Hello from Calgary, AB

[Mario De Matteis]

New to Keystone and Camping. Question, I need a pick up to tow my 272BH can i do it with a f150? do i need a 250? or similar? Thanks!

 

[Max23]

Near as I can tell with the limited info on the unit is that's a 30 footer thats gonna weigh somewhere between 7 to 8 K fully loaded. You'll be kicking yourself if you go with anything under a 3/4 ton. I tried one a little smaller than yours with a 1/2 ton and it just didn't match up. I didn't have enough payload capacity or rear axle weight capacity and the camper was in charge in any wind at all. I got a 3/4 ton and am within all my weight capacities with room to spare and I don't even know it's back there in a 20mph crosswind. Truck is in charge, not the camper. Just my 2 cents but speaking from experience.

 

[chuckster57]

If this is your first trailer, I have found a vast majority of people find the RV lifestyle to be positive and soon look for a bigger trailer. Save yourself the trouble of buying another tow vehicle. Get one with the ability to tow a bigger trailer.

 

[JRTJH]

New to Keystone and Camping. Question, I need a pick up to tow my 272BH can i do it with a f150? do i need a 250? or similar? Thanks!

There is NO ANSWER to your question. Why? Ford builds at least 15-20 different "optional versions" of the F150 . Some are COMPLETELY INADEQUATE for towing anything except a lightweight popup camper while other optional build F150's are quite capable of towing "at or near your trailer's weight and size"....

Note, I said, "at or near..." To be clear, even though Ford "advertises" a maximum trailer weight up to 11,000 pounds, not all trailers are built the same and DO NOT tow the same and not all F150's have the same towing capacity.... You're about to find out (hopefully not the hard way) that towing a 30' x 11' flat sidewall "box" weighing 8000 pounds is definitely not the same as towing a 16' flatbed trailer with 8000 pounds of concrete blocks properly loaded over the axles to obtain an "exactly measured tongue weight"...
One will tow "beautifully on the test track" (for advertising purposes) while the other will "catch every sidewind and passing semi truck and be an ABSOLUTE NIGHTMARE to tow.... Then, depending on which optional equipment is built into "YOUR F150" it may be OK on a test track or it may be totally inadequate for any 8000 pound trailer, regardless of trailer type....

So, what kind of F150 are you talking about ????

 

[Mario De Matteis]

I have now a f150 with a tow package of 7200lb max. When a bring the trailer from Kamloops it felt like the pick up was on the very limit, when i try to keep up in a hill, was difficult, the pick up just dont cut it. So i whent to look for other pick up, but i had the idea to consult the forum first, and i very happy that i did. I founf that as you said ford have a lot of options, i thought a 12000lb its going to work beautifully but now i not so sure. On other coment Chuckster57 and Max23 agree on having a bigger truck and avoid any potential risk. The thing is, is going to be my daily vehicle and i dint want to spend a lot in gas or diesel with an overkill pickup driving calgary around.
Que question then will be, should i leave the half ton for good, and loom into a 3/4 truck?
Thanks!

 

[Mario De Matteis]

Near as I can tell with the limited info on the unit is that's a 30 footer thats gonna weigh somewhere between 7 to 8 K fully loaded. You'll be kicking yourself if you go with anything under a 3/4 ton. I tried one a little smaller than yours with a 1/2 ton and it just didn't match up. I didn't have enough payload capacity or rear axle weight capacity and the camper was in charge in any wind at all. I got a 3/4 ton and am within all my weight capacities with room to spare and I don't even know it's back there in a 20mph crosswind. Truck is in charge, not the camper. Just my 2 cents but speaking from experience.

Thank you Max23, i think having more towing capacity will be the way to go. That been said, what ick up do you have? Do you recomend a brand/model ?
Have a great day

 

[Mario De Matteis]

If this is your first trailer, I have found a vast majority of people find the RV lifestyle to be positive and soon look for a bigger trailer. Save yourself the trouble of buying another tow vehicle. Get one with the ability to tow a bigger trailer.

Thanks, i thinking i am not going bigger than 28ft but agree on having a bigger pick up to handle the weight, wind, the hills, so what would you say will be a suitable pick up, that dont brake the bank on gas or diesel as a daily driver.
Nice sunday!

 

[Roger66]

I have a 2021 Ram 2500 gas engine with 3.73 gears. I have a 32 ft 10k gross camper and a 35 1/2 ft 10k gross camper and pull both fairly easily.

 

[Mario De Matteis]

Thanks, its the 5.7 hemi motor?

 

[Roger66]

6.4 hemi motor.

 

[Mario De Matteis]

Big one. Thank you for the comment. So at least a 2500 to uandle aroumd 10k lb and problem solved.

 

[Roger66]

That's my opinion. My gross tow weight is upwards of 14k but not planning to ever go that big. Weight distribution hitch is a must even at 10k

 

[Roger66]

I pulled the 32 ft with my old ram with the 5.7 and it made do but worked harder on hills/mountains

 

[Max23]

I also have the Ram 6.4 2500. Very happy with it so far. I guess I can't say any brand is better than any other but I live in too cold of a climate to make my daily driver a diesel and this seems to have all the juice I need plus it's just a great tow with the bigger truck.

 

[spicercars]

Welcome from northern MN.

 

[NH_Bulldog]

Congratulations and Welcome from the "Live Free or Die" state.

As I think it has been made clear, the F150 isn't up to the task. I had a somewhat smaller and lighter camper that I towed with my F150 (it was outfitted with Max Tow package, plus additional upgrades). The truck PULLED the camper great with tons of power to spare, but the handling was miserable while towing. I moved to a 3/4 ton truck (I wanted a 1 ton, but had to take what I could get at the height of Covid) and that made all the difference in the world.

I have owned all of the "Big 3" brands and they all have their pros and cons. I would only suggest that you go bigger than you think you need to. I am not suggesting dually territory, just bigger, and stronger than what you think you need today.

 

[Peto]

F 250 and don't look back....


My last F 150 had all the max tow features but I was not comfortable towing so close to the max payload. Towing capacity and Payload capacity are two different things. Go with a F250.

 

[DutchmenSport]

If you have doubts about the ability of your tow vehicle, you will NEVER have a comfortable towing experience.

If in doubt, check with the mechanics at your local auto dealership and try to get some straight answers from them that is specific to YOUR truck. Then base your decision if you have "enough" truck or not.

Here's something to think about. I coined this quote.

“You really need to think in terms of what is the ultimate extreme usage you'll be experiencing with your tow vehicle, not what is the lightest usage and hope it's OK when the extreme happens."

 

[flybouy]

I agree with Dutch. The question I think implies doubt but just hoping someone will reinforce the idea that you can "get buy". Ask yourself this, if you were boarding an airplane and the crew said "We're really, really close to the max weight but BUT I THINK WE'LL BE OK, AS LONG AS WE DON'T HIT ANY TURULENCE. ENJOY YOUR FLIGHT!."

Yah, I'd be running off that plane and heading to a train station myself.

 

[Cajun Couple]

A few years ago Ford offered a max towing and a max payload package on the F150. Usually a special order vehicle and it came with 7 lug wheels and LT tires. Also had decent towing mirrors from the factory. Problem was that the price was more than a F250 with a gas engine.