What towing options on an F-150?
I am going to be buying a new F-150 soon and then possibly a new R-Pod Travel trailer. What options should I get on the truck so I will be ready to tow when I buy my new rv? The R-Pod specs are: Dry...
Forum Discussion
Since you are looking at a small trailer and describe yourself as a novice you may want to get Pro Backup assist and blind spot detection. Small trailers are actually much more difficult to back up than large trailers, especially if they are narrower than your truck and you cannot see them in your side mirrors. Likewise, the new blind spot detection system covers the trailer.
Full disclosure here, I have Pro Backup assist and rarely use it but my shortest trailer is 21' long and 8' wide plus I am old and set in my ways. I haven't yet pulled a small trailer with the truck but believe that I will use the system on one when the time comes. The system does require about 10 minutes to set up on a trailer.
The "Self adjusting electric brakes" just means that the pads are adjusted for wear. You will still need to adjust the gain on the brake controller. I adjust mine to where I can just lock them up with the manual override. If you add or take away a significant amount of weight you will the adjust the gain again.
The tests that I have seen show the 2.7 hanging in with the 3.5 really a lot better than the numbers would indicate. Also, I had a 1991 pickup with only 230hp (the most that was available in any truck that year) and routinely pulled 8,000 pounds with it and thought that it did well. With another 95hp and two extra gears you should do well in most situations. I am puzzled as to why Ford doesn't give the 2.7 a higher tow rating, my old truck was rated for 12,500lbs Oh yeah, the 3200lb payloads mentioned are only with the Max Payload Package which is virtually impossible to find. And when I bought mine many of the nice electronic features were not available with max payload package. Apperently Ford thinks that the only people that want max payload are commercial users with paid drivers that have no interest in a really nice truck. Also, the weights listed are probably standard cab with short bed, 2wd and no sun roof.
The "trailer sway control" is an automatic feature that detects trailer sway with sensors in the truck, basically electronic gyroscopes using the Hall Effect, don't ask me how they work. When they detect sway the built in brake controller lightly applies the trailer brake and that dampens the sway. I have been pulling for 40 years and have never had a sway problem. In my opinion you only get sway when you don't have enough tongue weight or you are pulling a tall camper that is shaped like a cracker box with square corners everywhere. I believe that the square corners cause turbulance that induces sway. Just keep your tongue weight in the 300 to 500lb range and you should be good.
I used to pull a popup about the size of the trailer you are looking at with a 1972 Chrysler Newport without trailer tow package and had no issues. I believe that any modern full size pickup will be a better tow vehicle than the Chrysler was.
Full disclosure here, I have Pro Backup assist and rarely use it but my shortest trailer is 21' long and 8' wide plus I am old and set in my ways. I haven't yet pulled a small trailer with the truck but believe that I will use the system on one when the time comes. The system does require about 10 minutes to set up on a trailer.
The "Self adjusting electric brakes" just means that the pads are adjusted for wear. You will still need to adjust the gain on the brake controller. I adjust mine to where I can just lock them up with the manual override. If you add or take away a significant amount of weight you will the adjust the gain again.
The tests that I have seen show the 2.7 hanging in with the 3.5 really a lot better than the numbers would indicate. Also, I had a 1991 pickup with only 230hp (the most that was available in any truck that year) and routinely pulled 8,000 pounds with it and thought that it did well. With another 95hp and two extra gears you should do well in most situations. I am puzzled as to why Ford doesn't give the 2.7 a higher tow rating, my old truck was rated for 12,500lbs Oh yeah, the 3200lb payloads mentioned are only with the Max Payload Package which is virtually impossible to find. And when I bought mine many of the nice electronic features were not available with max payload package. Apperently Ford thinks that the only people that want max payload are commercial users with paid drivers that have no interest in a really nice truck. Also, the weights listed are probably standard cab with short bed, 2wd and no sun roof.
The "trailer sway control" is an automatic feature that detects trailer sway with sensors in the truck, basically electronic gyroscopes using the Hall Effect, don't ask me how they work. When they detect sway the built in brake controller lightly applies the trailer brake and that dampens the sway. I have been pulling for 40 years and have never had a sway problem. In my opinion you only get sway when you don't have enough tongue weight or you are pulling a tall camper that is shaped like a cracker box with square corners everywhere. I believe that the square corners cause turbulance that induces sway. Just keep your tongue weight in the 300 to 500lb range and you should be good.
I used to pull a popup about the size of the trailer you are looking at with a 1972 Chrysler Newport without trailer tow package and had no issues. I believe that any modern full size pickup will be a better tow vehicle than the Chrysler was.
