Hello from Las Vegas!

[Smileglas]

Hi everyone I’m new to trailers and my wife and I are working on closing on our first trailer soon. We’re just waiting to see if our salesman and finance can work is out a better deal for us.

The trailer we found is the 2021 Springdale 295BHWE being towed by 2020 f150 XLT 4x4 5.0 v8. Is this too much on my truck? The charts I found on Ford show my tow capacity is 9000 and we aren’t going to be pack very heavy. We were planning on getting a weight distribution hitch to help as well, the salesman said it would be more than fine but I also wanted to hear options from others.

I’ve camped in friends trailers and my wife grew up with her parents having a toy hauler so trailers aren’t new to us. However we will be new to owning a trailer for ourselves, we’re alittle nervous but we’re confident we can do it! We’re hope we can love going out in our trailer with our 6mo old and two dogs, any tips or advice is much appreciated!

[Wing-in-it]

Howdy and welcome from Virginia!

You don’t say what your trailer weighs....that will tell you what your truck can handle.

[sourdough]

Here is a link to your trailer;

https://www.keystonerv.com/product/s...rplans/295BHWE

Note it's a 9700lb. 30' trailer; that is too much for your 150.

[sourdough]

I'm sorry the above post was seemingly abrupt; I was trying to get to a dr. appt.

Look at the yellow and white sticker inside the driver door for the payload of your truck. Whatever that is subtract 1260 from it for the tongue weight of the trailer and that will be a good starting point as far as weights.

The reason I just said it is too much for the truck is because I towed a trailer about that same weight (gvw) with a 1/2 ton. I ended up about 200lbs. over my payload with the trailer well under the gvw (10k). We typically scaled around 92-9300lbs. The truck would "pull" it OK but the trailer was too much for the truck to handle in cross winds, bumps, road transitions etc. I replaced tires and shocks plus added air bags to no avail, and, stuff would always come open, fall out etc. I upgraded to a 3/4 ton truck, almost doubled my payload, didn't add a single add on (well, added Bilsteins at about 48k) plus all the items coming loose in the trailer stopped. The 1/2 ton didn't have enough suspension to keep the trailer from bouncing and flying around even though it had a MorRyde suspension.

There are comments made that some believe the answer is always a diesel dually; that's not really true. The answer is enough truck for the load AND to plan on your future trailer if there is going to be one. Buying trucks is an expensive proposition and a little forethought can save you a lot of money. That answer might be a gas 3/4 ton or a diesel dually; just depends on the load you have and plan. A 1/2 ton is not the answer on trailers over 7500 lbs.

[travelin texans]

Originally Posted by Smileglas

Hi everyone I’m new to trailers and my wife and I are working on closing on our first trailer soon. We’re just waiting to see if our salesman and finance can work is out a better deal for us.

The trailer we found is the 2021 Springdale 295BHWE being towed by 2020 f150 XLT 4x4 5.0 v8. Is this too much on my truck? The charts I found on Ford show my tow capacity is 9000 and we aren’t going to be pack very heavy. We were planning on getting a weight distribution hitch to help as well, the salesman said it would be more than fine but I also wanted to hear options from others.

I’ve camped in friends trailers and my wife grew up with her parents having a toy hauler so trailers aren’t new to us. However we will be new to owning a trailer for ourselves, we’re alittle nervous but we’re confident we can do it! We’re hope we can love going out in our trailer with our 6mo old and two dogs, any tips or advice is much appreciated!

There are 2 misconceptions in your post.
#1 "my tow vehicle is rated at XXXXLBS", that weight was arrived at by the manufacturer towing trailers with ALL the load directly over the axles with minimal tongue weight, which in NO WAY compares to towing big long tall rectangular wind catching boxes.
#2 "We aren't going to pack very heavy" by the 2nd or 3rd trip you'll have added all the stuff you forgot the other trips & believe me once it goes in it usually doesn't come back out.
#3 that's a 9700lb 30' TT on a truck "rated for 9000lbs??? You're already overloaded without anything in the truck.
Check the yellow/white tag on the drivers door post of YOUR truck that states "occupants & cargo must not exceed XXXX lbs", that's your trucks payload that's the max that can be loaded in/on that truck which includes everything/everybody + the tongue weight (at minimum will be 10% of the GVWR = 970lbs) + the mandatory weight distributing hitch with sway control. These numbers bare for a TT, if this rv is a 5th wheel forget even thinking about towing with a 1/2 ton.
Your truck tow rating means absolutely nothing in the rv world, typically will exceed the payload before towing that much.
When calculating rv weights the dry/empty rv weight also means nothing, that's the weight it rolled out the factory door, no batteries, no propane & no liquids, it WILL NEVER weigh that again & you will NEVER tow it anywhere near that weight.
NEVER let either the truck or rv salesman confirm numbers, they are there to sell whether it fits or not.
I'm guessing too much rv with too little truck, weights will confirm.
I have no doubt the 2 of you can handle the rv lifestyle, just not with that rv & that truck.

