Ford F150 EcoBoost pulling 5er?

[troutslayer]

I have a friend that is about to pull the trigger on a used Jayco "Lite" fifth wheel that has a pin weight of 1250#. The specs on his Ford F150 EcoBoost TV say that max payload should be 1500#. He says that he will be putting Timbrens on in order to help carry the load. His GCWR will be at the max, but that's another subject. Right now, I'm concerned about the payload. Anyone out there doing something like this with a Ford F150 EcoBoost? Anyone out there who has done something like this in the past? Opinions?

[Bassdogs]

Time will tell how all the EcoBoost claims will sort out down the road. Ford has invested a lot of capitol in their turbo 6. Early reports have tended to confirm that this engine has plenty of power with the turbo spun to full song. But your friend will be testing the trucks payload limits moreso than the ability to pull the 5er. I thought about a similar issue when our TV was a Silverado 1500. I never tested it with the mid sized V8/towpackage as we upgraded to a 2500 Duramax but my guess would be that your friend will be able to "pull it off" but long tows with full loads will probably raise some issues. Keep us informed.

[javankrona]

I don't believe your friends F150 build configuration should be pulling a 5er. I was initially intrigued by the F150 ecoboost, but to haul a 5er, a very small one, the Ford 'max trailer tow package' would be required; with a 2x4 supercrew, that would have allowed a max payload of 2620 lbs. I was convinced by comments that even with the max tow package, the 350 engine would be over worked.

[mcfarmall]

I'd be more worried about maxing out the payload than whether the 3.5 could handle pulling it or not. Pulling power is there for a small 5er but the weight carrying of the F150 is where the problem lies.

[Rustic Eagle]

Skip,

The 1,250lb pin weight you quoted, is that a "unloaded" (dry) weight or "loaded" scaled weight?

I would have your friend take his F-150 under loaded conditions (full fuel, passengers, cargo) and weigh it at a CAT scale, takes a couple minutes and $9. This way your friend is working with real weights, eliminate the guesswork.

Subtract the CAT scale weight from the GVWR noted on the driver's door, the remaining weight is the "available" payload capacity for the FW loaded pin weight and the hitch.

Bob

[Nighthawk 96]

2x on CAT Scale. Majority of folks on this forum think 1/2 ton trucks are not suitable to pull even "lite" fifth wheels due to lack of payload capacity.

[clutch]

A friend has a Ford eco boost with the max tow package and when he moves his 32' fifth wheel it feels like it is up to the job. I was surprised at how little the trailer settled the rear of the truck and when we pulled out into the hiway I was really impressed with the power. He just uses the truck to pull his trailer from a storage lot to his winter lot but I would be comfortable towing with that combination anywhere. His trailer does not have a bedroom slide.

[RedHorse1]

Originally Posted by Rustic Eagle

Skip,

The 1,250lb pin weight you quoted, is that a "unloaded" (dry) weight or "loaded" scaled weight?

I would have your friend take his F-150 under loaded conditions (full fuel, passengers, cargo) and weigh it at a CAT scale, takes a couple minutes and $9. This way your friend is working with real weights, eliminate the guesswork.

Subtract the CAT scale weight from the GVWR noted on the driver's door, the remaining weight is the "available" payload capacity for the FW loaded pin weight and the hitch.

Bob

What he says!
The 1500# payload is probably for an empty truck. Put people, fuel and a couple of cases of adult bevs and you'd have a few 100# less. The pin weight is probably from the yellow sticker on the TT which is also empty. 5th's have the "basement" storage which will add 1/2 (or so) of its contents weight to the pin.
Yes, the CAT scale is your friend.
In addition to the GVRW/GVW your buddy needs to consider the Rear GAWR - the CAT will tell you how much more weight you can put on the rear axle.

[Seann45]

1250 lb hitch weight on a 1500 lb max.. now add in the weight of passengers and cargo. Your friend is overloaded. He will not be a happy camper driving anywhere with this setup.

