Tow Vehicle Question

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by dalamarjj78

I lubed the hitch because I figured if the manufacturer says you should then it's probably a good idea. Not to mention I never lubed my previous hitch and it was starting to collect rust pretty bad. I also bought the pads for the L brackets to minimize noise and they seem to do a good job.

It's interesting that you mention the torque for where you insert the bars. When I was walking through the initial setup they were torqued down so much I couldn't get the bars to move at all despite how hard I pushed.

I called Equalizer customer support and they told me those were often over-torqued at the factory and said to loosen them up and re-torque between 60 - 70 ft lbs. So I split it evenly at 65 ft lbs.

The bars are still stiff when trying to push them inward to connect to the L brackets but maybe I should try torqueing them down a bit more to see if that helps.

You need to lube the head where the manual says and the pads on the L brackets won't hurt. When mine was new my bars were a real bar to move in or out and due to shoulder/arm injuries the yanking and stress on them was an issue. The answer was a 5' steel hollow cheater bar. Just wedged it on the ground to push the bars in or out - piece of cake. After a while they loosened up although I did not increase the torque on the head bolts. I ran them 65-70lbs. from new until I went to a 5th wheel and she worked great. Be sure and tighten that tension bolt on the back as it will try to back off from time to time.

As far as having "at least" a 3k payload my last 3/4 ton was 3190 (3090? As time goes by those numbers that used to stick in there don't quite as well but it was one or the other - both over 3k). IMO if you're going to go with a new truck go with the 1 ton as you're talking; more truck, more payload etc. and gives you more options down the road.

[jxnbbl]

When I first hooked up my unit, I had to sit on the ground and kick/push with my legs to close the bar! Anyways my point is that the weight on the L brackets and friction at the contact points of the brackets and hitch are really provide the "anti-sway". One is only provided by the weight placed on the L brackets (setup) and the other the torque on the hitch. Although its heavy and made a lot of noise at first, the noise has subsided (or I'm use to it) and like the hitch but have found that I do need to re-torque every once and a while.



I'll try the pads the next trip as I suspect I have to adjust something with and extra 1/4" of material on the L bracket

[kcotton69]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

I can't remember any current model trim level F350, even diesel trucks, with a payload less than 2700 pounds. The diesel adds about 800 pounds to the curb weight, so takes about 800 pounds directly out of the payload. The 7.3l gas engine is about 50 pounds lighter (yes, lighter) than the 6.2l gas engine, so you're looking at substantially greater than 3000 pound payloads with any "standard GVWR" F350.

It should be WELL over 3000#, I've attached an image of my yellow sticker. I have a 2020 F350 Lariat crew cab SRW LWB FX4 with 6.7L diesel. My CCC is 4238#. GVWR on mine is 12400#

[gearhead]

Check the gas tank capacity of the long bed vs. short bed. Also the option of a higher capacity tank.

[kcotton69]

Originally Posted by gearhead

Check the gas tank capacity of the long bed vs. short bed. Also the option of a higher capacity tank.

My long bed has a 48 gallon tank

[skmct]

I know the subject is about buying a new larger truck. I would just like to add some insight to your sway or waging issue. I towed a 24ft inclosed car trailer with a 1999 f150 and had the same issue. I
Upgraded to a 2001 chevy 1500 HD and the problem went away. The biggest difference between the chevy HD and the Ford was wheels and tires the chevy came with LT tires. LT tires have a much stiffer side wall. A tire upgrade might help you out until you find a new truck.

[dalamarjj78]

Originally Posted by skmct

I know the subject is about buying a new larger truck. I would just like to add some insight to your sway or waging issue. I towed a 24ft inclosed car trailer with a 1999 f150 and had the same issue. I
Upgraded to a 2001 chevy 1500 HD and the problem went away. The biggest difference between the chevy HD and the Ford was wheels and tires the chevy came with LT tires. LT tires have a much stiffer side wall. A tire upgrade might help you out until you find a new truck.

Thanks but one of the first upgrades I did after getting the truck was replacing the tires with a set of Michelin Defenders.

While I can't find the original window sticker for our truck (we bought it used) I assume the real issue is that it doesn't have the max tow package. I'm assuming this because the rear axle ratio is 3.31, it doesn't have tow mirrors or an integrated trailer brake controller.

[Camp CA]

Originally Posted by dalamarjj78

.......
1. Wheelbase
2. Rear Axle Ratios - the standard rear axle ratio is 3.73. Would it be worth upgrading to the 4.30 or is 3.73 enough? Any pros and cons that should be worth keeping in mind?
3. F-350 - is there anything else I should be aware of regarding F-350's in general or Ford's 7.3L V-8 engines? ..........I assume that upgrading from an F-150 to a F-350 will result in a massive improvement when towing our trailer............

