Opinion on model of TT

[station71]

HI Folks

spending the next year or so, perhaps less looking for a TT. I have a 2019 F150 with tow package so I'm good for TV. The problem I'm looking at is I don't know TT models like you folks do. I will continue to look through the craigslist/kijiji/rvtrader etc for TT but I was hoping you folks could help me narrow down a builder or two.

It's just my wife and I. Looking for:

Something with a separate bedroom, don't need bunkhouse beds. Slider would be nice and I especially like the TT with the big back windows and a couch or a couple of chairs for that area.

Not a big wish list. Can anyone point me in the direction of a manufacturer who makes what I'm asking. I'll even look a couple of years old to bring my price range within about $20000.

Any help you can provide would be great.

Cheers
Al

[Mike_Up]

Gdetrailer wrote:
I think where the F150 gets close to the F250 in price is when you add the 3.5, Max Tow and the HDPP.

On Fords Build and Price section a super crew 6.5 box XLY starts at 43,310. Same config in an F150 is 41,165 for a difference of 2,145. No options added.
Now add Max Tow, 3.5 and HDPP @4,400 and the F150 is now 45,565 or 2,255 more than the F250.

As far as MSRP prices, when I was shopping, the 2 were very close to the same but F250 barely had any rebates and dealer wouldn't discount much. That leading to the F250 being about $5K more. At the time, I did have the HDPP package factored in.

Even with the HDPP and Max Tow, you're still limited by the hitch weight rating compared to a F250. I wouldn't get a really big TT with a 1/2 ton. Or even with a F250, I'd go up to a 5th wheel. My friend won't even consider a TT as he said they tow like ****. He'll only own 5th wheels, no matter how small it is.

Glad you were able to get a good price on your truck.

[goducks10]

Mike Up wrote:

Gdetrailer wrote:


I know the Eco brings a lot to the table with the turbo but unfortunately adding the Eco option PLUS Max Tow/Payload options you are now at the same price or higher than a nicely equipped F250 with a 6.2..

Hum, not what I found when I went to buy a F250 compared to a F150.

The F150 has a lot more mark up and rebates than the F250. Apples to Apples, I was looking at $5,000 more for the F250 with 6.2L. The options where all the same between the 2 trucks.

I actually was going to pony up and pay the extra $5000 for a F250 until I found how poor the mileage was on the 6.2L. After talking to many, it seems 15 mpg was the best on the expressway and 10 mpg was what everyone was getting around in town driving. Of course mixed, what I normally drive would would be different and most likely 12 mpg or 13 mgp which is way to bad for a truck I'll be driving 22,000/year.

I did go with the Ecoboost later and found excellent mileage, better than I actually read about. I'm getting about 2 to 3 mpg than my 5.0L. I actually thought I'd get worse after reading here.

Glad I stuck with the F150 as it turned out to be thousands less, gets much MUCH better fuel economy which saves me hundreds every month, and has much better performance by a huge margin. It's also easier to park and get around tight areas with it's shorter 5.5' bed.

Unless I was towing a 32' or over heavy weight TT, I would try to stick with a correctly optioned F150.

If I was towing a large trailer consistently or for a job, a F250 for sure over a F150.

Glad you were able to get a good price on your F250.

Right now I think I push for the 7.3L gasser over the 6.2L gasser though. That seems to be the engine to have.

I am talking about a Crew Cab 4WD XLT truck with all the better options. For the 6.2L, the 3.73 gears for decent performance. Maybe a extended, 2WD truck would be different.

I think where the F150 gets close to the F250 in price is when you add the 3.5, Max Tow and the HDPP.

On Fords Build and Price section a super crew 6.5 box XLY starts at 43,310. Same config in an F150 is 41,165 for a difference of 2,145. No options added.
Now add Max Tow, 3.5 and HDPP @4,400 and the F150 is now 45,565 or 2,255 more than the F250.

[rvshrinker]

as a newbie 3 years ago I felt most comfortable buying a full ton (3500) Ram. Even with the weight of a diesel, 4x4, and megacab, I have 3900 pounds of payload. I just didn’t want to end up with ‘too little truck’ and after spending several years researching I still wasn’t exactly confident in my calculations or abilities. Our TT is under 10k pounds loaded so it’s not even an issue for us, but I like knowing I never have to worry about it. As you said the 2500/3500 really aren’t bigger than the 1500 these days.

Everyone doesn’t need a 3500, but if you’re planning on towing more than a tiny teardrop, popup, or similar, I don’t like the idea of 1500/150 for regular, long distance towing. Having a safety margin built in is nice.

[Mike_Up]

Gdetrailer wrote:


I know the Eco brings a lot to the table with the turbo but unfortunately adding the Eco option PLUS Max Tow/Payload options you are now at the same price or higher than a nicely equipped F250 with a 6.2..

Hum, not what I found when I went to buy a F250 compared to a F150.

