Size of truck

Sure wish we has a sticky that says --NO NO NO a 1500 PU should not be used to tow anything over 6000 pounds. Boy will I get exceptions to that rule but I'll stick by it.

Run that road cannon beach to portland couple times a year and it can be scary even without a trailer. Came up on a breakdown in a low spot on a blind corner. Near miss. You would want a very stable rig through there.

rhagfo wrote:
When looking at towing 9,000 to 11,000# as rated for some F150, think about this, would you feel safe driving this main state highway? These are some pictures my DW took on our return from the North Coast of Oregon on Highway 26. Those of you from the Portland area know this road well. This is the route from Portland to the North Coast area, speed limit 55, most do 60+.

This is one of the few double passing lanes.



This is what some of it is like, still feeling safe?



Then there is the areas where there is no shoulder, still feeling safe??
Sorry, she didn't get a picture of the no shoulder 30' drop off area.




Then for those of you that have a hard time with the size of your rig we have the area with guard rails. Anyone for bumper cars??



I am sure that other locations have roads like this, but are they the main link to a major camping area, this road is the way from Portland to Fort Stevens SP, with over 500 camping sites.

greystonecowboy wrote:
We are ready to purchase our first fifth wheel trailer and are having trouble deciding on the proper truck. Everyone tells us something different. We are looking at a 32 footer. Will an F150 with eco boost motor pull this? It says that it is rated for 11300Lbs..

I tow a FW with an 11, 300 GVW with a 2002 2500 HD Duramax, and I know I am overloaded, or close to it. Get a 3/4 ton, at least.

Lyle

When looking at towing 9,000 to 11,000# as rated for some F150, think about this, would you feel safe driving this main state highway? These are some pictures my DW took on our return from the North Coast of Oregon on Highway 26. Those of you from the Portland area know this road well. This is the route from Portland to the North Coast area, speed limit 55, most do 60+.

This is one of the few double passing lanes.



This is what some of it is like, still feeling safe?



Then there is the areas where there is no shoulder, still feeling safe??
Sorry, she didn't get a picture of the no shoulder 30' drop off area.




Then for those of you that have a hard time with the size of your rig we have the area with guard rails. Anyone for bumper cars??



I am sure that other locations have roads like this, but are they the main link to a major camping area, this road is the way from Portland to Fort Stevens SP, with over 500 camping sites.

OP, I made the same exact mistake. I bought an F-150 knowing it was rated for 11,500 lbs. I figure'd I was good. I wish I ran across this website sooner and learned that even Travel Trailers can put down a good sized tongue weight ( always assumed 500 lbs prior, now I know it's a bit more dynamic). So I tried going with the smaller route with the wife, she didn't like anything. So it looked like everything we liked was roughly 28' to 30' and had quite a bit of weight for what we wanted. I also figured I was really pushing my half ton with the rock, dirt, and lumber I like to haul for projects (myself, friends and family). So I figure'd I'd skip the upgrade game and just get a 1-ton and call it done. Maybe in 15 years I'll think of getting another truck, but I should be good knowing what my wife and I like now.

daily double wrote:
Always buy your 2nd truck first!!!

Great advice!!!!

Always buy your 2nd truck first!!!

You certainly can have not enough truck, but within reason, you can't have too much truck.

The bigger truck works less when towing far below it's capabilities.

Go big or go home.

Follow the manufacture's weight ratings-- it takes a little investigation on your part. Your are the one that has to make the decision after you study the specs for both the trailer and tow vehicle.

greystonecowboy wrote:
I am getting the idea that I need to move up in truck size or down in trailer size. I appreciate all the good insight as we are new and trying to get it right the first time....

If you do want to get it right the 1st time, then spend some time getting all the numbers. Post them and you will get better advise. I used several 1/2 ton trucks to pull fivers spanning 14 yrs of towing many, many miles and those trucks don't compare to 1/2 ton trucks on the market today in terms of power or GVWR. One friend is using the F150 Ecoboost to tow a 31ft fiver, dry pin weight is 1550 lbs. While I don't know all his weights, he is experienced and neither foolish nor ignorant.

On the other hand, if the numbers do check out, a higher payload truck does make sense if you soon decide to get an even heavier fiver. But in that case, a gas powered 3/4 or 1 ton truck will likely be inadequate also.