Building a Dodge, oops, Ford TV

[Bobbo]

I have an appointment Monday at Dodge to order a truck to be built for me.

Question: Should I spring for the Anti-Spin Differential Rear Axle for $435 and/or the 4-Corner Air Suspension for $1,715?

I am new to towing. It will have the 3.92 axle (as opposed to the 3.21 axle). The 3.55 axle requires the EcoDiesel or the V6 gas engine.

[Bobbo]

Yes, we have the 36 gallon fuel tank. Not that it matters. We have 25 gallon bladders. :B

The packages we ordered are
1 - 302A Equipment Group
2 - XLT Chrome Appearance Package (standard on the XLT)
3 - Max Trailer Tow Package
4 - BLIS
5 - Tailgate Step with Tailgate Assist
6 - Front Seat Console

All of this on an F-150 XLT 4x4 SuperCab 6.5' bed with the 3.5l Ecoboost V6 with 3.55 axle and locking differential.

[Mike_Up]

Bobbo wrote:
Although I started this thread to ask a question about a DODGE 😛 pickup, I just put a deposit down on a Ford F-150 XLT SuperCab 4x4 Max Tow Package. They have to order one from the factory because the stuff I want is not available on any of the dealer stock. They said it would be 8 to 10 weeks before it arrives.

A special thanks to DKean for his help and information.

Skimmed over this previous, good, you should have pretty good payload with that XLT as long as you didn't go hog wild with the luxury options.

[Mike_Up]

Bobbo wrote:
I will try to answer the questions.

Ram 1500 or F-150 towing an Airstream Flying Cloud 23FB with 6000 pound GVWR and 4806 pound dry weight with LP and batteries and 467 pound dry hitch weight with LP and batteries. Reese WDH/sway control.

RAM will have 5.7l V8 Hemi with 3.92 axle, F-150 will have 3.5l EcoBoost V6 with 3.55 axle. DW won't agree to diesel.

Family is just DW, me and a 40 pound dog.

Ford has several things RAM doesn't that I would like, but if priced too high, DW won't go for it. The Ford MSRP is 25 percent higher than the RAM MSRP. I am expecting an offer from Ford today, and will be going to Dodge Monday to get an offer.

If you want a Ram, that's fine as I looked at some as well, but be warned it will have a very low payload. You might be better off buying off the lot so you can see exactly what payload it'll have.

While it may only be you, wife, and dog, you may want to have a truck cap (200 lbs) or a fiberglass tonneau cover (120#), a sprayed in bed liner (~50#), maybe some side steps for the wife, and firewood and other camping gear in your bed. It will add up quick along with your AirStream's tongue weight. And forget about ever going bigger if you want. You'll be overloading your truck if you aren't careful and that will affect how it handles in emergency maneuvers.

If you want to stick with a Ram, get a 2500 6.2L gasser. If you get the 5.7L gasser they reduce GVWR so it's really like a Ford heavy 1/2 ton instead of a 3/4 ton where payload is concerned.

IMO, yeh, Ford and Chevy (nearly the same price) and Toyota are more expensive, you get what you pay for and that is payload (minimal upgrade with Toyota). I won't get into a pissing match about which is mechanically better, towing and payload numbers on the Ford and Chevy are far superior to Dodges 1500 series.

[Groover]

Cummins12V98 wrote:
OP congrats on the new truck order I am sure it will serve you well. But I do hope you will let us know if it does the job you are comfortable with right out of the box. My two concerns towing with a 150/1500 is the SOFT tires and rear spring pack that may need bags.

If you can I HIGHLY advise ordering the truck with "E" tires if possible.

They don't offer it with E rated tires but you can get LT C rated tires as I did on mine. They do make it more stable towing but can cost you a little on gas milage. I think that it is a $395 option now. My guess is that with a good hitch setup you will be very happy towing that trailer. I hope that you got the 36 gallon tank, it comes in very handy when towing cross country.

[Cummins12V98]

OP congrats on the new truck order I am sure it will serve you well. But I do hope you will let us know if it does the job you are comfortable with right out of the box. My two concerns towing with a 150/1500 is the SOFT tires and rear spring pack that may need bags.

If you can I HIGHLY advise ordering the truck with "E" tires if possible.

