Thoughts on towing Passport 3220BH with F150, 5.4L V8

lspajm · 05-06-2013, 04:10 PM

I am looking for some friendly advice. We have a 2011 keystone passport 3220 BH - it is rated for 7,400 pounds loaded. I have pulled it about a dozen times with my 2008 F150, 504L, V8 - 6.5 ft bed ext cab. When my truck bed is empty and i am going down the highway the camper really pushes me around the road. I know that i will get sway -- i have a husky equalizer hitch system with both a right and left side friction sway control. My truck pulls it pretty good, but struggles on hills.

What is everyone else using to tow a camper that is 35' long? Do I need to upgrade to an F250 with a a bigger engine and heavier truck frame? or switch my whole hitch system to a PullRite or something like that????

Any advice would be helpful.

Andy

rode2nowhere · 05-06-2013, 04:17 PM

Sounds like where I was. Got 311bhs sprinter bunkhouse dry weight 8620 lbs. Was lugging it around with a 5.4 F-150. I stayed local. I could tell truck was struggling on hills. Now I have a gmc 2500HD duramax diesel. 100% better. I would get a dually if I would win the lottery though.

labs4life · 05-06-2013, 04:41 PM

Get yourself a 250-2500 series truck!! You will be tickled. Don't have to be concerned about where you go then.

Festus2 · 05-06-2013, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lspajm

I am looking for some friendly advice. We have a 2011 keystone passport 3220 BH - it is rated for 7,400 pounds loaded. I have pulled it about a dozen times with my 2008 F150, 504L, V8 - 6.5 ft bed ext cab. When my truck bed is empty and i am going down the highway the camper really pushes me around the road. I know that i will get sway -- i have a husky equalizer hitch system with both a right and left side friction sway control. My truck pulls it pretty good, but struggles on hills.

What is everyone else using to tow a camper that is 35' long? Do I need to upgrade to an F250 with a a bigger engine and heavier truck frame? or switch my whole hitch system to a PullRite or something like that????

Any advice would be helpful.

Andy

Andy -
The truck's payload along with the axle weights are two important factors you should be considering. In this particular case, I don't think it much matters what type of hitch system you might use -- it is not a very good match. If you are getting pushed around on the flats and struggling on the hills, that should be a clue that something isn't right.

If getting another truck isn't an option, then there isn't much point in giving any "friendly advice". If getting a 3/4T is an option, then I would definitely recommend that you do.

SteveC7010 · 05-06-2013, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lspajm

I am looking for some friendly advice. We have a 2011 keystone passport 3220 BH - it is rated for 7,400 pounds loaded. I have pulled it about a dozen times with my 2008 F150, 504L, V8 - 6.5 ft bed ext cab. When my truck bed is empty and i am going down the highway the camper really pushes me around the road. I know that i will get sway -- i have a husky equalizer hitch system with both a right and left side friction sway control. My truck pulls it pretty good, but struggles on hills.

What is everyone else using to tow a camper that is 35' long? Do I need to upgrade to an F250 with a a bigger engine and heavier truck frame? or switch my whole hitch system to a PullRite or something like that????

Any advice would be helpful.

Andy

It's long been my opinion that up to a 7,800# GVWR trailer should be safely towable by a 1/2 ton truck. But that requires two things.

First, the truck needs a decent sized V8 and gearing of 3.73 or better. My old Dodge had the 5.2L (318 CI) with 3.53 gears. It struggled with a 5,500# GVWR trailer on the bigger hills here in the Adirondacks, but sway was never an issue. It was a 25' unit. My friends with the 5.9L (383 CI) Dodges with the 3.93 or 4.10 gears reported no such issues with much heavier and longer trailers. And that was regardless of 1/2 or 3/4 ton configuration.

Second, adequate sway control is a must. Friction sway control bars have their limits. One bar is good up to 22' of trailer length. A second bar will get you up to about a 30' trailer. Beyond 30', you need much better sway control than a pair of friction bars. I like the Reese DC system because it works with a standard receiver and uses your tongue weight to control the sway. Pullrites are nice for turning and maneuvering, but the cost of the receiver assembly is a concern. The Hensley Arrow and its slightly less expensive clone are surely effective, but the price tag puts a lot of folks off. The other big negative for friction bars is that you have to set them EVERY time you hook up. A tiny bit too loose and they are essentially non-functional.

If an F250 is in your budget, that would pretty much solve your pulling issues. A 7,500# GVWR trailer should glide along behind a properly setup Super Duty, even with the 6.2L gas engine. My Cougar is a 12,000# GVWR unit, and the F250 pulls it without any issues. It's very likely on flat countryside, you will have to check the mirrors to remind yourself that there is a trailer back there.

I'm a big DC fan for sway control, but there are other good systems beyond friction sway bars. But, if you upgrade your truck, I'd suggest holding off upgrading the hitch until you've towed a few times. You might be pleasantly surprised.

rode2nowhere · 05-06-2013, 05:08 PM

Equalizer hitch here

f6bits · 05-06-2013, 05:59 PM

Struggling on hills is a drag. What's your gear ratio? And what does the trailer *really* weigh? Mine is 6000 loaded for a trip, with a gross of 7200 lbs. At 6000 lbs, I can make it up hills without much effort unless it's a really steep hill.

