Towing Capacity

[ike1450]

We just purchased a new 2017 Forest River Salem Hemisphere 299 RE. Dry weight=7,439 lbs, hitch weight=730 lbs.

We own a 2013 Ford F-150 XLT 1/2 ton with a towing capacity of 8,000 lbs and a 3:31 rear axle.

Do we need to move up to up a 3/4 ton with a towing capacity of 10,000-11,000?

R.V dealer informed us, the trailer can be pulled with a 1/2 ton truck, when distribution and sway bar kit is installed.

What is your opinion on this? We normally stay on flat ground, however we're looking forward to traveling cross country.

Thanks,

Deb

[rbpru]

I would heed the advise of those who are hauling the bigger units. Especially the tongue weight.

My 25 ft. TT is advertised at 5000 lbs. and 400 lbs. on the tongue. Loaded for the road the CAT scales shows it weights 6200 lbs. and has a tongue weight of 750 lbs.

My F-150 can pull 9500 lbs. however the max cargo posted on the door jamb is 1411 lbs. So with 750 lbs. on the hitch we only have 661 lbs. for people, dog and camp gear in the bed.

Know the real numbers before you buy, particularly the max cargo of your tow vehicle.

Good Luck

[APT]

At 7500 pounds dry, you'll be at 8500 pounds loaded for a long weekend, or 9000 pounds for a week+ trip. That also means loaded tongue weight will be around 1100 pounds. That RV should be pulled by a truck with at least 9000 pound tow rating and 1700 pounds of payload. While the RV salesman says that it can be towed by a half ton, that does not mean by all half tons let alone comfortably. Most modern 3/4 tons would have little issue with it.

[Bumpyroad]

go ahead and tow it. I mean, what's the worst that could happen?
bumpy

[Bobbo]

ike1450 wrote:
Dry weight=7,439 lbs,

We own a 2013 Ford F-150 XLT 1/2 ton with a towing capacity of 8,000 lbs

Look at the numbers above. Dry weight, 7439#. Towing capacity 8000#. Even if you really are starting at 7439#, what do you think your trailer will weigh when you have it stocked for camping? Less than 8000#? Really?

My trailer is about 4700# dry, and I wouldn't pull it with your truck.

[LAJMINNIEPLUS]

Install a good WDH with sway control and try your truck. If it doesn't work out, trade up. You are certainly pushing the limits, but a lot of it depends on your comfort level when driving the combo and how well the hitch and load are set.

[Hannibal]

I would recommend a Reese Dual Cam, Reese SteadyFlex or Equalizer 4 Point with 1k lb bars. The Equalizer or Steadyflex don't require drilling into the frame like the Dual Cam or add on minimally effective "sway bar". Then stick to flat ground short trips. I think you'll realize in short time you'll want a heavier truck. I may be wrong. I see a lot of long heavy trailers on the road and in campgrounds matched up with 1/2 ton pickups. Maybe they too haven't yet moved into a more capable truck. Maybe they're happy. Those advertised dry weights are not very reliable. It's going to be much heavier. When do you pick it up?

[kerrlakeRoo]

ike1450 wrote:
We just purchased a new 2017 Forest River Salem Hemisphere 299 RE. Dry weight=7,439 lbs, hitch weight=730 lbs.

We own a 2013 Ford F-150 XLT 1/2 ton with a towing capacity of 8,000 lbs and a 3:31 rear axle.

Do we need to move up to up a 3/4 ton with a towing capacity of 10,000-11,000?

R.V dealer informed us, the trailer can be pulled with a 1/2 ton truck, when distribution and sway bar kit is installed.

What is your opinion on this? We normally stay on flat ground, however we're looking forward to traveling cross country.

Thanks,

Deb

Your truck will certainly MOVE your trailer. On flat ground it may even seem good at 35 mph. But you mentioned a cross country trip. that means interstates, it means mountains, and unless your schedule is measured in years, it means speeds greater than 35 mph.

Look at the two primary numbers from your trucks specs.
Payload, this is all the weight pressing down that your truck is designed to handle. It includes all passengers, cargo both in the cab and the bed, and the tongue weight from your trailer.
You didnt list your trucks limits but it likely is around 2600-3000 if you have a standard cab model, it will be less with extended cab.
Towing capacity is all the weight your truck is designed to pull, it is based on your engine, transmission, suspension, shafts and frame components are capable of hauling, AND all the weight your brakes are designed to stop. On your cross country trip, crossing the Rockies with overloaded brakes will not be an experience you will want to relive.

When you look at the TT specs, look at the loaded weights, because empty is with no battery, propane, propane tanks, water, food, clothing or anything else. Loaded weight is at least close to what you will actually be pulling, actually having your trailerweighed is preferable, so you know what you are working with.

