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Old 11-11-2018, 09:24 AM   #21
Topglock
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Originally Posted by busterbrown View Post
I agree too. It just takes 1 wind storm, 1 sway event, or 1 road obstical to make a 1/2 ton owner wish they had the biggest HD truck available. It happened to me with my much lighter Bullet. Learned a few new curse words that trip too. If an RVer is pulling anything over 7,000 lbs on a regular basis, I think most will recommend an HD truck. YMMV.
You’re exactly right. This past July we went on our longest camping trip. Adrian, Mi to Burt lake state park. (7 night stay). We have a Supercrew Fx4 F150 and a 27’ Bullet 272bhs that weighs in at 6820 ready to camp. Between the hills in Grayling and the wind gusts we encountered, I told my wife we won’t be traveling outside of 2hrs until I upgrade the truck. The stress of being stiff as a board and two white knuckled hands gripping the wheel was not worth it. Would eventually like to get into a 1tone. The plan is to upgrade to a 5ver in the near future.
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Old 11-11-2018, 09:52 AM   #22
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Before you buy that VERY EXPENSIVE TORK WRENCH Go by the dealer and pay the half hour rate to have them tork it. If they are the dealer you purchased it from they may do it for free.
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Old 11-11-2018, 10:01 AM   #23
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Kenny,

That's exactly the point I was making with my earlier post. Towing a 1,000 pound 7x14' flatbed trailer with 10,000 pounds of steel ingots (11,000 total weight) up a hill is not the same as towing a 38' travel trailer that weighs 11,000 pounds through a windy canyon or across Kansas on I-70.

The "forces at work" to pull the weight up a mountain pass in a test are not the same forces the truck has to face when towing a long, tall, flat sided "sail" in adverse winds. There's significantly more to towing an RV than just being able to "mechanically move that much weight". That's why, IMHO, the "don't tow above 80% of your rating" comes from. It's a simple way to "have the reserve needed in RV towing" that isn't addressed in the "vehicle testing process".... My opinion isn't very "scientifically based" but should be something we all consider when selecting a tow vehicle/trailer combination.

Your comments are spot on John and I guess the reason it's so hard to understand some that, although they are towing overweight and you know are experiencing issues, insist everything is as good as it can be. I have been one of those. It also points out why "tow ratings" are literally meaningless when it comes to towing a trailer.

In 1969 I bought a new 69 Chevy C10, 350, 4speed. It was a TRUCK! It was made to carry anything you threw at it...and I did. I found a shop built cabover that was very nice and VERY heavy. Who cared? It was a "truck". Dropped it in that long bed and down went the truck...very low. Hmmm - no thought of being overweight (I was 20), just that the truck had weak springs. Solution? Add overloads to it. Result? Not much. Coilover shocks? Same. I did learn, just as you mention above, that pulling the load is not very important. That big, heavy cabover would have turned that truck over on a curve if I had driven normally. It's all about the weight, its position and how/where it rides in relation to the TV. We loved that thing but got rid of it after 3 years for a pop up - no comparison towing.

In my 30s I pulled a 25' trailer with a new 1/2 ton Ford. It had the add on friction sway bars (useless). I learned with that rig all about "sway" and the "tail wagging the dog" effect. I took it all over the place and had lots of fun but was white as a sheet in W TX wind storms or semi traffic.

Everything I've towed has been at, or right at, max. Trying to get the most you can for as little as you can I guess. Even this trailer was started with a new, towing equipped, 1/2 ton, then another (to change ratios). All of them were better than what I experienced "back in the day" but I knew 1) I was at, and possibly over, some of my weight limits and 2) I still did not have that peaceful, laid back towing experience. I thought that is the way it was pulling a travel trailer.

After being on this forum for a while and listening to the sage advice of the members I decided I would see for myself if upgrading the truck would indeed improve the towing experience. Well, I've told myself I wouldn't use the phrase but I will; it is a night and day difference. Despite all my objections to a heavier truck, my arguments about how good a 1/2 ton could tow etc. - the fact is they just can't begin to compare to an HD truck....period. It took a long time for me to learn and goes back to what you said.....you don't know what you don't know. Hopefully some will listen and be proactive by taking the advice instead of being like me and dodging the bullet for years being lucky.
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Old 11-11-2018, 10:14 AM   #24
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Before you buy that VERY EXPENSIVE TORK WRENCH Go by the dealer and pay the half hour rate to have them tork it. If they are the dealer you purchased it from they may do it for free.
Or go to your nearby truck shop. Put the hitch in the receiver upside down for easy access to the nut. Chances are they will do it free. I gave my guy $10 (that's CDN. so it would cost you next to nothing) for a beer after work.
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Old 11-11-2018, 10:14 AM   #25
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My friend bought a 7700 lb TT and a new 2016 f150 eco boost. Drove it down from Louisville to Fort Myers Fl. This is a top of the line ALUMINUM 4x4 f150 with top of the line blue ox weight distribution hitch. He had such a problem with trailer sway he had to keep the truck below 50 mph. He immediately went to North Trail Rv and traided the trailer for a motorhome. Only good thing about the F150 4x4 is he can tow it 4 down with the motorhome.
I agree with everyone else. Get a HD truck.
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Old 11-11-2018, 10:51 AM   #26
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Thumbs down Made the same mistake

