2018 F-150 "regular" tow package vs. max tow package

[flyflotrtim]

The hard concept I am having to get past is that some folks seem to be saying that a 2018 F-150 with EB won't even match my 2007 RAM 1500 Hemi which towed my TT fine for over 26,000 miles twice cross country from Florida and five times to Michigan. Do you really mean that, or are you comparing it to a HD ride?[/QUOTE]

The F 150 3.5 Eco ( and probably the 2.7) will pull 7000lb without problem. Your consideration will be cargo capacity.

[Trawlerphil]

I'm the guy everyone jumps on for towing a 9,000 lb. 5er from coast to coast and Maine to Florida with a Tundra, but now I've got a new ride. One of my friends had been harassing me for months to sell him my Tundra. Finally, I said "ok, what is it worth to you?" He gave me a price that was $3,000 more than I paid for it in 2016 so I simply had to accept it. I searched the internet for both F-250s and F-150s with the Max Tow package and found an F-150 in New Bern, NC, so I whipped out my checkbook. My advice is keep looking, they are out there.

[{Tpc}]

Originally Posted by Mountaineer1954

I have a 2018 F-150 Crew Cab 4x4 Platinum that my dealer found in Ontario Canada. We bought it last April and it had 18,000 miles on it. It came with:

5.0L Coyote

1828 lb. cargo capacity

10 speed tranny

3.31 Electronic-locking rear-axle

• 4-pin/7-pin wiring harness

• Auxiliary transmission oil cooler

• Engine oil cooler

• Class IV trailer hitch receiver

• Pro Trailer Backup Assist with Tailgate LED

• Smart Trailer Tow Connector (standard on LARIAT and higher)

• Upgraded front stabilizer bar

• Upgraded rear bumper

I added the integrated trailer brake controller after I bought it and the 36 gallon fuel tank was listed as an option. It is an awesome tow vehicle. We are retiring and bought a 2018 21 foot Gray Wolf Pup that had been used once. Hardly know that it's back their. To each his own but I prefer the 5.0 liter over the twin turbo set up. Fewer moving parts. Less to go wrong.

I agree the 5.0 is going to pull the 21 ft trailer you have with ease. But it’s also roughly half the weight the OP is talking about, so the comparison isn’t there.

If your pulling 5k of trailer the 5.0 is just fine. But hitch it to a 2.7 EB and if you can get beyond the “more working parts” of the ecoboost engines, it’s just going to feel so much better pulling. Assuming it’s equipped similarly.

Once you start getting north of 7k, you going to outrun the specs of the 2.7 EB (even if it might pull it easily). Then your looking at the higher specs of the 5.0 or the 3.5 EB.

At that point, in my mind (with real world experience), the 3.5 EB wins hands down. The only issue in my mind that you run into is payload. I know my 2018 payload was way less than my 2020 payload, but I’m unclear if that was due to the 2.7 EB in the ‘18 or the 5.0 in the ‘20. Both similarly equipped except the ‘20 has the 36 gal tank, which I do recommend.

Of course you have to pack light in the truck as some have suggested, and extra options will take away from payload. I also think you get a small bump if you don’t need the crew cab, but the crew cab in the f150 is so useful I can’t see not having it. Folding those seats up gives you tons of room for trips to the store etc, when things need to stay out of the bed. I just have to have it now lol. I also think depending on how it’s optioned, wheel size makes a difference.

Just a couple things to think about for the OP.

Oh the bliss option is nice, but after starting without it on the first truck and having it now on this one, it wouldn’t stop me from getting a truck without it. Nice to have but not a show stopper. That said I have the camera on the back of the trailer, which is helpful for towing as well. The one option I would consider is the towing mirrors. But Ford is kinda weird in how to get those because certain things aren’t available (like bliss) on tow mirrors for different trim levels.

You would think they would just bolt on, but there are different harness for different options...ugh and then on the secondary market they are hard to find or expensive if you want OEM ones. So if you can, best to settle that at time of purchase IMO.

[Boomerweps]

Originally Posted by jrk341

Ford doesn't offer 3.91 gears in the F150.

