Towing with an F150

[Kenneth]

We tow our 303RLS with a 2018 Ram 3500 HO with the Aisin transmission Tradesman with chrome package, my GVWR is 12, 300 and my payload is 4233. Much more than I need for a 303, and I also upgraded to the 19.5" Boar wheels on the trailer. I like having the assurance that I am not over weight.

Ken Nankivell
2018 Ram 3500 Diesel
2019 303RLS

[wallymann]

It all boils down to the braking problems. People not wanting to get stuck / trapped behind your 5th wheel, will OFTEN, dangerously pull out in front of you. In a panic stop, electromag brakes wont significantly prevent the trailers inertia shift and resultant dynamic increase in pin weight. That increased pin weight lightens the weight on the front wheels, and instability/ jackknife / rear tire failure can occur. This problem is more likely in a travel trailer, with the longer wheel distance behind the hitch. Converting to disc brakes helps

[bspracķlin]

U will be over or right there on your towing capacity depending on your rear end ratio with that truck your Towing Capacity will be between 10,000 & 10500lb
I pulled 8000lb with that set up No problem doing it But it was a little white knuckle with wind

[kjohn5801]

We tow our 303rls with a Nissan Titan HD 5.0 Diesel. Does a great job.
about 1000 lbs under GVWR

[more tired since retired]

Before you decide that you 'need' the diesel to pull the 303 take a hard look at the payload, towing capacity, Torque, & HP ratings and options for the F250. CC vs extended cab, short bed (along with a slider hitch) vs long bed. 4x4 vs 4x2. How many people you'll be carrying, etc. The diesel is an $8500 option & the engine weight cuts deeply into payload, not to mention the DEF and increased maintenance costs. The spec page on Ford's site has a ton of info for making an informed comparison.

The 250 I ordered has a payload of 3450 & the spring pack I added means I don't need airbags or spring enhancements with very little squat. 65 to 70 mph is very comfortable with 7.5 to 8 mpg. I have not taken the truck & 303 to CO yet, so I can't give any advice on higher altitude performance. I'm sure not going to win a race up Wolf Creek pass... but for the small time I plan on being there I can live with it. I may regret not going with the 7.3 & 10 sp trans, but we'll see. For now I'm happy with the 6.2 gasser & it was worth the wait to order what I wanted.

Good Luck

The cost of the diesel engine is $10495. I know since I'm in the process of ordering a F250.

[Wayne Carlson]

NO NO NO! Do not do it. We did. exact specs. Assured by both Ford and RV dealer we were OK. In wind, trucks passing it felt like we were driving a marshmellow. Had to bite the bullet, 250 marginal, so bought 350. HAPPY.

2018 303RLS, now F350 Diesel, max towing,

[riven1950]

We have a F150 HD towing pkg., towing a 2500rl and it does great. That is about as much as I would want to tow with my truck. We looked at 5th wheels but did not feel good about the numbers with our F150. We are very pleased with our set up . Would not recommend a 5th wheel and F150 unless you get HD payload and HD towing, hard to find. I am not sold on a diesel but you would sure need a F250 at least IMO.

[ScubaSteve]

I will let you know from experience. We have a Reflection 150 273MK with a GVW of 10,000 lbs. Our tow vehicle was a 2013 F150 with ecoboost. I added air bags to the rear to be able to level the truck out under the kingpin. The truck had plenty of power going up any incline I could find. After our 3rd trip, we were on level ground and driving about 45 MPH and we came up on a small dip in the road. When the back of the truck hit the dip, the bounce unsettled the rear end and nearly caused us to lose control. I am an experienced RV'r and have towed many different trailers and never once experienced the pucker factor that this caused. In my opinion, the weight of the rear of the F150 is not enough to be a stable towing platform for any 5th wheel with a kingpin weight over 800lbs. Stick with at least a 3/4 ton. Happy Trails!

[CWSWine]

My question is can I safely tow a Reflection 303RLS with an F150XL 4x4 Supercab (6' 8" bed) the 3.5 EcoBoost turbo engine; Automatic 10 spd tranny; 3.55 Electronic lock RR axle; 7050# GVWR package and the "Max Trailer Tow" package? We have plenty of prior towing experiance, but i had a F350 I sold 3 years ago and the salesman today (yikes?) tell me this vehicle will handle it. All the Trailer Life numbers say this truck can handle it, (puts me right at the GVWR limit) however my wife and I want to be safe also. Thoughts?

Here is a good tool to determind what size 5er you can tow with your truck.
http://towingplanner.com/Calculators...50&tc=50&ct=FW

[bspracķlin]

I am a big fan of the EcoBoost with the right conditions it's a great set up