I have a 2003 chevy silverado with a v6 4.3...will this be able to tow a 26' travel trailer, dry weight approx 5700 lbs. if not what kind of ford f-150 would i need?
Depending on your axle ratio, you should do fine on the flat but your truck will struggle going up the hills
As for a F-150, you cant go wrong with any of the 3 engines, (5.0, 2.7 and 3.5 ecoboost) however, I would go for the ecoboost. I used to have a 2008 F-150 4.6 with the 3.73. Pulling my Autumn Ridge 266rks which has similar length and weight as yours, I was fine except for the hills. it was pedal to the metal screaming up hills between 4000 and 4500 rpm.
I now have a 2017 F-150 with the 2.7 ecoboost with the 3.73 rear end and what a difference. It tows it really easy and it does it all between 2500 and 3000 rpm. For some of the steeper hills, I might see it go up to 3500 rpms . It certainly makes for a more enjoyable and quiet towing experiences.
My old truck had LT tires, this new one has P rated tires and at 35 PSI, I had a bit of sway compared to old truck. To help this, I pumped my tires to 50 in the back and 45 in the front and switched to a CURT Trutrack 17500 hitch. Again , wow what a difference, no sway and it tows like a charm.
Having said that, you dont need a F250 to tow a 26ft trailer that weight 5700lbs. For weekend camping, you might have between 200 to 300 pounds of stuff at the most in the RV. The only thing I would recommend is if you ever plan on going with bigger trailer, I would go with the 3.5 ecoboost.
Have fun with your RV