In 2019, MaxTow had 3.55 gears, unless 3.73 with HDPP. Don’t have the 2018 manual handy. No 3.91 listed in 2019. 4.10 for Raptor, though.

[Boomerweps]

Originally Posted by Bhrava

Experience with 3 different trucks and ONE trailer of GVWR 7600 pounds. With 13.5% TW, the most the trailer weighed was 6400 and every one of the trucks was at GVWR when scaled. Of all the Platinum trucks I looked at, with the 701a package and sunroof, Max Tow for the 3.5, 36 gallon tank for the 5.0, NONE had more than 1600 payload. Tongue weight was 800-900 pounds. My trailer had a 3000 CCC, most trailers of 7600 have less, with a higher dry weight which pushes tongue weight even higher. Only way to go higher is a completely empty truck with maybe one passenger. I travel with wife and 2 kids, so the most any Platinum can tow for an average family with 2 kids is 7K trailer.



There is only one 9.75 differential for ALL F150 trucks. Already verified with the parts guy at the dealer. Only two things are different with the HDPP axle, the gearing and the axle shafts, all else is identical. Max rated springs are part of the Max Tow, not HDPP WEIGHT carrying, but rating. It's in the ordering guide. There are more to springs than how much weight they carry. Front springs with HDPP and Max Tow are the same, HDDP adds a leaf for the extra 800 pounds. Spring rate is how soft they are, load rate is how much weight they carry to a set deflection point. Max Tow springs are not soft, they are the same rate as HDPP springs, in the front and rear, but the rear HDPP springs, with that one extra leaf carry more weight at a given deflection. Again, verified with the dealer parts guys using the VIN frim my truck and the VIN from an HDPP. Front springs, same part number, differential housing, same part numbers, all internal components are the same part number, only the axles are a different number, the shafts are the same diameter all the way to the carrier, and HDPP get 3.73 gearing. Max Tow and HDPP both get the 9.75" differential. Only other way to get a 5.0 with the 9.75" is to order FX4. 2021 may be different, but since I have no plans to get a 21, I didn't bother looking at the order guides

Spent a long and exhausting comparison on this over at the F150 forum.

I only am referencing the 2019 F150 specification manual. It shows different 9.75s used.

[Puma26RLSS]

Originally Posted by Bhrava

Experience with 3 different trucks and ONE trailer of GVWR 7600 pounds. With 13.5% TW, the most the trailer weighed was 6400 and every one of the trucks was at GVWR when scaled. Of all the Platinum trucks I looked at, with the 701a package and sunroof, Max Tow for the 3.5, 36 gallon tank for the 5.0, NONE had more than 1600 payload. Tongue weight was 800-900 pounds. My trailer had a 3000 CCC, most trailers of 7600 have less, with a higher dry weight which pushes tongue weight even higher. Only way to go higher is a completely empty truck with maybe one passenger. I travel with wife and 2 kids, so the most any Platinum can tow for an average family with 2 kids is 7K trailer.



There is only one 9.75 differential for ALL F150 trucks. Already verified with the parts guy at the dealer. Only two things are different with the HDPP axle, the gearing and the axle shafts, all else is identical. Max rated springs are part of the Max Tow, not HDPP WEIGHT carrying, but rating. It's in the ordering guide. There are more to springs than how much weight they carry. Front springs with HDPP and Max Tow are the same, HDDP adds a leaf for the extra 800 pounds. Spring rate is how soft they are, load rate is how much weight they carry to a set deflection point. Max Tow springs are not soft, they are the same rate as HDPP springs, in the front and rear, but the rear HDPP springs, with that one extra leaf carry more weight at a given deflection. Again, verified with the dealer parts guys using the VIN frim my truck and the VIN from an HDPP. Front springs, same part number, differential housing, same part numbers, all internal components are the same part number, only the axles are a different number, the shafts are the same diameter all the way to the carrier, and HDPP get 3.73 gearing. Max Tow and HDPP both get the 9.75" differential. Only other way to get a 5.0 with the 9.75" is to order FX4. 2021 may be different, but since I have no plans to get a 21, I didn't bother looking at the order guides

Spent a long and exhausting comparison on this over at the F150 forum.

