Hey All...

I am writing this here in order to tap into your vast experience...

I am selling a place in Chicago and have to take all the crap that I had stored thier to Norfolk, VA - I need to tow a 6'x12' Uhaul trailer from Chicago to Norfolk.

I have a 4x4 05 Scab with the towing package. I trailer has some sort of brakes on it (or so they say).

What I am looking for from all you experienced guys out there is some guidance on the best way to handle this. I know it is no big deal but I don't want to screw up the truck by doing something incorrectly.

Just a few questions - but by far don't limit yourselves to these (any help would be greatly accepted)

Is there a max speed that you would keep the truck under with the trailer?
Should I turn on/off overdrive?
will towing this trailer hurt the truck's drive train, etc..

I don't know enough about towing to even ask quality questions so please help me out here guys. Thanks.

 

you should thoroughly read the trailer towing section of your manual.

as far as speed, yes there is a max. Stick to the posted limit for 2 reasons: 1) you don't know how safe the U-haul trailer is and 2) you're a newbie at trailering and you certainly dont want to jackknife or lose control of the truck.

to be safe, keep the O/D off to stop excessive shifting (which leadsto tranny overheating)

Also, take the trailer to an empty mall parking lot and practice forward and backward so you know what you are doing once you hit the road.

Other than that, put 'er in D and go for it!

 

Some states, like the one I live in, have lower speed limits for towing. Watch for that.
Have fun
Chris

 

Wise words above. I'll add what I learned over the years:

As was said, go slow. In California, max speed with a trailer is 55mph. Also, in CA, if you get a moving violation while towing, the fine doubles. We are also required to stay in the right lane, except to pass.

While I know you won't be in California, those are some pretty good laws, not that everyone follows them.

Take it slow, it is really easy to get into trouble while towing.

Be very careful around merge lanes. People tend to ignore the trailer, and several times I have had them try to merge in behind the truck and not see the trailer (for some reason they always act like it is my fault for being in "thier" lane).

Be very careful of U-haul. Most of those guys are pretty good. Some of them are as dumb as bricks. Make sure the trailer is hooked up right. Make sure you have a matching ball to accept the coupler. Mismatched ball and coupler is NOT ok. Make sure there are proper saftey chains securely attached to the truck, it should be two fairly heavy chains (3/8" maybe) that are attached to the trailer and the truck. There needs to be a suitable attachment to the truck. I had one place use a piece of bailing wire to attach the saftey chains. I made them fix it before I left.

Make sure the trailer lights work. Usually some shops will do a major hack job on hooking up the lights. Also, make sure you check the lights often while driving. The bouncing can shake things loose.

Pay real close attention to how you load the trailer. You need to have about 10% of the trailers total weight on the coupler. This weight keeps the trailer from fishtailing. It is usualy a good idea to put some of the heavier items towards the front of the trailer (forward of the axel). The truck shouldn't squat a whole lot, but a little bit is good. Also, be careful as things can shift while towing, be careful when you load and unload.

Give yourself lots of room for stopping. While the F150 has great brakes, the trailers ususally don't. I believe the trailer will have what is called "surge brakes". This is a hydraulic set up that transforms the push of the trailer against the coupler into braking force. So, when you put the brakes on in the truck, the trailer will push forward against the truck, and apply the trailer brakes. A very common reliable set up, used a lot on boat trailers. Test them before you get into trouble.

Most of all, just be extra careful. The extra weight, length and stopping distance all needs to be taken into account for every move you make. Something as simple as making a sharp turn can lead to disaster. Swing wide, and give yourself plenty of room. When in doubt, watch the big rigs, see what they do, and follow along. This can be a really useful learning tool. Especially on down hill runs.

Don't ride the brakes either, you run the risk of over heating the trailer or truck brakes. If you are going down hill, best to use a lower gear. I was always taught to use the same gear going down the hill that I used to get up it. If you do need the brakes going down hill, use them, apply them firmly for a few seconds, then back off and let them cool down. Apply them again and do the same thing.

Most of all, watch out for the idiots. Most drivers don't have a clue what it is like to tow a trailer, and will pull some really stupid stunts around you. Getting cut off is a common problem, and makes it difficult to keep enough stopping space in front of you. Also, towing a trailer makes you tired, more so than when not towing. Don't over do it, take lots of breaks.

 

excellent advice! and very true!

 

I wonder who has pounded the DON'T USE OD in all of you're brains????
My advise leave OD on, you'll get better mileage and that what the computer is for (determine when shifts are required while experiencing a load)

 

Matthew, Thank You - this is "the good stuff" that I was looking for thanks.

 

You are welcome.

I was lucky enough to have a dad that taught me how to drive with a trailer fairly young, maybe 19 or 20 he had me towing the boat up to the lake. I learned more or less to drive like I was always towing. Even without the trailer, it is some good skills.


As for the OD debate, here is what I was taught.
If you can tow the trailer in OD and the truck isn't constantly shifting or hunting for gears, then you are OK. OD on will help your fuel economy quite a bit. I almost always towed in OD when in the flat lands. If you feel the truck constantly shifting, then hit the OD off button and keep it there until the terrain changes.
The problem with the gear hunting is that it builds up a lot of heat. Heat is a big problem with automatic transmissions. You can add an external tranny cooler to help with that, but there is no sure way to prevent it from overheating. The best way to keep the temps down is to pay attention to what the truck is doing. I had extra coolers on two of my trucks, and even had a tranny temp gauge on one of them. The nice thing about the temp gauge is I learned what made the tranny heat up. By knowing what causes the heat, and avoiding it, you can really extend the life of your transmission.
I've even gone as far as to stop adding external coolers to my trucks, partially because I don't tow trailers as heavy as I used to, and because I have learned how to keep the temps down.

Some might say an external cooler is mandatory. It's up to you. The stock one will work fine if you don't overload the truck, or abuse it. Just being careful and paying attention to how it shifts is most of the battle.

Your truck will pull fine, just pay attention and be extra careful. Have an enjoyable trip.

 

that evil owner's manual for one...

 

Also when you have to back up put your hand on the bottom of the wheel at the 6:00 not 10:00 and 2:00 this should help a littile when you have to back up

 

When I pull my 7600 5th wheel camper with my 04 fx4 I pull out of OD mantains 2200 rpms at 60mph, weight is the key to being in or out of OD, that is why they put the button there. feel the truck if it shifting to much run it out if you have the 5.4 a trailer of that size should be safe in O.D My fx4 came with a tranny cooler it part of the tow pakage

 

I have the tow package and I have noticed a tranny cooler. I will take your advice into careful consideration. the last think I want to do is destroy a truck that is running fine or hurt someone else.
Thanks Again.

 

Tow in whatever gear you can keep the TQ converter locked ... it generates the most heat when unlocked. If you can keep the TQ conv locked in OD you should be fine there. Watch and learn the RPM's to know when locked. When it unlocks go to the next lower gear simultaneously and/or slightly followed with a moment of relaxed throttle. After a little practice and listening you'll be able to know right about where you can stick your foot into it before unlock.

If 2nd gear is "that" gear ... you may need to shift back into D to get the TQ to lock... A light lift of throttle can usually help get the TQ to lock here or for whatever gear ... don't floor it as the TQ will pretty much come unlocked past 75% throttle in any gear.

TQ lock might be described as having the slight feeling of a gear within a gear and a drop in RPM's that are more connected to speed and throttle position.

And then again ... maybe I'm all wet ... and blow'n smoke?

 

that would be Ford recommending it. In fact, they've recommended it since 1987 that I'm aware of.

Reduces gear hunting and keeps the RPM to where there is more power output for pulling.