As others said, the friction sway control isn't going to be enough. I love my Equalizer, but I suspect that the Reese Dual Cam is better at sway control.

audio1der · 05-07-2013, 10:58 AM

If the truck really is struggling AND getting pushed around a 3/4 ton is probably the answer. Our 3220BH pushed our Ram 1500 w/ Hemi and 3.92 around so much our first tow last year I immediately bought the Reese DC system.
We have more than enough power but more truck in front of it would be helpful, so keep that in mind; power is not everything.
If I could do it again I probably would have gone for a shorter TT as the 3/4 ton is not an option for our family vehicle/daily school bus.

SVichera · 05-07-2013, 11:26 AM

I pull the 3220 with a 2008 Navigator with tow package. I use the reese dual cam and have had no issues with sway or power. The 5.4 and 6 speed tranny seem to be up to the task. I tow in Florida and we don't have any hills whatsoever.

lspajm · 05-09-2013, 03:09 PM

thanks for all your thoughts and feedback. I had my TT and TV weighed now i know where i stand -- basically a few hundrd pounds from my max TV capacity. I am thinking of a truck upgrade and then see how my hitch setup works.....i am willing to spring for the Reese DC or even the hensley. Would a Reese HP DC work for my 35' TT?

ls1mike · 05-12-2013, 05:52 PM

Tow mine with a 4 door long bed 3/4 6.0 Chevy. More power would be nice but it does fine. My trucks wheel base is LONG and with the Equalizer I do not get any say or feel like I am being pushed. I weighed in at just under 7500 lbs loaded up for 6 days of camping. Even though lots of folks tow more with a truck like mine, I would not want to go over 7500 to 8000 lbs. It makes towing very comfortable to have some margin.

audio1der · 05-14-2013, 09:06 AM

Yes the Reese DC system will "work" with your TT, but may not solve your problem if there is not enough truck in front of it; there are only 2 solutions to that; less trailer or more truck.

If sway is not the concern but power, there are many options to make a truck cooler and harder; that's fun

08quadram · 07-27-2013, 06:15 PM

I find this thread very interesting. We purchased at passport 2920bh this spring and while shopping, the DW and offspring were wanting the 3220bh and of course the dealer was saying that I would have no problem pulling it. After doing some research, I decided I was more than I wanted to pull with a 1/2 ton. the 2920 was as big as I was willing to go. One thing it did do was purchase an Equalizer hitch because our last TT was a 2003 Dutchman Lite 27bg. I used 2 friction sway bars on it and was still not happy with the results. I do not get pushed around any more.

2nd trip out this spring and I see a 3220 in the campground pulled by a Chevy Tahoe. He said it pulled fine, but only pulled it a few miles. I wished him good luck.

audio1der · 07-30-2013, 05:49 AM

After pulling quite a few more trips now, I can say I fully endorse the Reese DC system. If our TT towed like it did without it I would have upgraded the truck or downsized the trailer immediately.
Now, I am fully comfortable in wind, passing and being passed, through mountains and anything we have ahead of us on our travels. it honestly made a night & day 100% difference in sway. It's quick to set up and just WORKS.

Hansel · 07-31-2013, 06:18 AM

Everyone else has already said it, upgrade too a 3/4 or 1 ton, I have a Laredo 285 BH that's about enough for me with a F-250 7.3L diesel. It tows good but I see alot of truck on the road thinking how in the world are they towing a huge 5th wheel with the truck they have

I saw it's better to have more truck then not enough, it's a safety thing

camptails · 09-16-2013, 11:32 AM

I have a 5.3 4WD Tahoe with 410 rear axle. I have pulled an Outback 25RSS all over Colorado with out much problem. I have just started towing a Laredo 240MK with it and it actually pulls easier even though it is a bit heavier at 5300. I never pull with a load of water because I fill when I reach my destination. It seems silly to carry that extra 400 pounds. Most of what we do is for no longer than a week so the payload of "stuff" is probably no more than 500 pounds if that. Anyway it works for me and I feel pretty safe with it despite what all the critics have to say. I know a 3/4 ton diesel would be great but I also do other things except pull an RV. It doesn't seem like they make garages for big trucks either and I don't want to park in my driveway all the time. With this trailer I went to an equalizer hitch instead of the Reese dual cam and have noticed a great improvement. This Tahoe is rated to pull 8300 with the set up it has. I wonder if the new Tahoes would do as well.

RGene7001 · 09-16-2013, 05:11 PM

I 100% agree with the previous post.
While Passport is no luxury fifth wheel it is totally sufficient for us, even with 1/3 tank of water. On the other side we can keep our TV in the garage, not under Florida sun and it is typically driven by my wife around the down, she would not appreciate long diesel pickup, I am quite sure about it. Our gated community would not allow it anyway.
A few people may look at me like I am a dead man walking but it is there problem, I don't have any, unless I forgot to tighten my sway bars.
If 2008 Ford with the biggest V8 can't pull Passport uphill shame is on its manufacturer who kept sticking primitive 4 speed transmission until very recent time. They like to make things cheaper, not better and force the customers to upgrade and pay twice for basically same truck, just with stiffer rear suspension, do it will not be pushed by trailer around.
While getting " more truck" is a valid option I believe on getting a smarter, better vehicle, pickup or other.
At least the newest Grand Cherokees and Durangos are built on mercedes platform, feature class 4 hitch, 8 speed ZF and diesel as an option. What competition could not do, the crisis could ....

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