Thank you for your effort on my behalf. I understand your math now. Will take it all under consideration. If you run into a PUMA with a U.S. Navy flag out front this summer, beers on me.

[Bhrava]

Here's the part number for the actual housing.

JL3Z4010C

Here's what it fits

F150; 9.75" Axle; 3.15 Ratio.
F150; 9.75" Axle; 3.31 Ratio.
F150; 9.75" Axle; 3.55 Ratio.
F150; 9.75" Axle; 3.73 Ratio; w/Heavy Duty Towing.
F150; 9.75" Axle; 3.73 Ratio; w/Max Duty Towing.
F150; 9.75" Axle; Max Duty Towing. W/9.75 AXLE, w/electronic locking, w/base payload. W/9.75 AXLE, w/electronic locking, w/HD payload. W/9.75 AXLE, w/o electronic locking, w/o electronic locking.


https://parts.lakelandford.com/p/For...JL3Z4010C.html

The entire rear axle packages have their own assembly numbers. For HDPP is it 975A and Max Tow is 971A. The Assembly number includes the spring packs.

All told there are 5 different 9.75 differential housings, A-E, the differences are minor in one doesn't have the opening for the E-lock, one is for the 2.7 PP, one is for the Raptor, one is for Max Tow, FX4 and HDPP, and the 5th is for the Transit vans.

The only difference between the Max Tow and HDPP are the axle shafts, all internals are the same.

https://parts.lakelandford.com/p/For...FL3Z4234C.html

https://parts.lakelandford.com/p/For...FL3Z4234B.html

[Girtski]

Originally Posted by Bhrava

Here's the part number for the actual housing.

JL3Z4010C

Here's what it fits

F150; 9.75" Axle; 3.15 Ratio.
F150; 9.75" Axle; 3.31 Ratio.
F150; 9.75" Axle; 3.55 Ratio.
F150; 9.75" Axle; 3.73 Ratio; w/Heavy Duty Towing.
F150; 9.75" Axle; 3.73 Ratio; w/Max Duty Towing.
F150; 9.75" Axle; Max Duty Towing. W/9.75 AXLE, w/electronic locking, w/base payload. W/9.75 AXLE, w/electronic locking, w/HD payload. W/9.75 AXLE, w/o electronic locking, w/o electronic locking.

https://parts.lakelandford.com/p/For...JL3Z4010C.html

The entire rear axle packages have their own assembly numbers. For HDPP is it 975A and Max Tow is 971A. The Assembly number includes the spring packs.

All told there are 5 different 9.75 differential housings, A-E, the differences are minor in one doesn't have the opening for the E-lock, one is for the 2.7 PP, one is for the Raptor, one is for Max Tow, FX4 and HDPP, and the 5th is for the Transit vans.

The only difference between the Max Tow and HDPP are the axle shafts, all internals are the same.

https://parts.lakelandford.com/p/For...FL3Z4234C.html

https://parts.lakelandford.com/p/For...FL3Z4234B.html

I agree with all you've stated and it is spot on. However I never checked with a dealer but I am told the truck frame is heavier for HDPP. By any chance did you check that?

[Girtski]

Originally Posted by Puma26RLSS

I am beginning to shop for a 2018 F-150 (3.5 EB or 5.0 V-8 w/driver assist options). I see a lot of trucks on the market that meet my driver assist options needs with "just" a regular tow package plus the larger fuel tank. I had hoped to find a 2018 F-150 with max tow package just for added capability. But, they are less common. I will be towing a 7,900 lb., TT which I have already towed over 26,000 miles very well with a 2007 Ram 1500 Hemi. I would appreciate any Ford owners who have either the "regular" tow package or max tow package to offer any advice they think would be helpful based on personal experience with 2018 or similar F-150. Generally, the TV is loaded lightly with just the wife and I and few lawn chairs in the bed so we don't have a very loaded down TV.

