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  1. #1
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    F150 with eco boost towing fifth wheel

    Hi I’m looking to buy a 26-28 ft reflection 150rd or similar.I will also need to get a new truck .I’m looking at 2019-2020 f150s with ecoboost3.5 .does anyone have experience with this combo? Also is 5th wheel length measured from end to end?
    Last edited by Tommyg; 09-18-2022 at 11:43 AM.

  2. #2
    Site Team WhittleBurner's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tommyg View Post
    Hi I’m looking to buy a 26-28 ft reflection 150rd or similar.I will also need to get a new truck .I’m looking at 2019-2020 f150s with ecoboost3.5 .does anyone have experience with this combo? Also is 5th wheel length measured from end to end?
    Cate&Rob have or had F150 ecoboost HDPP and tow a reflection 303 with it. It is hard to find the HDPP most dealers don't even know what it is. It has 8 lug wheels instead of 6 with better tires better frame I believe. Heavier front end parts and much better towing capacity including payload.
    Marcy & Gary
    2014 Grand Design - Reflection 303RLS
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  3. #3
    Site Sponsor sande005's Avatar
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    Did a similar sized fifth with the truck in my signature for many years. One MUST order the truck with the Heavy Duty Payload Package. Not just Max Towing (which is part of the HDPP package). Virtually impossible to find one used for sale, extremely rare.
    Otherwise it needs to also be as bare bones as you can stand, to allocate capacity toward the pin weight of the 5th, and not creature comforts in the truck. Yeah, I wasted payload by getting 4WD...but it IS Minnesota.....
    All 1/2 ton trucks are rated well over that needed to pull it. None, except the F-150 with the HDPP, can carry the weight in the bed.
    If you get one, it will work very well.

    Why do I now have a conventional trailer? My truck was before the alum body, and when I had to replace the 5th, all brands had gone up in weight, putting me under capacity even with the HDPP. The newer alum. ones fixed that issue, but a new truck wasn't in the cards for me....
    2017 Imagine 2670MK
    2012 F-150 SCrew, Eco, 4x4 6.5 box
    Max. Tow, HD Payload, Airbags, ProPride hitch
    (Previous: Jayco 26.5RLS Fifth, Revolution Pinbox)

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    As you consider fifth wheels, pay no attention to advertised empty trailer and pin weights. Use only the GVWR of the fifth wheel and calculate 20% of that for the 150 Series or 23% for everything else as a loaded pin weight. The truck, with passengers and hitch, needs to have enough leftover payload to handle the fully-loaded pin weight of any fifth wheel you consider. As mentioned above, the F150s with the HDPP are a rare diamond... any other 1/2-ton is not going to be up to the job IMO.

    Rob
    Last edited by Second Chance; 09-18-2022 at 07:46 PM.
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  5. #5
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    Without the HDPP, you're going to have somewhere around 1700-1800lbs of payload in a crewcab 4x4 F-150. Maybe a little more if you don't need 4 wheel drive. Maybe a little more if you can go with an extended cab instead too.

    Even with HDPP, you're going to be very limited in your options with a 5th wheel. Using Rob's conservative planning gouge, you're going to be really tight on most of the reflection 150 series.

    I tow a Minilite 2509 with mine, and was considering an Imagine 2400BH. I have 1750 payload and with my camper having 850lbs of tongue weight I'd be looking for another truck as my kids get bigger, but I'm planning on getting a 1 ton and moving up to a toy hauler. I'm really going to miss my eco boost and the 20mpg it gets running around empty, but I don't drive to work every day, and we use our explorer when we go anywhere as a family and aren't towing.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Tommyg View Post
    Hi I’m looking to buy a 26-28 ft reflection 150rd or similar.I will also need to get a new truck .I’m looking at 2019-2020 f150s with ecoboost3.5 .does anyone have experience with this combo? Also is 5th wheel length measured from end to end?
    Look at gas F250s. There is probably only one or two ‘19/‘20 F150s with the HDPP for sale in the entire country, and you better believe they’ll cost as much as the gas 250. That’s what is required to really pull one of these fifth wheels, **not the ‘max tow’ ecoboost 3.5s you see everywhere.

    IF you were to get the unicorn HDPP truck with that motor, it’s a nice setup. The motor has plenty of power when the rest of the truck can carry the weight.

    On travel trailers, calculate 10-15% of the GVWR (not the dry weight) to get load on truck. 12% is a good start.

    On fifth wheels, calculate 15-25% of the GVWR (not the dry weight) to get load on truck. 20% is a decent start. You quickly see why typical half ton 1800# (or less) payload isn’t enough, especially with people and their stuff also in the truck. At just 9995 GVWR, that’s 2000# on the truck.

    You’re in a great situation since you haven’t purchased the truck yet to just change the truck you are looking for and still get / be happy with the trailer you want.

  7. #7
    Site Sponsor sande005's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Stealth13777 View Post
    Look at gas F250s. There is probably only one or two ‘19/‘20 F150s with the HDPP for sale in the entire country, and you better believe they’ll cost as much as the gas 250. That’s what is required to really pull one of these fifth wheels, **not the ‘max tow’ ecoboost 3.5s you see everywhere.

    IF you were to get the unicorn HDPP truck with that motor, it’s a nice setup. The motor has plenty of power when the rest of the truck can carry the weight.

    On travel trailers, calculate 10-15% of the GVWR (not the dry weight) to get load on truck. 12% is a good start.

    On fifth wheels, calculate 15-25% of the GVWR (not the dry weight) to get load on truck. 20% is a decent start. You quickly see why typical half ton 1800# (or less) payload isn’t enough, especially with people and their stuff also in the truck. At just 9995 GVWR, that’s 2000# on the truck.

    You’re in a great situation since you haven’t purchased the truck yet to just change the truck you are looking for and still get / be happy with the trailer you want.
    Good advice - constantly check door stickers of any vehicle you are looking at. There are an awful lot of 250's and similar other brands out there that won't make the weight either. Ones that will are not near as rare as the 150 HDPP, though. But you may feel like you've had to kiss a lot of frogs....
    2017 Imagine 2670MK
    2012 F-150 SCrew, Eco, 4x4 6.5 box
    Max. Tow, HD Payload, Airbags, ProPride hitch
    (Previous: Jayco 26.5RLS Fifth, Revolution Pinbox)

  8. #8
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    The HDPP F150 is built on a heavier frame and has a F250 rear end in it (along with a host of other upgrades.)
    2019 F-250 Supercab
    2017 Imagine 2650RK

  9. #9
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    I assume you mean the Reflection 150 Model 260RD?

    Length in the model number (26 in 260RD, 27 in 278BH) is usually roughly equivalent to the length of the indoor living space, but it’s really just a number. To get the overall outside length from back wall to front of the hitch/cap check the Grand Design website. A 260RD has an actual outside length of 29’9”.

    You’ll get a lot of comments about payload.

    That being said, a lot of people tow these successfully with F-150s and have been for a long time. My F-150 is a bit unique in that’s it’s a SuperCab with over 2000 pounds payload. I’m right around max payload with my 278BH loaded for travel with a family of 4. Others do it with less payload than I have. If you’re on Facebook you can try the Half Ton 5erHaulers group for input.
    Last edited by Easycamper; 09-19-2022 at 10:40 AM.
    2022 Reflection 150 278BH
    2023 Silverado 2500HD Gas
    “If you like how it tows, don’t change anything.”

  10. #10
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    Want to thank everyone who took the time to input - helps me in my decision (not yet made!)

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