About to hit the road with our Imagine 2670MK.. just need to pick a truck.

[eveilleu]

Hi,
For the past few years we've had a TT parked at a campsite near our home, going there pretty much every weekend. It was working great taking my e-golf to the campsite but now we want to move around. So we need to pull that thing. I figure since i can work from home, i can work from anywhere! But i know nothing about trucks aside from knowing i like leather seats, sun roofs, a kick a$$ sound system and cameras all over. We'll use the truck as a tow vehicle for our summer vacations and to explore from time to time. Mostly, it'll be our 2nd car. We're looking at a supercrew cab. Going from my e-golf to a truck is a big change and I'd like to avoid the 2 time TV club .

I'm hesitating between:

F150 Lariat 3.5L EcoBoost
max payload 2155

F150 Lariat 5L V8.
max payload 2135

F250 Lariat with the Godzilla 7.3L V8.
max payload 3320

Towing capacity looks good on all of those. I'm concerned about payload and drive-ability. We'll be just be me, my wife and the dog in there when towing, but covid has not been nice to our waists... the 3 of us are a tad over 400lbs. Add to this a toolbox with basic goodies in there and I understand how it adds up fast. I'm assuming 1000lbs on the hitch.

I'm plugging the numbers on the KYD spreadsheet and it looks like the F150 are ok. But reading about sway here makes me think otherwise. Keeping in mind that the truck won't be pulling anything 90% of the time just confuses me more. For the sake of argument, let's imagine we're in the magical money does not factor in decision land. Is it worth it to go for a 250?


Did i say i was new here? hi!
Eric

ref:
https://www.keepyourdaydream.com/payload/
https://media.ford.com/content/dam/...2021/f150/pdfs/2021-F-150-Technical-Specs.pdf
https://media.ford.com/content/dam/...uper-duty/21-Super-Duty-Pickup-Tech-Specs.pdf

 

[jleonard]

I would do a 250. We just switched from a 1/2 ton truck to a 3/4 (both Rams) cause we ran out of both payload and gross combined weight. We had plenty of power, just not enough truck.
Now we won't run out of truck. We can load what we want and need.
And are more stabile doing it.

 

[eveilleu]

I would do a 250. We just switched from a 1/2 ton truck to a 3/4 (both Rams) cause we ran out of both payload and gross combined weight. We had plenty of power, just not enough truck.
Now we won't run out of truck. We can load what we want and need.
And are more stabile doing it.

Thanks. We'll go for the 250. I've spent a lot of time reading what all you guys are saying and it seems like it just makes more sense.

I'm starting to understand what "just not enough truck." means thanks to mr big truck big rv!

Eric

 

[TangleMan]

For sure the 250. I pulled our 2018 Imagine 2500 RL with a 2018 F150 Platinum 3.5 Eco for three seasons. Despite adding airbags I was never happy with towing experience in windy conditions. Just traded the F150 for a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 High Country with diesel. Now I feel that I have the right truck.

That's my opinion after around 12,000 miles of towing - I'm sure others may differ. You've certainly come to the right forum for opinions - many of us can be wrong - but never in doubt!

 

[eveilleu]

You've certainly come to the right forum for opinions - many of us can be wrong - but never in doubt!

This made my day!

Right. i see 3 buckets of opinions so far.

1. a F150 will be just fine once you add 5k of stuff to it (ProPride hitch, air bags ...), if you know what you're doing.
2. a F250 will be fine out of the box with added benefits.
3. What do you mean sway? That's just how towing is, it's a stressful thing! (they didn't come here.)

Eric

 

[Ynot4me2]

Hi,
For the past few years we've had a TT parked at a campsite near our home, going there pretty much every weekend. It was working great taking my e-golf to the campsite but now we want to move around. So we need to pull that thing. I figure since i can work from home, i can work from anywhere! But i know nothing about trucks aside from knowing i like leather seats, sun roofs, a kick a$$ sound system and cameras all over. We'll use the truck as a tow vehicle for our summer vacations and to explore from time to time. Mostly, it'll be our 2nd car. We're looking at a supercrew cab. Going from my e-golf to a truck is a big change and I'd like to avoid the 2 time TV club .

