towing with ford F150

[larrygranny1]

Is anyone towing a small fifth wheel with the 2013 F150 eco boost?

[JRTJH]

If I remember correctly, you've got a 27RKS (western edition). We recently bought the 27RKS (eastern edition) which has pretty much the same specs. We were towing our Springdale with a 2010 F150, but I wouldn't consider towing the 27RKS with that truck. It has nothing to do with the power/towability, rather the pin weight in the box of a half ton Ford. There are people doing it, but from my personal experiences, having to always manage the weight so carefully, taking out something to add something else, not being able to just "throw stuff in the truck bed" and always being "concerned" with the rear axle load, etc, it just wasn't in the cards to add another 500-750 lbs of pin weight to that truck's capability.

Don't you have a F250 already? I wouldn't advise downgrading the tow vehicle. Get the actual pin weight of your RV loaded and ready for a "normal camping trip" and then do some "due diligence" on how an F150 would stack up against those weights. Our 27RKS pinweight is around 1800 lbs, which is more than the payload for our F150 (1700 lbs) and just 400 lbs shy of the heaviest F150 available. By the time you add 2 adults, a generator and a cooler to the payload, you'll be overloaded....

Get those "real world" weights on your actual RV and see how it stacks up.

[larrygranny1]

had , I say had a F250. got tired of being in the shop at 60000 miles for DEF pump, then the DEF heater etc. We are going to set it down in a nice snow bird park in south Texas and enjoy a little more warm weather in the winter. We've done the 50 states, golfed in all of them, and now at our age time to settle down a little. Health is still excellent for the two of us, and Obama care doesn't affect us, but It is getting to be that time. The rig with be set up pretty much stationary.

[Ken / Claudia]

Maybe have a friend or pay someome to move the RV to the site and get what ever truck you want, If your not pulling it any longer, why care the truck you want can or cannot tow it. I see many 5ers around here at parks and at the coast that the owners do not even own a truck.

[airforceret]

There are companies out there that specialize in picking up and delivering trailers to your site. I used one many years ago when I was first truck shopping and was very pleased with the cost and service they provided.

If you seriously don't plan on towing it, I would invest in a service to pickup and deliver. They are typically bonded and insured as well.

[Bluewater]

2x airforceret above. The safest way to move that rig.

[abneynormal]

they added the blue def junk to big trucks in 07. and it is that junk. im glad my freightliner is a 99. I noticed the (Enemies of the People of America EPA) had started doing that junk to the smaller diesels. there are companies that remove that emission junk so your motors and other wont fail at or around100.000 miles.

[airforceret]

they added the blue def junk to big trucks in 07. and it is that junk. im glad my freightliner is a 99. I noticed the (Enemies of the People of America EPA) had started doing that junk to the smaller diesels. there are companies that remove that emission junk so your motors and other wont fail at or around100.000 miles.

I love my DEF truck... For once my garage smells like a garage and not a truck stop or sulphur mine, and the walls don't have black soot on them. I know many love that smell, and enjoy witnessing the puking of masses amounts of black soot, but that is not me!!! LOL

[jsmith948]

I was once a very vocal critic of the EPA and the California Air Resources Board (CARB). However, every once in a while, we can actually see the Sierras and the coast mountains from here in central valley as a result of their clean air efforts). Our F250 uses DEF - after 25000 miles there is NO soot in the exhaust pipe and we get 13.9 towing (average MPG on our trip to Yellowstone and back) 17.5 empty around town and 22 empty on the freeway. I'll add a $12.00 jug of aqueous urea every 4000 miles ($ 0.003 per mile) - not a problem for me - JMHO - FWIW:)

[labs4life]

Jsmith,
I have a DEF truck as well and see similar numbers all around. Also about the same mileage.
I have no complaints so far!!

[BillnDeb]

Is anyone towing a small fifth wheel with the 2013 F150 eco boost?
Yes! Early September 2013, we bought a 2013 Ford Lariat F-150 Ecoboost to tow our 2014 Xlite Cougar 28SGS. We have now towed it nearly 2,000 miles and have stayed in 10 different locations for a total of 65 nights so far!
The Lariat has the full tow package, which makes towing a breeze.

[CWSWine]

BillnDeb

Have you weight you 5th wheel yet? I have the same 5th wheel and the same year and after putting in on the scales I ended up with little over 2000 lbs pin weight. That is way off from the 1410 Keystone claims. It was far enough off I took to another scales thinking the first one was off. The total trailer weight was just over 8500 lbs.

[gearhead]

Here's what my 28SGS weighed:


Truck without the trailer:
steer axle: 3800
drive axle: 3060
Empty gross:6860

Truck and trailer with the trailer hitched to the truck:
steer axle: 3960
drive axle: 5020
trailer axles: 7220
Total gross:16200

If I have my math right, I added this much weight on the truck
steer axle: +160
drive axle: +1960

Total load added: 16200 (gross) - 6860 (truck empty) = 9340

I traded the GMC2500 in on a F-350 diesel. Haven't towed with it yet.

[BillnDeb]

CWSWine
No we've not weighed ourselves. Our fully equipped truck can haul 11,000 so we feel pretty confident with it! We've towed nearly 5,000 miles so far, part of it traversing thru the mountains of Georgia.