I have real life experience. 2018 F150 XLT, 1649lbs payload, 6.5' box, 3.5EB, 3.55 electronic locking diff, 36 gallon tank, pro trailer backup, Max Trailer Tow but NO HDPP. I have a Rockwood 8315BSS coming in at 6796 dry and around 7300 lbs loaded. It's box is 31' long. I wrestled with this setup for the summer of 2019 unable to get a comfortable ride with side wind, passing vehicles etc causing unacceptable sway while highway driving. I moved weight around, tried different settings on my Blue Ox sway pro hitch. I rode with the Blue Ox rep, tried 2 different sets of bars, various ball height settings, various tire pressure settings on both the truck and trailer. Went across the CAT scales 17 TIMES. I had the entire rig weighed with the help of some Ford Engineers and I couldn't have spread out the weight better than what I had. The Ford guys gave me another hitch to try with a friction sway bar. Didn't help. I have a friend make a custom plate to go under my ball so I could use 2 friction sway bars. Helped slightly but not enough to make me feel comfortable. I must mention that my 2001 F150 Supercrew 2WD towed this trailer flawlessly. I made the assumption that a brand new 2018 with the previously mentioned options would be an improvement. I couldn't have been more wrong. Ended up dropping another 3200.00 on a Hensley and it is much better but still not as good as the 2001.

[Girtski]

Originally Posted by Girtski

I have real life experience. 2018 F150 XLT, 1649lbs payload, 6.5' box, 3.5EB, 3.55 electronic locking diff, 36 gallon tank, pro trailer backup, Max Trailer Tow but NO HDPP. I have a Rockwood 8315BSS coming in at 6796 dry and around 7300 lbs loaded. It's box is 31' long. I wrestled with this setup for the summer of 2019 unable to get a comfortable ride with side wind, passing vehicles etc causing unacceptable sway while highway driving. I moved weight around, tried different settings on my Blue Ox sway pro hitch. I rode with the Blue Ox rep, tried 2 different sets of bars, various ball height settings, various tire pressure settings on both the truck and trailer. Went across the CAT scales 17 TIMES. I had the entire rig weighed with the help of some Ford Engineers and I couldn't have spread out the weight better than what I had. The Ford guys gave me another hitch to try with a friction sway bar. Didn't help. I have a friend make a custom plate to go under my ball so I could use 2 friction sway bars. Helped slightly but not enough to make me feel comfortable. I must mention that my 2001 F150 Supercrew 2WD towed this trailer flawlessly. I made the assumption that a brand new 2018 with the previously mentioned options would be an improvement. I couldn't have been more wrong. Ended up dropping another 3200.00 on a Hensley and it is much better.

Trying to upload a picture of the custom made hitch plate.

[Bhrava]

Originally Posted by Girtski

I agree with all you've stated and it is spot on. However I never checked with a dealer but I am told the truck frame is heavier for HDPP. By any chance did you check that?

Actually that was an even bigger debate than the rear differential was. According to official Ford documentation, there is no 145" HPP frame, only the 157" HPP. The HPP is the thickest frame made for the F150. However, many of us who have the 145" Max Tow also have the 145" HPP frame.

On the side of the frame under the drivers door is a tag that gives the specs. Mine is 2WD 145" HPP. My last truck which was not a Max Tow was a 4WD 145" HD. Every HDPP was 157" HPP.

Here is the frame chart


Here is the tag on my current truck.



Here is the non max tow frame for a 4WD

[jwfrede]

Originally Posted by Girtski

I have real life experience. 2018 F150 XLT, 1649lbs payload, 6.5' box, 3.5EB, 3.55 electronic locking diff, 36 gallon tank, pro trailer backup, Max Trailer Tow but NO HDPP. I have a Rockwood 8315BSS coming in at 6796 dry and around 7300 lbs loaded. It's box is 31' long. I wrestled with this setup for the summer of 2019 unable to get a comfortable ride with side wind, passing vehicles etc causing unacceptable sway while highway driving. I moved weight around, tried different settings on my Blue Ox sway pro hitch. I rode with the Blue Ox rep, tried 2 different sets of bars, various ball height settings, various tire pressure settings on both the truck and trailer. Went across the CAT scales 17 TIMES. I had the entire rig weighed with the help of some Ford Engineers and I couldn't have spread out the weight better than what I had. The Ford guys gave me another hitch to try with a friction sway bar. Didn't help. I have a friend make a custom plate to go under my ball so I could use 2 friction sway bars. Helped slightly but not enough to make me feel comfortable. I must mention that my 2001 F150 Supercrew 2WD towed this trailer flawlessly. I made the assumption that a brand new 2018 with the previously mentioned options would be an improvement. I couldn't have been more wrong. Ended up dropping another 3200.00 on a Hensley and it is much better but still not as good as the 2001.

