the F150 you’ve found has the higher GVWR rating and you might be okay, but know the FB models can have some hefty tongue weights.

I’m one to respect and trust the engineered limits of the truck, and I couldn’t make the math work for our FC 25RB; it was right on the payload/GVWR limits and less than 100 lbs from the rear axle rating. I traded into a F250 with the 6.2L gas engine and very happy with the decision. Heavy duty transmission, massive brakes and 3,236 lbs of payload capacity, which allowed me to also put a camper shell on the truck and never worry about the safety and capability of the truck.

[jimfa440]

Originally Posted by Curran

We just bought a 2020 25ft FBT Globetrotter! Now, we're looking at tow vehicles. We *think* we've landed on a Ford F150, with the following specs, but wondered if others with similar trailers have experience with a similarly spec'd F150 and can speak to how happy they are. I really appreciate any insight - we are BRAND NEW to this entire adventure!

Airstream
Dry Weight6,074 lbs.
Payload Capacity1,226 lbs.
GVWR7,300 lbs.
Hitch Weight882 lbs.

F150, we understand:
Payload 1830
Tow capacity 11,000
2021 4x4 Supercrew
3.5 Powerboost Hybrid
3.73 electronic lock rr axle
7350 GVWR package
trailer tow package with integrated trailer brake control

We have a 25' Flying Cloud, twin bed. Your F150 will be quite at home pulling the GT. Although I pull with a Nissan Titan XD Diesel, I didn't always. I had two 25' Airstreams over several years and pulled with a F150, then I upgraded to a 30' and needed more truck. I bought the Nissan (which did a great job) and then bought another 25' AS. I now have too much truck but it's better than the inverse.
Happy Camping

[PatLee]

If your prospective F-150 is a 2017, I would take a pass on it and look at a later model because of the camshaft phaser issues in the 2017 model year. (This issue may also have occurred after 2017). It cost me $6K to get it fixed in my 2017. I have a 2019 25' FBT International and the truck, with 1717 lb payload, has pulled it just fine with a very comfortable ride. I recommend getting the electric trailer side mirrors as well.