Huge discrepancies

spoon059 wrote:

dadmomh wrote:
Can you explain to the OP and myself why an F-150 properly equipped is not plenty sufficient?

No, nobody can. The reason that they cannot is because you DON'T NEED that large of a truck for so small of a trailer.

Lots of people here like to cover up poor driving skills or poorly set up tow vehicles by simply throwing money at the problem and buying a heavier truck to mask the symptoms and make them feel better.

A properly equipped truck, be it a half ton or a 1 ton, can safely and effectively tow up to its tow limits. Will a half ton truck hold up over the long term towing at its max weights as a dedicated tow vehicle pulling 12K miles per year? Probably not. The OP isn't trying to do that. The OP is a typical weekend warrior. They are towing less then 300 miles per trip, likely less than 10 times per year. That's 3,000 miles per year towing or less.

For people that have the money or the NEED for a heavier truck, buy a heavier truck. However, for people that don't have the money nor the need than the half ton trucks are great options.

Dealers do not "order" vehicles for their lots, they get an "allotment" shipped to them.. That allotment tends to have only FULLY LOADED HIGH COST OPTIONS. The problem is that the allotments SKIP OVER the HIGH PAYLOAD OPTION. Folks just taking anything of the dealer lot typically have no cares about payload, they are just looking for a fancy grocery getter.

Your odds of buying a F150 off the lot which HAS HD payload or Tow max payload is pretty slim.. Therefore the reason the OP found only payloads of 1,250 lb or less..

dadmomh wrote:

dadmomh wrote:
The OP did just purchase the trailer in the last couple of months, so that's a done deal. They spent a lot of time researching in order to make the best decision possible. IIRC, the Sequoia was purchased just about the time the TT purchase happened in order to have something ok to tow with. They are looking to make a change to a PU in order to feel better about the weights, which they are very concerned about at this point. Understand completely. They also want this PU to serve as a daily driver - grocery store pretty much and misc errands. They do not make big trips to Lowe's or HD and load up. They need safety with their new TT, comfort, affordability. Correct me if I'm wrong, but does that about sum it up? Also, they have no plans to do any upgrades to a larger TT, so what they find now should serve them for a long time. IMHO, opinions and suggestions need to be along the guidelines they've expressed. Other "just buy" or "go big" just serves to add to the confusion. They are trying to sort this out step by step.

The OP and DH purchased a Prime Tracer 230FBS....specs shown below. I am having a problem with some insisting that they NEED a 250. Certainly not a weight/towing expert, but after 8 years I have picked up a smidge of info. Can you explain to the OP and myself why an F-150 properly equipped is not plenty sufficient? I believe they are looking for a near new truck, factory tow, doesn't need all the bells and whistles and preferably not, as decent mpg as possible and comfortable. Our '03 happens to meet their needs and I feel sure that Ford built a zillion just like ours over the years. If it all boils down to the tires, that is easily remedied, although it drags up the dreaded tire thread.

Certainly not my intention to be critical of the opinions/suggestions, but the OP has said they are not interested in a 250. Seems like that should be end of that discussion. If not interested in a 250, a 350 is likely not of interest either. What the OP is asking is what to look for in an F-150 that will suit their needs.

The other thing that some are not catching is the age factor/retirement and that when the term "fixed income" hits, the income is the ONLY thing that's fixed. Retirement and the budget is a huge factor, like it or not. DH would "like" a 250, but that's not gonna happen. I would "like" a few things myself that aren't gonna happen. Unless you happen to be part of the AARP crowd who doesn't have to consider budget, I'm happy for you. But the OP has already noted that they do have to consider the financial impact, as we do.


Model 230FBS

Base Weight 4,920 lb. (2,232 kg )
Hitch Weight 635 lb. (288 kg )
Cargo Carrying Capacity 2,677 lb. (1,214 kg )
Exterior Length 25 ft. 2 in. (7.7 m)
Exterior Height 10 ft. 8 in. (3.3 m)
Fresh Water Capacity 48 gal. (182 L)
Black Water Capacity 30 gal. (114 L)
Gray Water Capacity 30 gal. (114 L)
Awning Size 12 ft
Tire Size ST205/75R14/C

I think you have missed the point that the OP HAS weighed their current combination, the payload is already at or above 1,000 lbs.

That "dry" weight is more like 700 lbs empty and when loaded 750-800 lbs..

They also have noted that ALL the F150s they have look on the dealer lots only have a max of 1,200 lbs available cargo weight which is less than 200 lbs more than their current TV..

It is silly to buy a new tow vehicle which will only give them an additional payload of 100 lbs or so above what they have. To really get a much higher payload in a F150 you need to go with a regular cab 4x2 and that is not what the dealers will have on the lots. They will have the loaded to the max models except for HD or Tow Max package..

Bling sells not brawn..

The options are, order a F150 with HD or Max tow package plus the Eco boost V6 (for empty mileage) OR buy a F250 with 6.2..

In the end the price of the F250 is going to be nearly the same or even less than a F150 Max tow and Eco boost..

As others have mentioned A "heavy half" is going to ride a lot harsher then a standard F150..

My suggestion to the OP is to TEST DRIVE BOTH the F150 AND a F250..

Pretty good chance that the F250 will be rather similar ride.. Heck my Dad is 87 yrs young and still drives his 1980 F350 around town and it rides like a buckboard (newer trucks are much smoother ride)..

randygk wrote:
No need for bigger than F150. The trailer specs are very close to our Keystone Hideout 23RBWE and our Ram 1500 Hemi CC pulled it fine. Very stable and enough power. The payload with me, wife and 108 lb dog was within couple hundred pounds of max, but I always monitored it. I just wanted a bigger truck , diesel, and 4x4. I don't see these people blowing by me at 65 to 70 as some people do with their trailers. A properly equipped F150 will be fine and fit their needs. Just weigh everything to have a starting point.

