F150 Stability vs 3/4 Ton - Page 2

WVCamper · 07-02-2014, 06:27 PM

You could find a used hitch on craigslist with both weight distribution & sway control like the equal-i-zer brand, if that doesn't fix your problem, at least you'll have a hitch for your next set-up.
In terms of trucks, I can't speak for the 1/2 ton, but a 3/4 or 1 ton diesel will fix your problems for the foreseeable future. The used diesel market is rough right now, high dollar for used. My formula has served me well over the past 15 years
1. I always buy used, 2-3 years old.
2. 40-60,000 miles on the odometer
3. I try to buy the best one I can afford, all the bells & whistles my bank account will allow.
4. I trade off every 3-4 years or by 100,000 miles. (Diesel engine warranty expires 5 years 100,000 miles).
5. Always Keep it well maintained and clean.

Traded an 09 3500 Chevy in March for the 12 Chevy 3500 I have now, 3 years and 48,000 miles, I lost $3,500 from what I paid and what they gave me for trade. I did put tires on it, but that's it, with the exception of fuel and oil.... less than $100 per month.
The last 3 that I have traded off have all been similar in terms of value left after 3-4 years and typically 50,000 miles.
A diesel is a large initial investment, but they do hold their value very well.

Good luck with whatever you choose!

DJL1967 · 07-02-2014, 06:29 PM

I had a Draw tite hitch that was part of my trailer deal from the dealership. I went on one short trip a couple weeks ago and could not believe the amount of sway I was getting. White knuckles were an understatement! Went right back to the dealer and switched out to a Centerline hitch and what a difference it has made. As someone else stated it is very heavy but also very well built. A 1 hour drive home this past weekend in 40 mph cross winds were a breeze. Very little if any sway. Like night and day.

**Crabman** · 07-02-2014, 07:00 PM

My comparison of 1500/2500 thread may be of interest.

http://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=11464

Subaru297 · 07-03-2014, 09:17 AM

Yes I read through that one yesterday. Good info. Thanks

The problem with a new hitch is that it will put me over my rear axle rating. One of the appeals of the Anderson is its light weight. So will LT tires actually. I have a set of 10 ply winters and they add about 100lbs of weight. I have been curious about trying to tow with them to see if it makes a difference but I keep saying why bother I will still be payload limited and have to watch what I pack and leave toys at home all the time. I would rather spend a bit (lot!) more money now to not have to worry about that. Soon we will be adding bikes for the kids in the box. Maybe dirtbikes in a couple years. Add one or two of the kids friends....

I am pretty sure we will be happy with the 3/4 ton. There is no amount of money that will add payload capacity to our current F150.

I need to convince my wife that a used diesel is the right choice but she is pretty set on getting a new truck. Our trade plus ~15k can get us a new gasser but it would take about 25k additional to get a new diesel. Plus if I get a diesel I would want a 1 ton so I still have 3000+lbs of payload. A 3/4 ton gasser has over 3000lbs. 3150 according to the 2015 specs. The diesel drops that to 2500lbs.

Is the ride much different between a 1 ton and a 3/4 ton? I know other than suspension components they are essentially identical.

UPCamper · 07-03-2014, 10:19 AM

Traded a gasser 2009 F250 for a 2013 diesel F350. Rides about the same. Not too many advantages to a 1 ton over a 3/4 unless you get dual rear wheels. We only got the 1 ton because they had it on there lot and liked it. There are some advantages to a new diesel vs used. I'll give you more on my perspective later when I get home and in front of a computer to type it out.

Greenman · 07-03-2014, 12:40 PM

Just went through the 1/2 ton vs 3/4 ton decision and opted for the 3/4 ton. Sure the 3/4 ton burns a bit more fuel overall, but the peace of mind makes it worth it. The 1/2 ton may have been "adequate" for towing but the 3/4 ton is "comfortable".

Heady · 07-03-2014, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcfarmall

Put a set of stiff sidewall LT tires on the F150, pump 'em up tight and call it good.

