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Old 09-28-2022, 07:35 PM   #1
wired1236
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Hi from Oregon

Hey! New guy here. Just bought a new 31BHKWE. Technically our 1st RV but I’ve been around them all my life. We’re currently towing it with a F150 eco boost but likely upgrade to a 3/4 ton as soon as the market settles (sometime in 2030). Anyway, we’ve been a boat family for a long time but figured it was time to add to our hobby and go RVing. Haven’t taken it out yet but plan to ina few weeks to see how it goes and figure out all the stuff we need but just haven’t thought about yet. See you all out there.
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Old 09-28-2022, 08:59 PM   #2
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Hey! New guy here. Just bought a new 31BHKWE. Technically our 1st RV but I’ve been around them all my life. We’re currently towing it with a F150 eco boost but likely upgrade to a 3/4 ton as soon as the market settles (sometime in 2030). Anyway, we’ve been a boat family for a long time but figured it was time to add to our hobby and go RVing. Haven’t taken it out yet but plan to ina few weeks to see how it goes and figure out all the stuff we need but just haven’t thought about yet. See you all out there.
Welcome to the rv lifestyle!
Not trying rain on your parade!
That rv is 35' long with a GVWR of 9500lbs (average 13% of the GVWR) which equals north of 1200lbs tongue weight plus 100+/-lbs for the WDH plus everyone/everything in/on a 1/2 ton pickup with most likely a payload of 1500-1600lb.
Check the yellow/white tag on the drivers jamb for the payload. Or load the truck with everything/everyone as if heading camping then head to the scales, from that weight subtract from the truck GVWR posted on the door jamb on the white tag, the difference is your actual available payload.
Just FYI the advertised max tow rating is a number arrived at by the manufacturers in unreal conditions in order to one up the competition, your truck & any other will exceed the payload long before it could safely tow that much weight.
As said not trying to spoil your experience just want it to safe for you & yours along with rest of along side you on the highway.
Safe travels!
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Old 09-29-2022, 04:42 AM   #3
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Welcome to the rv lifestyle!
Not trying rain on your parade!
That rv is 35' long with a GVWR of 9500lbs (average 13% of the GVWR) which equals north of 1200lbs tongue weight plus 100+/-lbs for the WDH plus everyone/everything in/on a 1/2 ton pickup with most likely a payload of 1500-1600lb.
Check the yellow/white tag on the drivers jamb for the payload. Or load the truck with everything/everyone as if heading camping then head to the scales, from that weight subtract from the truck GVWR posted on the door jamb on the white tag, the difference is your actual available payload.
Just FYI the advertised max tow rating is a number arrived at by the manufacturers in unreal conditions in order to one up the competition, your truck & any other will exceed the payload long before it could safely tow that much weight.
As said not trying to spoil your experience just want it to safe for you & yours along with rest of along side you on the highway.
Safe travels!
Thanks for the warm welcome.

I appreciate your concern. Both my dealer did I our research and I feel I’m aware of what my limits are. The trailer dry weight is 7,300lbs and once I’m loaded everything in, I WILL go to a scale and see where Im at just to sure what I can or can’t do. My specific vehicle has a tow rating of 10,700 lbs which is over 9,500 lb listed capacity the of the trailer. Closer than I like yes so I am watching what I load (not filling the water tank until I get close to my destination, not adding bike carriers, generators, etc) until, I get a more capable vehicle but I’m ok there so that leaves tounge and payload weight to worry about which lays out to be 1,710 lbs in total cargo weight limit for my vehicle per the sticker so that’s more of something to watch in my situation. The trailer as it sits now with most of things in it has a tongue weight as weighed by scale of 910lbs leaving me some room for people, vehicle gas, payload (which a again I realize I will have to keep light). It’s just my wife and I and we are not big people . So in this camp, it’s more of a mist and I agree I will have to be careful not to make it rain.

Oh, and also note, I installed a class 4 hitch when we got our boat (7,000lbs) as Ford puts a class 3 on all of them from the factory. I’m curious how many people don’t realize their hitch can’t handle their load despite their tow vehicles rating?
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Old 09-29-2022, 05:00 AM   #4
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From Utah!!
We have family in Oregon and camp there often. It's a beautiful area.
Good folks here with lots of experience.
Glad to have you on board.
As for your 150, you'll find it's going to be working pretty hard when towing. You'll be in the lower gears and high RPMs a lot of the time on just easy grades. Pretty sure after a few trips you'll see the reason for the tow vehicle upgrade as we did after buying our first trailer. IMHO diesel is the only way to go for towing
Plus, what red-blooded guy doesn't want a new truck
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Old 09-29-2022, 05:16 AM   #5
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Yep it is. I grew up here and love it.

