Hi all,

I'm looking at buying a Toy Hauler, and trying to make sure I'll be able to tow it without any issues. Due to my parking limitations (RV Parking spot I paved on the side of my house), I have to get a 23-24' hauler (~ 26-28' full length including hitch).

My truck is a 2009 F-150 FX4 (stock suspension, cold air intake, throttle body spacer, cat back, stock size BFG AT tires). I used to tow my boat (23' Calabria Pro-V, ~6000 lb) constantly, and it pulled it no problem. However, I understand the weight ratios are very different with a trailer, so I need some help confirming that I'll be able to pull what I'm looking at. Note that I would definitely be getting a weight distributing /stabilizing hitch system and a brake controller before pulling the Toy Hauler. Also, I wont' be heavily loading the trailer. It will just be for my wife and I, and 2 dirt bikes.

I've done a lot of reading about calculating the different weights, but I'm still confused and not quite sure that these will work. Here is the sticker on my truck showing the specs:







I'm seriously considering 3 different brands of trailer. Here are the manufacturers weight specs on each:

Attitude AT23FB


Rage'n 23FBX


NITRO 24FQSL


If anyone can help me to understand if my truck's towing capacity will support these trailers safely, I would very much appreciate it. I will definitely be getting a brake controller and a weight distributing/stabilizing hitch if that matters.

Thank you all in advance!

 

The #3850 rear GAWR is going to be your biggest limiting factor. Also the overall payload the truck has (the yellow "tire and loading" sticker). My guess is that's probably between #1200-#1400 range.

Also, you should get some actual weights of your truck as it sits now.. Meaning, it's been over 5 years and trucks tend to gain weight as time goes on.. (don't we all!!)

If you can get front and rear axle weights as the truck sits now, you'll have a much better idea of where you stand.. Without those, it's only a WAG at best by anyone.

Then it just comes down to which weight limit are you comfortable with exceeding?

Tow haulers are heavy just by the nature of what they are. They are made to be tongue heavy so when you put your toys in the rear of the trailer, you still have the necessary TW to be able to tow it straight.

No matter what, you'll get down the road with whatever you hitch to it, so that's not really the question.. Towing performance is speculative, so that's only a matter of what you feel comfortable with..

To sum up, my opinion is you'll get down the road.. But, you'll likely exceed one or more of your trucks weight ratings, even if you stay below the trucks "tow rating"...

Good luck!

Mitch

 

Thanks so much Mitch!

Here is the rest of the info from my truck:





looks like payload is 1200 .

Does that mean it will tow poorly (slow, etc)? Does a weight distributing hitch help if you are exceeding the tongue weight?

 

#1000 tw is still #1000 tw with the WD installed. It will distribute where that #1000 goes, so it'll put some on the trucks front axle (usually just a portion of what the tongue takes away) and it'll reduce some of the rear axle load and put some more on the trailer axles.

By poor towing, if you mean performance wise, that's only a perception of what you expect it to do. Meaning, if you expect it to stay in OD and pull the grades going 60 mph and staying at 2500 rpms, that ain't gonna happen..

You can also have poor towing, handling wise, and that can usually be helped with adjusting the WD and the kind of hitch you have, but if you are way overloaded, that's just how the truck is going to react to being way overloaded no matter what you do.

You won't instantly 'implode' if you exceed a weight rating or two, but you'll have to give up something to do that... That can be towing performance, handling and accelerated wear on the truck.

Personally, I wouldn't do that with your truck.. Not to be a "Debbie Downer", but even with my 13, I don't know that I'd want to tow a toy hauler with it...

I took some weights the last time I towed with it and the truck axles weighed #3500/#3800 respectively with it loaded for a long weekend trip. My trailers axle weight was #4500 and it's only 22' long and has a GVWR of #5000... I know my tongue weight is around #600 too, so it's a tad over it's own GVWR.. But I also do know it has 2 #3500 axles on it and I've got "D" load range tires on it, but it's still technically over by a couple hundred pounds for the most part.. It's my choice to have the trailer weight what it has, but I'm comfortable with it.

Ultimately, it's gonna be up to you do determine what you tow and what limits you heed..

Mitch

 

Thank you, I really appreciate your advice. These dealers will all tell you that you can tow anything with any truck, but I really needed to know that I wouldn't be killing my truck to pull something like this.