Agreed, I pumped up my P tires on my F150 to the sidewall PSI and it made a BIG difference, saving up for some LT tires.

Camper_bob · 07-03-2014, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heady

Agreed, I pumped up my P tires on my F150 to the sidewall PSI and it made a BIG difference, saving up for some LT tires.

+1, I'm saving up for my own set of LTs

gtsum2 · 07-03-2014, 11:07 PM

I went from a 1/2 ton hemi to a 1 ton srw cummins...I can't imagine ever going back to a gasser or a half ton. The cummins just pulls. No downshifting, nor revving...just seamless power. Yeah it cost 8k more, but I love it and have zero regrets

mets721 · 07-04-2014, 06:26 AM

We just upgraded from an F150 FX4 Crew cab with the heavy duty tow package to a F250 Super Duty 6.2l Gas. I haven't towed our Whitehawk 33BHBS far with it yet, but in the short distance I have there was a huge difference. I was really stubborn about moving to the F250 but in the end I thought about my family's safety and those on the road around me. I thought the F150 pulled it pretty well and I did not feel a lot of sway One of my buddies, who drives tractor trailers for a living, convinced me by telling me that when I start getting into some steep hills etc, my brakes will fade and I will lose stopping power. It's just not worth it. Every time I towed the trailer with the F150 I had to be conservative with packing because of the weight and it was always in the back of my mind "am I doing the right thing?". Do yourself a favor and upgrade. You'll be glad you did, it's a big load off of your mind.

TeamFoxy · 07-04-2014, 07:44 AM

The most important thing is to match the TV to the TT. We have a 25Z which is 6000 GVW. We have the 8 cylinder engine on our F-150 and our tow rating is 9000 lb. We have air bags on the rear axle and an EZ lift WDH with a sway bar. Even when we go through the mountains, there is plenty of power and we can accelerate up hill even on 7% grades.

The 25Z has torsion bar suspension and is a good 6-8 inches lower than TT's with leaf springs. I think that has a lot to do with the stability along with being careful to keep the hitch weight close to the max through careful loading. (I added the air bags so we could easily do that without heavily loading up the WDH.) While I do not suggest leaving off the sway bar, I have forgotten to put it on several times and its hard to feel the difference except in higher cross winds.

At 28 feet overall, we are already close to the max size for many state parks. We have also been able to squeeze into campgrounds when larger rigs are being turned away. There is never going to be more than the two of us, so there is no reason to jump on the bigger is better bandwagon.

gtsum2 · 07-04-2014, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TeamFoxy

The most important thing is to match the TV to the TT. We have a 25Z which is 6000 GVW. We have the 8 cylinder engine on our F-150 and our tow rating is 9000 lb. We have air bags on the rear axle and an EZ lift WDH with a sway bar. Even when we go through the mountains, there is plenty of power and we can accelerate up hill even on 7% grades.

The 25Z has torsion bar suspension and is a good 6-8 inches lower than TT's with leaf springs. I think that has a lot to do with the stability along with being careful to keep the hitch weight close to the max through careful loading. (I added the air bags so we could easily do that without heavily loading up the WDH.) While I do not suggest leaving off the sway bar, I have forgotten to put it on several times and its hard to feel the difference except in higher cross winds.

At 28 feet overall, we are already close to the max size for many state parks. We have also been able to squeeze into campgrounds when larger rigs are being turned away. There is never going to be more than the two of us, so there is no reason to jump on the bigger is better bandwagon.

How do air bags help with "loading of the wdh"?

Subaru297 · 07-07-2014, 08:48 AM

We test drove a F250 XLT and a Ram 2500 this weekend and ended up putting a down payment on the Ford.

The F250 was the same trim as the one we want to buy but it was a diesel. The door sticker payload number for this truck was down to 2000lbs! I was very surprised at how much the diesel knocks off payload. Base model payload for 4x4 crew, short box should be around 3150lbs.

We are getting the gasser as long as payload is north of 2700lbs or so. If not we might look at other options....F350 maybe.