My son traded his Ram 1500 Hemi for a new F150. He is missing the Ram's power and mileage.

The OP will never ur base what they want, but here are a couple more things to consider. A F150 and F 250 are the same size ( except possibly height) so driving and parking are the same. For a given weight capacity, springs are likely to be similar, so ride is the same. If the engine and gearing are the same, mileage will be nearly identical. If the two have different engines or gears, of course mileage will be different. Often, a smaller engine working hard will get worse mileage than a large one that's just loafing along. Finally, you can probably find an excellent used F250 for way less money than building up a heavy 150, and it'll be easier to sell when you don't need it any longer.

Tom/Barb wrote:
Why do those who tow for a living, tow with a diesel?

Because they tow for a LIVING... not less than 3,000 miles per year. Why do those who play baseball for a living spend the entire year getting into shape? So they can play at an elite level. Does the average Joe who plays beer league softball train all year?

dadmomh wrote:
Can you explain to the OP and myself why an F-150 properly equipped is not plenty sufficient?

No, nobody can. The reason that they cannot is because you DON'T NEED that large of a truck for so small of a trailer.

Lots of people here like to cover up poor driving skills or poorly set up tow vehicles by simply throwing money at the problem and buying a heavier truck to mask the symptoms and make them feel better.

A properly equipped truck, be it a half ton or a 1 ton, can safely and effectively tow up to its tow limits. Will a half ton truck hold up over the long term towing at its max weights as a dedicated tow vehicle pulling 12K miles per year? Probably not. The OP isn't trying to do that. The OP is a typical weekend warrior. They are towing less then 300 miles per trip, likely less than 10 times per year. That's 3,000 miles per year towing or less.

For people that have the money or the NEED for a heavier truck, buy a heavier truck. However, for people that don't have the money nor the need than the half ton trucks are great options.

Here is what the OP actually said, "When we arrived to look at the trucks, every single one of them had a sticker in the door jamb that showed a payload capacity of less than 1250#. Every one."

I believe her, as I have walked many a sales lot also. When I move to the area with the 250's and 2500's, the stickers go up considerably. I could care less what they tow with, and hope they save all the money that they can. Having said that, I also don't care if they tow 2,000 or 20,000 miles per year, every mile should be as safe and comfortable as possible.

No need for bigger than F150. The trailer specs are very close to our Keystone Hideout 23RBWE and our Ram 1500 Hemi CC pulled it fine. Very stable and enough power. The payload with me, wife and 108 lb dog was within couple hundred pounds of max, but I always monitored it. I just wanted a bigger truck , diesel, and 4x4. I don't see these people blowing by me at 65 to 70 as some people do with their trailers. A properly equipped F150 will be fine and fit their needs. Just weigh everything to have a starting point.

dadmomh wrote:
The OP did just purchase the trailer in the last couple of months, so that's a done deal. They spent a lot of time researching in order to make the best decision possible. IIRC, the Sequoia was purchased just about the time the TT purchase happened in order to have something ok to tow with. They are looking to make a change to a PU in order to feel better about the weights, which they are very concerned about at this point. Understand completely. They also want this PU to serve as a daily driver - grocery store pretty much and misc errands. They do not make big trips to Lowe's or HD and load up. They need safety with their new TT, comfort, affordability. Correct me if I'm wrong, but does that about sum it up? Also, they have no plans to do any upgrades to a larger TT, so what they find now should serve them for a long time. IMHO, opinions and suggestions need to be along the guidelines they've expressed. Other "just buy" or "go big" just serves to add to the confusion. They are trying to sort this out step by step.

The OP and DH purchased a Prime Tracer 230FBS....specs shown below. I am having a problem with some insisting that they NEED a 250. Certainly not a weight/towing expert, but after 8 years I have picked up a smidge of info. Can you explain to the OP and myself why an F-150 properly equipped is not plenty sufficient? I believe they are looking for a near new truck, factory tow, doesn't need all the bells and whistles and preferably not, as decent mpg as possible and comfortable. Our '03 happens to meet their needs and I feel sure that Ford built a zillion just like ours over the years. If it all boils down to the tires, that is easily remedied, although it drags up the dreaded tire thread.

Certainly not my intention to be critical of the opinions/suggestions, but the OP has said they are not interested in a 250. Seems like that should be end of that discussion. If not interested in a 250, a 350 is likely not of interest either. What the OP is asking is what to look for in an F-150 that will suit their needs.

The other thing that some are not catching is the age factor/retirement and that when the term "fixed income" hits, the income is the ONLY thing that's fixed. Retirement and the budget is a huge factor, like it or not. DH would "like" a 250, but that's not gonna happen. I would "like" a few things myself that aren't gonna happen. Unless you happen to be part of the AARP crowd who doesn't have to consider budget, I'm happy for you. But the OP has already noted that they do have to consider the financial impact, as we do.


Model 230FBS

Base Weight 4,920 lb. (2,232 kg )
Hitch Weight 635 lb. (288 kg )
Cargo Carrying Capacity 2,677 lb. (1,214 kg )
Exterior Length 25 ft. 2 in. (7.7 m)
Exterior Height 10 ft. 8 in. (3.3 m)
Fresh Water Capacity 48 gal. (182 L)
Black Water Capacity 30 gal. (114 L)
Gray Water Capacity 30 gal. (114 L)
Awning Size 12 ft
Tire Size ST205/75R14/C