A 1/2 ton truck, that could tow a 5er.

[CWSWine]

I was checking the GVWR on 2015 F150 and noticed the highest rating on Ecco was 7850 lbs with 3000 lbs CC that means the truck can not weight more than 4250lbs. Then I pulled my weight ticket when I weight my F350 empty ready to tow and it 8200 lbs. That's huge difference of weights between the two trucks.

[dcheatwood]

If a picture paints a thousand words . . .
Rockies , Smokey, Ozarks. Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, new Mexico, Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Virginia, and on and on. A TT, 2 fivers. Never a hick up from the halfton. Only problem since 2005 was blowouts on the fifth wheels.

[leefl]

Originally Posted by another_newfie

leefl, very well put. I didn't mean to come off all confrontational, but in re-reading my post I did..

My truck is a supercrew (my previous truck was a shortbox supercrew and I'd never own another). I need the LB and Supercrew. It has BOTH the HD Payload and Max Tow.

Ironically I was in a similar position and got my order in just before Ford closed on the 2012 production run (I had done over a year of research and pulled the trigger at pre-determined date).

You are quite correct that my pin weight is less than yours and that is no accident either. A LOT of background went into the combo that I have. It was all pre-planned and it has worked out very well. Most though don't do anywhere near the amount of legwork we did. The end result is a combo that doesn't work.

Unfortunately with my specific floorplan requirements for the fifth-wheel (small bunk-room, preferably with second toilet, but without taking up too much space from living area), meant that the Rockwood 8281WS was the perfect choice for us, but has the heaviest pin weight of any 'ultralite' I've seen.
I could barely have scraped by with your spec truck, after adding the hitch weight, 2 adults, 2 teenagers, etc ... but it was not to be.

That being said, although the ride is not as smooth (smoothest ride of any truck I tested was the new Tundra, but it was nowhere near up to my towing needs), and the mileage (when not towing) certainly nowhere near as good as the F150 ecoboost, I do still really like the F250.
It's certainly huge in comparison to most "half ton" trucks
(tho' the inside is not that much different to the F150 supercrew)

[leefl]

Originally Posted by dcheatwood

If a picture paints a thousand words . . .
Rockies , Smokey, Ozarks. Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, new Mexico, Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Virginia, and on and on. A TT, 2 fivers. Never a hick up from the halfton. Only problem since 2005 was blowouts.

Very nice indeed.
TBH I'm surprised the Tundra is up to the job, since when I looked (only at the longer crew cab), the capacity wasn't that great.

I'd be very interested to hear any feedback on the AirLift's.
TBH the ride on the F-250 is probably worse when not towing, and slightly helped by the weight, but I'd be interested to know if they've helped with the ride on your Tundra. (payload capacity isn't an issue for me per-se)

Where does the compressor install ? (I have upfitter switches in the F-250, ready for something like that, but want to try to keep the bed clear)

[drittal]

Have you guys with half tons and large TT/TH or 5er put it on the scale?

As I pointed out before, my 3/4t with a 30FBW (~1400lb mfr tongue weight) came in at 9200lbs on the scales. So misc items and normal gear plus wife and 2 kids and 18lb dog added another 800lbs !!IF!! I am to believe both Ram and FR's weights... which I dont.

The only true way to know is to hit the scales.

[drittal]

Another thing to factor is some truck mfr's have in the past done things like removing bumpers, spare tire, tail gate to get the big 1/2t towing and payload #'s.

[drittal]

Originally Posted by dcheatwood

If a picture paints a thousand words . . .
Rockies , Smokey, Ozarks. Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, new Mexico, Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Virginia, and on and on. A TT, 2 fivers. Never a hick up from the halfton. Only problem since 2005 was blowouts.

Top of the world. Did you take that 5er down bear tooth pass? That had to be tight if you did. We were there this summer on MC and I remember a sign near there recommending an alternative route if over 35ft total length.

[dcheatwood]

Yes I did. Without knowing about it until too late. Left Yellowstone thru northeast gate. Beautiful drive. No traffic, no ice or snow and no problems. Stopped for fuel when we came down the other side and a guy asked "you didn't just come down the beartooth in that, did you?" I said yeah why? He just took a walk around the truck and fiver shaking his head and said, "unbelievable."
I didn't realize what a big deal it was until I started telling this store and folks found it hard to believe. 😁
Pulling and stopping is never an issue with the 5.7L. It's just the pin weight in the bed of the truck that concerns me.

[dcheatwood]

Originally Posted by drittal

Top of the world. Did you take that 5er down bear tooth pass? That had to be tight if you did. We were there this summer on MC and I remember a sign near there recommending an alternative route if over 35ft total length.

Told my wife when we were coming down that'd be a great ride on a bike. Bet you enjoyed it.

[PhoneDude 8289]

Took the Tundra and 5r to the scales, here are the numbers.
Tundra without trailer 6,400#. Includes DW, myself, a 60# Boxer, a 6#Yorkie, Hitch and a 3500 watt generator behind the cab.
Tundra and 5r weighed in at 15,080. Tundra front axel 3,400#, Rear axel 4,140, Trailer axels 7540. No food on board the 5r, everything else ready to go. Yep I'm over payload, dont tell the weight police. With air bags it all rides level. A good break controller and 10 ply tires a must.
My previous 5r was 1200# heavier, Tundra did well with it also.
Sad to say that since these weights were taken we lost our Yorkie and Boxer 6 weeks apart.