The F150 has a lot more mark up and rebates than the F250. Apples to Apples, I was looking at $5,000 more for the F250 with 6.2L. The options where all the same between the 2 trucks.

I actually was going to pony up and pay the extra $5000 for a F250 until I found how poor the mileage was on the 6.2L. After talking to many, it seems 15 mpg was the best on the expressway and 10 mpg was what everyone was getting around in town driving. Of course mixed, what I normally drive would would be different and most likely 12 mpg or 13 mgp which is way to bad for a truck I'll be driving 22,000/year.

I did go with the Ecoboost later and found excellent mileage, better than I actually read about. I'm getting about 2 to 3 mpg than my 5.0L. I actually thought I'd get worse after reading here.

Glad I stuck with the F150 as it turned out to be thousands less, gets much MUCH better fuel economy which saves me hundreds every month, and has much better performance by a huge margin. It's also easier to park and get around tight areas with it's shorter 5.5' bed.

Unless I was towing a 32' or over heavy weight TT, I would try to stick with a correctly optioned F150.

If I was towing a large trailer consistently or for a job, a F250 for sure over a F150.

Glad you were able to get a good price on your F250.

Right now I think I push for the 7.3L gasser over the 6.2L gasser though. That seems to be the engine to have.

I am talking about a Crew Cab 4WD XLT truck with all the better options. For the 6.2L, the 3.73 gears for decent performance. Maybe a extended, 2WD truck would be different.

[Gdetrailer]

mbopp wrote:

station71 wrote:
ford truck guy..I have actually been to a lot of previous shows and hope to see one the year if the big C settles down. I'm still leaning towards a trailer that's a couple of years old..Let the previous owner deal with the depreciation and repairs hopefully.

lynnmor..IT's the 3.5 EcoBoost, with trailer package bringing it to 12700 lbs.

And Deb and Ed..Thanks for the link I will have a look.

Cheers
Al

Ah, yes. But the limiting factors on a 1/2-ton are payload and rear axle rating. Both of these can be found on the driver side door pillar. I had a F150 with the 3.5EB. When it was time for a new truck by the time I added all the heavy tow options to the F150 I made the jump to the F250.

X2!

I know the Eco brings a lot to the table with the turbo but unfortunately adding the Eco option PLUS Max Tow/Payload options you are now at the same price or higher than a nicely equipped F250 with a 6.2..

For instance, we ordered a 2020 F250 4x2 XLT valuepackage Supercab short bed. Has 3,500 lb payload without any needs for any packages like Max Tow/Payload to boost the cargo rating. Our price out the door was $45K with taxes, title, destination charges.. 4x4 would add some cost at about $3K but that is still cheaper than a F150 with Eco and max tow/Payload.

Not going to get a F150 Eco with Max Tow/Payload for less than that price.. I HAVE configured a lot of different combinations of F150s and you would have to lose Max tow/Payload and Eco to get under the price I paid for my F250.

Folks get scared of the size, well F150s now days SHARE the same cab and bed as F250/350 so no difference there.. There is a difference in Height, F150s are a few inches lower..

Mileage, well yeah, F250 6.2 isn't going to get you 20+ MPG EMPTY, but it does do pretty well at 16-16.5 MPG empty..

Towing mileage, well that is where even the ECO falls flat, you won't be getting 20+ MPG towing, no, you will be much closer to 9-10 MPG which is exactly THE SAME as a F250! Kicking the turbo in really sucks down the fuel under heavy loads..

[goducks10]

Check your door jamb sticker for the trucks CCC.
Work back from there subtracting things like passengers, camp gear, etc that will go in the truck.
That number is how much you have left for TW.
Once you have that number you can then start to look at floor plans that have a TW thats lower than that number. You'll need to also realize that brochure weights are typically lower than shipped weights.
So if you find a TT with a TW of say 500 lbs you'll need to add 300 lbs to it because 1st it's an advertised low weight and you'll also be adding things like propane, battery, stuff under the bed and in the front storage compartment, along with a 100 lbs for a hitch.

Now that you've guesstimated your TW, you can google up RV trailer MFG's and start looking on MFG web sites for rear living style trailers.

A good rule of thumb for newbies is to take 12% of the TT's GVWR and use that as your TW. That will provide you with a decent margin.

[ppine]

Spend some time on RV lots and RV shows. What people like in an RV is very subjective and no one can tell you what you are going to like.

[mbopp]

station71 wrote:
ford truck guy..I have actually been to a lot of previous shows and hope to see one the year if the big C settles down. I'm still leaning towards a trailer that's a couple of years old..Let the previous owner deal with the depreciation and repairs hopefully.

lynnmor..IT's the 3.5 EcoBoost, with trailer package bringing it to 12700 lbs.

And Deb and Ed..Thanks for the link I will have a look.

