Rate my setup

[Barkfunkler]

2019 Ford F150 XLT 3.5l eco 4x4 supercab with max tow package (145 wb. 3.55 axle) and an AS 25' tradewind. I've done a bit of research, bought this truck.. and now I need to buy the trailer! I believe this will be a good setup for a while. This truck kind of fell in my lap at just the right time and price.

I believe the towing capacity is 11,800 and the payload is 2150. Seems to me i will be within a safe range of the max capacities and still have a good amount of gear and stuff I can put in the truck and trailer.

Not sure what hitch I plan to buy yet, I have some time to figure that out. I'm looking for suggestions on brake upgrades, or any thoughts, criticisms, encouragement, threats, etc.

I hope this link works, but I found this chart to be useful.
https://media.ford.com/content/dam/f...2019-F-150.pdf

[Bobbo]

Originally Posted by Barkfunkler

I believe the towing capacity is 11,800 and the payload is 2150

Is that payload capacity from the chart that you attached, or from the sticker on the driver's door pillar?

If it is from the chart that you attached, then you don't have a payload capacity of 2150. You need to check the driver's door pillar to see what THAT TRUCK has as a payload capacity.

I had an identical truck, except it was the 2017 model year, and the payload capacity on the driver's door pillar was 1895.

[Dan and Liz]

2017 F150 3.5 Eco King Ranch Max Tow: 1,790 per sticker

[Barkfunkler]

Ah yeah. It's much lower than I thought! It's only 1755 lb payload for my TV. I just picked it up last night. The Airstream 25fbq tradewind says a tongue weight of 725, so let's just say it's 1k loaded. IIRC ford's numbers include a 150lb driver and a tank of gas. I will be left with 755 to play with. Should be able to have my wife, dog, and some gear.

[JJTX]

Originally Posted by Barkfunkler

2019 Ford F150 XLT 3.5l eco 4x4 supercab with max tow package (145 wb. 3.55 axle) and an AS 25' tradewind. I've done a bit of research, bought this truck.. and now I need to buy the trailer! I believe this will be a good setup for a while. This truck kind of fell in my lap at just the right time and price.

I believe the towing capacity is 11,800 and the payload is 2150. Seems to me i will be within a safe range of the max capacities and still have a good amount of gear and stuff I can put in the truck and trailer.

Not sure what hitch I plan to buy yet, I have some time to figure that out. I'm looking for suggestions on brake upgrades, or any thoughts, criticisms, encouragement, threats, etc.

I hope this link works, but I found this chart to be useful.
https://media.ford.com/content/dam/f...2019-F-150.pdf

I've been using FASTWAY Trunnion for years and very happy. Though I think the 25 foot+ need 2500 truck frames.

[DewTheDew]

I pulled a 2017 27' FC for a couple of years with an F150 with a payload of 1543 and was fine until we started wanting to haul more stuff. So with 200 lbs more payload and a slightly lighter trailer (I admit that the "real" tongue weight is a mystery until you actually weigh it) you are probably fine. Just take care what and how you load things in the bed of the truck.

[Barkfunkler]

Originally Posted by DewTheDew

I pulled a 2017 27' FC for a couple of years with an F150 with a payload of 1543 and was fine until we started wanting to haul more stuff. So with 200 lbs more payload and a slightly lighter trailer (I admit that the "real" tongue weight is a mystery until you actually weigh it) you are probably fine. Just take care what and how you load things in the bed of the truck.

That's good to know. Yes I will do my due diligence and have everything weighed. I want to tow safely and well within the parameters.

[Barkfunkler]

Originally Posted by JJTX

I've been using FASTWAY Trunnion for years and very happy. Though I think the 25 foot+ need 2500 truck frames.

Ill keep that in mind for hitches! I have time to figure that out

[aftermath]

Barkfunkler,


Here is another one of those "you can't tow this with that" kind of threads. I can tell you from experience that I have been pulling my 25FB with my "little" Tundra (gasp!) since 2009, actually on my second Tundra, and with over 65K miles with this combo, have done just fine.
There are two issues here, first will always be, do you have enough power to tow? Forget the tow capacity numbers, talk to those who do. The testosterone driven crowd will always say, "bigger is better" and it is hard to argue but, I simply don't want to drive a one ton diesel around town. I live in the Pacific Northwest and have been over every pass in Washington and Montana. I can pull any of them at 50 or more but I do have to shift down. Coming down is more of a challenge than going up for sure. I have a couple of friends who tow with an F150 EcoBoost and do just fine getting up and down. Secondly, and this one is much more important, how much are you planning to carry? We have gotten along just fine but with a half ton you are going to have trouble if you want to put on a heavy fiberglass topper, have a large family and like to take along your BBQ in the back. Since it is just the wife and I, we travel light. Typically we have a few camp chairs, a generator when we are off grid, and even a small amount of firewood for those late in the year trips. Some folks don't like to cut back with things, so they are better served by a 3/4 ton or greater TV. I think this is great, you do need to go with what you are comfortable with. My issue is that those say things like, " Though I think the 25 foot+ need 2500 truck frames". As an "opinion" I am fine with this and it certainly is more important with some folks method of camping. But, to tell a new member that you "need" a big truck is not real helpful.