Yes, diesel is the only way to go…agree. As far as my truck, it has a tune in it making roughy 485lbs in torque. I always take it slow anyway as these transmissions aren’t exacyknown for their performance but it has the power. What I do sometimes run into is the turbo heat when outside temps get high. It has a tendency to get a bit hot partially due to the tune cranks up the turbos earlier and a bit more boost. So,yes, taking it easy and watching my limits until my 3/4 ton comes in. When I do, I look forward to talking about camping!
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Old 09-29-2022, 07:08 AM   #6
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If you haven’t bought/ordered yet, I would skip the 3/4 ton and get a 1 ton if it fits the budget, Higher GVWR for the next trailer you’ll end up buying.
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Old 09-29-2022, 07:16 AM   #7
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Tow rating is for a specially equipped version of the model you own pulling a flat bed with blocks (not a big camper's front end) on a closed course. Hence, tow rating isn't particularly reliable as a way to determine if you have enough truck. PAYLOAD is the short pole in the tent. The empty weight of the trailer is also not a real number. That is how it came off the factory floor before anything was added. Your pin weight alone will be 1200 lbs once loaded on a LONG trailer. Your lightweight 1/2 ton will not be happy. You have received excellent advice already so I won't belabor the point but your truck ain't gonna cut it.
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Old 09-29-2022, 08:34 AM   #8
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QUOTE:Both my dealer did I our research and I feel I’m aware of what my limits are. The trailer dry weight is 7,300lbs and once I’m loaded everything in, I WILL go to a scale and see where Im at just to sure what I can or can’t do. My specific vehicle has a tow rating of 10,700 lbs which is over 9,500 lb listed capacity the of the trailer.QUOTE

That's exactly how most new rvers get into too much rv & not enough truck, listening to the salesman!
As said previously the 2 numbers that mean absolutely nothing to you, the advertised max tow rating of your truck & the rv dry weight, are the 1st numbers out of the salesmans mouth.
I'd also agree skip the 3/4 ton & get the 1 ton, very little more $$, same ride, same mileage, same size, but much more payload for future rv upgrades. Also depending on how it's equipped some 3/4 tons have very little more payload than a lesser equipped 1/2 ton.
One other concern, if your only at 910lbs tongue weight that's not even 10% which is needed for good handling, so apparently you had loaded nothing when weighed. The average loaded TT tongue weight should be 10-15% of the rvs posted GVWR.
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Old 09-29-2022, 10:04 AM   #9
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Thanks for the warm welcome.

I appreciate your concern. Both my dealer did I our research and I feel I’m aware of what my limits are. The trailer dry weight is 7,300lbs and once I’m loaded everything in, I WILL go to a scale and see where Im at just to sure what I can or can’t do. My specific vehicle has a tow rating of 10,700 lbs which is over 9,500 lb listed capacity the of the trailer. Closer than I like yes so I am watching what I load (not filling the water tank until I get close to my destination, not adding bike carriers, generators, etc) until, I get a more capable vehicle but I’m ok there so that leaves tounge and payload weight to worry about which lays out to be 1,710 lbs in total cargo weight limit for my vehicle per the sticker so that’s more of something to watch in my situation. The trailer as it sits now with most of things in it has a tongue weight as weighed by scale of 910lbs leaving me some room for people, vehicle gas, payload (which a again I realize I will have to keep light). It’s just my wife and I and we are not big people . So in this camp, it’s more of a mist and I agree I will have to be careful not to make it rain.

Oh, and also note, I installed a class 4 hitch when we got our boat (7,000lbs) as Ford puts a class 3 on all of them from the factory. I’m curious how many people don’t realize their hitch can’t handle their load despite their tow vehicles rating?
Congratulations on the new TT, and welcome to the forum.
Yea, Traveling Texan and Wired George, are just looking out for your safety, and get a bit zealous at times.

Truck prices are starting to come down, and likely to best order if you are looking new, as you can get a better price and what you want.

Seeing how you put a class 4 receiver on your truck, I assume you may also have LT tires.

The Dry weight of 7,300# gives you a bit to work with, if you travel light, might come in at 8,300#+/-. You are going down the right path weighing after loading, to see where you are at. Don't go light on the hitch weight the percentage needs to be 12% to 15%, otherwise it will cause sway.

I will agree with the others skip the 250/2500, and get a 350/3500 with the highest GVWR you can get.

