Towing Capacity
We just purchased a new 2017 Forest River Salem Hemisphere 299 RE. Dry weight=7,439 lbs, hitch weight=730 lbs. We own a 2013 Ford F-150 XLT 1/2 ton with a towing capacity of 8,000 lbs and a 3:31 re...
Forum Discussion
Here's my .02.
Someone from this forum once told us, "Sure, you can pull it. Stopping is going to be the issue."
We used to tow an ultralight with a half-ton z71 suburban, with the full load distribution and sway bar kit. We hit some steep hills in Branson, Mo., of all places, that had all of us chanting "I think I can, I think I can" like the little engine that could.
Seriously, though, we *barely* made it up some of those hills, and we were well within the allotted "tow capacity" of that vehicle, even fully loaded. (We weighed to check). It was working HARD. Still, we live in Iowa with family outside of Nashville, TN and used this set up for over 8 years. It took us to Nashville at least 6 times over the years, to Orlando once, to Glaveston Island, Texas, to Oklahoma City, to Branson, Missouri (the hardest pull, funnily enough, due to the steep hills!), and loads of local places here in the state for 7 years. Pulling was not the problem. There were three very memorable occasions where we were "cut off" by drivers in ordinary cars that I was literally STANDING ON the brakes and praying like heck I didn't run over the idiot in front of me. Stopping fast does not happen.
A year ago, we traded up our Suburban - still a 2002, but now a 3/4 ton, 8.1 liter engine with the 4.10 axle ratio. That baby tows this RV like it weighs nothing at all.
It is impossible to leave "too much" room between you and the car in front of you when you are towing that close to the edge of your capacity, and impossible to control the idiots around you.
We're again in the market for a new travel-trailer, and even though my manual says I can tow up to 12,000 pounds, we're staying in the "half ton towable" range in the RV's we're looking at. Towing at the upper limit of our capacity was stressful every time. Now that we've experienced the difference, we won't "push our limits" ever again.
You will never be sorry to have more truck than you need.
Someone from this forum once told us, "Sure, you can pull it. Stopping is going to be the issue."
We used to tow an ultralight with a half-ton z71 suburban, with the full load distribution and sway bar kit. We hit some steep hills in Branson, Mo., of all places, that had all of us chanting "I think I can, I think I can" like the little engine that could.
Seriously, though, we *barely* made it up some of those hills, and we were well within the allotted "tow capacity" of that vehicle, even fully loaded. (We weighed to check). It was working HARD. Still, we live in Iowa with family outside of Nashville, TN and used this set up for over 8 years. It took us to Nashville at least 6 times over the years, to Orlando once, to Glaveston Island, Texas, to Oklahoma City, to Branson, Missouri (the hardest pull, funnily enough, due to the steep hills!), and loads of local places here in the state for 7 years. Pulling was not the problem. There were three very memorable occasions where we were "cut off" by drivers in ordinary cars that I was literally STANDING ON the brakes and praying like heck I didn't run over the idiot in front of me. Stopping fast does not happen.
A year ago, we traded up our Suburban - still a 2002, but now a 3/4 ton, 8.1 liter engine with the 4.10 axle ratio. That baby tows this RV like it weighs nothing at all.
It is impossible to leave "too much" room between you and the car in front of you when you are towing that close to the edge of your capacity, and impossible to control the idiots around you.
We're again in the market for a new travel-trailer, and even though my manual says I can tow up to 12,000 pounds, we're staying in the "half ton towable" range in the RV's we're looking at. Towing at the upper limit of our capacity was stressful every time. Now that we've experienced the difference, we won't "push our limits" ever again.
You will never be sorry to have more truck than you need.