Cheers
Al

Ah, yes. But the limiting factors on a 1/2-ton are payload and rear axle rating. Both of these can be found on the driver side door pillar. I had a F150 with the 3.5EB. When it was time for a new truck by the time I added all the heavy tow options to the F150 I made the jump to the F250.

[Mike_Up]

station71 wrote:
ford truck guy..I have actually been to a lot of previous shows and hope to see one the year if the big C settles down. I'm still leaning towards a trailer that's a couple of years old..Let the previous owner deal with the depreciation and repairs hopefully.

lynnmor..IT's the 3.5 EcoBoost, with trailer package bringing it to 12700 lbs.

And Deb and Ed..Thanks for the link I will have a look.

Cheers
Al

I have a 2019 3.5L Ecoboost Screw 4WD with the Max Tow Package. Are you aware that you must have the 20" wheel option to get the 12,700 lbs, otherwise you are still at the same 10,700 lbs as the Heavy Duty Tow package.

Main reason why is that you get a $1000 discount over buying all the options included in the Max Tow Package separately, and on top of that, you get the heavier Duty hitch for the Max Tongue Weight. So you aren't actually paying more, but less for the Max Tow Package.

You are actually paying for that 12,700 lbs towing when you get the 20" wheel option. The added tow capacity doesn't come from the wheels, Ford also upgrades the rear axle to a 4050# rating and also changed the steering gear and upgrades the stabilizer bar. The steering wheel will take more turns to turn the same radius, giving you more control and easier steering when it's towing a load.

Personally, I didn't know this when I bought my truck as the brochure and owner's manual state 12,700# without the requirement for the 20" Wheel option. Only the ordering guide and website builder's guide mention this which I did confirm. I have 18" wheels and I do not have the 4050# rear axle rating but the standard 3800# rear axle rating.

However all this was new for 2018 to give it more towing capcity. The 2017 F150 with the 3800 lbs rated rear axle, had a tow capacity of 11,500#. Don't know why Ford didn't rate the same for the 18" wheel option instead of defaulting back to the lower standard HD tow package rating. Maybe because it's only a difference of 800 lbs. , don't know.

However with Travel Trailers and towing with a 1/2 ton truck, they rarely exceed the tow rating but often exceed the payload rating and rear axle rating. So find your hitch rating and don't exceed that. You should stick to campers around 8500 lbs totally loaded or around 6500 lbs dry from the factory OR UNDER to be on the safe side. Most hitch weight when loaded are 13% of the travel trailers total loaded weight but can often go over 15% depending on the trailer. If over 15%, that would limit you to a travel trailer under 6000 lbs if you plan to load it full and full of water. Always go to a weigh station and get your axle weights. Sometimes readjusting your weight distribution hitch several times is needed to get you within your axle ratings and GVWR.

If you really want to tow a heavy trailer that over 32' overall, 3/4 ton and 1 ton trucks do a much much better job at towing them.

Also consider getting LT tires and getting rid of your P series (Passenger Car) tires, as the added side wall stiffness will help you keep better control of the rig and reduce side to side wallowing of the truck in winds due to the P series tire's weak sidewalls. That's why Ford also offers LT tires as an option when ordering.

BTW, my 2019 as seen configured in my signature, has 1831 lbs of payload. My previous 2016 which was configured the same but had a 5.0L, 6 speed transmission, and 3.73 geared 9.75" rear differential was rated at 1890 lbs payload. Both my 2016 and 2019 had 3800 lbs rear axle ratings.

If you have a Lariat, Platinum, or King Ranch, your payload will be much lower requiring a smaller and lighter travel trailer than even stated above.

Good luck finding a camper.

[2112]

Keystone Outback 277RL fits your description. It's a bit long and heavy. Verify your truck is up for it.

[Danoo]

A better way to go about your search, since you already have a truck, is to determine what the limitations of your 1/2 ton truck are and then shop for a trailer at you can tow with the truck. Hint, I would guess payload or rear axle are going to be your limiting factor. You are probably looking at a trailer that will be less than 8000 lb. Check the stickers on the driver side door, they will tell you what your limits are.

Good Luck!

[station71]

ford truck guy..I have actually been to a lot of previous shows and hope to see one the year if the big C settles down. I'm still leaning towards a trailer that's a couple of years old..Let the previous owner deal with the depreciation and repairs hopefully.

lynnmor..IT's the 3.5 EcoBoost, with trailer package bringing it to 12700 lbs.

And Deb and Ed..Thanks for the link I will have a look.

Cheers
Al

[Lynnmor]

You need to know what "tow package" you have, the Max Tow Package is much more capable than the basic. Also check if you have the Max Payload Package to determine how much you can carry. All F150s are not created equal.

[ford_truck_guy]

For someone who has never towed, or vacationed in an RV, i suggest you visit a local RV show if they start up again..

There you can walk in and out of many different manufacturers, and floor plans...

Narrow down you list once you have seen the choices..

Get your list of questions together and make a round 2...