I'm hesitating between:

F150 Lariat 3.5L EcoBoost
max payload 2155

F150 Lariat 5L V8.
max payload 2135

F250 Lariat with the Godzilla 7.3L V8.
max payload 3320

Towing capacity looks good on all of those. I'm concerned about payload and drive-ability. We'll be just be me, my wife and the dog in there when towing, but covid has not been nice to our waists... the 3 of us are a tad over 400lbs. Add to this a toolbox with basic goodies in there and I understand how it adds up fast. I'm assuming 1000lbs on the hitch.

I'm plugging the numbers on the KYD spreadsheet and it looks like the F150 are ok. But reading about sway here makes me think otherwise. Keeping in mind that the truck won't be pulling anything 90% of the time just confuses me more. For the sake of argument, let's imagine we're in the magical money does not factor in decision land. Is it worth it to go for a 250?


Did i say i was new here? hi!
Eric

ref:
https://www.keepyourdaydream.com/payload/
https://media.ford.com/content/dam/...2021/f150/pdfs/2021-F-150-Technical-Specs.pdf
https://media.ford.com/content/dam/...uper-duty/21-Super-Duty-Pickup-Tech-Specs.pdf

Careful with your source for payload numbers. You really need to read the fine print on those brochures. If you go to a dealer and look at the door stickers, you'll get a more realistic number. F150 Lariat do not have a payload over 2000. More around the 1500. This should make your decision even easier now. The same will apply to the f250 though.

Sent from my SM-P610 using Tapatalk

 

[RV Sailor]

We tow our 2021 2500RL with a Ram 6.4 250 Longhorn payload capacity 3300.....never worry how much is in it.
The more options = less payroll capacity

 

[eveilleu]

Careful with your source for payload numbers. You really need to read the fine print on those brochures. If you go to a dealer and look at the door stickers, you'll get a more realistic number. F150 Lariat do not have a payload over 2000. More around the 1500. This should make your decision even easier now. The same will apply to the f250 though.

Sent from my SM-P610 using Tapatalk

This will make you smile. I actually asked sales reps from dealers to send me pics of the stickers on F150/F250 lariat and that seems like a really hard task. None have done it so far. So we'll go see those stickers ourselves next week.
Eric

 

[eveilleu]

We tow our 2021 2500RL with a Ram 6.4 250 Longhorn payload capacity 3300.....never worry how much is in it.
The more options = less payroll capacity

Right. my head understands this. But i don't know how much LESS actually is. But we're going for a 250. I work a lot in my head during the week, week ends I'd like to be somewhat carefree!

Eric (Yes, i work in IT hehe)

 

[That 1 Ron]

I would go with the f250.

 

[RV Sailor]

Right. my head understands this. But i don't know how much LESS actually is. But we're going for a 250. I work a lot in my head during the week, week ends I'd like to be somewhat carefree!

Eric (Yes, i work in IT hehe)

My point being you don’t have to worry about the options you like on the 250 as it’s payload capacity even with them is more than enough. We have all the options in our 250 Ram also except the diesel. That extra $9k for the diesel wasn’t worth it or necessary with the 6.4 Hemi, besides it has a turbo with a life expectancy of 100-150k. AND it weighs 500 lbs more than 6.4 Hemi

 

[sande005]

Although I tow one with an F-150, and have no complaints, don't make the assumption that a bigger truck will prevent sway. It will not.

Sway is ONLY due to not enough weight on the tongue! And some 2670MK's can be pretty light there (can't say all, as haven't taken a survey. But mine certainly was....)
You really want it to come in at at least 12.5% of the overall weight of the trailer. As a starting place, with the trailer moderately loaded for camping, dry, aim for 900 lbs. or over. That you can check even if you don't have a truck to get it to a scale. Get a tongue weight scale from Amazon, or google how to use a bathroom scale with pipes and boards. If you are above that, great. If not, start figuring out how to get it there. Move things around, get heavy stuff to put as far up front as you can (more batteries?, a tongue mount bike rack?). For mine, it just couldn't be done. Hence the ProPride. And that would be the case no matter what truck I had.

