my wife and I are looking into campers......and the best size for the dollar comes to the 26' and above.........approx 3000lbs ........just wanted to get an idea of what my truck was capable of....without looking in the manual, but i know somehow i will look into the manual..lmao........and my salesperson happily told me the $14,000 camper was the ideal weight for the truck........god i love salesmen......so my question i guess is can i tow a camper weighing over 4000lbs at approx 28' and or shall i stick with the 3000lb campers.........


99 ORP 4x4 Supercab F-150
4.6L 5 speed
Superchip
K+N Gen 2 FIPK
Flowmaster Dual exhaust series 50
Mobil 1 synthetic

 

Checking the towing section also, you'll see some good feredback over there.

My opinion? Check the weight closely on that 26ft trailer, the manufacturer's are notorious for under estimating the weights. A lot of times what's on the panel doesn't included all the little goodies they throw on it.

I had a 98 4.6L S/C. My trailer was supposed to be 4,800 if I remember correctly. I wasn't happy with the towing at all, felt it was very dangerous though others on this page said they are very content with it. Your manual will probably say towing 7,000 lbs but you have to keep in mind the gross combined vehicle weight, that's really important. Tongue weight also. Forget about the salesman, check the links below and talk to the people here. The salesman just wants to make a buck. Not all are bad but a lot just don't really have a clue, they're just out to make a buck and a bigger trailer means more costs which means more commission.

At 3,000 you should be fine though. I upgraded to a F250 LD/ S/C with a 5.4 and 3.73 and was very happy.

Now the other standard question, do you have the tow package? What size rear end?


Here's some good RV links:

http://irv2.infopop.net/2/OpenTopic

http://www.rvadvice.com/rvtowlaw.html

http://www.rv.net/

 

Also, remember that 3000lbs is DRY weight. Think about all the "stuff" you'll put in it liquids (fresh water), clothes, pots and pans, blankets, pillows, lawn chairs, other fuels, food, etc.

Travel weight will increase significantly.....

 

yea dry weight. i forgot about that........lol and yes my truck has the tow package .with the 3.55 rear gearing......and thanx for the feedback i will probably stay between 3000-3500 lbs

 

Just for grins, I'll tell you my towing experience with a 4.6L F series.

I had a '97 4x4 SC with the 4.6L and 3.55 LS rear. I towed a 6,000+ lb load with it. From sea level to around 2,000' elevation, it did OK. It "ran out of gas" at around 50 mph. Up to around 45, if you hit the gas, it moved. Above 50 or 55? You better not be in a hurry. Going up a grade, I had to practically floor it to maintain 55. I avoided driving faster than 55 when towing. Roads here aren't all that good and when you hit a bridge joint... It can be a "white knuckle" moment.

I must admit that it was more economical to operate when I wasn't towing when compared to the 5.4L trucks I've had since then.

 

OH! I just noticed you have a stick. That really cuts into the towing capacity. The limiting factor is the soft clutch. It can't handle big loads. Under heavy loads, the clutch will burn if you don't know how to shift like a seasoned big rig hauler. You also don't want to strain the tranny too much either.

Like I said, if you can shift like a big rig driver, you should be ok.

Once you are at speed, you'll be able to handle 4,000 lbs with little or no problem.