I just picked up my new boat and I'm having a heck of a time towing it with my 09 F-150. The GVWR is around 4000 lbs. When on the interstate it feels like my truck is stalling at times. Is there an issue with the trailer brake control. My previous boat was ~2500 lbs with no brake on the trailer and I never experienced this. Any sugestions?

 

You are going to have to explain a bit more on what "I'm having a heck of a time towing it with my 09 F-150. The GVWR is around 4000 lbs. When on the interstate it feels like my truck is stalling at times."

What is your drivetrain specs? Where do you live? What was the driving conditions like? Have you ever towed anything with any other vehicle before? Does the truck run fine not towing this thing?

I'll hold off on any more comments until you answer the questions above...

Mitch

 

Yes it drives fine without towing anything. For the most part towing is fine but occasionally the trucks feels like it hesitating or there is a loss of power. My old trailer towed with no problems but it was a bit lighter.

 

Oh i have the 5.4L in a 2009 supercrew lariet with trailer break control.

 

do you turn the overdrive off?

 

Well, you really shouldn't be having any problems towing a #4000 boat... But, if you expect it to tow it like it's not there, then you'll be disappointed.

You'll feel it and it'll slow you down depending on the terrain. If you are trying to keep up with the rest of the traffic that isn't towing anything, then it will be harder to do and feel like it's struggling..

Are you sure you just aren't expecting more because of how it towed the smaller boat?

I mean, I can tell when I've got my little utility behind the truck when it's got a load in it and that's only around #1500 at the most.. But when I tow my #5000 TT, it slows down considerably and I expect that, but it still does very well at doing it considering the load it's hauling.

Mitch

 

Sounds like it's possible.

That 4k boat, on a tandem trailer could have a rolling weight between 6k and 7k. I know getting into that weight load on the 150's many can not maintain highway speed. Even a slight grade will slow it all down.

That 2500lb old boat probably weighed less than 1/2 of the current boat/trailer set up.

The brakes on the boat trailer are not controlled by the electric trailer brake controller in the truck. They should be hydraulic surge type brakes; commanded by the tongue compression on the trailer.

I have seen some people have too light of a tow vehicle that sagged in dips causing the trailer brakes to activate. Not common, but possible with a 6-7k load on a F150.

Are you using WD bars with that boat? You are probably exceeding the non WD capacity of your hitch. Air bags would help too if your truck is sagging causing the problem.

 

Thanks for all the replies. I may need to get adjusted to the heavier load it sounds like. What are WD bars? Also I've tried towing with both the tow/haul mode on and off, is this turning off the overdrive?

 

Turning off the OD will stop your tranny from constantly searching for the gear when you are "in between" gears---if you turn it off, you gas mileage will decrease, but you will lose OD and the tranny will stop bouncing between gears; this makes for a much longer tranny life. I am wondering if that is why you think your truck seems to be stalling?

I heat my home with firewood, so at times I haul a utility trailer with at least a ton to a ton and a half of wood on it, and I can tell that the trailer is there---and so can the truck As others have said, while the truck can certainly tow a the weight, it will have to work at it. It is quite a different feeling towing 5000-7000 lbs. The truck can do it, but it will have to work somewhat harder to do it.

TSC

 

The OP said he's using his 2009, not the 2002 in his signature. On the 2009/2010 there is no O/D to turn off. Only a Tow/Haul Mode switch on the side of the shifter.

 

didn't know that---sorry---what does that do differently?

 

You can't turn the OD off completely in the '09. I would not tow a 4k# load without the tow/haul "on" it's possible to damage the trans. The tow/haul mode runs each gear out longer and also engages the downshift when you let off the gas, it will even drop an additional gear if you tap the brakes on a downhill grade, I really like the trans in the '09. "WD bars" refers to a "weight distibuting" hitch.
The stall feeling could be wind gusts, the cab is so quiet I sometimes don't notice the wind noise. you may get the brakes checked, maybe they are engaging as you're going down the road?

 

Thats the first thing I look at when towing is how windy is it. It feels like the trailer is double the weight and the truck has one hell of a time to get to speed or stay at speed!