Too much trailer?

WoodGeek · 06-24-2021, 11:33 AM

Purchased a 22LHSWE in Mar of 2020 to use as home during Pandemic. Work as ICU RN and wanted to be able to live separate from family to protect them. Towed the TT home placed in next to the house connected to utilities and it has not moved since. The drive home was good, seemed to pull well other than the 50% reduction in average mpg. Towing with 2017 F150 2.7L turboboost. Regular cab/8ft bed. Once we start camping will be only 2 of us in vehicle. Have read forums about going to CAT scale. Will be doing this soon, getting TT in and out of side yard is tricky, only inches of clearance on each side.

**flybouy** · 06-24-2021, 11:54 AM

With a trailer GVW of 7,200 lbs (you don't list the tear so I mused specs from a 2020) the tongue weight would be an estimated 13% or just about or over 900 lbs. Add another 120 lbs for a good weight distributing hitch anmd you'll be strapping on north od 1,000 lbs to the back of that truck before you place anything inside the truck. Look at the yellow and white tire pressure label on the driver's door jamb and it will have the maximum cargo capacity. Subtract that 1,000 lbs. from that number and see what you have left over. The best way to tell is to stop at a Cat Scale and weight it.

Texas Steve · 06-24-2021, 12:00 PM

What does the payload sticker inside the drivers door say for payload on your truck? That TT will have a tongue weight of about 940 lbs. plus WD hitch (100 lbs.). Total even before you add people, pets, or any add on's to the truck will be about 1000 pounds.

I have nearly the same trailer and my older 1500 would pull it but did not like going up hills. Switched to 2500 and is perfect now. Post a picture of your payload sticker (white / yellow/ black) and I am sure someone will chime in about your truck. Good Luck!

**JRTJH** · 06-26-2021, 12:44 PM

OK, let's assume that your truck will "squeak by" (just barely) under the weight limits....

If you read any motorhome magazine or website, the major complaint about gas powered motorhomes is that the gas engines don't live very long pulling the weight of a 19K motorhome. Any owner of a gas motorhome is likely to post that their "next one will be a diesel"... Why? RELIABILITY of the engine.

Now, let's take your F-150 with a smaller than the 3.5L EcoBoost engine. That 2.7l is "just fine for hauling the truck around town"... But, like that gas motorhome, put the "heavy strain of long distance towing" on that small gas engine and like that gas motorhome, you're going to be having RELIABILITY issues sooner rather than later.....

One of the things many people fail to consider is the overwhelming stress that towing "double the truck's weight" puts on a small gas engine.....

So, even if you are "able to squeeze in under the GVW, GCWR, FAWR and RAWR of your truck, you're still going to be asking a pony to pull a huge wagon like a draft horse.....

**sourdough** · 06-26-2021, 02:37 PM

To put the above comments and analogies into perspective consider that a 2.7L motor is 164 cubic inches......164 cubic inches. That is a tiny motor. Yes it's been pumped up with a gazillion "add ons" that cost a gazillion dollars but it is still a 164 cubic inch, tiny motor in a full size 1/2 ton truck being asked to pull a 7200 lb. trailer 24/25' long? over hill and dale. The max HP rating is at 5000 rpm.

If you read the more technical specs of that "little" motor and how many mods they have made that will cost a fortune to repair (IFC/integrated front cover comes to mind) if anything should go wrong I would not be wanting to run it at 5k rpm all day with that load behind it so I could hear that "wham" then see that cloud of smoke after blowing it up.

Ford does a good job of taking little engines and trying to pump them up. As an article I recently read stated, they try to make little engines put out power stats of some of the larger, normally aspirated engines (at a huge cost) so that they can get better mileage when not "spun up". There IS a tradeoff there and the HD/towing aspect of the engine comes out on bottom.

As far as the truck weightwise you need to look at the yellow sticker inside the driver door and post that. It will give you an indication of where you are right off the bat. A scale will have the definitive number IF the truck and trailer are loaded like you go camping realistically - and keep in mind the holding tank weights; you will use them at some point.

jfk69 · 06-26-2021, 03:06 PM

Agree with above. The 2.7 is a small motor. It makes for a great grocery getter and a trip to HD for garden plants or some lumber, but the wear and tear from heavier hauling wil shorten its life. The move to turbo’d smaller displacement motors has benefits. Towing isn’t one of them. To this day, there’s still no replacement for displacement when towing/hauling is the major focus.

**flybouy** · 06-26-2021, 03:18 PM

The little engine that could. For many decades the Europeans would mock the large displacement low. Horespower American cars. The British and Italian mfgs would build high reving little engines that created twice the hp/cid of the "big three" but they also wouldn't last 1/4 the miles the "American Iron" would. Folks that think horespower equales tow power don't understand physics. You need gobs of torque at relativly low rpm to move a lot of mass. Using high reving engines to reach the power band is not only hard on the engine it's also a transmission killer.

The best outcome is always achived by using the right "tool for the job". Small high reving engine? Thats great for commuting to work or carrying home some light weight bulky materials. Moving any substantial weight then using a larger displacement engine that has a lower rpm powerband wiĺl have better results. Moving very heavy weights you just can't beat a deisel. That's what they are designed to do. A deisel will roll along toting very heavy loads at very low rpm for many, many miles.

gearhead · 06-26-2021, 03:57 PM

Old gearhead saying: There is no replacement for displacement.