[Ken / Claudia]

I would go over a scale and wt. the truck by inself and than trailer connected to truck find out how much wt. you have in the bed, on the rear axle, front axle of truck and real wt. of trailer. Check what the max. payload ford says you should put on the truck and what each tire is rated for. After that you may want to upgrade tires to some that are made for your loaded wt. You may be pulling and carrying what ford says is safe for the truck but, I think your over and if so how long before there is problems with the truck, tires, drive tran etc.

[BillnDeb]

Thanks Ken/Claudia. I keep trying to get DH to do it whenever we see the scales. He said he doesn't know "how it works." Is there a fee?

[audio1der]

Scales along the highway are free. Scales at truck stops will charge a fee but give a printout to you.
It really is best to know, not guess.

[JRTJH]

CAT scales are certified and at most truck stops. Go to http://catscale.com/ to find the ones nearest to you. They cost $12 (last time I weighed in September) for the first weight and $1 for each subsequent weight during the same day. Most state roadside weight stations (interstate DOT scales) are for commercial trucks and frown on a recreational rig "jamming up" their system. Some states leave the scales turned on (you can see the weights through the window or on a digital screen beside the scale) when the inspection station is closed, but not all states do that. Don't think you can just "slide into a weigh station on the interstate" and get a "happy reception" you probably won't be welcomed..... That's the business end of the state revenue department and they don't take kindly to visitors messing up their traffic flow.

When you are fully loaded for a trip with the normal cargo in the truck and trailer, fill the gas tank, make sure your DW and any pets, etc are in the truck, go to the truck stop, park NEAR but NOT ON the scales, go inside, talk to the person at the desk/checkout in the truck section. Tell them you want to weigh your truck/fifth wheel. Point to it so they will know which truck you want to weigh. Once they tell you it's OK to go ahead, then drive onto the scale with the truck front axle on the front concrete pad, the rear axle on the second pad and that should put the trailer axles on the third concrete pad. They are plainly marked in yellow, you can't mistake which is which. STAY IN YOUR TRUCK. Get the weight, when the weighmaster tells you it's OK, pull off and unhitch. Drive back onto the scale and weigh the truck without the trailer with the front axle on #1 and the rear axle on #2. The first weight will give you the weight of the entire rig, the loaded truck front axle, loaded truck rear axle and trailer axles. The second weight will give you the empty truck front axle and empty truck rear axle. Subtract the truck's weight from the total weight and you will get the trailer total weight. Subtract the loaded truck rear axle weight from the empty rear axle weight and you will get the pin weight on the rear axle. subtract the truck loaded front axle weight from the empty front axle weight and you can see how much weight is being transferred from the pin to the front axle (usually less than 100 lbs).

My guess is, based on reports of "normally loaded 28SGS models that your loaded pin weight is about 1800 lbs. Depending on your DW's weight, the cargo you carry and the weight of the fifth wheel hitch, you'll need a truck payload approaching 2100-2400 lbs to stay within the truck's GVW with a 28SGS. That's why it's important to know what your pin weight is when loaded and ready for a trip. Many "newbies" think that the pin weight is what's in the brochure. Most find that even on a good day, the brochure weight is low by several hundred pounds and with the added cargo in the trailer, even some 3/4 ton trucks are overloaded with a 28SGS......

Weigh soon, don't tow around with your head in the sand, that's the stuff accidents are made of.........................

[Ken / Claudia]

Here all the DOT scales work when open or closed. They do not want you going thru when they are open for comm truck traffic. If you know of any in your area that all closed at times, go thru and onto the scale plate. There will be a readout of your wt. in a window or on a pole ahead of the lane. That is free. At truck stops they all have scales and will be happy to check your wt. for a fee. I have never checked weight at a truck stop and do not know what a normal fee might be. I would go to a scale without the trialer first to see and learn how to and than get the wt. of your truck while there. Come back with the trailer loaded as you have it for your trips. Everyone it my opinion should check they wt.s and with a RV. Everthing might be fine but, many are over weight. That would be a could starting point as to upgrade tires or truck or pack lighter etc. I cannot advise how much over on any wt.s are safe. Me when I checked the axle wt.s on a f250 loaded I found that each rear tire was 200 lbs over what they were max. rated for. That was a easy fix I got better tires. I than had 200lbs under max. wt with the heavier duty tires.

[LittleJoe]

Me when I checked the axle wt.s on a f250 loaded I found that each rear tire was 200 lbs over what they were max. rated for.

It would be a bad idea to find this out on a DOT scale that is open for business with officers present.

[Ken / Claudia]

That could be correct but, it was closed so as not to interfer with the comm trucks. But, I could have written myself a cite, actually I was off duty, I would have had to phone a coworker. We normally would not cite until thousand lbs over unless there were other factors showing unsafe vehicle operation.

[gearhead]

I had never weighed a trailer before so I had no idea how it worked. I had weighed my truck solo a few weeks before, and the attendant was right by the scale. We were on a trip with the trailer and I had just gassed up and saw a scale next to the gas station. I pulled on the scales and sat there. Nothing happening. Pulled off and went inside. Told the guy I was on the scales. Oh! you didn't push the button, go back again. I got back on the scales and saw the button. It was too tall for me...was made for 18 wheelers!
So let the attendant know you are not in a 18 wheeler...especially if they can't see you from the office.
Reminds me...I need to weigh the new truck.