Enjoy your new rig. Let us know what you find for a new TV.
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Old 09-29-2022, 12:33 PM   #10
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Congratulations on the new TT, and welcome to the forum.
Yea, Traveling Texan and Wired George, are just looking out for your safety, and get a bit zealous at times.

Truck prices are starting to come down, and likely to best order if you are looking new, as you can get a better price and what you want.

Seeing how you put a class 4 receiver on your truck, I assume you may also have LT tires.

The Dry weight of 7,300# gives you a bit to work with, if you travel light, might come in at 8,300#+/-. You are going down the right path weighing after loading, to see where you are at. Don't go light on the hitch weight the percentage needs to be 12% to 15%, otherwise it will cause sway.

I will agree with the others skip the 250/2500, and get a 350/3500 with the highest GVWR you can get.

Enjoy your new rig. Let us know what you find for a new TV.
Yep! Maybe a bit over zealous, but when reading of a newbie about to embark on the rv experience & some greedy salesperson has given false information & useless numbers in order to make sale, which according to most rv forums happens much too often, I feel they need to get correct information for their safety & to make the experience enjoyable rather than a white knuckle "OH S##T" type experience, what they chose to do with the information is totally up to them, but now they know just the facts.
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Old 09-29-2022, 06:38 PM   #11
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Sounds like OP might be good on the numbers... but I would think once they sees that the EcoBoost tops out at about 5 or 6 MPG towing that large of a trailer they might run to the larger truck pretty quickly.
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Old 09-30-2022, 03:02 AM   #12
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It’s really all ok. I totally do appreciate the feedback and I promise I will scale everything to make sure I’m ok until I get a 350/3500. I know I’m close to and can very well be at my limit on truck payload if I’m not careful to load it correctly and it does make me nervous as I would never put me, my family, nor other drivers at undo risk. My plan is to weigh it before we head out for one short trip before I winterize it for the winter, then start looking for a new truck. Given the short supply of new and long lead times, I’ll likely have to final a lower mileage used and take a $$ hit. It is what it is. I’ve already talked to my fleet dealer at the Ford Dealership and he chuckled at ordering one for spring delivery.
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Old 09-30-2022, 03:04 AM   #13
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Sounds like OP might be good on the numbers... but I would think once they sees that the EcoBoost tops out at about 5 or 6 MPG towing that large of a trailer they might run to the larger truck pretty quickly.
And another great point. . I don’t pay for gas like most but my range will be horrific given they put very small gas tanks on the F150 (unless you get the option for the upsize tank which were hard to find in 2015].
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Old 09-30-2022, 05:14 AM   #14
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It’s really all ok. I totally do appreciate the feedback and I promise I will scale everything to make sure I’m ok until I get a 350/3500. I know I’m close to and can very well be at my limit on truck payload if I’m not careful to load it correctly and it does make me nervous as I would never put me, my family, nor other drivers at undo risk. My plan is to weigh it before we head out for one short trip before I winterize it for the winter, then start looking for a new truck. Given the short supply of new and long lead times, I’ll likely have to final a lower mileage used and take a $$ hit. It is what it is. I’ve already talked to my fleet dealer at the Ford Dealership and he chuckled at ordering one for spring delivery.
While the thread has concentrated on weights it's not the only concern. Camping trailers are large boxes with a lot of wind resistance. On a long trailer you have more sail area. If you look at the hull of a sailboat you'll see a deep keel under it which most likely contains considerable weight. The purpose is to counter the forces of the wind pushing on the sail. Without it the boat would easily flip over in a side wind.

Tow vehicles obviously don't have keels so a quartering or perpendicular wind will extert force just like a sail. This results in sway. The heavier the truck and the stiffer the sidewalls of the truck tires the less sway will effect your ride, steering, and safety. IMO and personal experience the 1/2 ton trucks aren't up to the task of towing a box of much over 25'. There's insufficient weight, the frame flexing is too excessive, and P rated tires instead of LT tires are too "squishy". Adding LT tires, air bags, or other suspension components is simply putting a band-aid on a gunshot wound.

Stay safe.
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Old 09-30-2022, 06:02 AM   #15
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Hey! New guy here. Just bought a new 31BHKWE. Technically our 1st RV but I’ve been around them all my life. We’re currently towing it with a F150 eco boost but likely upgrade to a 3/4 ton as soon as the market settles (sometime in 2030). Anyway, we’ve been a boat family for a long time but figured it was time to add to our hobby and go RVing. Haven’t taken it out yet but plan to ina few weeks to see how it goes and figure out all the stuff we need but just haven’t thought about yet. See you all out there.