[leefl]

Originally Posted by dcheatwood

Yes I did. Without knowing about it until too late. Left Yellowstone thru northeast gate. Beautiful drive. No traffic, no ice or snow and no problems. Stopped for fuel when we came down the other side and a guy asked "you didn't just come down the beartooth in that, did you?" I said yeah why? He just took a walk around the truck and fiver shaking his head and said, "unbelievable."
I didn't realize what a big deal it was until I started telling this store and folks found it hard to believe. 😁
Pulling and stopping is never an issue with the 5.7L. It's just the pin weight in the bed of the truck that concerns me.

Wow, I'd never have thought it possible to get a 5er down the beartooth highway. We're planning on heading to (and through) Yellowstone next year with the fifth wheel, but wouldn't have considered the beartooth highway with it.
Drove along there (in a rental SUV) a couple of years ago (in July, with 8 ft of snow either side of the road still along some parts). Beautiful drive.

(then I made the mistake of believing my wife's GPS on the way back to our cabin near Ennis, and doing 2.5 hrs of dirt-track to get from Red Lodge to I-90.
If you want a laugh the route it took us was
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Red+...66ffa7!1m0!3e0
)

[CWSWine]

Originally Posted by PhoneDude 8289

Took the Tundra and 5r to the scales, here are the numbers.
Tundra without trailer 6,400#. Includes DW, myself, a 60# Boxer, a 6#Yorkie, Hitch and a 3500 watt generator behind the cab.
Tundra and 5r weighed in at 15,080. Tundra front axel 3,400#, Rear axel 4,140, Trailer axels 7540. No food on board the 5r, everything else ready to go. Yep I'm over payload, dont tell the weight police. With air bags it all rides level. A good break controller and 10 ply tires a must.
My previous 5r was 1200# heavier, Tundra did well with it also.
Sad to say that since these weights were taken we lost our Yorkie and Boxer 6 weeks apart.

Something not adding up here. You 5er plus truck scale weight 15,080 and the truck weight of 6,400 gives you trailer weight of 8,680. Your numbers for axle weights with 5er connected add up to 7540 subtract the unloaded weight of 6400 and gives a pin weight of 1,140 lbs. You should have at least 15% on the pin and that weight is 1302 and 2014 models I looked up had over 1500 lbs dry pin weight. I guess if tows great with that low pin weight the numbers don't matter.

[drittal]

Can't always believe the mfr numbers. My father's TH has a mfr tongue weight rating of 760lbs. With his options like happijak couch and bed, slide out sofa, genset... his actual hitch weight is around 600lbs.

[dcheatwood]

Originally Posted by leefl

Wow, I'd never have thought it possible to get a 5er down the beartooth highway. We're planning on heading to (and through) Yellowstone next year with the fifth wheel, but wouldn't have considered the beartooth highway with it.
Drove along there (in a rental SUV) a couple of years ago (in July, with 8 ft of snow either side of the road still along some parts). Beautiful drive.

(then I made the mistake of believing my wife's GPS on the way back to our cabin near Ennis, and doing 2.5 hrs of dirt-track to get from Red Lodge to I-90.
If you want a laugh the route it took us was
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Red+...66ffa7!1m0!3e0
)

Wow. There aren't many routes around there but there's got to be a better one than that.
I'd never pull Beartooth in snow and ice season but I'd do it again thru August September.

[leefl]

Originally Posted by dcheatwood

Wow. There aren't many routes around there but there's got to be a better one than that.
I'd never pull Beartooth in snow and ice season but I'd do it again thru August September.

Yeah, just following the route that Google Maps suggests (without the waypoints that I added to show where the old TomTom GPS took us), it's 1h15m shorter, tho' 4 miles longer. I guess it really wanted to take us the shortest route, rather than the quickest (even tho' it was always set to defaults)

[drittal]

Originally Posted by dcheatwood

Wow. There aren't many routes around there but there's got to be a better one than that.
I'd never pull Beartooth in snow and ice season but I'd do it again thru August September.

We were there the last weekend of Sturgis. Went over the pass on bikes at 35* in a rain cloud with sleet and wind. It was not pleasant. The next weekend it snowed and a bike wrecked on an icy patch. 3 days after we rode beartooth and chief Joseph a couple sideswiped a grizzly on CJ. Weather up there can change fast!

[Mikehend]

As far as the "two persons, dog and kitty part", that's us and my 2500HD does great with our 36' Sabre. Great MPG compared to my old rig and power to spare! I realize it's not a gasser like the thread is mentioning, but you don't have to move to the full 1 ton either.

My 2 cents...

[MilCop4523]

holy crap what are you towing for that you need that much room for 2 people and dogs...
what sort of dogs?
Bull Mastiffs?

we have a 34 foot 5th wheel bunk house and haul with F150XTR ecoboost Super crew cab.
LT truck tires, new MAXXIS M008's E rated tires on the trailer.
averaged 22.6 litres/100kms between fredericton to Wood Island Ferry PEI and back loaded with flea market items (flags, ball caps, yard sale items etc.
2 adults, cloths,groceries and beer)
most of the time it ran between 5 and 6 gear on the highway at 110 kph. Couple big hills it went to 4th gear for a short sprint at the top, and we are up hills both ways in NB Canada.

[Kevin & Judy]

Very sorry to hear about you Boxer and Yorkie. One of the hardest things ive ever have had to deal with, 5 years ago to the day we lost our schnauzer/cocker mix just 2 weeks shy of 19 years.

[BamaBob]

Originally Posted by dicky1243

none they don't have the braking power or suspension!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I would respectfully disagree

Up and down the mountains no problem (helps that the EcoBoost has a built in engine brake )