Found a TT, what tow vehicle do I need?

[Ncm86]

I found a TT 26ft, 7600gvw and dry hitch 450lbs.not sure how big of a truck I need. i did find a 2011 f150 5.0 fx4 gcvw of 15,100lbs. GVW 7350 and payload 1560. With tow package. It is too small?

[jaycocreek]

I've seen three truck/travel trailer bad wrecks that I remember, one just recently that had a fatality and it was a 3/4 ton pulling a 26ft trailer, not that it matters because all of them were OPERATOR ERROR not vehicle error.

[Tystevens]

goducks10 wrote:

PAThwacker wrote:
I camp in PA state parks. Yes, 8 lug rule the roost in the megalopolus northeast. Does not matter where or on the road. I have seen plenty FLIPPED halfton over the years.

Maybe they need to come out to Oregon and learn how to tow with a 1/2 ton. In all my years (45) of driving around I can't even count on one hand how many TT's I've seen flipped. Let alone towed with a 1/2 ton.

What an erroneous statement.

No doubt. I've seen a whole lot of 1/2 tons going up and down the road, or parked happily in the campground. I can't recall even a single 1/2 ton I've seen flipped over on the road. But I did learn to drive in Oregon, and I've never been East of Colorado (on the roads, at least); maybe the East Coast drivers are worse? :h

[goducks10]

PAThwacker wrote:
I camp in PA state parks. Yes, 8 lug rule the roost in the megalopolus northeast. Does not matter where or on the road. I have seen plenty FLIPPED halfton over the years.

Maybe they need to come out to Oregon and learn how to tow with a 1/2 ton. In all my years (45) of driving around I can't even count on one hand how many TT's I've seen flipped. Let alone towed with a 1/2 ton.

What an erroneous statement.

[pappcam]

PAThwacker wrote:
I camp in PA state parks. Yes, 8 lug rule the roost in the megalopolus northeast. Does not matter where or on the road. I have seen plenty FLIPPED halfton over the years.

This post is a pretty good example of what's wrong with this place sometimes.

The 3/4 ton or better crowd post things as if it's fact when it's very far from being so.

A 1/2 ton can tow a trailer with no problem.

[PAThwacker]

Many camper special 3/4 to one ton srw are running around with factory matched caps and tow mirrors. Some are even used to commute............

[PAThwacker]

I camp in PA state parks. Yes, 8 lug rule the roost in the megalopolus northeast. Does not matter where or on the road. I have seen plenty FLIPPED halfton over the years.

[Ncm86]

So far after looking at all the xlt's and fx4's i can find, i have found one FX4 with a payload of 1560

[usmc616]

We have 4 kids, never towed with a p/u, always a SUV. Started with a 1500 Suburban and then moved up to a 6.8 liter Excursion.
What we learned is if you like camping you will definitely upgrade your TT and hence will need to upgrade your TV.
We tow our TT about 12 times a year and sometimes go several hundred miles so a 3/4 ton TV fits us best.

[Ncm86]

Gvwr is the max the vehicle can weigh loaded. So the trailer loaded can't weigh more than 7600lbs. The TV loaded and trailer loaded can't weigh more than 15,000lbs combined.

fatboy66 wrote:

Ncm86 wrote:
I found a TT 26ft, 7600gvw and dry hitch 450lbs.not sure how big of a truck I need. i did find a 2011 f150 5.0 fx4 gcvw of 15,100lbs. GVW 7350 and payload 1560. With tow package. It is too small?

If I understand your numbers, the CGVWR of the TV is 15,001 lbs and your CGVW is 14,950 lbs w/o carrying anything...including gas. I think your TV is way outgunned.

[fatboy66]

Ncm86 wrote:
I found a TT 26ft, 7600gvw and dry hitch 450lbs.not sure how big of a truck I need. i did find a 2011 f150 5.0 fx4 gcvw of 15,100lbs. GVW 7350 and payload 1560. With tow package. It is too small?

If I understand your numbers, the CGVWR of the TV is 15,001 lbs and your CGVW is 14,950 lbs w/o carrying anything...including gas. I think your TV is way outgunned.

[Mvander]

If your luck you could find a used f150hd. I think the eco or 5.0 would work well. Not sure of ypur budget but i have seen 11'+ for the low 20k's with avg mileage. They are tough to find though.

[handye9]

Ncm86 wrote:
I was looking at the wildwood x-lite 261BHXL. Dry hitch weight 434 and unloaded weight 4314lbs.

What ever truck and trailer you come up with, you need to keep in mind, part of the trucks payload will be used up by your fuel, family, cargo, weight distribution hitch, and any aftermarket thnigs that have been added to the truck. What is left over will be payload available to support your tongue weight.

Payload varies from one truck to another. Depending on cab configuration, drive train, power train, suspension, options and accessories, and towing packages. You could have two F150's sitting side by side, one with 750 lbs of payload, and one with 3150 lbs of payload.

A blanket statement that "an F150 is going to do the job", would be
incorrect. Some will, and some won't.

You should figue out what kind of weight, you need to carry (ie anticipated cargo weight in the truck, fuel weight, family weight, room to grow, and WD hitch weight), and shop for a truck that has the payload to carry that plus your loaded camper's tongue weight.

Example:

Say the truck has 1900 lbs payload.

Your family/cargo/fuel/hitch/room to grow(maybe 200 lbs)= 1100lbs

You would have 800 lbs available for tongue weight.

Average tongue weight is 12 - 13 percent

Divide 800 lbs (avaiable tongue weight) by .13 = 6154 lbs loaded trailer. 5K unloaded, would probably do it.


Only you know the kind of weight for your family, and what kind of stuff you will bring along. If it happens to be ATV's or dirt bikes, thats more payload gone, before you hitch up.

[Ncm86]

Sounds good I'll stick with the 1/2 ton

[boosTT]

I would not get a 3/4 ton for a 2-3 trips per year.