What towing options on an F-150?

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.

Groover wrote:
An awful lot depends on whether you stick with the small trailer or might upgrade to a bigger trailer someday. For the trailer that you are looking at any truck will work fine. You don't need trailer tow mirrors, weight distributing hitch, tow package, etc. But if you do happen to upgrade, which happens quite often, it will be a lot less expensive to already have that stuff than to trade trucks. I am wondering if that trailer comes with brakes. Be sure that it does. Trailers that small often try to sneak by without them and brakes are not legally required unless the trailer is over 3,000lbs and your dry weight is less than that. If you are getting electric brakes the factory controller is very nice. I have a trailer with hydraulic surge brakes and there is nothing wrong with those but you rarely see them on a camper. You don't want to increase your stopping distance by 50% to save a few hundred dollars on brakes. That trailer is less than 8 feet wide so I would say that the trailer mirrors are a wash. I have them, they have some great features but they also get in the way sometimes. Get at least the basic tow package, it doesn't cost much and doesn't hurt anything. You don't need a weight distributing hitch or sway control for that small of trailer, your truck is rated to handle twice that much on a standard hitch. I would be tempted to get the 2.7l engine for what you plan to do. As far as what you plan to do, there is a pattern of upgrades that many have experienced. Personally, I started with backpacking, then a popup, slide in truck camper and now a 35' diesel motorhome. They all have advantages and drawbacks. Also, it has taken 35 years for me to do that and I wouldn't have kept the same vehicle all the way through regardless. One more thing that you may want is the 6.5' bed. It is kind of hard to find but that extra foot gives you a lot more cargo space.

Thank you for that complete information!
The R-pod comes with 'Self-Adjusting Electric brakes'
I am leaning towards 2.7L EcoBoost. Would like the 3.5L EcoBoost but that adds a lot to the price.
I just found these specs on the Ford site:

Engine HP @ rpm Torque @ rpm Towing (lbs.) Payload (lbs.)
3.5L Ti-VCT V6 282 @ 6,250 253 lb.-ft. @ 4,250 7,600 1,910
2.7L EcoBoost® V6 325 @ 5,750 375 lb.-ft. @ 3,000 8,500 2,210
3.5L EcoBoost® V6 375 @ 5,000 470 lb.-ft. @ 2,500 12,200 3,220
5.0L Ti-VCT V8 385 @ 5,750 387 lb.-ft. @ 3,850 11,000 3,270

One of the towing features of the f-150 is 'Trailer Sway Control'. not sure how it works.

My wife and I are 61 and retired.We haven't done any camping since our backpacking days in the early 80s. This is a whole new experience for us.

An awful lot depends on whether you stick with the small trailer or might upgrade to a bigger trailer someday. For the trailer that you are looking at any truck will work fine. You don't need trailer tow mirrors, weight distributing hitch, tow package, etc. But if you do happen to upgrade, which happens quite often, it will be a lot less expensive to already have that stuff than to trade trucks. I am wondering if that trailer comes with brakes. Be sure that it does. Trailers that small often try to sneak by without them and brakes are not legally required unless the trailer is over 3,000lbs and your dry weight is less than that. If you are getting electric brakes the factory controller is very nice. I have a trailer with hydraulic surge brakes and there is nothing wrong with those but you rarely see them on a camper. You don't want to increase your stopping distance by 50% to save a few hundred dollars on brakes. That trailer is less than 8 feet wide so I would say that the trailer mirrors are a wash. I have them, they have some great features but they also get in the way sometimes. Get at least the basic tow package, it doesn't cost much and doesn't hurt anything. You don't need a weight distributing hitch or sway control for that small of trailer, your truck is rated to handle twice that much on a standard hitch. I would be tempted to get the 2.7l engine for what you plan to do. As far as what you plan to do, there is a pattern of upgrades that many have experienced. Personally, I started with backpacking, then a popup, slide in truck camper and now a 35' diesel motorhome. They all have advantages and drawbacks. Also, it has taken 35 years for me to do that and I wouldn't have kept the same vehicle all the way through regardless. One more thing that you may want is the 6.5' bed. It is kind of hard to find but that extra foot gives you a lot more cargo space.

I used to tow that weight with my current truck and it was a dream combination. almost like not towing !

pfidahospud wrote:


Yes, both sides extend, retract, fold out and back electronically (when equipped). Slickest thing ever. I'd rather have oversize mirrors that work well than aftermarket bandaids.

Aftermarket extended mirrors suck. :)

The 3.5 ecoboost probably gets the best fuel economy to.

Everyone I know that has one loves it.

David LaBrie wrote:
Thanks for the responses! I don't see myself getting anything much bigger, but you never know :-)

Do the Factory tow mirrors retract in any way when not towing?

When talking about anti-sway hitch and weight distribution hitch are these things that come with a tow pkg or do you add them later? Sorry, I am really green when it comes to this.

There are a # of engine choices:
2.7L EcoBoost (8,500 lbs. of maximum towing)
5L Ti-VCT FFV V6 (Tow rating of up to 7,600 lbs.)
3.5L EcoBoost (12,200-lb. maximum tow rating with a 10-speed transmission)
5.0L Ti-VCT V8

The anti-sway and weight dist. are part of the hitch system you must add.
Happy towing!

I agree any F-150 is fine with THAT trailer. If you might ever get a larger trailer, the towing package and brake controller, or better yet, the max tow package (includes the brake controller) is a real good idea. You need the brake controller under any conditions. The 2.7l EcoBoost engine is plenty for THAT trailer, but if you ever get......... a 3.5l EcoBoost is good. I used to like the Ford V8, but with the twin turbos on the EcoBoost engines, the 3.5l has the V8 beat in HP and torque. The twin turbos in the EcoBoost engines also mean you lose FAR less power if you tow in the mountains. The V8 can't make that claim. My signature shows what I decided on. Of course, I have a somewhat larger trailer.

David LaBrie wrote:

Do the Factory tow mirrors retract in any way when not towing?

Yes, both sides extend, retract, fold out and back electronically (when equipped). Slickest thing ever. I'd rather have oversize mirrors that work well than aftermarket bandaids.

Hybridhunter wrote:


Ford Integrated TBC is a must have though.

I assume that is a trailer brake control. Does that come with a tow pkg. or is tha an add on?

Thanks for the responses! I don't see myself getting anything much bigger, but you never know :-)

Do the Factory tow mirrors retract in any way when not towing?

When talking about anti-sway hitch and weight distribution hitch are these things that come with a tow pkg or do you add them later? Sorry, I am really green when it comes to this.

There are a # of engine choices:
2.7L EcoBoost (8,500 lbs. of maximum towing)
5L Ti-VCT FFV V6 (Tow rating of up to 7,600 lbs.)
3.5L EcoBoost (12,200-lb. maximum tow rating with a 10-speed transmission)
5.0L Ti-VCT V8