Never looked at the Chevy even though I think they are the most attractive of the 3 and they are the lowest which is nice for loading kids. They need to update that 6.0 litre motor though. If we wanted a diesel I would have a look though.

Cheers

Thanks for all the input.

Seann45 · 07-08-2014, 05:53 AM

First thing I would look at is the tongue weight of the trailer.. it should be 10-15% of the total weight of the RV. Are the weight bars tightened enough?

Subaru297 · 07-14-2014, 09:16 AM

We got the Ford F250 on Wednesday night and hooked it up to the trailer on Thursday morning with just under 300kms on the new truck. I wasn't terribly comfortable towing without the recommended break-in but oh well.....

The truck towed well. Certainly better than the F150 did and we have payload to spare! No more weight or packing policing for me. The truck has 2727lbs listed payload on the door. So we should be around 2400lbs real payload after Line-X, undercoat, tonneau cover, floor mats, car seats.......and on, and on...

I am still undecided on our hitch though. I knew the Anderson could be an experiment when I bought it. I would really like to try a 4 pt Equalizer to compare the Anderson to.

Cheers

Mikeos · 07-14-2014, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Subaru297

We got the Ford F250 on Wednesday night and hooked it up to the trailer on Thursday morning with just under 300kms on the new truck. I wasn't terribly comfortable towing without the recommended break-in but oh well.....

The truck towed well. Certainly better than the F150 did and we have payload to spare! No more weight or packing policing for me. The truck has 2727lbs listed payload on the door. So we should be around 2400lbs real payload after Line-X, undercoat, tonneau cover, floor mats, car seats.......and on, and on...

I am still undecided on our hitch though. I knew the Anderson could be an experiment when I bought it. I would really like to try a 4 pt Equalizer to compare the Anderson to.

Cheers

You may want to look at a Pro Pride P3 hitch. It is more money but well worth it.
Great customer service and a very good hitch that does what it says it will do.
No guessing
I put on the cruise @63 mph. and drive in all conditions one handed ,drinking coffee and my tunes turned up

Subaru297 · 08-15-2014, 08:58 PM

After a couple trips with the Anderson hitch I was not happy with the weight distribution part of the hitch so we purchased a Blue Ox Sway Pro with 1000lbs bars.

All in all it is a better hitch than the Anderson but the anti sway part isn't any better. Still gets pushed around by the wind and trucks passing. Weight transfer is good. Blue ox is way easier to hook up but the hitch head is heavy. The ride is much nicer...smoother than the Anderson but I can't say the trailer is any more stable. Maybe one day I will pony up for one of the higher end hitches, ProPride, Hennesy, but for now I am happy.

Cheers

SouthCo · 08-16-2014, 07:02 AM

Glad u got it sorted out but surprised to hear that u get pushed around by trucks and wind. I've got the same blu ox hitch and 264 trailer. I tow with a 2500 gmc duramax and have no issues with trucks pushing me around ( have yet to tow in heavy winds). I have towed 4 times with this setup with each including time on interstates 495 or 895. So I have either passed or been passed by a lot of semis and dump trucks and have not been affected by their presence.

gtsum2 · 08-16-2014, 07:19 AM

Either get a pro pride hitch or a heavier truck and you will see a big difference. After having a half ton and now a one ton diesel srw there is just no comparison whatsoever.

5thGenTexan · 08-16-2014, 11:22 AM

I am one that bought my truck for more than I will ever need. Although we have not made a trip yet due to other things getting in the way, we will go. I special ordered my F150 Ecoboost, 3:73 rear, Max Tow, HD pkg. My yellow sticker shows 2235 cargo.

My first trip to Colorado from Texas was in 1976 when I was two, my second trip in 1974 and many many trips after that. It is with that experience that I know I never want anything over 25 feet, and that might be pushing it. Its no so much the passes that must pulled, but the National Forest Campgrounds where its difficult to get the larger trailers parked.

I am not sure if any of the trailers I have been shopping lately have a GVWR over 5,000 pounds and that is 5,000 below my max for the truck.

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