Weights have been touched on. I've been in your shoes with the 1/2 ton and large trailer (larger than yours a bit). It wasn't fun even though it was "doable" as long as nothing crazy happened. Some things to do while waiting for that new truck and trying to camp;

1) Change your truck tires to LT. That in and of itself will help much of the push/pull and sway. Your trailer looks like it comes with LRE tires which is good and probably all the wheels are rated for to that's done. 2) Make SURE you have a good 4 point wdh/sway bar. I used an Equalizer and would highly recommend one. 3) Be aware of what you are putting in the trailer/truck and what it weighs. I had to load/unload various items before each trip to only carry what was needed for that specific trip because I was already 200lbs. over gvw. It's not fun. It's irritating. I invariably found that on any given trip I was looking for/needing/wishing for something I had last trip that had been taken out. You need to be carrying tools, jacks etc. I carry that in the bed of my truck. That comes off the payload. I kept it all covered with a hard, folding bed cover; the weight of that comes off the payload. 4) Due to all the problems I installed air bags. The air bags do not provide extra weight carrying capacity, in fact they diminish it, but they helped with the sag AND stiffened the rear end helping to further reduce sway and wallowing.

Load it up (truck and trailer) then scale it to see where you are and either how much you have to take off or how much you can add. I never liked being near gvw. With a bunk house I assume you have children so be sure and take things that they will like. Going forward you will want them to be excited to go camping with you in the RV. There's quite a bit of storage room so just keep that weight in mind.

Beyond that there are a lot of basic items and tools that you will need to get started. Highly recommended at the top of the list are an EMS (electrical management system - not surge protector) and a TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system). Both provide a lot of safety for you and yours. There are many other things so just post away and ask questions.

In the meantime it is possible to have a safe trip and lots of fun until you get that 3500. Just watch those weights, drive slowly and carefully and, more than anything, have fun!
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Old 10-03-2022, 03:48 AM   #16
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Old 12-19-2022, 08:51 AM   #17
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Hey all. I just wanted to update my story. After my 1st post, I soon got many replies to towing this trailer with a F150. After all of you comments and my experience, I did exactly what I said I'd do and weigh everything in while knowing a 3/4 or 1 ton was in my future. Long story short, to put all minds to ease, I've have on order a new Ford 1 ton and won't tow it the F150. I did end up using a family members GMC 3/4ton on a few trips already and there's obviously no going back for the obvious reasons. Happy camping!
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Old 12-19-2022, 08:57 AM   #18
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Hey all. I just wanted to update my story. After my 1st post, I soon got many replies to towing this trailer with a F150. After all of you comments and my experience, I did exactly what I said I'd do and weigh everything in while knowing a 3/4 or 1 ton was in my future. Long story short, to put all minds to ease, I've have on order a new Ford 1 ton and won't tow it the F150. I did end up using a family members GMC 3/4ton on a few trips already and there's obviously no going back for the obvious reasons. Happy camping!
Somewhere in the past on this forum someone mentioned that Ford wasn't taking orders for Super Duty trucks. Can't recall if that was for 2022 or extended to 2023. There was also a chip shortage that was messing up orders. Did you get an estimated delivery date? Glad the comments made in this thread previously had a positive effect; many go into denial when someone mentions a tow vehicle short coming. Good luck.
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Old 12-19-2022, 09:05 AM   #19
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Somewhere in the past on this forum someone mentioned that Ford wasn't taking orders for Super Duty trucks. Can't recall if that was for 2022 or extended to 2023. There was also a chip shortage that was messing up orders. Did you get an estimated delivery date? Glad the comments made in this thread previously had a positive effect; many go into denial when someone mentions a tow vehicle short coming. Good luck.
I put my order in on a 23 they day they opened it up. I have a good relationship with my dealer as I buy several commercial trucks every year for my business but yes, I think you're right in that the dealers have filled their orders. Since I ordered a Platinum, it's a job 2 order so it won't be in production until this spring with an estimated delivery sometime in the summer. So, yes, I have a time gap so I may look to decide what to do in the meantime. I also have a '23 GMC on order which is supposed to be here sometime this winter BUT I hear they are going to start taking orders for the '24 GMC in Jan and may deliver sometime this fall too? The '24 GMC has been greatly updated from the '23. There's a ton of dealer you tube videos on both trucks order status if you want more opinions and/or info.

Decisions....decisions..
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Old 12-19-2022, 08:10 PM   #20
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No decisions for me. Have a paid for 2006 clunker that runs just fine and does the towing I need it to. Good luck.
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