Setup advice - F150 and Sport 16

[Greenjeans]

After almost 15 months of extensively towing my 2020 16ft Caravel with a 2017 Tacoma, 4X4, extended cab TRD with tow package, my sway control & weight distribution equipment still sit in my garage. It was used extensively with my previous 17 ft trailer which was a foot longer, but lighter, 10" narrower, but had sway issues. I currently travel with full water, but otherwise after years of towing a trailer, pack pretty much as a minimalist would, tailoring to each trip. Gen, etc. How can anyone be a minimalist pulling a loaded AS with solar, lol. I travel over the passes of Colorado, the 50 mph winds of W, Texas, NM., several times thru downtown Houston, Austin, & Dallas via interstate. Best of all I've survived the crazy Texas big rig drivers. I drive at 65-70 mph when possible. Tires 75PSI.

Maybe chalk it up to Airstreams engineering, don't know.

Keep in mind that its tons safer towing a 16 ft trailer vs a 25-30 ft trailer if your towing with a more than adequate truck. Every foot of length when it comes to wind & weight distribution add to the degree of difficult. My fresh water tank sits in the front of the trailer, still being close to the axle. The combo tank is just behind the axle, with rear storage also very close to the axle.

One important thing I do to keep myself & others safe is closely monitor my tires at every stop & then replace with a quality tires every 3-4 years.

Since you have past towing experience, I'm sure you'll figure it out. As you know different tow vehicles, cargo weight, number of passengers, pets, toys, etc. can make a huge difference when towing.

If you were new to towing I would say go with sway, weight distribution hitch every time.

[speednoodle]

Originally Posted by NeahBay

I hope that helps.

Yes, thanks Bob! Appreciate you taking the time to share more about your setup and answer my follow-up questions.

I'm thinking the RAS + Hensley Cub should work out nicely, being mindful of the axle ratings. Getting a RSI SmartCap on the truck next week, so it's all coming together!

[Greenjeans]

Adding a PS. My Caravel came standard with trailer shocks. My previous trailer had an almost identical Dexter axle, no shocks. Probably explain some of the handling differences, between the 2 trailers.

[speednoodle]

Originally Posted by Greenjeans

One important thing I do to keep myself & others safe is closely monitor my tires at every stop & then replace with a quality tires every 3-4 years.

Since you have past towing experience, I'm sure you'll figure it out. As you know different tow vehicles, cargo weight, number of passengers, pets, toys, etc. can make a huge difference when towing.

If you were new to towing I would say go with sway, weight distribution hitch every time.

Thanks for sharing, Eddie - I did pick up a TST TMPS system... being a single axle trailer I'm hoping to mitigate my chances of having tire issues. Definitely made me feel a bit better watching the numbers as we went along.


My wife also hopes to drive the rig, and she's fairly new to towing. Partially because of that I'm leaning towards using the hensley, too.


I appreciate your feedback of replacing tires every 3-4 years - the original tires are on the trailer, and they are approaching 5 years past their manufacture date... will add that to the to-do list sooner rather than later.

[Airlock]

I have a 2019 16' Bambi Sport. My TV is a 2015 Range Rover Sport. I have towed on the ball since I first picked it up from the dealer and have towed that way since; up into the mountains, into the desert; on freeways; on two lane roads. I have not experienced any towing issues at all. Just my 2 cents

[Peter417]

You can get an axle to carry what ever weight you need. My trailer came with a 3000# axle. Dexter has a a 3500# axle that most people used. I had that customized to 3700#. I ordered through Collin.

When I talk to people in camp grounds all the nitty gritty on cargo capacity never comes up unless I bring it up. If I ask someone about capacities on their truck I might get a generic tow rating. You know the same answer the saleman gave them when they bought their truck. My informal campground survey says most people think a tundra can tow 10k and an f150 can tow 12k.

None of your numbers appear to be way off track. You will be fine. Make sure all your safety equipment is setup and dialed in. Use that hitch and don't worry about the weight. You will be much safer with it.

[Peter417]

Originally Posted by Greenjeans

Tires 75PSI.

Whoa. Doesn't spec say GVWR tire pressure at 32psi, or well under half of that? Are we talking trailer tires or TV tires? I would guess the AS should be around 50 psi? seems like you may be beating your TV and AS suspension and contents more than need to be. 75 psi in a light truck may reduce contact patch area enough to cause handling issues.

[NeahBay]

Follow up: I had a 4” drop before installing the Roadmaster, now 2”. Towing has been much improved. I only occasionally hear the WD bars scrap, usually going over monster speed bumps (slowly).