1. I towed for 17.5 years with a short bed F-250........big upgrade from my Ford Bronco and Expedition. But I like my current F350 long bed truck better.
2. My F350 has a 3.73 and is fine for towing my 16,600 lb GWVR trailer. A 4.30 ratio will give you better low end acceleration but also lower gas mileage. A 3.73 ratio will still provide decent acceleration but will also provide better mileage plus give you a higher top end speed.
3. I recommend the 6.7 l diesel engine....higher mileage, more torque for uphill and has an exhaust brake for down grades. Upgrading from an F-150 to a F-350 WILL result in a massive improvement when towing any trailer.

[Badbart56]

Long wheelbase is your friend when it comes to towing. It won't be affected by crosswinds or tractor trailers nearly as much as the short beds. They typically ride better too.

If you go with a gas engine get the 4.30 rear end. Gas mileage will be negligible.

The diesels make enough torque that gear ratio doesn't really matter and you'll get better fuel mileage towing or empty.

[Camp CA]

Badbart56.......nicely put!!

[jfk69]

Originally Posted by Badbart56

Long wheelbase is your friend when it comes to towing. It won't be affected by crosswinds or tractor trailers nearly as much as the short beds. They typically ride better too.

If you go with a gas engine get the 4.30 rear end. Gas mileage will be negligible.

The diesels make enough torque that gear ratio doesn't really matter and you'll get better fuel mileage towing or empty.

Indeed. I totally agree. Bought my sig rig used last fall. It only has a 3.31 rear end. Wish it had the 3.55 (only two options that year) but it is a pulling beast. Also very happy I got the long box. Yeah, the front and rear of the truck are in different area codes when parked, but man, what a great pull. Just feels planted and nothing phases it. Crosswind? Semis passing? Meh.

[lcarver02]

Originally Posted by dalamarjj78

I currently pull a 2021 Keystone Bullet 273BHS (overall length of 32 ft) with a F-150 XLT (5L V8) and, while our weights are good, the overall towing experience isn't great, especially on windy days. We recently upgraded our WDH to an equalizer which helped a lot but I've come to accept the fact that we need more truck.

We've had to stick with camping at nearby campgrounds where we can easily access them without having to drive on the interstate since there's too much tail wag in wide open spaces and when big rigs pass us.

I've been using the "Build and Price" features on the various major car manufacturer's websites and am leaning towards a 2021 Ford F-350 XLT SRW and upgrading to the 7.3L V-8 engine.

But I a few questions I was hoping to get some input on as I haven't owned a truck very long.

1. Wheelbase - the short bed pickup has a wheelbase of 160" while the long bed is 176". I read that the first 110" of wheelbase covers a 20' trailer and every 4" of wheelbase beyond that adds another foot to the trailer. So based on those general guidelines 160" would cover a 32.5 ft trailer. While the long bed would cover a 34 ft trailer.

While the price between the two is similar, I really don't like the look of the long bed trucks. So would the short bed still be enough to handle the length of our trailer? The last thing I want to happen is to invest this much money in a truck and find out it still doesn't handle the length of our trailer much better than the F150 we have now (which has a wheelbase of 145").

2. Rear Axle Ratios - the standard rear axle ratio is 3.73. Would it be worth upgrading to the 4.30 or is 3.73 enough? Any pros and cons that should be worth keeping in mind?

3. F-350 - is there anything else I should be aware of regarding F-350's in general or Ford's 7.3L V-8 engines? I don't buy into the whole Ford vs Chevy vs Ram conversation; I just want the best truck for my money that can safely tow my trailer while keeping my family (and others around us) safe.

I assume that upgrading from an F-150 to a F-350 will result in a massive improvement when towing our trailer. I just want to cover all our bases and avoid an, "Oh crap" moment from finding out we went with the wrong configuration and having it be too late to correct it.

Thanks!

I have a similar set-up to your F-150 that I pull a 28ft Keystone Campfire with. Go through some big mountains in Wyoming, Utah, Idaho and Montana. It does a pretty good job in general but is underpowered. May try a top of the line Ecoboost. You really must have the Towing Package and 3.73 as a minimum. I added a leaf in the rear and went to Load Range E tires. Tires make a huge difference and you should have E ratings on the trailer and truck. FYI if you have Trailer King tires, get them off ASAP and go to Goodyear Endurance. I just had a very bad bulge to steel belts after 8,000 miles and will never have that brand again. Goodyears are Amazing. If you get a F350 you might as well get a 5th wheel.