hmmmmmm...all that work to do things right and still not a good ride, and with some real pros helping you out......

moral of story - get a bigger truck, an F-250, oh, you want good gas mileage like that 3.5EB, get a diesel, now your at an F-350. And when you go for your next trailer, it will be bigger, and you'll be ready for it.

I had been thinking of upgrading my TT to about 31' to get what I want, would put me around 7000-7500 lb. Should work based on payload, etc., at least on paper. Never pulled the trigger.

After a bunch of other posts from people who had issues and didn't work half as hard I concluded that a 5er and 3/4 or 1 ton truck was a better way to go. Now I'm more than convinced.

[The Big Toe]

I can talk, but I can't make you listen --

https://www.sdtrucksprings.com/index...yABEgKK-_D_BwE

[Bhrava]

Originally Posted by Girtski

I have real life experience. 2018 F150 XLT, 1649lbs payload, 6.5' box, 3.5EB, 3.55 electronic locking diff, 36 gallon tank, pro trailer backup, Max Trailer Tow but NO HDPP. I have a Rockwood 8315BSS coming in at 6796 dry and around 7300 lbs loaded. It's box is 31' long. I wrestled with this setup for the summer of 2019 unable to get a comfortable ride with side wind, passing vehicles etc causing unacceptable sway while highway driving. I moved weight around, tried different settings on my Blue Ox sway pro hitch. I rode with the Blue Ox rep, tried 2 different sets of bars, various ball height settings, various tire pressure settings on both the truck and trailer. Went across the CAT scales 17 TIMES. I had the entire rig weighed with the help of some Ford Engineers and I couldn't have spread out the weight better than what I had. The Ford guys gave me another hitch to try with a friction sway bar. Didn't help. I have a friend make a custom plate to go under my ball so I could use 2 friction sway bars. Helped slightly but not enough to make me feel comfortable. I must mention that my 2001 F150 Supercrew 2WD towed this trailer flawlessly. I made the assumption that a brand new 2018 with the previously mentioned options would be an improvement. I couldn't have been more wrong. Ended up dropping another 3200.00 on a Hensley and it is much better but still not as good as the 2001.

Been there, Done that, know exactly what you are referring to. I had a 2014 F150 Lariat 2WD 3.5EB. It had the basic tow package, 26 gallon tank, pretty much just a basic 501a. Loved that truck and it towed our 274BH like a dream using a standard round bar husky with a single sway brake on it. I never felt uncomfortable towing with it, except for the very first trip home with it from the dealer. Never trust a dealer to set your hitch up!

I lost that truck in an ice storm when another driver lost control and slid right in front of me. I replaced it with a 2016 Lariat 502a 4WD, it had more payload too. No matter what I tried I could not get it to tow the same trailer well. On one trip coming east on I80 through Nebraska where the expansion joints were hard and consistent, the truck was wigwagging that kept increasing until the hitch popped, then straightened out. I could not get it to tow using the Husky like it did with the 2014. I then upgraded to a Blue Ox. It made a difference, but with only one test drive on a windy day, I could not say it was a fix for that truck. That POS truck was a PITA, was in the shop at least a dozen times for vibrations and wandering steering, so part of my problems towing was the truck itself. I sued Ford since it was over miles for a buyback, and won the case, I then special ordered the 2018 I have now and traded in the red devil as it became known.