[RPreeb]

IdaD wrote:
OP doesn't need a 1 ton and he certainly doesn't need a diesel. I don't see what good it does to berate the guy over buying a Heavy Duty diesel for a 23' Airstream. It gets silly stupid around here sometimes.

Thank you! Not everyone is upwardly mobile. Some of us are perfectly contented to stay right where we are. I mean, I really don't need a Kenworth to pull my 24 footer, and I have no intention of ever getting a bigger TT. Even the 24 feet is probably more than we need.

To the OP, I love my 2016 F-150 3.5 EB, and I'm not grinding any particular ax (this is only my second Ford in 50 years of car ownership - my wife drives a 2010 Edge). It just happened to be the perfect truck for us. If we had found the right Chevy or Ram first, that might have been what I bought. With everything I've learned since, I think I made the right choice.

[Travlingman]

Congrats on the new truck order. Post pics when it comes in.

[Bobbo]

3.5l EcoBoost V6 with 10 speed 3.55 transmission and locking differential

[blofgren]

Bobbo wrote:
Although I started this thread to ask a question about a DODGE 😛 pickup, I just put a deposit down on a Ford F-150 XLT SuperCab 4x4 Max Tow Package. They have to order one from the factory because the stuff I want is not available on any of the dealer stock. They said it would be 8 to 10 weeks before it arrives.

A special thanks to DKean for his help and information.

Congratulations! Sorry if I missed it but what engine did you go with?

[Greene728]

Excellent choice for your Airstream! Enjoy it!

Ohh....and pics upon delivery or it didn't happen!

[Bobbo]

The reason that the salesman told us they would have to build the truck is that we want the SuperCab, not the SuperCrewCab. People who get the SuperCab are usually trying to save money, so they don't get the expensive packages.

We added the packages to get front seat console (it has been DECADES since DW sat in the middle of the bench seat), rear camera with trailer assist, reverse sensors, cab step, blind spot system, pro trailer assist, max tow package, moving pedals, and tailgate step.

The only thing I wanted and can't get was the extending tow mirrors. They are not compatible with BLIS, and I wanted BLIS more.

AND, it's silver to match the Airstream!

[IdaD]

Bobbo wrote:
Although I started this thread to ask a question about a DODGE 😛 pickup, I just put a deposit down on a Ford F-150 XLT SuperCab 4x4 Max Tow Package. They have to order one from the factory because the stuff I want is not available on any of the dealer stock. They said it would be 8 to 10 weeks before it arrives.

A special thanks to DKean for his help and information.

Congratulations. Great match for your trailer and I think you'll really enjoy the combo.

[FishOnOne]

Bobbo wrote:
Although I started this thread to ask a question about a DODGE 😛 pickup, I just put a deposit down on a Ford F-150 XLT SuperCab 4x4 Max Tow Package. They have to order one from the factory because the stuff I want is not available on any of the dealer stock. They said it would be 8 to 10 weeks before it arrives.

A special thanks to DKean for his help and information.

Good choice... When my CEL came on a couple of weeks ago, I took it to the Ford shop and asked if they would give me a loaner for the day. They pulled up in the service bay with a brand new 2017 F150 and man was I impressed with that truck.

[Me_Again]

Bobbo wrote:
Although I started this thread to ask a question about a DODGE 😛 pickup, I just put a deposit down on a Ford F-150 XLT SuperCab 4x4 Max Tow Package. They have to order one from the factory because the stuff I want is not available on any of the dealer stock. They said it would be 8 to 10 weeks before it arrives.

A special thanks to DKean for his help and information.

There you go! Enjoy! Most popular truck in America. Chris

[Me_Again]

Grit dog wrote:

Me Again wrote:
New trailers (larger) seem to follow new trucks. It is a vicious cycle that is repeated often. So always buy for at least one step up, or better two steps up. Stuff happens! Nothing is wrong with a Ford F350 SRW with the 6.2 gasser or the RAM 3500 SRW with 6.4 Hemi(Got a Hemi?).

Sure, until you don't want to drive the lumber wagon around town every day.....I mean, I'm good with my loud, stinky, burly, rough riding diesel, but I don't complain about the 150mi a day I put on my 1500 Silverado, and Actually prefer it for daily driver.

Have you driven one of the new trucks? 2500 and/or 3500 SRW.