I'm thinking I need to get something more reasonable sized for my truck. These 20-21' Toy Haulers are down in the 5600lb range, and are rated "Half ton Towable". I think this is more realistic for what I can pull:

http://www.majorrv.com/pre_owned_detail.asp?veh=3691669

Again, thank you!

 

Keep the thing "dry" and you'll be fine...

My trailer said it weighed #3400 "dry".... It might have, but after loading it up and outfitting the way I wanted, it now has the weights it does now..

When they say it's "half ton towable", that just means it's under the "tow ratings" of most modern day half ton trucks... Your trucks "tow rating" is probably around #9000... But, that don't mean you can just load the truck to the gills and expect to still tow a #9000 travel trailer and call it good...

Your hitch only has a weight rating of #1050 with WD. So, unless you plan on not using any of the trailers extra features of all that water, fuel and storage space, pack light, you should be able to keep the tw to around #1000 pretty easily.

You will likely exceed the trucks GVWR of #7200 and be right at or over the rear axle rating, but again, that's up to you to determine.. I ran over GVWR and over the rear axle rating with my 97 F150 by several hundred pounds (#500 on the GVWR alone!) and towed the same trailer for over 12 years just fine.. But, that was my choice and my knowing how my truck handled it.

Good luck with it all! People tow "overloaded" all the time and usually don't even know it.. I've seen a lot of F250/F350 towing overloaded too, but that's a difference mind set for those folks!

Mitch

 

Right on Mitch, thank you for the advice.

The one thing I haven't been considering is the additional weight after loading everything up (water etc). I want to make sure it won't cause any undue damage or wear on my truck, so I've started checking out the 19' trailers which seem much more manageable. Since I'm only putting 2 dirt bikes in there, I don't really need that longer space anyway.

Thanks again.

 

Yeah, that last trailer is gonna be your best bet I think.. You only need to take enough gas in the hauler for what you think you'll need and the huge water tank is assuming you fill the back all the way up, so depending if you have water hookups or not and how much water you consume will determine that.. Remember, water weighs around 8 lbs per gallon and gas weighs about 6 lbs per gallon..

Enjoy!

Mitch

 

Do you normally tow with the tanks empty on the trailer, and then fill up on water/gas closer to your destination?

 

I've only got a 30 gallon tank, so I fill mine up every time I take out the trailer.. Even if the campsite I go to has water.. (I just like my water better and 30 gallons is only #250)

Those weights I mentioned above was with a full tank of water. The holding tanks are empty of course...

I've been camping since I was a baby with Mom & Dad and that was from the early 60's!

So, I know how to conserve water and still keep clean... I don't need to take a full on 'shower' to get clean by any means.. Now, if the camp has clean showers and I feel I need one, I'll use the camps showers...

With a toy hauler, that usually means you are "dry camping", so what you bring is what you got! (that was really the only way I knew how to camp when I was a kid back in the day... They didn't have "hookup" campgrounds like I go to now!)

You will need to fill your water tank to some degree just to make up for what you put in the back (that's why toy haulers usually have such large water tanks, and they are put up front for a reason.. That's your "ballast" for the most part.) So, if you have a heavy load in back, have to put a heavy load up front..

2 dirt bikes is only going to be around #500 or so, right?

So, overall, I think you'll be okay with the smaller of the trailers you looked at and don't load it to the gills..

Remember to take a pic or two and let us know how it all goes!

Mitch

 

Thanks Mitch!

I'll definitely post up some pics as soon as I get one. All your info has really helped me determine what I really need here, so I'm going back to start over looking at some 19' trailers.

Thanks again!

-Ian

 

I have a Keystone Outback 23KRS with a side load.

perfect for 2 offroad or sport bike. take alook at it.
It's way lighter(mine is 7000 loaded) then those you posted....and you can sleep in whitout having to pull the bike out!
it's for sale...but San diego is kinda far from Montreal..lol

 

Thanks I'll check that out!

Also, what kind of truck do you pull that with?

 

2007 fx2 5,4 3,55

 

Well, I pulled the trigger this weekend:



After a ****load of research and looking at a ton of TH's, I finally pulled the trigger on the Attitude 19'. It tows really well with my truck, I towed it the 2 hours back from my parents house where I bought it down to San Diego. At 55mph the whole way, I got around 12mpg avg, and it only made what is normally a 2 hr drive a 2.5 hr drive.

I got an insane deal, and got them to throw in the brake controller, WD hitch, screen on the back door, and 5yr warranty.

Very happy so far!