[ScottG]

Not even close - you need a lot more truck.
My TT has a "dry" wieght of 6700#. It actually weighs nearly 8k# totally empty.
Move up to a 1T single rear wheel. It rides the same as a 3.4T and has that much more capacity.

[Terryallan]

Yeah. You need more truck. By the time you load your family and mount the hitch on the truck you have. You will be over loaded. I mean really. You only have 560lb of tow cap after you hitch up. How much do you and your family weigh. every pound you load in the truck. Reduces your tow capacity. You need MORE truck

[Intrepid_Family]

Here's my .02.

Someone from this forum once told us, "Sure, you can pull it. Stopping is going to be the issue."

We used to tow an ultralight with a half-ton z71 suburban, with the full load distribution and sway bar kit. We hit some steep hills in Branson, Mo., of all places, that had all of us chanting "I think I can, I think I can" like the little engine that could.

Seriously, though, we *barely* made it up some of those hills, and we were well within the allotted "tow capacity" of that vehicle, even fully loaded. (We weighed to check). It was working HARD. Still, we live in Iowa with family outside of Nashville, TN and used this set up for over 8 years. It took us to Nashville at least 6 times over the years, to Orlando once, to Glaveston Island, Texas, to Oklahoma City, to Branson, Missouri (the hardest pull, funnily enough, due to the steep hills!), and loads of local places here in the state for 7 years. Pulling was not the problem. There were three very memorable occasions where we were "cut off" by drivers in ordinary cars that I was literally STANDING ON the brakes and praying like heck I didn't run over the idiot in front of me. Stopping fast does not happen.

A year ago, we traded up our Suburban - still a 2002, but now a 3/4 ton, 8.1 liter engine with the 4.10 axle ratio. That baby tows this RV like it weighs nothing at all.

It is impossible to leave "too much" room between you and the car in front of you when you are towing that close to the edge of your capacity, and impossible to control the idiots around you.

We're again in the market for a new travel-trailer, and even though my manual says I can tow up to 12,000 pounds, we're staying in the "half ton towable" range in the RV's we're looking at. Towing at the upper limit of our capacity was stressful every time. Now that we've experienced the difference, we won't "push our limits" ever again.

You will never be sorry to have more truck than you need.

[drsteve]

Not enough truck. The 3.31 axle will kill you, plus the payload and tow ratings will be maxed out, if not exceeded.

Go ahead and tow with it now that you have the trailer, but I'd expect you'll not be real happy with the experience, especially if hills are involved. You will probably end up wanting more truck. That's a lot of trailer for any half ton, even a heavy duty one.

[bobndot]

We are talking about a 35 ft trailer, correct ?
For more real numbers, assuming the dry weight is close to the weight of an empty trailer without any options, add your payload then take 12-15% of that 9500# as your tongue weight.
When you upgrade the truck, don't skimp on a hitch that's too light.
Go with heavy spring bars. (1200- *1400#)

Dimensions


Length

35.08 ft. (421 in.)


Width

8 ft. (96 in.)


Height

11 ft. (132 in.)


Weight


Dry Weight

7,439 lbs.


Payload Capacity

2,091 lbs.


Hitch Weight

730 lbs.

[JIMNLIN]

ike1450 wrote:
We just purchased a new 2017 Forest River Salem Hemisphere 299 RE. Dry weight=7,439 lbs, hitch weight=730 lbs.

We own a 2013 Ford F-150 XLT 1/2 ton with a towing capacity of 8,000 lbs and a 3:31 rear axle.

Do we need to move up to up a 3/4 ton with a towing capacity of 10,000-11,000?

R.V dealer informed us, the trailer can be pulled with a 1/2 ton truck, when distribution and sway bar kit is installed.

What is your opinion on this? We normally stay on flat ground, however we're looking forward to traveling cross country.

Thanks,

Deb

I'll repost your question about a bigger truck for you.

The TT you have has a 7439 lb dry weight and shows to have a 2091 lb CCC = 9530 gvwr. Loaded this trailer with three slides could weigh close to 9000 lbs or even max gvwr and 35' long.

This trailer can be pulled with a F150 with the right package such as a;
F150 with a 7550 gvwr and 4550 rawr 5.0 or the 3.5 Ecoboost engine......
or the F150HD with 7850-8200 gvwr and 4800 rawr with the same engines. Your truck has a small tow rating and may have a 6xxx gvwr and tiny 3800 rawr.

That size trailer needs the bigger F150 of a F250.
I would suggest a heavy F250 crew cab with a long wheelbase to handle a 35' at 9000+ lbs.

[MitchF150]

I wouldn't tow that trailer with my F150 and it's rated for a lot more than yours...

But, right now, you have the truck and you have the trailer... Only way for YOU to know is to hitch it up and take it around the block..

Then you will know what's going to work for YOU... Not what 'we' think.. 😉

Good luck!

Mitch