Is this TT too much for my '15 F150?

[crimecrusher]

I need to upgrade my TT to a larger one. I currently have a ’12 Jayco Whitehawk 27DSRL and am in the process of adopting two young kids. I want to get a bigger TT with bunkhouse. My tow vehicle is a 2015 F150 FX4 supercrew with max tow package and 3.5L Ecoboost. Looks like my tow capacity is around 11,700 and payload around 1600 pounds. Kind of hard to understand all the options and max capacity.

My short list of new TT’s includes the Prime Time Lacrosse 318BHS and others with a similar floorplan. Want 2 slides including a BH slide and aluminum frame. Also think I want a gelcoat front and something with a more aero front end.


The Lacrosse 318BHS is about 9700 pounds gross weight and listed at 8000 dry. I’ll run a good WDH, thinking of the 15000 pound Blue Ox.

Whatever TT I get, I will keep it under 10k pounds gross and wonder if this is too much for my TV. My truck is new and don’t want to take the hit to get a bigger truck. We travel about 7k miles a year and spend a month in Colorado every summer.

[Mickey_D]

I have a LaCrosse 329 which is a little heavier than the 318 and towed it for a very shot time with a 2014 GMC 1500 before upgrading trucks. The 5.3 in the GMC had adequate power to pull it and stop it, but keeping it stable on the highway around big trucks and their wakes was another story. Ended up moving up to a Ram 2500 and with the same hitch it tows very well up to about 30 mile an hour side winds. Above that you have to tighten the snot out of the friction bars. I also have a friend with a 318 and he pulls it with a Ram 2500 too. I think it comes down to weight and stiffness. My Ram weighs 8500 pounds with the Ranch Hand bumper, headache rack, and tool boxes, and right at 10K when you add in people, dogs, and trailer tongue weight. The 1500 was probably at 7000 pounds loaded the same way. I would much rather have my tow rig out weigh my bumper pull trailer than the other way around.

[Community Alumni]

LarryJM wrote:

Simply doing something and doing something smart are two VERY DIFFERENT THINGS.

Larry

And why can it not be done in a smart way? Recently I had Dodge inspect my powertrain. That's everything from the engine back to the rear tires. Since it was going to be there all day, I asked them to do a once over everything else while they were down there. What was found:

- Water pump was replaced under warranty.
- EGR valve replace under warranty.
- Power steering pump may need to be replaced in the future.
- The shocks needed to be replaced. I had planned on swapping them out for Bilsteins anyway.

The truck has over 130,000 miles on it. It's one thing for me to say my truck is just fine, but something completely different when the experts say it. So the truck is mechanically sound, not eating through tires or suspension components, it tows the trailer and hauls loads just fine, and if feels comfortable to me. I've had my fair share of quick stops and emergency maneuvers over the years with no accidents. Sounds safe to me. Sure a bigger truck could probably do the job better, but this truck is paid for and does the job just fine. I'll upgrade when this one dies or I move on to something bigger.

This is in no way an endorsement for the OP's potential setup. All I'm saying is that not all half tons are configured or even built the same. There are half tons out there pulling trailers over 6,000 lbs dry just fine and doing it safely.

[Community Alumni]

IdaD wrote:

Everybody gets to decide what they're comfortable with, and part of that is how far and what type of terrain they tow in. I would personally cap a half ton truck at around a 7000 lb trailer (wet). But I drive in a lot of Rockies and I have a wife, three kids and a dog so I load the truck up pretty good just with live cargo let alone our stuff.

I don't personally think OP has enough truck for the trailer he's eyeing, but I also think his truck can physically do it if he's comfortable with it. Especially in Texas where you can stand on a tuna can and see 30 miles.

Lol, Texas isn't as flat as a lot of people think. It is down here by the coast, but the rest is mostly rolling hills. Texas has a very diverse landscape. Out in the Hill Country, where we camp a lot, you'll find some surprisingly steep terrain. There's even a few little mountains out there in the hill country. Out west and you get into the more serious mountains like the Davis and Guadalupe ranges.

About the truck comment. I wasn't responding to the OP, just the blanket statement "A half ton truck should not pull a TT over 6000 lbs. pounds dry weight." There's a lot of trucks out there in a lot of configurations that are more than capable of towing over 6000 lbs dry.

While I don't do the Rockies, I do the Appalachian and Allegheny Mountains when we're out east. I also have a wife, a couple of kids, and all the junk that comes with them. The truck has no problem getting up or controlling its speed on the way down. Once again I'm not making a judgement on if the OP's truck is capable or not, just sharing my experience with a half ton towing over 6000 lbs dry.

[rbpru]

In my opinion the OP will be overloaded with that combination. It is really pushing a 1/2 ton.

From my experience a 5000 dry will weigh out around 6200 to 6600 lbs when loaded for a trip. At least that is what the scales say about my Dutchmen Lite.

Even with a WD hitch you will see about 700 lbs of TT weight gain on the back axle. Again, that is what the scales show.

My F-150 cargo capacity is 1400 lbs, two adults, a dog, truck cap, tools and camping gear are another 700 lbs. So, I have maxed out my F-150.

All this is actual scale weight not a guess or estimated. The combo pulls well on the flat or in the Rockies. In the last 15,000 miles, hard stops, swerve, nasty cross winds and truck buffets have not been an issue.