[SkyBound]

I have a max tow Eco 4X4 and the payload is about 1700lb and that includes the big 20in wheels and crew cab as well. My best friend's super cab eco 4x4 is just a few pounds under 2000. If you opt for the heavy duty payload package, you gain another 500lb of GVWR.

The empty weight includes a full tank of fuel and 150lb driver, so all your payload is in addition to that.

[troutslayer]

Originally Posted by Rustic Eagle

Skip,

The 1,250lb pin weight you quoted, is that a "unloaded" (dry) weight or "loaded" scaled weight?

Bob

That's unloaded pin weight. It's probably a moot point now, cuz he went ahead and "did the deed". Maybe I'll submit another post in about a year and tell you about what a great combination he has. Either that or, what his new TV is .

[Rustic Eagle]

Skip,

Thanks for the follow-up...., and I hope all works out well for your friend.

Bob

[FoxFanRay]

I have no doubt the EcoBoost will pull it. I will also bet the truck will be over-loaded. When we had the EcoBoost (which I loved), we went on a trip to NY. Pulled into a campground in PA for the night. An hour later, there were 8 EcoBoosts there, 5 of them pulling 5th wheels. A couple of those 5th wheels were quite large (and I mean quite large). All of the owners said they had no problem pulling the 5'ers. Some of them also did not seem to care about weight ratings.

[Jmooney]

Not to pile on, but my 5er has a 1200 lb tongue weight and I added full air bags under my 2500 to level up. I almost wish I was driving a 3500

I'm highly doubting that the 1500 will be safe to drive with that load.

My .02

[Tail_gunner]

I considered the Ecoboost F-150 a couple years ago but decided on a Duramax. I knew a new camper was in the works even though we were not sure which one. The reason I went with the Duramax was the fact it is better having too much power and not needing it, than needing more power and not having it. We ended getting a new Eagle TT 284BHS. Loaded it's over 8K, too much for any half ton truck.

One fact I'd like to point out. When it comes to 5th wheel trailers that are "half ton towable", it is always the camper manufacturer that makes the claim and not the company that made the truck. Just sayin'.

[StarGazer]

I've also got the 284BHS. While I agree with going as big as you can, to say that trailer is too much for ANY half ton is a bit of a stretch. I've towed mine for 3 years with a Chrysler Aspen with zero issues. And that's an SUV. Of course I've never loaded it to full capacity as I see no reason to pull it with 80 gallons of water.

I've only recently upgraded to a Silverado 2500 due to my kids getting older and therefore heavier. This year I went over my weight limits and so the purchase. I've no desire to test any weight limits especially where safety is concerned.

But a half ton would pull the 284BHS easily. You just have to keep an eye on that payload number. Like putting "stuff" in the trailer instead of the vehicle. All about balancing the weight. And knowing the weight with CAT scale verification. Of course it's much less of a concern with a bigger truck though.

Good point about the half ton towable claims being made by the trailer companies and not the vehicle manufacturer though.

[SkyBound]

^Agreed. An 8000lb bumper pull travel trailer is PRIME EcoBoost territory. Power is no issue, again it's the age old story of payload. This is the first thing any half ton purchaser should be looking at.

The whole "Half Ton Towable" statement is pure BS. You can't just say "an EcoBoost can/can't pull that trailer" either because there are way too many variables that change the capability of the truck.

I have seen EcoBoosts with payloads as low as 1100lb due to high trim levels and low gear ratios. Similarly, I have seen other Eco's that have 2400lb payloads. It all depends on the individual truck.

[javankrona]

"One fact I'd like to point out. When it comes to 5th wheel trailers that are "half ton towable", it is always the camper manufacturer that makes the claim and not the company that made the truck. Just sayin'."

About that: the Ford F150 towing capabilities guide lists, "maximum towing capabilities - conventional/fifth wheel towing." So, sometimes it is the auto maker that makes the 'half-ton towable fifth wheel' claim.