How do they do it? little vehicle/big trailer

[euskyju]

New poster here. I’m curious. I have a 24’ expandable that’s roughly 4000 lbs. dry / 5000 lbs. GVWR. I tow with a Ford F-150 and, before that, a Chevy Avalanche. With both of those tow vehicles, I’m lucky to get 10mpg and maintain 62 mph on the highway…that is, without the thing shifting down to 3rd or 4th, gulping gas and sounding like the engine is going to explode. Yet I continually see people towing big trailers with mid-sized crossovers. Am I missing something? Now, I’ve heard the theory that anytime you see this, you can be sure that those folks are less than 30 miles from home, but that doesn’t explain the guy that flies by me doing 75 towing a 30’ trailer with a Mini-Cooper (exaggeration for effect).

My trailer is 12 years old. I know that new trailers of the same length weigh as much or more, but have they done something with weight distribution on newer trailers that makes them easier to tow?

[Atlee]

But what is the rear gearing on your truck. 3:31 or worse? I have a 2014 F150 4x4 Eco Boost with 3:73 rear end. I pull a similar sized TT, 4950 GVWR. On the flats it's pulls in 6th gear with RPM about 1800. Going up a steep hill it will usually drop down to 5th and the RPM will jump to maybe 22-2300.

No way your Eco should be having trouble unless it has a rear end not fit for towing.

As for mpg, it's just not going to get good mileage. No matter the weight, you're still pulling a box through the air.

euskyju wrote:


It's a 2015 V-6 Ecoboost. Everything I read said it was better for towing than the V-8. It does tow better than the V-8 Avalanche did. Same mpg, but without the rpms.

[Bedlam]

Grit dog wrote:

Bedlam wrote:
I feel many of you are discounting driver proficiency and are only looking at the setup and equipment used. Have you ever seen drivers in the winter? One will have a worn out Ford Pinto with tires worn even more and make it work regardless of the weather while another will have a new 4wd with traction control, ABS and winter tires yet still somehow smack the first street sign or snow berm they encounter. I see this when driving off road often and appreciate the skills of the guy with the beater pieced together rather than the guy that throws money on problems to have them go away.

Bingo!
This^ and some mechanical aptitude or engineering knowledge to know the real limits of the machine vs the limits of the operator go a long ways.
It's discussed daily on here and there's the "need a diesel Dooley to haul a pop up" and the " I toe a 33' 5ver with my f150" crowds. 2 sides of the same fence.
If there weren't so many opinions, needs and aptitude levels in society, there wouldn't be as many choices to choose from. Choose the one you're comfortable with.

We just returned from camping in your local holler. My sister and kids from distances far away really enjoyed the area. I'm over engineered right now, but will hauling an additional ton before you know and selling my little Arctic Fox soon. This was a light load with six bicycles and a boat in tow, although I think we brought enough food to feed the entire campground.

[SoCalDesertRid1]

Grit dog wrote:
To add to it, MANY RVers are people who's upbringing or day jobs have or had nothing to do with keeping big machines on the road and rubber side down. Whereas most other trailer towing big truck driving people are doing it daily, have a lot of experience or at least a general hobby interest in things mechanical.
You're likely never going to convince a 60 year old accountant who's never driven anything bigger than a Honda Civic and finds it a challenge to check the oil that a 30' trailer behind a F150 is even remotely safe.
And you'll never convince a lifelong trucker that he NEEDS a Dooley with wd and sway to pull the same rig.

At the same time, don't confuse wants with needs. People are very prone to justifying wants as needs and then convincing others to further the justification.

I like how you said that.

[Grit_dog]

To add to it, MANY RVers are people who's upbringing or day jobs have or had nothing to do with keeping big machines on the road and rubber side down. Whereas most other trailer towing big truck driving people are doing it daily, have a lot of experience or at least a general hobby interest in things mechanical.
You're likely never going to convince a 60 year old accountant who's never driven anything bigger than a Honda Civic and finds it a challenge to check the oil that a 30' trailer behind a F150 is even remotely safe.
And you'll never convince a lifelong trucker that he NEEDS a Dooley with wd and sway to pull the same rig.

At the same time, don't confuse wants with needs. People are very prone to justifying wants as needs and then convincing others to further the justification.

