Input appreciated

[BrettA]

My wife and I recently purchased a Transcend 247BH and I currently Drive a 2016 F-150 3.5 ecoboost. Dry weight on the trailer is 5,500lbs and 30 feet while my max tow capacity in 10,700lbs. We plan on using the trailer roughly 1-2 a month and our terrain is pretty flat, Houston area to Austin. Do y'all think the truck will be adequate for the trailer or would it be worth looking into a diesel? If this question has already been asked, could y'all point me in the right direction within the forum? Thanks so much!

Happy Camping,
Brett

[Dick Noble]

It isn't just the towing, it is also the stopping. To me, the F150 does not have enough braking power.

[jbrazinski]

Brett we are upgrading from a 29ft 4900lb TT that we used to tow with a 2010 F150 5.4 9900lb tow rating. I agree with Dick Nobles assessment. Where the 5.4 made adequate power to tow the rig the driving experience was not fun . That said, a diesel is probably overkill too for the camper you have. We upgraded to a gas 3/4 ton (F250 Superduty 6.2) and the difference is night and day. It pulls the camper better but where it really shines is it HANDLES the camper better (brakes/suspension). Most the guys on the F250 facebook forum say anything under 10k gas or diesel , whatever your preference. Once they exceed 10k most agree diesel is the way to go.

[Wicked ace]

In all probability you will be fine. For properly equipped F150 that trailer is right in the sweet spot. You don't say what trim level or if you have a tow package. Get your window sticker out to see. Make sure you don't exceed the payload on the yellow sticker inside the driver door. That tow capacity you see in the brochure is an abstract number not to be considered as the final determining factor. You will to educate yourself a bit more regarding tow weights and payload.

[BrettA]

Thanks y'all! I had the Blue Ox SwayPro weight distribution hitch installed as well as a electronic brake controller installed. I'm hoping these two will prevent some of the issues y'all have brought up!

[BrettA]

Thanks for the reply! I replied to the group but since I'm new to this I don't know if it lets y'all know if I did or not! I had the Blue ox swaypro weight distribution hitch and an electronic brake controller installed so hopefully that helps with the issues.

[sande005]

Well, your trailer has a gross weight max of 6995. Unlikely you will ever hit that number, especially if you don't carry much water/waste from place to place. But let's say you do manage to max it out. Tongue weight will likely then be somewhere near 900 lbs. (13% of whatever the weight is) The first restriction is your receiver - so look at the label on the bottom of it. But with an F-150, I'm sure you will be fine. Second restriction is payload, from the door sticker. That includes tongue weight, all passengers, hitch, tools, dogs, and anything else added since it came off the factory line. F-150's vary a lot on that number. Do the math, or better, go to a truck scale to see how close to the limit you will be.
Still good? Now look at the GVWR for the truck - that's what the brakes are designed to stop. But the trailer has its own brakes, designed for its own GVWR. A bigger truck is rated for more payload, and hence beefier brakes...your call as to how much "extra" is enough. Unlikely you'll find any practical truck that is rated for the full combination without brakes on the trailer...unless you look for semi's, etc.

Where you may run into issues: Driveability. Amount of tail to wag the dog. A heavier truck will resist that just from weight. Your suspension may be softer, allowing more "wiggle". Ditto your tires. Actual sway of a trailer is only due to not enough tongue weight, but if you are near 13% or above, that will not be an issue. Wind pushes, "truck suck", porpoising, etc. may or may not be present, and make the drive uncomfortable. You can only know by trying it. Hitch, tires and maybe airbags may be able to tame it. But don't borrow trouble - if you are under max payload, the likelihood will be that everything is fine.

As far as terrain - my F-150/old fifth was much heavier than your trailer, and I pulled it over the Rockies and Sierras several times. My F-150/Imagine has only see the mountains of Pennsylvania so far, but it also has been just fine there. The Eco has more power than you'll ever need, and altitude has little effect on it.

[huntr70]

You're fine.

Adjust the brake controller to your liking and happy towing.

[Steve7]

I agree you’ll be fine with that setup. I did something similar a few years ago. You may want to upgrade to “E” rated tires though if they feel squishy at all during turns, etc. Also max out your psi stated on the sidewalk to make them as stiff as possible and to be able to use their max payload figures. Good job using the Blue Ox. That will help and tail wag.

[SGT ROC]

I guess I'll chime in. I towed two different TT's in your weight range with 3 different Chevy 1/2 tons (2005, 2011, 2015) They were never an issue. My buddy actually towed a larger trailer with no issues. One of the biggest things is to make sure your hitch is set right. I decided one time to take another link on the hitch, thinking it would pull better. Boy was I wrong. Five miles down the road I pulled over and went back to my old setting. Setting the hitch correctly makes a huge difference in drivability of the whole rig. All that said - you'll be fine with that truck.