Hello from Calgary, AB

[Rogersn]

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!

I’ve read the responses and there’s lots of good answers here. I’ll share my experience. I pulled my 280RKS with an F250 with the 6.2 gas, I found the ride without the trailer too rough so now pull the same trailer, about 6200 lbs, with a F150 Ecoboost Max tow and it tows it equally well and the ride the rest of the time is much more pleasant. It has the 6.6 box which gives a longer wheel base which is important. Economy is pretty good with the 10 speed tranny.
I pulled my daughter’s 31 foot trailer with the 6.2 and it was unpleasant! Wouldn’t even try it with my F150 not enough weight.

 

[O.F. Graybeard]

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!

Go with at least a 3/4 ton pickup and erase your anxieties. I bought a new 2022 Cougar 25RDS "1/2 ton" trailer. I had a 1/2 ton F-150 with the towing package, airbags and Bilstein shocks. It was a no-go. Not enough OOMPH! in the rear end. I towed it twice and fought it all the way. Trailer sway, porpoiseing etc. I bought a 2020 F250 3/4 ton diesel and my towing problems ended. What a beast!
Towing capacity means nothing. It is all payload and GVWR. Good luck!

 

[rvdummies]

As a full time RVer who's been towing a Bullet 261RBS for 30K+ miles, I have a few opinions about this. First, if you choose an F150 you'll need the max tow package for that size trailer. Even with the max tow package the tongue weight of a loaded trailer a long with your truck payload may be more than the max rear axle limit. Wind is a factor when towing. An F150 is going to be squirrelly even with low wind speeds and when larger vehicles pass you. All that said, if you're just planning on short camping trips within a few hundred miles from home, an F150 is a solid choice, but if you're a full-timer or plan on long trips upgrade to the F250.

 

[MikeAWis-Tx]

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!

Do not take advise. Google "Ford towing calculator" put in your vin and it will tell you exactly what you need to know. Good luck

 

[JRTJH]

Do not take advise. Google "Ford towing calculator" put in your vin and it will tell you exactly what you need to know. Good luck

Well, not exactly.... Ford's definition of "trailer towing certification" is not the same as "Owner's experience with travel trailer towing"... Why? There's significantly more to towing a travel trailer/fifth wheel than just weights. Ford uses SAE testing procedures to certify their "max trailer tow certifications"... SAE procedures require a 14, 16 or 18' basic cargo trailer or a 20' gooseneck trailer, loaded with the appropriate "dead weight" (usually concrete blocks or other heavy, stable weight) properly positioned on the trailer to achieve a specific tongue/pin weight. Test conditions require no more than 12MPH winds during the test. There is NO tall, flat sidewall to catch crosswinds or large vehicle "bow-waves" and no "variable tongue/pin weight" that changes based on loading, having a full black tank or full/partially full fresh water tank and DW's "18 pairs of shoes". Also, the SAE procedure doesn't consider or account for a 30+ foot long "box behind the truck" when building those "tow test environments"....

The SAE standards are based more on performance (acceleration, braking, parking brake performance etc) rather than on "steering wheel feel" and non-stressful towing. There is no "true comparison between the SAE test results and what a driver will experience behind the wheel of the "test vehicle towing a large RV trailer"...

As an example, the "Launch on grade" test requires the rig to move forward 16' on a 12% grade five times in a 5 minute time limit. That might mean something to someone, but bears little to no relationship to towing up I-70 from Denver to Grand Junction on a summer day, through the passes with downhill braking, uphill climbs and crosswinds in the canyons. Plus, towing a 16' cargo trailer bears no resemblance to towing a 32' Passport through that trip on I-70. Plus, I don't know of anybody who tries to climb the interstate to the Eisenhower Tunnel and just west of Silver Plume stops in the middle of the road, "guns it for 16', waits 30 seconds and repeats that for four more cycles".... The SAE test and certification is not "real world RV towing"....

So, while an owner can get some information from websites such as the ones you recommend, someone needs to remember that all trailers are not created equal and travel trailers go far beyond a flatbed trailer when it comes to being subjected to "adverse towing conditions and reasonable towing requirements"...

You can view the SAE J2807 procedure in this pdf file: https://www.automotive-fleet.com/fc_resources/pdf/j2807.pdf This is an "older, outdated test procedure. The latest procedure costs $145 to download and requires SAE membership. The one linked is free and "good enough to get a glimpse of what Ford, GM and RAM are using to certify your vehicle "max towing capacity". You can be assured that it "ain't under the conditions an RV owner faces on nearly every trip they take with their Keystone behing their "SAE J2807 tested tow vehicle"....

 

[mjsibe]

Remember it's always Payload, not towing capacity.
Can you pull it, probably, are you near max Payload?
You don't want the tail wagging the Dog.
Yes 250 2500 350 3500's ride harder.
But they are heavy-duty vs 150, 1500s.
Figure out the payload , against the weight on the truck for the trailer and passengers & anything else you carry in the Truck comes off the payload.
Think Safety your life depends on it.

 

[Bellabrie]

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!

Agree with user JRTJH. How is your Ford set up? Look at the sticker inside your driver door. What axles do you have? What is your load rating? What is your GVWR? You need to do the math before you buy a trailer or truck. Call weight scale or CVSE. They are always willing to help. I called them when I bought our carbon and they were fantastic and very helpful. If you're too heavy for your truck your insurance is void and if you have an accident your getting sued. You will be pulled off the road, if, you haven't already killed yourself or someone else too.

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!