I hate to ask another can I tow this question

[FoCat1911]

Hello everyone, first post here.

I'm trying not to ask the same question that a lot of other new TT buyers post.

I have a 2015 F150 Ext cab w/the 3.5 Eco. The Tow Rating is 10,700#. I do understand the calculations that will affect this number. I am not so much concerned about the weight as I am the length.

I was wondering about some real world experience with a similar vehicle and TT lengths.

For example: the Flight 265RLSW is 27'7"; how does a 1/2 ton handle a TT >27'? The GVWR is 7500#, which is the max that I would consider.

The Feather 23RLSW GVWR is 5995# and 27'3".

With proper WD and Sway , is a TT >27' feasible?

Thanks for your help.

[WVDusty]

What wheelbase is your truck? The longer wheelbase trucks handle a longer trailer best. But with that said I think with a quality WDH with integrated sway control you should be fine.

[cgbrooks]

Prior to my current FW, I towed a 31' Passport Ultra Lite about 8000# with a 2013 F150 Crew with the 3.5 Eco. I towed in all kinds of conditions, highways, mountains, etc with no issues. Get a good WD and sway control, you will be fine.

[need-a-vacation]

A good, "middle of the road" pricewise wdh (weight distribution hitch) with integrated sway control should work pending what wheelbase truck you have as mentioned.

Reese Dual Cam, Reese SC, and Equal-I-Zer 4 way systems are a few of the good integrated systems.

Even though your truck is rated for 10k+ lbs towing, the short fall of ALL 150/1500 trucks is the available payload. Look in your drivers door jamb for a yellow sticker, "Passengers and cargo not to exceed XXXXlbs". That is the available payload for YOUR truck. Any accessories added after it left the factory must be included in this amount, as well as all passengers, coolers, bikes, firewood, wdh, AND the trailer tongue weight.

For a safe and stable tow, regardless of what hitch system you have, you should have between 12-15% tongue weight (based on the loaded trailer weight). So a 7k lb (loaded) trailer could have 840-1050lbs of tw. So take this into account. Some will suggest using 13% of the gvwr of the tt (travel trailer) to estimate the loaded tw. Manufactures will list the DRY tw of a trailer, but that doesn't even include the propane tanks or battery on the tw, which is ~120lbs (2-20lb tanks & battery) or ~160lbs (2-30lb tanks & battery).

Also verify your trucks receiver hitch for the max trailer tw.

[ALJO]

Under 30 ft TT you will be fine. Ride the TT level and weight properly distributed in the unit. Try to get the ball as close to your TV axle. Drill another 5/8 hole in the drawbar.
It causes less sway. How farther away from your axle how bigger the chance at sway. Have a proper WDH with dual sway control. Keep the speed around 60 mph. Higher speeds make sway harder to control. My 2c...........

[eldermike]

I towed a 30ft TT with 2011 F150 with an Equalizer hitch for about 1 season. Sway under normal wind conditions was a total non issue with my setup. Power was also a non issue. However, with all the light weight rigs I have pulled wind is the limiting factor. In high wind conditions you just have to slow way down. But you should be fine once you get a feel for how the conditions affect your control of the rig.

[FoCat1911]

Thanks for all of the replies.

Dusty, my truck is 145", I should have put that in my original post.

Towing a long lightweight TT is what has me worried.

It's just the wife and I, so we don't need a large TT, just one with enough room to move around a little.

The two TT's that I listed would be the largest that I would consider.

From your responses, it looks like I'll be fine if I take it slow and watch out for high winds.

Thanks again for your help.

[Nighthawk 96]

My truck has has about the same towing capacity as yours and a similar wheelbase.
The Gross Combined weight rating is #16000. My trailer has a GVWR of #7500. Loaded it is (by the CAT Scale) #6800 with about #900 on the hitch.

I like the 80% rule that says to keep your total combined weight at no more than 80% of you GCWR.

Need-a-vacation has accurately outlined the items you need to be concerned about.

My trailer pulls just fine and sway free at a total length of 31 feet. Sway can be caused by several conditions but not having enough weight on the tongue is a big one.

With a proper hitch and loading you should be just fine with a #7500 trailer.
As has been said, the weakest link of a 1/2 ton pu is payload.

Welcome to the JOF!