[Grit_dog]

Bedlam wrote:
I feel many of you are discounting driver proficiency and are only looking at the setup and equipment used. Have you ever seen drivers in the winter? One will have a worn out Ford Pinto with tires worn even more and make it work regardless of the weather while another will have a new 4wd with traction control, ABS and winter tires yet still somehow smack the first street sign or snow berm they encounter. I see this when driving off road often and appreciate the skills of the guy with the beater pieced together rather than the guy that throws money on problems to have them go away.

Bingo!
This^ and some mechanical aptitude or engineering knowledge to know the real limits of the machine vs the limits of the operator go a long ways.
It's discussed daily on here and there's the "need a diesel Dooley to haul a pop up" and the " I toe a 33' 5ver with my f150" crowds. 2 sides of the same fence.
If there weren't so many opinions, needs and aptitude levels in society, there wouldn't be as many choices to choose from. Choose the one you're comfortable with.

[Mr_MrsSchleppro]

I don't frown on the 1/2tonners.I frown at the small Audi crossover towing a 30 ft TT.

[Golfcart]

Im fine with my 1500 pulling my toys. It does it without a wince

What i dont get is the minivans pulling 25ft+ trailers down the road barreling past me. Like the OP said, they have to be local.. lol

[transamz9]

mkirsch wrote:

tragusa3 wrote:
From this forum, I get the feeling that anyone with a 3/4 ton or larger must look at half ton towers and feel they are having an unsafe/white knuckle experience.

No, and that's the problem. Everyone just goes right to the ridiculous extreme when they read ANYTHING on this forum.

If you suggest to someone that they really should be towing a particular trailer with a larger truck, someone always pipes up with a snarky, "What, can't tow anything bigger than a rowboat with anything smaller than a diesel dually, huh?" or similar unproductive comment.

Because someone always pipes up saying they need a F450 or larger to tow a trailer that can be handled by a 2500. A lot of people say you can't have too much truck and then there's others that says you can.

[tragusa3]

Exactly.

[mkirsch]

tragusa3 wrote:
From this forum, I get the feeling that anyone with a 3/4 ton or larger must look at half ton towers and feel they are having an unsafe/white knuckle experience.

No, and that's the problem. Everyone just goes right to the ridiculous extreme when they read ANYTHING on this forum.

If you suggest to someone that they really should be towing a particular trailer with a larger truck, someone always pipes up with a snarky, "What, can't tow anything bigger than a rowboat with anything smaller than a diesel dually, huh?" or similar unproductive comment.

[Terryallan]

euskyju wrote:
New poster here. I’m curious. I have a 24’ expandable that’s roughly 4000 lbs. dry / 5000 lbs. GVWR. I tow with a Ford F-150 and, before that, a Chevy Avalanche. With both of those tow vehicles, I’m lucky to get 10mpg and maintain 62 mph on the highway…that is, without the thing shifting down to 3rd or 4th, gulping gas and sounding like the engine is going to explode.

I'm betting as a new tower. you have never heard an engine run. Until now you have run around in overdrive with no load on the engine, and believe that is the way it is supposed to be.

Gas engines make no power at 1500 RPM. They make power from 2200 to 4000 RPM. so when they need power the trany drops to a gear that will let it make power. That will NOT hurt one thing. It is what they are designed to do. And if you are getting 10 MPG towing. You are getting great MPG.

IN short. IF you are expecting the truck to drive towing like it does not towing. You have unrealistic expectations. Every vehicle towing drops gears when it needs more power. You can buy a F450 to tow that TT. but when you go up the mountain. It will still drop a gear.

I have towed 4000lb of potato chips up the mountain with a trailertruck. I had to drop several gears.

So sit back. Let the engine run, and relax

[transamz9]

tragusa3 wrote:
From this forum, I get the feeling that anyone with a 3/4 ton or larger must look at half ton towers and feel they are having an unsafe/white knuckle experience.

No I definitely don't I'm one of those 1 ton'ers that wishes he could get by with a 1/2 ton.:B

[tragusa3]

From this forum, I get the feeling that anyone with a 3/4 ton or larger must look at half ton towers and feel they are having an unsafe/white knuckle experience.

[3oaks]

NWnative wrote:
No complaints from me on my set up with the F150. I am within specs and getting 11.5mpg on average. Tow set ups are much like snowflakes......no two are quite the same. Come to think of it....opinions are like snowflakes as well :). Best to do what works best for your unique situation and is within spec.

Four pages and your reply sums it all up perfectly. Best that I have read. 😉