Forum Discussion

Crown's avatar
Crown
Explorer
Apr 28, 2018

Looking for advice

Hello fellow campers I have a question that I am hoping some can help me with and share there knowledge and experience in. I have a travel trailer its a 2018 Puma 43 feet in length and weighs about 8231 dry weight. The truck is very well capable of pulling the camper for I bought it new and custom ordered it just to give you a little in site of the truck its a Ford F150 XLT 4x4 supercrew long bed 6 1/2 foot bed. The engine is the 6.2 liter with 3:73 gears it is rated to pull up to 12000 lbs. I also have the EZ2 sway bar hitch and have adjusted it to the recommended settings. Know to the question I feel it still needs something more like an air bag suspension setup or overload springs. Which would you do air bags or overload springs or both? And which brand of air bags would you recommend pro and cons? Thanks for any advice and if you have any questions or different recommendations feel free to ask
Crown
Tow Vehicles
  • kw_00's avatar
    kw_00
    Explorer
    Apr 28, 2018
    I'm sorry to say you really need a 3/4 ton if not more truck with that weight. I can't help on the hitches and what may be better but anytime I see this and desire to add stuff to a 1/2 ton, just get a 3/4 ton. My advise only, don't take offense to it, but 43 feet and 8300 plus dry... u are or will be overloaded. Others may disagree, just my humble opinion. I know your new to us here, so welcome! Despite my comment. Please read on to what others say as well.
  • Lwiddis's avatar
    Lwiddis
    Explorer II
    Apr 28, 2018
    43 feet of travel trailer and an F150 isn’t just about pulling capacity. It’s about the tail wagging the dog. Engine, transmission and rear end are not the book, they are a chapter. Sorry to say but one of the two needs to change. 43 feet of TT!
  • austingta's avatar
    austingta
    Explorer
    Apr 28, 2018
    I agree that's really 2500 if payload allows or even 3500 territory.
  • donn0128's avatar
    donn0128
    Explorer II
    Apr 28, 2018
    What model Puma? All that you might be able to pull with your truck are way shorter. If you have one of the destination models, your really asking for major head aches.
  • Me_Again's avatar
    Me_Again
    Explorer III
    Apr 28, 2018
    austingta wrote:
    I agree that's really 2500 if payload allows or even 3500 territory.


    Ford's are 150s, 250s and 350s.
  • Lwiddis's avatar
    Lwiddis
    Explorer II
    Apr 28, 2018
    Some day we can discuss necessary TV wheelbase for a 43 foot TT.
  • Lwiddis's avatar
    Lwiddis
    Explorer II
    Apr 28, 2018
    Donn, I found a Puma park model at 42 feet. Nothing else that long.
  • rjstractor's avatar
    rjstractor
    Nomad
    Apr 28, 2018
    ^^^

    Agreed, the 6.2 is not an option in an F150 (except for older Raptors which don't have a tow rating of anywhere near 12000 pounds), and the only F150 with a tow rating that high is the 3.5 Ecoboost model. While it's technically possible to tow that large of a bumper pull trailer with an F150 without exceeding any ratings, it's not surprising that the OP is not satisfied with his towing experience.

    If the OP has an F250, I would think that any sagging issues are due to a weight distributing setup not set correctly. A 250/2500 series truck should be able to handle virtually any bumper pull TT without issues, it's the fifth wheels that get them into trouble with payload ratings.
  • kw_00's avatar
    kw_00
    Explorer
    Apr 28, 2018
    Paul Clancy wrote:
    Op says 6.2 litre in an f150 ???? Maybe he has an f250.


    i thought that at first, but.... my friend has an F150 with the 6.2... I didn't believe it until I saw it., and it's a regular F150 not a raptor. So I wonder as well if that could be the case.

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