I just tried to Help!

[German Shepherd Guy]

Originally Posted by KYFamily

I never imagined that she would delete the post. At one point I thought I was making some headway. Last thing I asked was for her to check the trucks sticker for Payload Capacity. A few minutes later everything was gone. Picture of that poor truck was what really got me inquiring.

Obviously you were not the only one pointing out to her that she was "wrong."

[travelin texans]

Originally Posted by CedarCreekWoody

I had a neighbor asking me about towing a fifth wheel with his truck since his F-150 had a 3,500 lb cargo capacity. "3,500 lb, is that what your door jam sticker says?" "Yep". I opened his truck door, 1,580 capacity on the sticker. He said I obviously didn't understand how it works. I just walked away.

There's another rv forum that it seems everyone on it is of the belief that an F150 3.? Ecoboost is the ultimate tow all truck for 10-14k lb 5th wheels or 35-38' TTs. After pointing out to a few of the members, a couple moderators included, about their possible weight issues & should do some calculations, I've been banned permanently for being "argumentative & trolling" (whatever in the hell trolling is).
As this thread is titled "I just tried to help!".

[flybouy]

You can't let that bother you. Many, many folks think they are "the smartest person in the room", don't take constructive criticism well, or are just looking fot their "participation trophy". If you try to respectfully point out that there may be an issue that's all you can do. Wish them well and leave it at that for pressing further will likely alienate them further. Some folks will defend their position with misinformed or misunderstood "facts". I'll attempt to point out the errors in their logic but be prepared for irrational responses or personal attacks. Some will have an "epiphany " and realise what happened some won't.

[jfk69]

Meh. You did the right thing. I’m sure the tow police insults came out in force. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. The post came down when she realized you might be right and they’re not in a position to replace the truck.

I was on the overweight end at one time. We got a great deal on an older Jayco fiver from my wife’s retired boss. We had been toying with getting back into camping, so we bought it. I only had a leased Ram 1500 to pull with. We were just over 300# over payload when I would hook it up. I knew it, and new I would replace it as soon as we were in a position to do so. It did pull well, for the year I did it, mostly due to the stability of a fiver already mentioned above. When the lease was up, I replaced the 1500 with the current truck in my sig and it was “more better” in all respects. We doubled our money on the Jayco selling it a year ago and bought our current rig. Below are photos of the original, upgraded tv and current rig. Hopefully she has a similar process.

[Pull Toy]

I thought I was wrong ONCE!
(But I was mistaken!)

G-D help those, who won't help themselves! Just ask Forrest...

[Mr Mojo]

Originally Posted by travelin texans

I've been banned permanently for being "argumentative & trolling" (whatever in the hell trolling is).
As this thread is titled "I just tried to help!".

Some forums will ban you if you correct somebody's spelling.

[tom0329]

We I saw the same thing pull out of a campground in NC triple axel 5vr. I asked the guy if he'd towed that trailer before. He said all over the country. I scratched my head and walked away. About 50 miles down the instate, I see him on the shoulder .
Smoke is just pouring out of the rear axel.
I spent the extra money to get a truck over built for what I needed. I just don't get it

[johnnybadger]

For what it is worth…

I do tire of the flippant, and sometimes angry rebuttals regarding TV/5’er weight incompatibility suggestions (e.g. “tow police” accusations). It almost makes me want to just shut up and only worry about me. But then I remember that me (and all of you) chiming in on these discussions is because I am (we are) worrying about me (us).

So my new narrative is that we have to keep raising the issue in as helpful of a mood as possible. Kinda like the “Starfish Story.” We might not be able to save everyone, but maybe we can make an impact on at least one of the them.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by johnnybadger

For what it is worth…

I do tire of the flippant, and sometimes angry rebuttals regarding TV/5’er weight incompatibility suggestions (e.g. “tow police” accusations). It almost makes me want to just shut up and only worry about me. But then I remember that me (and all of you) chiming in on these discussions is because I am (we are) worrying about me (us).

So my new narrative is that we have to keep raising the issue in as helpful of a mood as possible. Kinda like the “Starfish Story.” We might not be able to save everyone, but maybe we can make an impact on at least one of the them.

My concerns are not necessarily the "comfort and ability to enjoy the RV lifestyle" of someone I don't know and will probably never meet on the highway or in a campground, but rather (to be somewhat melodramatic), the impact that person might have on the lives of other, innocent people that "potentially get in their way as they're enjoying that RV lifestyle"....

As an example, about 10 years ago, there was a thread on this forum started by a new member who had bought a used F250 King Ranch Diesel and a new 41' Montana fifth wheel. The KR, at that time, was the most luxurious SuperDuty and also the model with the least payload capacity.

When confronted with the potential by someone on the forum, his response was to quote the shipping/empty weights of the trailer and the maximum capabilities from the Ford brochure and furthered his "justification" by saying that the F250 is really just a "rebadged F350". He went on to post that nobody knew how well his rig towed and that it was (and I quote), "Just as stable at 85MPH as it is at 50MPH, so the rig is as safe as anything else on the road. Keep in mind, this was at the time that all ST tires were rated at 65MPH and what was being installed on trailers, often didn't even have a safety margin, as trailer manufacturers were derating axles to meet chinese tire maximum load ratings....

