Hey all,

So here is the situation. I own a 2014 Supercrew 4x4 3.5L Ecoboost XLT. It has 300A package. It does not have any tow package.

I also own a Forest River Salem Travel Trailer 30ft, (just bought it) it has a dry weight of 6900 ibs.

I had originally planned to buy a new F-150 3.5 L Ecoboost with Max Tow package, but I have a great truck here and am becoming attached.

The GVWR of my truck on the door is 7350. The truck does not have a transmisson cooler,

I was wondering if I put a Class 5 hitch with trailer brake, and an after market cooler on, with a weight distribution hitch.

Will my truck legally be able to handle this, will it be able to safely handle this? Will I damage anything on my truck?

Any other suggestions? Let me have it.

Thanks
Chris

 

What is the axle ratio? If you don't know, what is the AXLE code on the door jamb sticker?

 

Truck




Trailer

 

You should spend the money to install the integrated Ford brake controller and get it set up (I think a dealer has to flash it for it to work).

The extra controls with the built in controller are great - the trailer brake force is proportional to the truck braking. This will make it much nicer to tow a trailer that size.

 

That's a pretty big/heavy trailer you got there! Especially with a truck that has no tow package..

Sure, you can add all the stuff to bring it up to snuff, but in the end, it's still gonna be a heavy trailer..

Been towing lots of years now, and I wouldn't want to tow that with my truck on a regular basis... But, that's just me..

You'll have plenty of power with the Eco.. That's not going to be the problem.. It'll be the weights and I think your "27" gear code is the 3.31, so that ain't gonna help either..

Good luck!

Mitch

 

I'd get unattached to that F150 and go get an F250. Your asking too much from a half ton truck. Pulling it is not the issue, stopping it and controlling it is. When you pass 6000lbs loaded, you just went into heavy duty truck environment. Your trailer loaded is probably going to hit 8000lbs loaded and maybe more. If it's like most trailers, it only has one axle with brakes. Stops will be LONG even with a Super Duty. Think about it, if you were driving an 8000lb truck and it only had one axle with brakes...... Don't kill yourself and the family. Go get a truck that can handle the load. You need a Super Duty.

 

The 2014 Supercrew with 5.5' bed, 4x4, 3.5 EB, and 3.31 gears is rated to tow 9200#, but you will run out of payload capacity long before you reach that. Everything in the truck and bed (people, cargo, etc.) plus the tongue weight of the trailer all count towards that.

 

So here are some facts for you Chris, might put you at ease. Every truck here has a built in tranny cooler and chances are you have a built in oil cooler. Most base line trucks come with them, I know because the company I work for has leased bottom of the line trucks and they have them as well.

You need to add another leaf to rear, maybe some air ride. Get the brake controller switch. If you wanted to upgrade the radiator to the larger max tow. Get the hitch and receiver, wouldn't waste the time with the load stabilizer if you get bags, bags are easier and don't add tongue weight like the load stabilizer does.

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

Also here is a chart that will help you identify specifically what you can tow.

 

Already researched.

 

Pay attention to what glc is saying here. The tongue weight on that trailer is almost certainly going to put a load on your truck's axles that will exceed the max rating for the axles AND truck tires.

- Jack

 

hey glc I used that reference for the op, glad you researched for him, however you did not do the math on his truck you merely just stated opinion. Here are some facts using the 15% trailer to tongue weight calculation. His gvwr will allow him to tow that trailer fully loaded based on a couple of facts. One he loads the trailer properly meaning he doesn't make the trailer tongue or tail heavy. Also number two he has 245# leftover gvwr. If he adds a leaf spring and air ride it will severely compensate that. Also changing the gear ratio for the rear end to a 3.73 or 3.55 will exponentially increase the low end performance on his truck to pull said trailer. Now if he isn't hauling the trailer at full payload then it opens up more weight for passenger cargo etc. he can get all the info he needs to convert the truck to change the load he can haul. It isn't necessarily the suspension or brakes, it's mostly the power plant. I'm changing my 5.0 to a 6.2 raptor here I. The future and it will increase my towing by 1700# due to me having max payload package. That has been confirmed by two master techs at Galpin ford here in California.

Do I recommend he do all this? Nope he'd be better off buying a V8 or buying a diesel for all that I care but it is possible.

 

That has all been calculated when putting the tires and axle package together from ford. Factory tires are designed to handle 4050# and axle is designed to handle 1500#. Why the math doesn't add up I don't know. But ford says he can have a 1700# payload then he can, maybe spring packages?

 

The problem, as I see it, is that the 1700# payload you cite is based on the Base (no options) Vehicle Weight of the F150. I'm fairly certain his truck will have some additional components installed (at the factory) that will reduce that weight rating because the Delivered Weight of the truck is greater.

I know this is the case with my truck. I can tow my 3500# trailer with it, but I don't have a lot of leeway in the amount of additional cargo I can carry.

My trailer's tongue weight is about 550#(measured with a tongue weight scale) and to that, I have to add the weight of the Weight Distribution Hitch (WDH). My truck has a bed cap (maybe about 200#?), and when I measure the truck axle loads on a CAT scale, I'm within about 100# of the limits on both. And, my truck has higher GAWRs than his does.

I'm really not trying to pick a fight here, and I respect your opinion, but I don't think he is safe towing the trailer he has.

- Jack

 

One more thing - the "dry" weight of my trailer is supposed to be about 3000# - and this includes all the factory installed options it came with, a battery, and two full propane tanks. Again, I weighed it separately on a CAT scale and it is 3500# with NO water in the fresh water tank. With water, it weighs about 3800# which is its Max Gross Weight. So, I do not put cargo in it other than clothing, bedding, eating and cooking utensils, and I generally tow it with the fresh water tank empty. I also upgraded the trailer tires to Load range D, giving them a max load of 5000#.

I think the OP would be well advised to weigh his trailer. He might be unpleasantly surprised at its actual weight.

- Jack

 

No fight being picked here bro! I know that there will be a slight difference in weight meaning sticker and wet as they call it on bikes. However with my HD PAYLOAD PACKAGE, I am able to go up to 2500# payload with a gvwr rating of 8200#. They limit the amount of excessive technology in mine to accommodate the load. I got all of the op's information through the vin decoder. I think that op does have a soft suspension and it could be stiffened up with a add leaf and bags to improve the performance of towing. Also with the wdh for a 3000# trailer you are trading payload for levelness that you could get out of a set of bags. Handling would be superior as well as ride quality. Also would allow you to gain more flexibility in the payload department. Yet another thing I noticed is you stated you had a tonneau cover, op doesnt as far as I know so between the wdh and cover you are at approx 400-500# difference. Just pointing out the differences between his truck and yours. I was more or less aiming him in the direction that if he wanted to use his truck and not trade, these are the things he may need to look into to get his truck up to those specs. I.e. Gear ratio, bags, add leaf. At the end of the day there is no anomaly that differs his truck from a max tow with the exception of mirrors, gears and a add leaf, maybe the larger radiator/trains cross flow unit. I haven't spotted a f1 that doesn't have a oil cooler, 8or 6.

I was looking at his profile and it says CA, so if he is in California he cannot haul that trailer LEGALLY fully loaded, as he will exceed 15,000#. Anything more requires a non commercial class a license.