So Confused
I am so confused by all of this. I am looking to buy a new travel trailer. I drive a 2011 Ford F150 Supercrew V6 3.73. Per Ford the max tow weight is 5700 pounds. The trailers I'm looking ...
Forum Discussion
I just went through this with my 2010 F150 this past fall - let me share what happened (nothing catastrophic)
There are a few different numbers you need to know. First, there is the weight on the VIN plate on the camper (mine is on the outer shell). It said something like 5300 (i forget offhand, but could look if you need it). I said OK, 5300, my truck lists 8600 as the max, cool, I am WELL in the safe zone..
Nope.
Inside the cabinet door in the camper, there was a notification page. Basically, it said that the 5300 was without anything installed - like tanks, A/C, fridge, etc. In actuality, it was 7130. Guess when that nugget of info hit me? Yup, after the papers were signed, and I had just gotten home from a white-knuckle ride from the dealer.
Oh, and that 7130 does not include food, clothing, gear, water, propane, anything. Mind you, this is on a 32' Prowler, with only one slideout.
I tried running the F150 and yes it worked, but it worked HARD - was too sluggish to get on/off ramps, not able to safely accelerate onto roads, etc.
After one trip I upgraded the tow vehicle to an F350 diesel - is it for everyone? No, but I like diesel trucks personally, and I got it for a steal. But be careful. Don't get sucked into the math game. It's in the salesman's best interest to make the numbers work in his favor, and since "Ford (or Chevy, whatever) says it can handle that" is an excuse you can't hang on his neck, only you suffer.
In my case, the F150 worked WAY too hard. Brakes overheating, engine running warm, suspension way too soft. I could have kept it, but I would have ended up burning it up too fast. So far this year I have been out twice, and I barely know the trailer is back there, and we have a 1600 mile trip coming up!
There are a few different numbers you need to know. First, there is the weight on the VIN plate on the camper (mine is on the outer shell). It said something like 5300 (i forget offhand, but could look if you need it). I said OK, 5300, my truck lists 8600 as the max, cool, I am WELL in the safe zone..
Nope.
Inside the cabinet door in the camper, there was a notification page. Basically, it said that the 5300 was without anything installed - like tanks, A/C, fridge, etc. In actuality, it was 7130. Guess when that nugget of info hit me? Yup, after the papers were signed, and I had just gotten home from a white-knuckle ride from the dealer.
Oh, and that 7130 does not include food, clothing, gear, water, propane, anything. Mind you, this is on a 32' Prowler, with only one slideout.
I tried running the F150 and yes it worked, but it worked HARD - was too sluggish to get on/off ramps, not able to safely accelerate onto roads, etc.
After one trip I upgraded the tow vehicle to an F350 diesel - is it for everyone? No, but I like diesel trucks personally, and I got it for a steal. But be careful. Don't get sucked into the math game. It's in the salesman's best interest to make the numbers work in his favor, and since "Ford (or Chevy, whatever) says it can handle that" is an excuse you can't hang on his neck, only you suffer.
In my case, the F150 worked WAY too hard. Brakes overheating, engine running warm, suspension way too soft. I could have kept it, but I would have ended up burning it up too fast. So far this year I have been out twice, and I barely know the trailer is back there, and we have a 1600 mile trip coming up!
