Hi folks
Need some advice and do I need advice from you experts. I have a 97, F150, S/Cab, 4.6 lt, with 86000 Kms on the engine
3.08 axel,
equipped with EQ hitch, trans cooler and brake controller.
I Just bought a new 31' Cougar TT, weights in at 6140 Lbs dry. For the next two or three years the better half and myself will be towing the RV about 50 miles to a campsite, no hills and leaving it there for the summer. The RV salesman said , "no problem towing with my F150" I am sure you all heard that line before. Anyway, I put the cart before the horse, bought the camper and then searched the internet to see how well I did. Was this ever an eye opener, Got some after the fact advice from a few people and the botom line is:
Yes I can, if I do the following, tow the RV and drive theTV (empty) to the camp site;
If it is windy, leave it at home;
drive under the max speed limit with OD off; and
stay out of the mountains, no mountains in Manitoba Canada.

Ok good folks, tear me apart, (I know I made a bad choice, must live with it, can't afford a new TV) can my beautiful medium F150
get my RV to the campsite? Thanks

 

Its only 50 miles, i wouldent worry...if you start to do some long highway hauls though I would look at getting a new truck....

 

Your truck is rated to tow 2000 pounds and your trailer is 6200 UVW, which is probably more like 6700 actual pounds You just spent how much on your trailer vs. your truck that is worth $5k? I would refuse delivery of the trailer on the grounds that your RV salesman told you your truck is capable of pulling it. Your tranny will be abused.

If you cannot do anything else, get different gears, like 4:10 if you have stock tire size. Gears are cheap for 2wd, <$500usd.

 

3.08's are too tall for heavy pulling. I agree with the suggestion for new gears, although I think 3.73's would be fine. The one old truck I had with 4.10's topped out at about 68 mph ('79 4 speed, no overdrive).

 

You will probably make it the one time, but those will be the most terror filled, abuse your truck 50 miles you have ever driven!!..

If you have an automatic, your "tow" rating is more like #5000, but still, that's in a perfect world......

Those 3.08's will really heat up your tranny, even in 50 miles.....

What could happen is that even if you leave it out of OD, your torque converter might not lock in third gear...... That'll basically cook your trans in a very short time.... Now, I say could...... The only reason I say that is my truck will go into unlocked third on occasion going up hills while towing a #4500 travel trailer...... All I know is that if the computer senses it's bogging down when the TC is locked, it will unlock it.......

Either that or you will never get out of second gear!

I think an RV dealer that would sell someone that much trailer with only an F150 to tow it is wrong..... All they are looking for is the sale. No care or worry about you at all.....

Best of luck to you and your truck......

Mitch

 

My 2003 Owner's manual says anything with 3.08 gear limit is 2k pounds.

 

Hey APT,

Not trying to be a total a$$ or anything, but they must have really changed the tow ratings in 2003...... My 1997 manual says for a 4.6 reg cab 4x2 auto 3.08 is actually #5700.....

The same config with the manual is only #2200......

Even Raoul's sticky post for 1999 shows it at #5500.

Regardless, I would not really want to tow a #5700 travel trailer with my rig!!

Anyway, like I said, not trying to be an a$$, just wanted 'everyone' to know that I did look up the rating before posting.....

Mitch

 

Hmm, kinda weird because my manual says the GCWR is still 10k. Maybe a mistake in my manual.

 

Yeah, that is strange. My manual says it's got a 10k GCWR too, but with the higher "max" trailer weight.... Your's does show the 2k trailer, that's for sure....... Before I looked at your link, I thought that maybe you just saw the kg weight.....

At any rate, it does not really add up (the 2003 ratings), because the truck's GVWR is probably at least 6050 and even assuming that the truck weighs that much (which it could when all loaded up and has the trailers tongue weight on it) , that would still, technically, leave you with #3950 for an axle weight on the trailer.....

My guess is that Ford was having a lot of trucks with trans and/or rear end failures when folks tried to tow any trailer over #2000 with a 3.08 geared truck.... Just too much load on both of them with that high of a gear set so they changed it in the manual to cover their a$$.....

And SECURITAS wants to hook up a #6900 dry weight trailer to one......

Mitch

 

Thanks folks for the info. Actually, my TT is 6100 # empty. It's strange how the figures in the manual don't match, confusing to say the least. When you think about it, if my truck is only rated for 2000# towing cap ( F150 SC 4.6lt, 3.08) this would seem a bit odd, almost like saying my f-150 could only tow something the size of a hard top (pop up) I really don't think I will have a problem towing, common sense prevails, approx 50 miles distance, no hills, keep the speed at about 50 - 60 MPH. double lane the total distance. Previous to buying my Cougar TT I owned a 30' Award approx 5000#, super towable TT, same F150 I have now. When towing that Award fully loaded even with a full water tank, you constantely reminded yourself that you were really towing a camper. Last year I loaded my F-150 with a yard of gravel (not sure what a yard would weight I know it is close to 1,500 #) I still had my full hitch on the truck and as I was backing into a drive way to unload, the hitch came in contact with a raised curb. Never touched the roadway during the 5 mile trip from the gravel pit. So you say what is my point? don't have one, just a wee bit of info, F-150's are a great truck. My last one was an 85, I loved it and it loved fuel (350) it rusted very badly starting within the third year. I completely restored it and traded it in on my 97.

When I finally take delivery of my new Cougar (2004 Cougar, 294 RLS ) and after towing it, I will report back to this form with the towing results, good or bad.

 

I don't know where I picked up the #6900 from...... Just what I typed for some reason.....

Well, since you have towed a trailer of pretty good size with it already, then you know what the score is..... Your initial post didn't elude to that fact and I had just figured you had never towed anything with it before....

I'm sure you'll make the 50 miles and taking it easy like you say, your truck will probably still talk to you afterward too!

Happy Camping!! (I go out next month, and I can't wait!)

Mitch

 

Thanks Mitch
Encouraging words indeed. Happy camping to you and all the other readers of his thread.
Ivan