I tow with a 1/2 ton truck, this is our second 5th wheel on the same Tundra. The Tundra is a 5.7 with the tow pkg. It has e rated tires and air bags. Has been paid for since we started towing, had a class C before the 5rs. Never towed with anything larger, the Tundra does the job so until it is worn out it will be our tow vehicle. Over 80K on the clock with about half of that towing.
Very similar to my story since buying the '08 tundra. 2 5ers. Before that I pulled a little 4500# TT with 02 tundra. It strained a little with the 4.7L but the 5.7L is awesome with the 5ers.
I have enjoyed reading this entire thread. Folks are passionate about their trucks. I took my 2013 GMC 2500 Duramax up the Coquihalla from Vancouver to Kelowna where I picked up the Work n Play 18EC. Short little toy hauler but it weighed 5,650 lbs empty. The last time I drove back down the Coq was pulling a 7,000 farm tractor on a car hauler trailer with a Chev 2500 gasser. The grades on the Coq are impressive and I had no option other than riding the brakes. It was an extremely unpleasant experience and I had to replace the front and rear brakes once home. The 2013 Duramax with the engine brake was NIGHT and DAY difference. I don't think I touched the brake pedal once on the drive back to Vancouver. I was so pleased with how the truck performed. I knew the trailer was behind me because I could see it in the mirrors but I throughly enjoyed the drive.
I guess my point is that if you can afford the bigger truck you'll enjoy the ride. My two cents.
I gotta agree with you!
The Coquihalla can eat you up and spit you out!
I hear guys say their F150's are all that and a bag of chips all the time.
And you know what....I truly believe they believe it.
AND they will continue to use they're F150's pulling their 5ers and some of them will actually pull what they have.
However, until they've tried a truck that is truly set up for towing, they will never know the difference and argue till they're blue that they've made the right choice in using an F150 for towing. If you live on flat ground or rolling hills and have a light weight TT or 5er you may be alright.
"How can you say that?" You ask?
I used to be an F150 owner till I actually experienced the beauty of a diesel truck with an amazing exhaust brake.
I don't get how some will say they have no issue with braking with their F150 towing either a TT or 5er on a decline. How can that possibly be? My own experience with my 2013 F150 4x4 Ecoboost showed me that "unloaded" coming down off a mountain, I couldn't hold speed with only my transmission and constantly had to stub my brakes to slow down. There ain't no way you're doing that loaded/hitched.
The exhaust brake in my 8500 lb. truck can almost bring me and my 15500 lb. loaded 5th wheel to a complete stop on a decline. Without braking!
Until you've experienced this, I'm never gonna convince you any different than what you believe.
This.....is just the opinion of someone who's been there and done that.
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Les and Bonnie with 4 Leggers Bella and Shelby
2011 Cedar Creek Touring Edition 36RE 3 slide Full Body Paint pushing our 2015 Ram 3500 Laramie 4x4 CCSB SRW - Anderson Ultimate Hitch
I have a small TT only 25ft and about 7,200. I have a 1/2 ton Dodge with the towing package; bigger radiator, alternator, suspension. I've only been out a couple of time, I took delivery last August so other than driving a lot around town and hours and hours in the College parking lot. I drove commercially for a short time, just enough to slow me down. When I'm towing, I'm like a bus. I leave myself room, I'm trying to look way ahead. When I do that, I have found it fun to drive.
Then in October, I instead of winterizing I drove it 1,000 miles and left it at my brothers. I figured I might just get out of town and take a little trip instead of stacking it away until spring. During that time driving from Spokane, WA. to Isleton, CA. I had the chance to go down and up the snake rive canyon, clime out of the Columbia River gorge, down I-5 from Ore. to Shasta and then the delta. I'm getting 10mph and cruise control at 60. Years ago I traveled around in a buddies Power Wagon but I'm never had he pleasure of towing large. Maybe on the next upgrade in 7 of 8 years.
Not choosing sides or telling anyone what to buy, but this is my experience from my last trip.
Background Info:
2015 F150 KR (see signature for specs) + Flagstaff 27RLWS + 4 adults + gear ( truck loaded ~850lbs and towing ~7,300lbs) Everything has been weighed in the past and the numbers represented are close to actual weights.
Trip from Indy to Florida (hwy74 to hwy 75) and returned via Augusta Ga (hwy 20 to hwy 26 to hwy 40 to hwy75 to hwy275 to hwy74).
Traveled from 25Dec2015 - 7Jan2016 (total trip plus other driving = ~2300 miles)
Majority of trip down to Florida was in rain and roads were busy.
Trip home was mixed cloudy and sunny, very busy roads.
No lack of power, braking or visibility while driving. The truck lacked nothing and other than gas mileage was a pleasure. BTW gas mileage was 7.8mpg. I have been told that gas mileage gets better with age on the ecoboost 3.5 motor; only time will tell.
If someone wants more info please IM and I will be glad to give more information / expand on details...
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Gary, Tonia, Baile, Summer and Otis our Boston T.
Flagstaff 27RLWS Emerald Pkg
2015 Ford F150 King Ranch FX4 Max Tow 3.5EB, 3.55
Equalizer 4 WDH, 1,200 / 12,000Lbs
What's the thoughts on pulling a 26DBH with a 2014 toyota tundra?