So, it became, in that situation, and in most these days, not only an issue with payload, but an issue where other factors that influence safety also are impacting the situation, often without even being recognized, much less considered.

My "fear" is that someone with that mentality attempts to pass a school bus full of kids, on the interstate, at 85MPH, in a severe crosswind, and the catastrophic turn of events that could happen, not only to "him" but to so many other people whose lives he might destroy in the process of "enjoying the RV lifestyle"....

Sometimes, I think that other people are truly more concerned with the precious cargo in his back seat or in the vehicles he's sharing the highway with, than he is, for whatever reasons he can use to justify his compromises in safety and reality.

You're right, "maybe we can make an impact on at least one of the them."

[cenders]

Hopefully, they don't end up killing someone on the highway after the trailer overpowers their truck.

[wiredgeorge]

Originally Posted by johnnybadger

For what it is worth…

I do tire of the flippant, and sometimes angry rebuttals regarding TV/5’er weight incompatibility suggestions (e.g. “tow police” accusations). It almost makes me want to just shut up and only worry about me. But then I remember that me (and all of you) chiming in on these discussions is because I am (we are) worrying about me (us).

So my new narrative is that we have to keep raising the issue in as helpful of a mood as possible. Kinda like the “Starfish Story.” We might not be able to save everyone, but maybe we can make an impact on at least one of the them.

I give up as I am a country boy who lives in the Hill Country of Texas... what is "Starfish Story"? Never heard that phrase...

[Javi]

Originally Posted by wiredgeorge

I give up as I am a country boy who lives in the Hill Country of Texas... what is "Starfish Story"? Never heard that phrase...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Star_Thrower#:~:text=%22The%20Star%20Thrower%2 2%20(or,completed%20shortly%20before%20his%20death .

[wiredgeorge]

Originally Posted by Javi

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Star_Thrower#:~:text=%22The%20Star%20Thrower%2 2%20(or,completed%20shortly%20before%20his%20death .

Well.... thanks I guess.

[jfk69]

George, try this….

https://www.countryschool.net/news-detail?pk=1250796

[notanlines]

One day a man was walking along the beach, when he noticed a boy hurriedly picking up and gently throwing things into the ocean. Approaching the boy, he asked, “Young man, what are you doing?” The boy replied, “Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die.” The man laughed to himself and said, “Don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can’t make any difference!”
After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said,
“I made a difference to that one.”

Don't you just hate it when you've been 'one-upped' by a child?

[Falcon67]

Keep in mind, this was at the time that all ST tires were rated at 65MPH and what was being installed on trailers, often didn't even have a safety margin, as trailer manufacturers were derating axles to meet chinese tire maximum load ratings....

Race car towing people, complaining about tire issues. And same person passes me going 80 on the way to the track. Dude, read the sidewall.

Overload pulling - guilty. The old 1993 F-350 DRW 7.5L gas was used to pull our 34' bumber pull. I guesstimated the weight at around 12~12.5K with the car in the box and 1500 less with the dragster. Truck is nominally "rated" for 12K. The truck liked to run about 62 down the road, that was where it pulled best. Finally after a few years thought to actually put the trailer on the scales. Oops - 13,500 and about 2000 hitch weight. That 75.L and E4OD didn't really care for the weight but it pulled it, even up decent grades. As of 2020, we moved to a truck with about 2000 lbs capacity over our trailer and way more drive axle weight rating. Still, I prefer 65-70 pulling anything. Not in that big a hurry.

Also saw the comment on the 3.5 EcoBoost trucks. Yea - ours pulls a 5600 lb Keystone RD without much trouble. But I'd not get far over that. F-150s all share the same issue - light in the azz end. Enough tongue to help a larger trailer pull well and it'll squat. Even with a 5th wheel or gooseneck the GWVR doesn't change much, nor the "max trailer".

[falcondan95705]

Tow rating has nothing to do with rear axle capacity. 3700 lb hitch.? She's over. I think the first thing us 5th wheel owners should do when buying the truck is to look at rear axle weight ratings first, followed by trucks' gvwr and lastly tow rating. I believe these max tow ratings are to apply to Goose Necks, not 5th wheels..

[wrvond]

Whenever tow/weight discussions surface I am reminded of the commercial on television some years back of a Toyota pickup towing a space shuttle. Sure, it'll pull it, but you didn't see them put the front wheel of the shuttle in the bed of that truck did you?

[falcondan95705]

Originally Posted by wrvond

Whenever tow/weight discussions surface I am reminded of the commercial on television some years back of a Toyota pickup towing a space shuttle. Sure, it'll pull it, but you didn't see them put the front wheel of the shuttle in the bed of that truck did you?

Hey! I remember that commercial. We have seen the shuttle near the L A Collusium.

[Balvar24]

I appreciate people trying to help me just like I appreciate them minding their own business when I don't want any more of their help.

I try to remember that when offering assistance to others.