Help with towing set-up

minihub67 wrote:
I have a 2011 F-150 with 3.55 gears 3.5 liter turbo 9,600 lb tow capacity.

I am looking at the following situation considering new travel trailer and could use some opinions if I should be ok.

I just weighed my truck full of gas with me in it... I'm at 5,830lb my GVWR on the truck is 7,100lb. If I add the wife dog and son I'm at 6,145lb leaving 955lb for tongue weight.

Trailer below: unloaded vehicle weight shipped is 5,900lb It has the kitchen over the rear axle and I suspect I would be around 6,600lb loaded.. I would think adding batteries and filling tanks with equalizer hitch, would add lets say 120lb. Now dry hitch wt (Iknow not loaded) 630+120=750lb.. Even assuming the trailer were at 6,800lb loaded, I would say using that x 12% that's used to assume tongue weight I would be at 816lb o the tongue. I should have 955lb to play with so I would think I would be ok..

Any thoughts on my assumptions?

Thanks,

Jayco Whitehawk 27DSRL

Unloaded Vehicle Weight (lbs)
5,355 (should be 5,900 shipped)
Dry Hitch Weight (lbs)
630
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (lbs)
7,500
Cargo Carrying Capacity (lbs)
2,145
Measurements
Exterior Length
30' 11"
Exterior Width
96"
Exterior Height with A/C
129"
Interior Height
81"
Queen Bed
60 x 74
J-Steel Convertible Sofa
42 x 60
Hide-A-Bed Sofa (Optional)
54 x 74
Wheel Base
241"
Tank Capacities
Fresh Water Capacity (gals) includes water heater
46.2
Gray Waste Water Capacity (gals)
30.5
Black Waste Water Capacity (gals)
30.5
Other
Sleeping Capacity
4-6

Yea you can squeak by, but remember you will probably never be able to throw those bikes, firewood, generator, extra cooler, etc. into that "COMPLETELY EMPTY" bed w/o going over at least your TVs GVWR and you might have to limit your family growth to zero in the future for the same reasons. Your truck is probably a "crew cab" and to be honest I just don't understand why folks would buy a truck with all these great features like all that seating and pickup bed and then use it to tow something that in and of it's self negates what basically makes the truck attractive in the first place.

Many, many here will disagree with me, but I just think all these 1/2 tons with the exception of a few of the higher rated F-150s should be generally reserved for tent/pop up or very small TTs with tongue wt. below 500lbs. That way you have some reserve capacity to use the capabilities of that the truck has cargo wise. I just think for full profile trailers above about 25' you are better served with a 3/4 T with a decent V8, but again you will get .....Many, Many saying that is not needed ... However it is IMO rare to find an individual that has not said if they have moved up from a 1/2T to a 3/4 or better vehicle not saying either "I can't believe how much better this is" or "It's a night and day experience", or something to those effects.

Finally HERE is a current ongoing thread that you might find interesting.

Larry