Can my 01 f150 tow a jay flight 29bhs???

[Toben]

I want to know if I can safely buy an older 05 jayflight 29bhs and continue to use my 2001 f150 supercrew 4.6l?

I already have a brake controller.
I will use a weight distribution hitch and anti sway.
I will be traveling 2-4 hours away to camp in state parks and travel with empty freshwater tanks. Roads are fairly flat around here.
I will buy a better truck prior to crossing a mountain range.

The jayflight 29bhs weighs 5600 pounds.
My truck can tow 6600 pounds.
Max payload is 1705.

Cargo include me wife and lightweight kids (400 pounds for all of us) and luggage. Not 4 big dudes.

As you can see I am near the limits but with the brake controller the weight distribution the lighter weight cargo and empty freshwater tanks I think I can do it.

I towed a 5100 pound trailer and it did ok without a weight dist hitch or anti sway.

So If I add that to the mix can I pick up an additional 500 pounds? I promise to eventually get a better truck.

Or am I crazy?

Thanks in advance!

[time2roll]

Don't really know the 4.6 that well and still I would be considering changing the differential to 4.30 or 4.56 ratio.

Went 3.55 to 4.10 with my '01 5.4 and it works very well even if it slows a bit on 6%+ grades.

[PapaNIes60]

My TT specs put it at 4590 dry. 2610 carrying capacity. We bought it new and before I loaded anything in it I took it to the scales. I was surprised by it's weight of 5227. Well to be fair I had both #40 LPG tanks filled on my way to the scales.

[maxwell11]

I remember my first camper towing experience with a truck that was not designed for the weight I was towing.

never even looked at the gas gauge, all I had time for was watching the heat gauge. Then the transmission!!!!!

finally I got a proper truck and all it well, I got a 2005 dodge 2500 diesel 310 hp with 625# of torque, no more problems,

am not going to be like some and say, I can not even tell the trailer is back there, but if I need to increase my speed going up a hill, the truck can pull it and does it fine, I do not have to get my speed up to 80 mph to pull a hill.

I now feel comfortable pulling my 27ft travel trailer, in addition, being able to properly stop the load quickly, if necessary.

made camping travel much more comfortable for us, she can drive the truck in comfort and that is important on a long trip.

its always best to have too much truck, rather that too little truck!
Just my two cent!!!

[jerem0621]

Terryallan wrote:

jerem0621 wrote:
Here is the 2005 Jayco Brochure

Link

The 5600 lbs is a brochure weight...this camper will be at around 5,800-6,000 lbs before you add your stuff to the camper... I packed my TT pretty light (just like everyone says)...clothes, food, grill, bikes, cooler...and I added 1600 lbs to my TT ready to camp...



Jeremiah

I don't know what you call packing light. But that ain't it. I added 600lbs to the dry weight of our TT, and that included grill, blankets, pots pans, dishes, towels, 10 camp chairs, out door cook stove, cooler, Ect, ect. You must be carrying rocks as well.

It was sarcasm. "Just like everyone says"

Dry weight on my 95 said 4950...scaled was 6500 ish... We didn't travel light. Lol

[kw_00]

Buddy of mine owns a 2010 F150 with the 4.6 and FX2 package. Loves the truck just low in the power dept. He pulls a 24 foot deck boat and said that it was not doing well.. I think the boat is around 5k or so its in inboard merc 357 and large boat. Now u may have a different outlook, I'm sure it will pull it, just wind it up some to keep it in the power band and you'll be fine.

[Terryallan]

jerem0621 wrote:
Here is the 2005 Jayco Brochure

Link

The 5600 lbs is a brochure weight...this camper will be at around 5,800-6,000 lbs before you add your stuff to the camper... I packed my TT pretty light (just like everyone says)...clothes, food, grill, bikes, cooler...and I added 1600 lbs to my TT ready to camp...



Jeremiah

I don't know what you call packing light. But that ain't it. I added 600lbs to the dry weight of our TT, and that included grill, blankets, pots pans, dishes, towels, 10 camp chairs, out door cook stove, cooler, Ect, ect. You must be carrying rocks as well.