[SunchaserV]

A month ago we purchased a non AS tailer with a tongue weight of about 900 lbs and loaded weight of 9200. Hitch is a Blue Ox with 1000 lb bars. We already had a 2021 F150 3.5 eco boost so many said it would work just fine. After a few short trips we did not like the handling or power transfer rhythms so bought a new F250 diesel. Things felt much better and safer with 65-70 mph effortless.

Will a F150 work OK, sure. But a F250 works much better with bar tightness dialed down and with no payload concerns - for us anyway.

[aftermath]

Sunchaser, it sounds like you have a great TV. I am sure you will have many trips and years of comfortable towing.


But, towing a 9000 lb white box trailer is entirely different than towing a 6000 lb Airstream. For all of the talk, an Airstream IS the best towing trailer out there. I once towed a 21 ft. white box in 30-40 mph gusts and it was an honest white knuckle kind of thing. I have towed my 25FB in 50+ mph winds in southern Colorado and it was an totally different experience.

[gypsydad]

The age old question's here to AS owners...which WDH and TV for my 25' AS! Of course, your getting lots of "opinions"; many from experience...so what is best?

We have owned 3 different model year 25' AS's over the years, before moving up to the currant 28' AS and an F250 6.7L diesel 4x4 back in 2017. What we learned with our early 25' AS's about TV's and WDH was from our own trial/error experiences and from several folks who shared their experiences.

TV's being not just a "tow vehicle" but many times a daily driver, are many times put into service as a TV without considering their capability for safely towing an AS. Getting the right set up in a 1/2T is achievable today, but you need to understand the MFG specs and if your 25' AS give you enough excess payload to carry the gear and passengers you plan to take with you. A 3/4T or 1T surely can work, but not as nice as a daily driver as a 1/2T. Getting the right TV can be emotional, but safety is very important. Can you "modify" your TV including your towing hitch to accommodate towing a 25? Sure, but why would you if you can start out with a vehicle that was designed with towing and has proper towing capacities built in?

WDH with Sway Control can be confusing also. We have used Reese Dual Cam on our first 25' AS, which worked fine. On our second 25' FC AS which was a 2008, it came with an Equalizer hitch which actually had hollow square anti-sway bars. Shortly after picking up this unit in Phoenix, one of the bars twisted and broke, while backing up in a parking lot. Local dealer only had Blue Ox in stock, so that was our first experience with Blue Ox with Sway Control. He showed us why he liked it and how to set up properly while hitching up. (see the videos on line). Anyway, I used and liked the spring bars and sway control set up with BO so we purchased new BO's with the last 2 AS's. There are many other WDH with Sway Control out there that work great also, but the Blue Ox system is pretty solid, IMHO. It has saved us a few times when we had to execute emergency maneuvers while at highway speeds. I like their system.

Good luck in your adventures...getting a new AS and choosing a proper TV is an experience for sure!

[Fungus]

Originally Posted by Barkfunkler

IIRC ford's numbers include a 150lb driver and a tank of gas. I will be left with 755 to play with.

Nope. All occupants count against payload. Read the sticker. It says occupants. If you don’t believe me, take it to the scale. But yes re full fuel.

[D.l.briggs]

That is the same rig I have except a 2015 lariat and 30' trailer. I love it. We can climb any hill and go anywhere in it.


I wish I had a shell instead of a tonneau cover, and a 6.5' bed instead of 6'.

[daleyocum]

I towed our FC25FB for years with a F150XLT of the same vintage as yours before giving up and upgrading to a Superduty. Our trailer has a tongue weight of 1,100 lbs loaded for travel with water in the tanks and full propane. Remember the hitch will add another 75lbs or more to the tongue weight.

The F150’s 3.5 Ecoboost has plenty of power, it’s an amazing engine. What we didn’t like was the stress the Blue Ox with 1,500 lb bars was putting on the trailer’s frame causing the start of front end separation. We needed the 1,500lb bars to get enough weight transferred to the front wheels to stay under the load rating for both axles. Also we didn’t like the porpoising of the F150 being right at the edge of its payload.

