colleentroy wrote: I have a ford f-150 2006 fx4 with 3:73 gears and want to get a travel trailer.I looked at the flagstaff 31flss and the savoy 32fkd does any one have any suggestions for me new to camping.
There's a lot of stories here about burning up rear ends and no power. Many mention dry weights but no one mentions certified weights or if they actually weighed cargo before adding.
I just bought a new truck, a 2008 Sport Trac 4.6L 4WD. A lot went into my decision, payload, 4WD system, hitch weight rating, tow rating, back seat room, and bed features. While I don't have a long bed by sure, it sure has a lot of nice cargo tie down features and built in bed compartment storage areas. For my V8 4WD model, it offered the best payload with the best towing, while offering really good mileage that's bettered my previous V6 trucks.
What I've seen from a lot of coworkers, friends and family is that no one knows how to define what ratings mean. Many think if it says that it can tow 9300 lbs, it'll tow that no matter what. No one considers the actual tow rating, not the fantasy tow rating. The actual tow rating is the GCWR.
All that I know never even consider their truck payload when towing and had to educate a few. Even then, they didn't care and bought an oversize camper.
A new 2008 F150 with Crew Cab, 4WD, 5.4L, and 5.5' bed has a total payload of 1660 lbs (1630 for the 6.5' bed). This model with 5.4L has a 7200 lbs GVWR.
Now the model I was looking at was the F150 5.4L 4WD XLT 6.5' bed. By the time I added 100 lbs side steps, 120 lbs bed cover, 20 lbs bed liner, and a 40 lbs hitch receiver, I lost 280 lbs right there. That's not even adding power seat and other interior options.
My truck has a hard locking bed cover, side steps, rear power window, power seat, tow package, and has a sticker rating payload at 1218 lbs. A similar F150 was about 100 lbs more in payload.
That's not a lot of payload but that's what we're stuck with on 1/2 ton trucks. A 3/4 ton truck will cost MUCH more, eat a lot more fuel, and cost more maintanence wise than a 1/2 ton.
There's so many I know that refuse to go to a 3/4 ton truck because of the expense even when their 1/2 ton trucks don't cut it.
I know many that overload their 1/2 ton trucks way over their GVWR, then expect to pull their large TTs that are loaded to their high GVWRs or even over.
A friend of mine just bought an extend cab GM 1500 with the taller gears and only has a 7500 lbs tow rating with his 5.3L. It would be 8500 with the shorter rear end gears. However, he bought a 30' trailer that has a guestimated 6300 lbs dry weight. After all he put in it, it's at least 7800 lbs with the fresh water tank and propane tanks filled. With a 13% tongue weight factored into that, it has a 1014 lbs tongue weight that takes directly off his extended cabs 1730 lbs of payload, leaving 716 lbs. Him and his wife are big people that are easily 500 lbs. That leaves him with 216 lbs of payload. Oh yeah, that's not even with his side steps (100 lbs), receiver hitch (40 lbs), bedliner (20 lbs), or even his soft tonneau (~30 lbs). So subtract his addional added item weight of 190 lbs and he has a whopping 26 lbs of cargo for interior options and his firewood.
A F150 extended cab with 6.5' bed has 30 lbs more payload at 1660 lbs than my friends GM.
So if it was a F150, he'd have 56 lbs for interior options and firewood.
If you have a crew cab, you'll likely have 2 additional people and their stuff, plus the truck's payload will be lower due to the increased crew cab size. Less payload.
Overloading your actual truck will ruin brakes, break springs, break axles, and put stress on the differential gears.
I believe if the trucks aren't overloaded, the problems wouldn't be problems. My sister overloaded and over pulled with their F350, they went through transmissions and rear differentials like crazy.
Figure out what you'll be carrying in your F150 and take that away from your cargo, then see what's left for tongue weight. A good rule of thumb is tongue weight is 13% but can go as high as 15%.
Myself, I don't want to go over 5300 lbs fully loaded on a TT with my truck even though I have a 7000 lbs tow rating.
Good luck and have a good one.
* This post was
edited 06/10/08 12:19pm by Mike Up *
We had the same situation with our Nissan Titan. The best advice I can give is to either look at a smaller TT or a bigger TV.