I made the same mistake trying to pull a so called 1/2 ton travel trailer with a ford F-150. Pulled it 4 miles from the dealership to my home. in windy conditions. That was enough for me. Sold the F-150 the next day and got a F250 Super Duty. What a difference. I might Add that the F150 had air bags, sway bar, and new ranger shocks. and the Blue OX WD Hitch was set up properly for the weight of the trailer at the time. after changing trucks I pulled the trailer 800 miles to Arizona where I traded it off for a so called 1/2 ton series 5th wheel. My present trailer (see Sig). Ha! what a fraud. Sure glad I had the F-250 SD to tow it. no way a 1/2 ton F-150 would do it. The Pin weight alone was over 2000 Lbs loaded. I am right at the limits even with a F-250 Super Duty. Just my experience.
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Old 11-11-2018, 11:30 AM   #27
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I think I can safely say that dealers install just about all the hitches wrong.
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Old 11-11-2018, 07:49 PM   #28
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I'm not an expert on any of this. But I totally agree with the other guy you do not have enough truck to pull that much trailer no matter what you do, no matter what you put on it, no matter what you add to shocks, suspension, tow bars, hitches, no matter what you do that's truck is too small for what you want to pull. I was you not so long ago, and after spending tons of money on trying to get a half ton to act like a 3/4 ton I finally broke down and just bought a one ton, and now I don't even know my trailer is back there. Now I probably have too much truck for my trailer, but I'd rather be lopsided and have too much truck then not enough truck to pull my trailer
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Old 11-11-2018, 07:52 PM   #29
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And you know what's interesting, is the rv salesman will tell you that you can pull all of these things with a halftime if you just add all this BS to the truck. It is a bunch of crap. I broke down and bought a 1-ton and now I can pull any damn thing I want to without having to add 72 accessories thinking I'm going to improve its pulling capability. It's like the Grinch that stole Christmas that put those antlers on top of that little doggie to pull that sled. Adding accessories to the little doggiedid nothing more to help the little doggie pull that big sled, it was just the same little doggie with accessories on his head!
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Old 11-12-2018, 03:06 AM   #30
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What 'choo talkin' 'bout, Willis?
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Old 11-12-2018, 06:38 AM   #31
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Some of these stories remind me of a friend. He pulled a 33' Airstream triple axle with 2 different 1/2 tons. They didn't move if it was windy. One day he came home with a new Chevy 3/4 T CC diesel. After his first trip he told me he should've listened to me years ago, he couldn't get over how much nicer it was to pull with the heavier truck
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Old 11-12-2018, 07:00 AM   #32
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Howdy All;

Anyone remember this?


hank
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Old 11-12-2018, 07:13 AM   #33
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36' TT pulled by 125 HP flathead! There is a tribute to Henry and that iconic engine.
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Old 11-12-2018, 09:16 AM   #34
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I will second that

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Originally Posted by sourdough View Post
Whatever makes you happy. All I'm telling you, from experience, is that you cannot, and will not, make that 1/2 ton, no matter your "happy numbers", a satisfactory (read fun towing) truck for an 8800 lb. 30+'? trailer. New sway bar, shocks, overloads, air bags etc. etc. will not make it an HD truck - there's a lot more to it than that. Good luck.
I have to second your comments. Don't believe a Ford, Chevy or Dodge could handle it. My Chevy so I upgraded.
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Old 11-12-2018, 09:17 AM   #35
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Howdy All;

Anyone remember this?


hank
Just saw it again a few months ago. Hilarious
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Old 11-12-2018, 01:04 PM   #36
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welcome to the club, My experience has been the dealership is great when you are buying, but the service is lacking .I bought a new Chevy and had to reset my hitch, I was able to get the tools loaned from
Advance auto Good luck.
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Old 11-12-2018, 04:33 PM   #37
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Quote flybouy: Post #20
"Then invariably, I'll see one or two of them when I place our trash in the dumpster."
Some people will dumpster dive anywhere.
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Old 11-12-2018, 05:14 PM   #38
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36' TT pulled by 125 HP flathead! There is a tribute to Henry and that iconic engine.
Remember it was a movie. Was the car really powered by a flattie? Was the grade steep or was it camera angle?
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Old 11-12-2018, 06:14 PM   #39
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Remember it was a movie. Was the car really powered by a flattie? Was the grade steep or was it camera angle?
Thanks for breaking my bubble Jack! Just kidding I saw the movie when it was in the theaters and didn't believe it then. Had enough of those flatheads to know all they did was sound nice with Thrush duals.
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