[jerem0621]

Here is the 2005 Jayco Brochure

Link

The 5600 lbs is a brochure weight...this camper will be at around 5,800-6,000 lbs before you add your stuff to the camper... I packed my TT pretty light (just like everyone says)...clothes, food, grill, bikes, cooler...and I added 1600 lbs to my TT ready to camp...

Let's say you get 6500 lbs loaded, that's going to be nearly 850-900 lbs of tongue weight...can you stay around payload with this much tongue weight? Is your bed going to be 100% empty? How much weight are you and the family, and their electronics/toys that are going to be in the truck?

All this stuff adds up

I am a huge modular motor fan and I have a 4.6 in my 2000 Lincoln Town Car... But yours has 230 HP compared to my 1997 F150 that had a 5.4 which had 235 hp...I comfortably pulled a 31ft TT weighing 6500-7,000 lbs loaded comfortably.

I think as long as you are willing to turn the revs up to 4,000-5,000 on grades when needed you should be able to maintain 55-60 mph pretty well...just prepare yourself mentally, this bad boy is going to need RPM's to power up these grades.

Last few things...make sure you have a transmission cooler,and make sure you have 3.55 axle ratios minimum...3.31's are a pain pulling a TT with this motor.

Summary, check and stay within your capacities...I think the motor will be fine as long as you let it work the way it was designed to.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

[PapaNIes60]

I'm a huge advocate of going to the scales to get everything weighed. Also it's a good time to figure your tongue weight. Now you will have some very critical information that will help you make decisions.

[dfm]

Did You Actually weigh the jayco , or is that the sticker weight?
I would bet that it will be substantially heavier than the sticker weight. I think you will be really disappointed the first time you try to go anywhere with that combo. Adding a weight distribution hitch and sway control will not make your truck anymore powerful and will not give you anymore stopping ability.
IMHO you need to Get a smaller trailer or a bigger truck.

[Terryallan]

Toben wrote:
The previous trailer I towed was a 5100 pound travel trailer and about the same size. The difference appears to be the extra slide makes this trailer about 500 pounds more.

I pulled the 5100 without a weight distribution hitch and it did fine. It was sluggish with all the tanks full, but pulled really well when I dumped the freshwater tanks. I don't need to travel with freshwater tanks full anyway.

I am wondering if using a weight distribution hitch will make up for the 500 pound difference between the trailers.

I plan on getting a new truck in a few years, but wanted to see if I could get the 29bhs now. If it can't be done I may settle for a smaller trailer.

Thanks,
Toben

All the WDH will do is return the front / steering wheels to the pavement. It will not make the truck tow more weight. It will not give the truck more power.

[Toben]

The previous trailer I towed was a 5100 pound travel trailer and about the same size. The difference appears to be the extra slide makes this trailer about 500 pounds more.

I pulled the 5100 without a weight distribution hitch and it did fine. It was sluggish with all the tanks full, but pulled really well when I dumped the freshwater tanks. I don't need to travel with freshwater tanks full anyway.

I am wondering if using a weight distribution hitch will make up for the 500 pound difference between the trailers.

I plan on getting a new truck in a few years, but wanted to see if I could get the 29bhs now. If it can't be done I may settle for a smaller trailer.

Thanks,
Toben

[APT]

No way. I had a 99 Supercab and then a 2003 Supercrew, both 5.4L/3.73 4WD. While the second one towed my 5500 pound dry TT ok in relatively flat Michigan, I would not imagine anyone find the 4.6L performance acceptable. What was this 5000 pound trailer? If it wasn't a TT, then it is difficult to compare to the high profile unaerodynamic RV.

Get the bigger truck first.

[upstech76]

I had a 99 f150 with the 4.6 when I first got my puma in the signature line, 6700# dry if I remember correctly. It pulled it ok but definitely left me wanting more hp. Stepped up to a dodge 1500 with the 5.7 hemi a few months later.

[MFL]

Your truck will get the trailer to your destination, but it will not be a fun experience. You will often have to tow against the wind, and may not be able to keep up with traffic.

People have different tolerance levels, but I would not want to make that 4 hour tow.

Towing/camping, should be a fun experience.

Jerry