Hek, I had an XE Crew Cab Off Road (shorter towing gears) 4WD Titan. All I pulled with it was my first Rockwood Pop Up. I went through 3 sets of brakes because they were designed incorrectly and had a TSB. Also, Nissan had tons of problems with improperly made rear differentials. I also had mine going out. My PUP was a light weight 12' box model that was lucky if it was pushing 2600 lbs. I had to rid myself of the Titan. It was breaking every weak and was to unreliable to trust on a trip.
The Titans had numerous drivetrain problems and is why I believe, Nissan has killed the truck after 2010. No more Titans. However Dodge will build a fullsize truck for Nissan for the 2011 year that will be badged a Nissan. The fullsize Nissan Armada though will still be made by Nissan in 2011.
We had the same situation with our Nissan Titan. The best advice I can give is to either look at a smaller TT or a bigger TV.
Hek, I had an XE Crew Cab Off Road (shorter towing gears) 4WD Titan. All I pulled with it was my first Rockwood Pop Up. I went through 3 sets of brakes because they were designed incorrectly and had a TSB. Also, Nissan had tons of problems with improperly made rear differentials. I also had mine going out. My PUP was a light weight 12' box model that was lucky if it was pushing 2600 lbs. I had to rid myself of the Titan. It was breaking every weak and was to unreliable to trust on a trip.
The Titans had numerous drive train problems and is why I believe, Nissan has killed the truck after 2010. No more Titans. However Dodge will build a fullsize truck for Nissan for the 2011 year that will be badged a Nissan. The fullsize Nissan Armada though will still be made by Nissan in 2011.
Have a good one.
We have all heard your sad Titan story ....over and over and over..again and again. I am sure there were some defective trucks made, but at the same time I have a 04 Armada that shares the same drive line, brakes and third member and I have towed a 7.5K toy box and a 14' utility trailer with absolutely ZERO problems for 4 years now. The only complaint I have is the junky OEM Conti tires. I had a deposit on a 300Hp Expedition W/tow package in 2004, went out and test drove a Armada on a lark just to say I had checked all mid/suvs out. I was blown away and immediately returned to the Ford dealer and got a refund as there was absolutely no comparison between the 300hp 5.4L Ford and the 305hp 5.6 Nissan. The Nissan engine felt like it was a big block by comparison, it would easily out perform the Ford, not even close, WAAAAAY more than 5 hp differance. I too have sad stories of my work 05 F150 loosing a steering box and needing front brakes at the 12k mile mark and it has done absolutly no towing, all manufactures produce lemons.
cillyone wrote: We have all heard your sad Titan story ....over and over and over..again and again. I am sure there were some defective trucks made, but at the same time I have a 04 Armada that shares the same drive line, brakes and third member and I have towed a 7.5K toy box and a 14' utility trailer with absolutely ZERO problems for 4 years now. The only complaint I have is the junky OEM Conti tires. I had a deposit on a 300Hp Expedition W/tow package in 2004, went out and test drove a Armada on a lark just to say I had checked all mid/suvs out. I was blown away and immediately returned to the Ford dealer and got a refund as there was absolutely no comparison between the 300hp 5.4L Ford and the 305hp 5.6 Nissan. The Nissan engine felt like it was a big block by comparison, it would easily out perform the Ford, not even close, WAAAAAY more than 5 hp differance. I too have sad stories of my work 05 F150 loosing a steering box and needing front brakes at the 12k mile mark and it has done absolutly no towing, all manufactures produce lemons.
The drivetrain problems were not a few, but many. Don't let loyalty prevent you from seeing the big picture.
On the contrary, unlike yourself I have no loyalty to any manufacturer whatsoever. I am only loyal to myself and my family, I will buy the best value my hard earned cash will get no matter who makes it. I do not rule-out (or bash) or favor anybody by their name, just by their product. BTW the third members (ring&pinon not housings) in the Titan and the Armada are of Dana origin, you know... the same manufacturer that put axles under "American" made trucks for decades. I get to witness first hand every day some of the fleet of F150's at work fall apart, there are some good ones and some bad ones. I had a 1997 1 ton GM that was at the dealer getting fixed during most of my ownership but I am mature enough to realize that I had a bad one and there are plenty of folks that had good luck with them just like I have had with our Armada. There are lots of satisfied owners that visit the website's; Club Armada and Club Titan that have had good luck also, I am not an isolated case. So you might want to think about pulling your head out of the sand yourself and take a good look around.
cillyone wrote: So you might want to think about pulling your head out of the sand yourself and take a good look around.