I pulled that same TT with a Chevy 1/2 ton, V8........for over a year. Then I got a 3/4 ton in advance of trading for a Fifth Wheel. (that was just traded cause the 3/4 wasn't enough!!!)..... and I did it. It pulled. It took me to every campground I went to.
However, most of them were Interstate from here to there, very few hills...some 'rolling small terrain' to get to the actual campground.
Pulling with the 1/2 ton was fine. It worked. But I was always tightened up when pulling. Always just a bit leary. Something wasn't perfect. It was ok.....it did it. But I told DW that I wouldn't dare pull that across the Smokies to go see our kids.......much less the Rockies.
Got the 3/4 and it was amazing. Pulling the TT was like pulling my boat, or pulling my ATV trailer. When I got the 3/4 ton, people asked what I thought of it. I said "I've owned pickups all my long life. But this is my first T R U C K.....and I never knew it till now!!!"
Yes it does have the 5.7. I little concerned about moutainous travel
Expect to slow down and your gas mileage to drop to around 5-7 mpg, depending on how heavy you want to be with your right foot...
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Dan, Carolyn & The Bandit (1999-2015 RIP...)
MCPO (Retired)
United States Navy ('65 - '87)
2014 Cedar Creek 38FL
2013 RAM 3500 6.7L diesel DRW Crew Cab "When you get to the fork in the road, take it....."
I am living proof you can't pull with an 05 Silverado 5.3L with a 3.23 rear end. Have only pulled around 70,000+ miles with it, so it CAN'T be done. The FRF Weight Police are right!
Wouldn't try the Rockies, but I have been all over from the east coast to the Mississippi River and from Florida to Nova Scotia proving it can't be done. Pin wt of 1,100# loaded. The rest of the weights I have no idea and don't care.
DW went to an RV show last year looked at all the "half ton towables " we looked and looke just wasn't feeling it traded in the Chevy 1500 for GMC 2500 HD best decision of our life pulls like a dream
Brim & Dee Cary
Arlington Texas
Flagstaff 8528IKWS
GMC 2500
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Brim & Dee Cary
2015 GMC Sierra 6.0 Flex
2015 SL 85281KWS
DFW Texas
We tow a 35' TT w a 2013 Tundra Limited for the past 2 years. Recently we got 5th wheel fever and test drove a Ford 350 Lariat. The rough ride compared to the Tundra got rid of our fever. No comparison in comfort level. The Tundra rides like a limo.
We tow a 35' TT w a 2013 Tundra Limited for the past 2 years. Recently we got 5th wheel fever and test drove a Ford 350 Lariat. The rough ride compared to the Tundra got rid of our fever. No comparison in comfort level. The Tundra rides like a limo.
No question the F350 rides much harder but it's made to tow and haul much more than any 1/2 ton so it's sprung much stiffer. Put a load on it and it'll ride much better. As a daily driver, unloaded, any 1/2 ton will be a nicer ride and a 1 ton may rattle your teeth but if you want to tow a large 5er often, a heavy duty pickup is what you need.
I am living proof you can't pull with an 05 Silverado 5.3L with a 3.23 rear end. Have only pulled around 70,000+ miles with it, so it CAN'T be done. The FRF Weight Police are right!
Wouldn't try the Rockies, but I have been all over from the east coast to the Mississippi River and from Florida to Nova Scotia proving it can't be done. Pin wt of 1,100# loaded. The rest of the weights I have no idea and don't care.
OC, how do manage to have a pin weight of only 1100# on your 2012 Flagstaff 8528RKWS? An Internet search says your 5er has an advertised dry weight of around 7500# which would normally translate to at least 1500# or more likely much more than that I don't dispute that a 1/2 ton can pull the weight of a 28' or 29' 5er, but it's always the pin weight that challenges the 1/2 ton's payload.
No question the F350 rides much harder but it's made to tow and haul much more than any 1/2 ton so it's sprung much stiffer. Put a load on it and it'll ride much better. As a daily driver, unloaded, any 1/2 ton will be a nicer ride and a 1 ton may rattle your teeth but if you want to tow a large 5er often, a heavy duty pickup is what you need.
with 4 times the payload and towing capacity, you have to sacrifice a little of something. Just part of towing
OC, how do manage to only have a pin weight of only 1100# on your 2012 Flagstaff 8528RKWS? An Internet search says your 5er has an advertised dry weight of around 7500# which would normally translate to at least 1500# or more likely much more than that I don't dispute that a 1/2 ton can pull the weight of a 28' or 29' 5er, but it's always the pin weight that challenges the 1/2 ton's payload.
Checked it just as we were hooking up to go to FL this year and the trailer was fully loaded with only about 5-10 gal of water in the fw tank. The trailer is a rear kitchen and the way TOWTA loads it probably has a lot to do with the 1100# pin wt which is/was checked with a Sherline gauge.
Checked it just as we were hooking up to go to FL this year and the trailer was fully loaded with only about 5-10 gal of water in the fw tank. The trailer is a rear kitchen and the way TOWTA loads it probably has a lot to do with the 1100# pin wt which is/was checked with a Sherline gauge.
OC, nice setup with the case. I bought that scale, less the extra gage and the custom extension. I also watch these things for my own reasons.
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Bob & Michelle
2016 Ford F-250 Lariat 4x4
2017 Flagstaff Super Lite 526RLWS
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