Like any piece of machinery, when used within its design limits, my 1/2 ton work fine. The more you overload it the less suitable to the task it becomes.

Contrary to popular belief "safe" is most often a function of the individual not the equipment.

[LarryJM]

Deep Trax wrote:
I have a Lacrosse 328RES that is about 500 lbs heavier than the 318BHS you are looking at. I tried towing my Lacrosse with a 2015 GMC Sierra 1500 and just did not feel comfortable or safe. I took the loss and traded for a 2015 Chevrolet 2500 HD.

The difference in towing between the 1500 & 2500 series GM trucks is HUGE. When towing with the 1500, I was very tense and always on edge. I am much more comfortable and relaxed when towing with 2500 HD which makes the whole camping experience much more enjoyable.

You are and for all the right reasons one of the "SMART ONES" my prior post referred to:B and were willing to change in the name of overall safety and put aside any irrational thinking or stubborness. If towing is the least bit either tense or on edge in your own words are conditions to the inexperienced or foolhardy that WILL LEAD IMO to an ultimately UNSAFE condition at some point.

Larry

[Deep_Trax]

I have a Lacrosse 328RES that is about 500 lbs heavier than the 318BHS you are looking at. I tried towing my Lacrosse with a 2015 GMC Sierra 1500 and just did not feel comfortable or safe. I took the loss and traded for a 2015 Chevrolet 2500 HD.

The difference in towing between the 1500 & 2500 series GM trucks is HUGE. When towing with the 1500, I was very tense and always on edge. I am much more comfortable and relaxed when towing with 2500 HD which makes the whole camping experience much more enjoyable.

[LarryJM]

proxim2020 wrote:

tomkaren13 wrote:
A half ton truck should not pull a TT over 6000. pounds dry weight. Saying that plan on a bigger truck with the cargo load you will have beside the TT weight.

Oops. Somebody should've let my truck know that about 30,000 miles ago. Ram 1500 pulling a trailer with a published dry weight of 7,454 lbs.

Simply doing something and doing something smart are two VERY DIFFERENT THINGS.

Larry

[alexleblanc]

I was in the same situation with a 2011 F150 eco boost. Upgraded to an 8200lb dry 31' unit. The next upgrade was a Super Duty, the F150 is simply not heavy and solid enough on the road to haul that kind of weight and sail area. I learned that the hard way, you don't need to.

[mlts22]

I have a 2010 F-150, last year with the 5.4. Capacity is ~9600 pounds. Trailer is ~5000 pounds dry, about 6000-6500 pounds with my stuff in it. I have found that I wind up dragging it to a renaissance faire, then back to storage, as it isn't fun on the roads, even with a very good W/D hitch.

Colorado would be worse.

My take: More truck or less trailer. I'd go for a one ton, just because it makes life easier when up/down the Colorado mountains.

[SouthpawHD]

A few observations:

- Towing that many miles a year, puts a lot of strain on a 1/2 ton. Towing that much in CO is likely somewhat of a struggle on the motor with that much weight.

- On this site, 1/2 tons aren't even fit for groceries. Go over to the EcoBoost website and you'll see guys towing some serious weight! Some are for sure overloaded. Somewhere in the middle is probably the best route.

- Check your weights at a CAT scale (or similar), get a GOOD WD hitch, you just might be able to make it work. Good luck.

[IdaD]

proxim2020 wrote:

tomkaren13 wrote:
A half ton truck should not pull a TT over 6000. pounds dry weight. Saying that plan on a bigger truck with the cargo load you will have beside the TT weight.

Oops. Somebody should've let my truck know that about 30,000 miles ago. Ram 1500 pulling a trailer with a published dry weight of 7,454 lbs.

Everybody gets to decide what they're comfortable with, and part of that is how far and what type of terrain they tow in. I would personally cap a half ton truck at around a 7000 lb trailer (wet). But I drive in a lot of Rockies and I have a wife, three kids and a dog so I load the truck up pretty good just with live cargo let alone our stuff.

I don't personally think OP has enough truck for the trailer he's eyeing, but I also think his truck can physically do it if he's comfortable with it. Especially in Texas where you can stand on a tuna can and see 30 miles.

[APT]

8k dry will be 9k loaded for a long weekend with empty tanks. 1150-1250 pounds of TW leaves little left for family and a bed full of camping gear if you have 1600 pounds of payload.

[Community Alumni]

tomkaren13 wrote:
A half ton truck should not pull a TT over 6000. pounds dry weight. Saying that plan on a bigger truck with the cargo load you will have beside the TT weight.

Oops. Somebody should've let my truck know that about 30,000 miles ago. Ram 1500 pulling a trailer with a published dry weight of 7,454 lbs.

[rbpru]

Walaby pretty much summed it up.

We run our F-150 E-boost with a 1400 lbs max cargo is at or near its limit and the combo works fine.

Our 25 ft Dutchman has a dry weight of 5000 lbs but it weighs 6200 lb or more when loaded.

The scales are you friend, they give you the axle loads towing and non-towing, so you can see how close or over the ratings you are.

You will find it is easy to gain lose a couple of hundred pounds over time with changes in the amount of gas, water and supplies on board.