I have and what I've found was a gamble that had the odds against me. After owning 3 Nissans, I found I was stung by blind loyalty. Hence, why I've moved on after opening my eyes.
colleentroy wrote: I have a ford f-150 2006 fx4 with 3:73 gears and want to get a travel trailer.I looked at the flagstaff 31flss and the savoy 32fkd does any one have any suggestions for me new to camping.
This is one of those "In Theory" type things. Yes in theory it'll work, but in reality you'll be either pushing it to the very limit or it wont work period.
For example when my wife and I started looking for a new trailer, our TV at the time was an '04 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.7L with a tow rating of 6500lbs. And one trailer we looked at was a 32ft Forest River that weighed approx. 6300lbs. as I recall. Which in theory was pefectly fine. But when you start adding in other things like Loaded Weight and uphill climbing etc. it was way too much!! So we settled on a 27ft. Coachman which weighs 4900lbs. instead. Then my wife ended up totaling the Grand Cherokee, and then we bought a Ford Expedition 5.4L which tows the trailer like a dream. But even with the 5.4L I don't think I'd go much higher than maybe 5500lbs. or so with it!!
2000 Coachman Catalina 264QBS
2000 Ford Expedition (Main Tow Vehicle)
2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee (Back-Up Tow Vehicle)
Brand loyalty or no, we all base our decisions on what we know and maybe what some of what our friends, family and co-workers know. You take the best information you can get (some don't even do this) and you lay your cash on the table. If you have done your research you will have a TV and TT combo that will a.) fit your needs and b.) match each other well.
We went the "TV first, TT second" route because of personal preference... that is, I wanted a 1/2 ton that fit me better as the smaller Ford Ranger 4x4 p/u I was driving for 7 years was just too small. The 1/2 ton was a DD and it needed to be comfortable and as economic, with regard to sales price and fuel use, as possible. Reliability was a big factor for me. I ended up with the F-150, 5.4L, 4x4, 3.73 LS and towing package. So, the OP has about the same truck I do... which is why I think they were in a good starting position, like we were.
The "newer" F-150's with the 5.4L and at least a 3.73 rear end, are exceptional tow vehicles. Argue all you want about power, capacity, transmission, etc. The fact remains this is one of the most popular trucks in history and there is a reason for that. Yes, brand loyalty is a factor for some people. But for many of us, that is not the issue... performance and reliability are the main issues. These newer F-150's do not disappoint. They are an outstanding tow vehicle.
I am not discounting any other TV. I am simply stating what I know to be true. Many other TV's out there do just as well as the F-150. I just think the average Joe's odds of getting a "good one" are best by going the F-150 route.
Now, where the OP went wrong was in selecting the TT. That rig sounds like it's too much for the F-150. I don't know what the GVWR of that TT is (pretty big I'm thinking) but in my opinion, any TT being towed by an F-150 should probably be limited to a 7,000 GVWR... perhaps 7,500 at the most. If the F-150 is used to tow TT's with GVWR's under this I believe the owners will be exceedingly happy with their truck... and still have all the benefits of using a DD that is comfortable, reliable, great looking and economic (for a 1/2 ton).
coopdawg01 wrote: We're in a similar position and are about to purchase a Gulfstream Kingsport 236RB. Dry it's 4,820 with a net carrying capacity of 2,690. So that puts us at a max of 7510. With the truck (2002 f-150SC 5.7 w/ tow package) rated to tow 8000 lbs, I figure we should be fine. This will be the most weight I've ever towed with this truck, not to mention the wind resistance. It's one of the few trailers of this size we found that comes in at a good weight.
Now add the weight of your family and gas in the tank and you'll be over 8000 lbs easily.
I'm towing a 2004 KZ Frontier 2809PQS-F (dry weight 5500) with my 2002 Harley Davidson F-150. This particular F-150 has the supercharged 5.4l motor out of the Lightning, has 373 gears, is modded, and put down 380/460 on a local dyno after being tuned. In terms of power, it doesn't seem to struggle at all.
That being said, my biggest fear is keeping the transmission alive. I already purchased an aftermarket transmission cooler, and will be ordering a Factory Tech valve body, and B&M transmission pan (adds 3 additional quarts of oil capacity) to help keep the tranny cool. I also have a transmission temp gauge in my cab to monitor the temps. Has anybody else modded their F-150s to help keep the transmission cool, and shift durations as short as possible?
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