You can deal with the porpoising by adding either the RAS Active Suspension or Airbags. You’ll constantly have to watch what else you carry in the truck of course.

With our F350 we just tow on the ball without WD and everything is happy. It’s not as nice a daily driver in the city, however.

[Dick tracy]

The only way you will ever know for sure AND be confident in your setup is to weight your rig properly YOURSELF. Until you do, ALL of this is merely a theory.
PAYLOAD doesn't matter, that stat is merely to get you in the ballpark when deciding what to buy.
What matters is when fully loaded you are under your limits at each axle and overall weight and the trailer overall weight and the truck overall weight. 1/2 ton trucks will need help moving weight off the truck rear axle up to its front axle and back to the trailer with most AS. If you are over your truck rear axle limit you will have issues, if you are over your trucks overall weight you will have issues.
You won't know where the weight sits until you weigh your rig.
I do it like this and I know exactly what is going on with my rig.
I weigh each axle separately each time and then together.
Weigh the truck empty
Weigh the AS empty
Hook them up with the WDH weigh them together empty, bars not tensioned
Load them and weigh them separately
Load them, hook them up and weigh them, bars not tensioned
Load them, hook them up and weigh them, bars tensioned
And lastly I fill the fresh water and weigh it, bars tensioned

On my rig, I'm under limits always on the trailer, overall truck and overall rig. My wife and I travel relatively light even on 3-4 week trips. My truck axles need help to adjust the weight off the rear AND back onto the front axle and 1000lbs bars are just enough to do this without dimpling the front end of the FBT.
It takes effort with a 1/2 ton to know what it will handle, but you can be confident in your setup if you take the time to sort it all out and for me the 1/2 ton is the right choice and for many reasons.
Others may need a 3/4 or 1 ton to "feel" safe and confident, however facts should inform feelings and if the facts are that your rig is operating within the design and engineering specs, then the rest is up to you to be capable. Not everyone can ride a motorcycle, some need a trike to feel comfortable.
Your choice

[Rbjewell]

I have a 2023 f150 lariat with max tow pkg 3.5 Ecoboost and I pull a AS 2024 pottery barn with no problem. Tonque weight approx 900 lbs with trailer weight approx 8000lbs.it works fine. I have pulled some crazy mountains and winding roads.You have a great rig! Enjoy!

[Rey.A]

Originally Posted by Barkfunkler

2019 Ford F150 XLT 3.5l eco 4x4 supercab with max tow package (145 wb. 3.55 axle) and an AS 25' tradewind. I've done a bit of research, bought this truck.. and now I need to buy the trailer! I believe this will be a good setup for a while. This truck kind of fell in my lap at just the right time and price.

I believe the towing capacity is 11,800 and the payload is 2150. Seems to me i will be within a safe range of the max capacities and still have a good amount of gear and stuff I can put in the truck and trailer.

Not sure what hitch I plan to buy yet, I have some time to figure that out. I'm looking for suggestions on brake upgrades, or any thoughts, criticisms, encouragement, threats, etc.

Hello Barkfunkler,
Over the last year and a half, I’ve been pulling my 2023 Flying Cloud 25RBT with a 2019 F-150 Lariat, 3.5 V6 EcoBoost with Max tow package, payload 1627 lbs and GVWR 7000 lbs. I’m using the Fastnet e2 WDH with 1000 lb bars. Measured tongue weight on my last trip was 800 lbs and GVW just under 7000 lbs on a 3-pass CAT scale visit.

Overall, I’ve been happy with the F-150’s ability to tow the FC. I chose the F-150 as one of my criteria was that the truck had to fit in the garage. It certainly is a better daily driving vehicle. I know I’ll have to be careful when traveling up-/downhill on steeper grades. I’ll also admit to having truck-envy for those folks who have 3/4 ton trucks

I’ve been considering other after-market enhancements like shocks, air bags, etc. One of things I recommend you look at is a hitch tightener like this one. It eliminates the slack between the hitch head and the truck’s receiver and makes for a smoother ride. And here is a Ford towing reference for your information that I’ve found very useful.

[clay214]

Here is Ford’s website where you can lookup your towing and payload capacity by VIN.

https://www.ford.com/support/towing-calculator

[O-side Jimmy]

I was pulling our 27FBQ International with a 2016 F-150 4X4 5.0 w/3.55s. It was OK on the "flats" but not enough truck for the hills/mountains. It averaged 11mpg on the flats and 9mpg on hills. So it comes down to where do you plan to go??? We're gearing up for retirement so we now have a '24 F-250 with 6.7HO. It gets 15+mpg on the hills towing the same Airstream. Empty it gets 23mpg on the freeway.