[jim1]

Welcome from the frozen North! Lot's of knowledge and great advice on here oh and some humour!

[Gary R.]

Hello and welcome to the forum!

You will find many folks here that are quite knowledgeable, and ready to assist.

Have fun and take care!

[Hankster]

Welcome to the forum, I would limit 1/2 ton trucks to the 26 ft and 7600# GVW range
Less if there are little ones, and their associated toys.
Listen to Sourdough advice about payload, he knows his stuff.

We have pulled our Trailer from Eastern Oregon to Key West with our Ram 1500 5.7 Hemi. It handles it OK ,but I certainly wouldn't want to have any more back there. Passing trucks push you around quite a bit, and at first its unnerving but on a long trip you come to expect it.

[spicercars]

Welcome from northern MN.

[flybouy]

Smileglas welcome to the forum and congratulations for asking if you will "be fine" or not. You have been given great advice. For the salesman to say you are "more than fine" means either he doesn't understand weights or he's flat out lying to make a sale. Regardless, he couldn't be more incorrect. This happens regularly with new campers and dubious salesman (all of them really).

That's too much weight and too much of a "sail in the wind" behind that size truck. First off the "delivered weight" of the trailer and the "towing capacity" of the truck isn't real. Read the fine print, those numbers exist on "properly equipped" trucks and a number for the trailer that doesn't include the propane in the tanks, the battery, or the spare tire, or any "options installed at the factory". But all that's been explained.

As for "not loading much" for "traveling light" if you are going down that rabbit hole to "trick yourself" into thinking the numbers will work then you are lying to yourself. You are looking at a camper, it's not a ready to sleep in hotel room. Let's take a REAL look at what you will absolutely positively NEED to put in that trailer in order to actually use it as well as "most likely" things you'll end up with.

You will need: a better/longer sewer hose and fittings, water supply hose and regulator, most likely an extension for the shore power cable, and EMS to protect the electrical system, anmd electrical "dogbone adapters" to plug into various power receptacles, wheel chocks, leveling blocks for the stabilizers. How about some tools? Some holding tank cleaner/treatment? You will "most likely" end up with a patio mat, some fold up chairs, maybe a folding table, flag? How about a platform step for those steep sites or for kids to get up to the steps? Maybe some outdoor lights? How about an ice chest full of beverages? Want to make s'mores, roast marshmallows, make campfire pies? More "stuff" to throw in the storage compartment. Now let's look inside.

NEED: linens for the bed, yup pillows, blankets, sheets, clothing? Hopefully a change of undies as a min. What no bedroom TV? look, there's a label that says mount it here! May as well right?
Plan on eating and drinking while you camp? You'll not only need the food and drink but you will NEED pots/pans, utensils, can opener, coffee maker, staples like pancake mix, cans of beans, popcorn, cereal, spices, and the list goes on. Plates, cups, eating utensils? Even plastic and paper disposables have weight. MOST LIKELY you'll end up with a toaster, a slow cooker, microwave safe dishes, maybe a portable ice maker. Like to cook "over the fire"? Then look for the heavy Lodge cast iron cookware and some type of tripod or open fire grate. And add an axe for that firewood and MOST LIKELY you'll end up throwing firewood in the bed of the truck when you find out the campground charges a fortune for firewood.

How about that bathroom? Towels & washcloths, TP, soaps, first aid kit, shampoo and beauty products for the DW. Speaking of cleaning: cleaning products for the bathroom and the rest of the house (no maid service here). MOST LIKELY a vacuum cleaner, mop and or swifter, rags for dusting, Maybe a nice run for the bathroom floor?

Speaking of rugs, you will MOST LIKELY end up with throw rugs for the living room and kitchen and mats in front of the doors. And how about a throw or blanket for watching the tv? Maybe some nice matching pillows for the couch? How about some DVDs? games? Board games, hole toss for outside? Maybe some fishing gear?

So this is by no means a "comprehensive" list and look at the length of this list and more importantly the WEIGHT of all that stuff. I've been camping for many years and I've often read about folkls proclaiming to "travel light" but I have yet to "witness" it anywhere I've stayed. Good luck with your purchase and stay safe.

[Sarge2]

From currently sunny but cold S.E. Michigan... Nice Trailer but a wee bit too much for the F150... JMHO..

[Big1]

Welcome to the forum.