Yes I did it, 2015 F-150 and 35 foot TT

[schwipps324]

2015 F150 Crew Cab 157" WB Max Trailer Tow
2015 Keystone Sprinter 295 Dry Weight 7830# GVW 10300#

This post is strictly for those who are looking for real life experiences towing big trailers with a half ton truck. I have seen several topics that seem to be asking for these experiences but all you get is people breaking down your numbers for you on paper. I bought the sprinter last week and we pulled it home with the F-150, all highway. It did well IMO, you could feel the semis when you were around them. But also after talking to my dad who pulls the same size TT with his F-350, he confirmed that semis pushed and pulled him as well which didn't surprise me. So this past weekend we took the camper on its maiden voyage. I did roughly 5 hours of pulling, some large freeway with semis all around, but probably 75% of the driving was state highways, 55 mph speed limit. Those kind of roads. I thought the truck did excellent handling the trailer. Even when around the semis I seemed to notice them much less than when we pulled it home from the dealer. Yes my fuel mileage was ****py at 8 mpg. But what do you honestly expect with a v-6 twin turbo under a load. I lock the truck out of 6th to avoid alot of shifting and did the whole trip in mainly 4th and 5th. The truck is so smooth and powerful IMO and I love it. So what it boils down too is yes, that is a massive trailer for a 1/2 ton truck. Yes it handled it great in my eyes. Would I want the same setup pulling through the rockies or other large mountains, no probably not. Its all about what you intend to do with it your setup. You're going to have some sway with a TT this long, its a massive sail catching alot of wind. Take it easy and take your time. As anyone should do pulling a trailer of any size I think. I just really wanted to share my experience with others out there wanting the same kind of setup.

Payload 1653#
-1145 Hitch weight
-200 lb driver
-130 lb co-pilot
-40 lbs of dogs
-50 lbs of firewood
= 88 lbs left for miscellaneous

*my blue ox WDH barely put me over my payload by my calculations.

[BenK]

Also known as 'The Corporate Parts Bin' vernacular in product design teams...

[Fordlover]

Samsonsworld wrote:
Usually a shaft breaks when the wheel is spinning and comes to a sudden stop. Only times I've seen it were in an accident or offroading. I've seen trailer bearing burn up...but never on a vehicle.

If you want to believe that $1700 gets you shocks, springs, wheels, e rated tires AND a thicker frame, better cooling system, a hd transmission and a beefed up axle shaft designed in area 51 using alien intelligence, more power to you.

I only disagree with your position that the 7 lug axle existed for marketing only. Marketing doesn't get to spec parts on a truck, it's simply a NPD/R&D/Engineering role. I agree with the fact that the 9.75 axle is a tough lil bugger, and Ford (nor any other manufacturer) is suffering from more than a very rare axle failure. And some of these trucks get extremely overloaded and still don't experience failures.

A little history may help:
97-99 Light Duty F-250 (which became the 00-03 7700 F-150, which then became the HD payload pkg w/8,200 GVWR) the 10.25 7-lug Sterling axle came standard. In 2005, the 9.75 axle was rated at 4200 lbs., the 10.25 was rated at 5300 lbs. In 2009, the 10.25 axle was dropped and the 9.75 axle became the standard, albeit with 7 lugs for the HD package. After discontinuing the 10.25 axle, Ford spec'd a 9.75 axle with 7 lugs, rather than fitting the 6-lug 9.75 axle they already had off the shelf. I doubt this was to sell trucks, for an option that had less than a 1% 'take' rate. Just simply wouldn't pay for itself with those extremely low production numbers.

[campigloo]

It's not a combo for me but I hope you and your family get many miles and good camping trips out of it.
PS. I don't like beets either

[x96mnn]

Very nice camper, owned a 2012 266 and towed it with a ram 1500. Had loads of power but was pushed around a little to much for me and long trips.

I wish I had of gone with the 295, I would not have upgraded truck and trailer in the last year only truck.

[Tystevens]

Samsonsworld wrote:
There is, if you're towing heavy. But for 10k lbs, this axle is more than adequate. Nobody is burning up differentials and nobody is breaking axle shafts. Haters are just going to hate.

Yeah, I follow a couple F150 forums, and I can't think of any diff or axle shaft complaint that I've seen among those towing heavy. Could it theoretically happen? I suppose, but it certainly isn't an issue that anyone is complaining about.

[carl2591]

BenK wrote:


That poor guy who took that guys advice ruined his vacation when his F150
burned up its differential. Spent all of his money & then some on the motel,
mechanic, etc stuck in the middle of no where for a few days. Even lost his
deposits down in Florida...he and family had to return home with credit card
bills to pay...

I would think if you "burned up the diff" it was due to poor maintenance not towing a 30 ft TT. I love to hear these stories of gloom and doom but for the most part most are not prizy to the real story.. I would bet when the shop pulled the cover off the diff it was
1. low on oil
2 caked up with old worn out over heated oil
3 still had original gray gasket material on from the factory.

so it hard to say the 30ft, and there are plenty of 150s that tow 30 fts, burned up the diff..

geessh..

[Samsonsworld]

Usually a shaft breaks when the wheel is spinning and comes to a sudden stop. Only times I've seen it were in an accident or offroading. I've seen trailer bearing burn up...but never on a vehicle.

If you want to believe that $1700 gets you shocks, springs, wheels, e rated tires AND a thicker frame, better cooling system, a hd transmission and a beefed up axle shaft designed in area 51 using alien intelligence, more power to you.

[TomG2]

I have seen pickups with broken axles along the highways although it is not as common as it used to be.

[Samsonsworld]

There is, if you're towing heavy. But for 10k lbs, this axle is more than adequate. Nobody is burning up differentials and nobody is breaking axle shafts. Haters are just going to hate.

[TomG2]

I thought that there was some advantage to the full floating rear axles used on 3/4 and higher rated pickups?

[Samsonsworld]

6 vs 7 lugs. Find me one person that broke a F150 ecoboost shaft while properly towing a travel trailer. Just one.

[Fordlover]

Samsonsworld wrote:
The shafts have a different part number (see lug comment)

I think I mentioned that. It was a different shaft, different number of lugs (but both were same size 34 spline) from 2011-2014. It was the only part with a different number.

OK, so the part most likely to break in an axle assembly, (the axle) you admit is different. That is all.

[badercubed]

All you rich people and your garages to worry about. I wear out two snow brooms a year!

[Samsonsworld]

The shafts have a different part number (see lug comment)

I think I mentioned that. It was a different shaft, different number of lugs (but both were same size 34 spline) from 2011-2014. It was the only part with a different number.