**sourdough** · 06-26-2021, 04:25 PM

I failed to mention in my above post that some motorcycles have engines approaching the size of the one in this truck.....just for thought.

Gegrad · 06-26-2021, 06:24 PM

Yeah, I gotta double up on everyone else's comments here... even if you are within weight specs, using that poor tiny turbo 2.7 to haul the weight of the truck AND the RV... well your turbo will not be long for this world, and the motor may not be far behind it.

wiredgeorge · 06-26-2021, 06:32 PM

The OP posted that request for info a couple days ago and immediately signed off. Hopefully he will come back engage. Note for Danny... my Goldwing trike is 1800cc and is one of the largest motorcycle engines on the road. There are others at 2000cc or so. I can't speak to the appropriateness of the engine for towing but certainly look forward to hearing what his truck's payload would be.

**JRTJH** · 06-26-2021, 07:48 PM

Some people call the Polaris SlingShot a motorcycle, some don't....

Either way, Michigan titles and registers it as a motorcycle, so "mine" is a motorcycle... It has a GM 2.4 liter 4 cylinder engine. That's 300 cc's less than the Ford 2.7L engine. No way I'd try to tow anything with the engine in my SlingShot.

wiredgeorge · 06-27-2021, 04:25 AM

I had a recall on my GW and took my trike into San Antonio to the big multi-brand dealer for the free repair (was a brake thing as I recall). I had time to kill so went widow shopping in their show room and wondered how a Slingshot would fit me. I got in. Couldn't get any leverage to get out and another customer had to offer me an arm. It was embarrassing. Getting old and plump is not cool. No Slingshot for me. They should put doors on those things if they want to sell to the chubby geezer crowd!

**JRTJH** · 06-27-2021, 08:09 PM

I just pull on the steering wheel, stand up and step out... DW does the "one leg out, roll in the seat and other leg out"... Either way works... Doors ??? Where would you put a door on a SlingShot? There's precious little (maybe 8") between the floorboard and the top of the sides where the "crush bars" are supposed to keep you from getting killed if "T-boned"... I'm not holding my breath for that or for the "backwards seat belts"... I installed a set of "harness safety belts" in ours. If it goes over a cliff, we'll just have to ride it to the bottom. It takes 3 hands and 6 "body twists" to get out of those harnesses.

Ribtip · 06-28-2021, 01:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JRTJH

OK, let's assume that your truck will "squeak by" (just barely) under the weight limits....

If you read any motorhome magazine or website, the major complaint about gas powered motorhomes is that the gas engines don't live very long pulling the weight of a 19K motorhome. Any owner of a gas motorhome is likely to post that their "next one will be a diesel"... Why? RELIABILITY of the engine.

Now, let's take your F-150 with a smaller than the 3.5L EcoBoost engine. That 2.7l is "just fine for hauling the truck around town"... But, like that gas motorhome, put the "heavy strain of long distance towing" on that small gas engine and like that gas motorhome, you're going to be having RELIABILITY issues sooner rather than later.....

One of the things many people fail to consider is the overwhelming stress that towing "double the truck's weight" puts on a small gas engine.....

So, even if you are "able to squeeze in under the GVW, GCWR, FAWR and RAWR of your truck, you're still going to be asking a pony to pull a huge wagon like a draft horse.....

Weird. My 454 went 25yrs and 140k in my m.h

notanlines · 06-28-2021, 04:47 AM

My parent’s 454 cooked at about 45k in their MH. Their V10 did fine, but they didn’t get as many miles put on it before it sold.

Ribtip · 06-28-2021, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by notanlines

My parent’s 454 cooked at about 45k in their MH. Their V10 did fine, but they didn’t get as many miles put on it before it sold.

Was that a vortec 454. The 454 vortec was a great motor. The older carb ones in mh's not so much

notanlines · 06-29-2021, 05:16 AM

Too long ago to remember. We had 2 carb 425 hp 454’s in a Webbcraft many years ago and ran like a top through 400 hours of mild abuse.

**JRTJH** · 06-29-2021, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by notanlines

Too long ago to remember. We had 2 carb 425 hp 454’s in a Webbcraft many years ago and ran like a top through 400 hours of mild abuse.

In a car or truck, 400 hours at 60 MPH comes out to around 24,000 miles.... Any of us would probably consider a used car with 24K on it as being "almost new"... By comparison, a 454 in a "big station wagon" with 100K miles would be considered a normal use engine. Few 35' motorhomes make it to 100K with the original engine. Now, when it comes to marine engines, every one I've had has either been "idling around a skier" or "wide open pulling one"... Might just be me, but when the boat manufacturer says, "100 gallons of fuel with an average burn of 14 gallons per hour at cruising speed"... What's "cruising speed" ??? I've never found that setting on the throttle. LOL

**sourdough** · 06-29-2021, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JRTJH

In a car or truck, 400 hours at 60 MPH comes out to around 24,000 miles.... Any of us would probably consider a used car with 24K on it as being "almost new"... By comparison, a 454 in a "big station wagon" with 100K miles would be considered a normal use engine. Few 35' motorhomes make it to 100K with the original engine. Now, when it comes to marine engines, every one I've had has either been "idling around a skier" or "wide open pulling one"... Might just be me, but when the boat manufacturer says, "100 gallons of fuel with an average burn of 14 gallons per hour at cruising speed"... What's "cruising speed" ??? I've never found that setting on the throttle. LOL

I thought once you saw open water with handles down it was "cruising speed"...

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