F150 V8 towing Imagine 2400BH

[luke79]

I had Ford install their brake controller so we're good on that. I don't have the hitch yet, but am trying to decide on that, the equalizer looks good as I don't want to lose the 250lbs or $2k with the propride hitch unless necessary.

I do have tow haul mode and can lock out gears as necessary. Does not have back up assist, but I would never use it.

@luke79, did you end up upgrading the tires? Currently we have the Goodyear Wrangler Fortitude HT.

We were towing with P rated tires. I believe they are Goodyear Wranglers. I think everyone on here will suggest upgrading them to LT tires. This is something we'll do this year.

[luke79]

I know what's on the truck as I put it on there because it came with nothing. It now has Aux transmission cooler, upgraded stabilizer bar, brake controller, 4/7 pin connector, and class 4 receiver, basically everything from the trailer tow package except the smart tow hookup which doesn't sound like much.

But does adding this stuff actually make it ok, or is there something I'm missing with the frame, or leaf springs etc. that comes with an actual dealer tow package not listed in the 53A 53B 53C tow package details?

My understanding is that F-150 comes with two types of a frame; the one that you and I have, then there is the Heavy Duty Payload Package, which is stronger frame. HDPP is basically custom order and hard to find at the dealer, at least in my area.

I would go to a local RV dealer and ask to hookup the trailer you want. Measure how much it squats and if it stays level. With your payload it shouldn't be that much of a squat.

On your dash computer can you add trailer and enable/disable sway controller? That's another option I have, however I'm not sure how useful it really is if you're using dedicated WDH.

[madhatter]

I'm 99% sure that I do have that trailer sway controller in my computer as well, but since I haven't used it to date I can't 100% confirm until I go look at the truck again.

Do you have real world loaded trailer and hitch weight estimates off your trailer? Payload runs out quick on these half tons.

[luke79]

I'm 99% sure that I do have that trailer sway controller in my computer as well, but since I haven't used it to date I can't 100% confirm until I go look at the truck again.

Do you have real world loaded trailer and hitch weight estimates off your trailer? Payload runs out quick on these half tons.

The trailer itself is about 5700lbs, I can't remember exactly when dry. You have to account for about 1000 lbs of hitch weight when loaded. My payload is basically 1900lbs. I never felt like the trailer was swaying, and the truck is capable to tow this kind of a load. Uphill you will stay in low gears, but on the flat ground it's not a problem at all. Make sure to have tow haul mode enabled. Switch to manual mode in the mountains, pay attention to transmission temp, and stay at 55mph-60mph. Slow down when going down hill to save the brakes.

We travel actually fairly light as we typically enjoy hiking and stay at National Forests and Parks. Our weight is just some clothes, few toys, board games, food in the fridge; overall couple hundred pounds. We typically travel with about 20 gallons of fresh water, which is about 160lbs. Always empty black/gray before leaving campground.

I've had good experience with General RV; if you're close to them they may let you hookup to see how that payload is. Call and ask in advance. You can also purchase a scale from amazon that will measure the tongue weight (it's about $120).

We did upgrade trailer tires to Goodyear Endurance and they are excellent. We put 7000 miles on them and had no problems.

Another thing is, if you're doing a lot of upgrades, it can all add up really quickly. You may want to consider putting that as a down payment towards something like Ram 2500 or F-250, which aren't going to have payload issues and will provide better brakes, and just a better towing experience; just my $0.02.

[madhatter]

The trailer itself is about 5700lbs, I can't remember exactly when dry. You have to account for about 1000 lbs of hitch weight when loaded. My payload is basically 1900lbs. I never felt like the trailer was swaying, and the truck is capable to tow this kind of a load. Uphill you will stay in low gears, but on the flat ground it's not a problem at all. Make sure to have tow haul mode enabled. Switch to manual mode in the mountains, pay attention to transmission temp, and stay at 55mph-60mph. Slow down when going down hill to save the brakes.

We travel actually fairly light as we typically enjoy hiking and stay at National Forests and Parks. Our weight is just some clothes, few toys, board games, food in the fridge; overall couple hundred pounds. We typically travel with about 20 gallons of fresh water, which is about 160lbs. Always empty black/gray before leaving campground.

I've had good experience with General RV; if you're close to them they may let you hookup to see how that payload is. Call and ask in advance. You can also purchase a scale from amazon that will measure the tongue weight (it's about $120).

We did upgrade trailer tires to Goodyear Endurance and they are excellent. We put 7000 miles on them and had no problems.

Another thing is, if you're doing a lot of upgrades, it can all add up really quickly. You may want to consider putting that as a down payment towards something like Ram 2500 or F-250, which aren't going to have payload issues and will provide better brakes, and just a better towing experience; just my $0.02.

Upgrades are already all done minus tires as I've done them myself when I have time over the last 2 years of owning the truck (maybe $400 in parts). Truck was a one year old rental so the original price was really good compared to a F-250 at the time, but a TT was not in the picture then too.

Thanks again for all the info!

[luke79]

Upgrades are already all done minus tires as I've done them myself when I have time over the last 2 years of owning the truck (maybe $400 in parts). Truck was a one year old rental so the original price was really good compared to a F-250 at the time, but a TT was not in the picture then too.

Thanks again for all the info!

When it comes to tires, don't forget to replace tires on the trailer when you get it or try and force the dealer to do it as part of the sale. Tell them you won't be driving with china bombs.