A bigger, maybe longer, truck likely will help with many other towing issues - truck suck, ride quality, etc.

 

[Heavy Half Ton]

It seems no two pickups in the same line are the same. If you do go 150, I would say heavy duty payload package, which can only be ordered or else found by divine miracle. That gives you a crewcab with 6.5 box and about 2500 lb payload. Even better the super cab with 3” longer wb, 8 ft box, and 2700 lb payload.

 

[Fl2GaScotts]

This will make you smile. I actually asked sales reps from dealers to send me pics of the stickers on F150/F250 lariat and that seems like a really hard task. None have done it so far. So we'll go see those stickers ourselves next week.
Eric

Every time I start truck shopping and getting serious I ask for pics of that sticker. If I get it, it's usually the gvwr/fawr/rawr sticker.... Then explain all over again WHICH sticker I want to see.

 

[geotex1]

Here's my twist since you said imagine money is not a constraint...

Just step up to a 350/3500 as there's marginal price difference but most often a considerable leap in payload and this will be a pleasure driver/2nd vehicle. Why do I say this? Because it is a statistical fact that ownership of the tow vehicle outlasts ownership of the camper. With the 1-ton, you'll will have many more options when you shop your next camper upgrade, and you won't be cart-then-horse like this time around.

 

[eveilleu]

Here's my twist since you said imagine money is not a constraint...

Just step up to a 350/3500 as there's marginal price difference but most often a considerable leap in payload and this will be a pleasure driver/2nd vehicle. Why do I say this? Because it is a statistical fact that ownership of the tow vehicle outlasts ownership of the camper. With the 1-ton, you'll will have many more options when you shop your next camper upgrade, and you won't be cart-then-horse like this time around.

HAHAHA!

10 years ago i started to play bass. i had a small yamaha bass. I joined a forum, learned a lot and flipped the yamaha for a fender and grabbed a few basic effects. 2 years after i somehow ended up with a custom Dingwall 5 String bass and a pedal board filled with boutique effects that i never use.

This to say that it is also a statistical fact that forums are evil

 

[eveilleu]

It seems no two pickups in the same line are the same. If you do go 150, I would say heavy duty payload package, which can only be ordered or else found by divine miracle. That gives you a crewcab with 6.5 box and about 2500 lb payload. Even better the super cab with 3” longer wb, 8 ft box, and 2700 lb payload.

You're hitting the next thing I'm wondering about. long bed or short bed and why does it make a difference? It's just 1.5 foot. I don't want to go with a long bed. I'd actually take the crewcab if it came with a sunroof...
Eric

 

[NB Canada]

You're hitting the next thing I'm wondering about. long bed or short bed and why does it make a difference? It's just 1.5 foot. I don't want to go with a long bed. I'd actually take the crewcab if it came with a sunroof...
Eric

You realize a sunroof is a big payload killer. They add a lot of weight.
I never understood the want for a sunroof


2021 Imagine 2400 BH
2018 GMC Sierra 4x4 crew

 

[geotex1]

HAHAHA!

10 years ago i started to play bass. i had a small yamaha bass. I joined a forum, learned a lot and flipped the yamaha for a fender and grabbed a few basic effects. 2 years after i somehow ended up with a custom Dingwall 5 String bass and a pedal board filled with boutique effects that i never use.

This to say that it is also a statistical fact that forums are evil

Lol. Forums can certainly be, but I do speak from experience given the number of campers (and trailers overall) owned versus tow vehicles. I'm also a two RAM guy with a half-ton daily driver and the one-ton dually workhorse.

 

[eveilleu]

You realize a sunroof is a big payload killer. They add a lot of weight.
I never understood the want for a sunroof

It's like fuzz on a bass. It's not a rational thing, but i love it