Now the 2018 seemed to tow better, at least it held the road straight, but any passing SUV would cause a wiggle. That's not right. After scaling it I found the weight distribution was dead on, the hitch was distributing the weight as it should, but after calculating the tongue weight I found the bars were the culprit. I had 1500 pound bars, but only 900 pounds TW. They were not providing any sway control. I bought a set of 1000 pound bars and on the trip home the truck was perfectly stable, and towed like a dream. My 2018 is a 2WD, after all the issues the 2016 had, mainly with the 4WD system, I did not want another one.

So what I found, on the 2016 the issue was the EPAS system causing the majority of the towing issues, the lighter body and new frame of this gen are not as stable as the previous gen which means needed a 4 point sway control and not the single brake bar I was using. On the 2018, the frame and lighter body with a "properly" configured and adjusted Blue Ox towed as well as the 2014 did, but does NOT tow as well using a simple Husky with a sway brake. I also found that going by the F150 manual for front fender height does not work as well as going by the hitch instructions of returning front fender height to it's unloaded height. That 1/2" made the whole difference in handling. My scale weight had returned 100% to the front wheels, and a good amount back to the trailer and that is when all the good handling happened. Having a good curve to the bars took care of the rest.

The trick for me was to have at LEAST 80% tongue weight to bar, Mine was 90% which did the trick. The 1500 pound bars were too strong, to get proper sway control they would have taken too much weight off the rear axle. That was my mistake, I had plans to add a generator rack and generator to the front, but wouldn't fit.

[Puma26RLSS]

Originally Posted by Bhrava

Been there, Done that, know exactly what you are referring to. I had a 2014 F150 Lariat 2WD 3.5EB. It had the basic tow package, 26 gallon tank, pretty much just a basic 501a. Loved that truck and it towed our 274BH like a dream using a standard round bar husky with a single sway brake on it. I never felt uncomfortable towing with it, except for the very first trip home with it from the dealer. Never trust a dealer to set your hitch up!

I lost that truck in an ice storm when another driver lost control and slid right in front of me. I replaced it with a 2016 Lariat 502a 4WD, it had more payload too. No matter what I tried I could not get it to tow the same trailer well. On one trip coming east on I80 through Nebraska where the expansion joints were hard and consistent, the truck was wigwagging that kept increasing until the hitch popped, then straightened out. I could not get it to tow using the Husky like it did with the 2014. I then upgraded to a Blue Ox. It made a difference, but with only one test drive on a windy day, I could not say it was a fix for that truck. That POS truck was a PITA, was in the shop at least a dozen times for vibrations and wandering steering, so part of my problems towing was the truck itself. I sued Ford since it was over miles for a buyback, and won the case, I then special ordered the 2018 I have now and traded in the red devil as it became known.

Now the 2018 seemed to tow better, at least it held the road straight, but any passing SUV would cause a wiggle. That's not right. After scaling it I found the weight distribution was dead on, the hitch was distributing the weight as it should, but after calculating the tongue weight I found the bars were the culprit. I had 1500 pound bars, but only 900 pounds TW. They were not providing any sway control. I bought a set of 1000 pound bars and on the trip home the truck was perfectly stable, and towed like a dream. My 2018 is a 2WD, after all the issues the 2016 had, mainly with the 4WD system, I did not want another one.

So what I found, on the 2016 the issue was the EPAS system causing the majority of the towing issues, the lighter body and new frame of this gen are not as stable as the previous gen which means needed a 4 point sway control and not the single brake bar I was using. On the 2018, the frame and lighter body with a "properly" configured and adjusted Blue Ox towed as well as the 2014 did, but does NOT tow as well using a simple Husky with a sway brake. I also found that going by the F150 manual for front fender height does not work as well as going by the hitch instructions of returning front fender height to it's unloaded height. That 1/2" made the whole difference in handling. My scale weight had returned 100% to the front wheels, and a good amount back to the trailer and that is when all the good handling happened. Having a good curve to the bars took care of the rest.

The trick for me was to have at LEAST 80% tongue weight to bar, Mine was 90% which did the trick. The 1500 pound bars were too strong, to get proper sway control they would have taken too much weight off the rear axle. That was my mistake, I had plans to add a generator rack and generator to the front, but wouldn't fit.

Very interesting. I have towed my 7,900 lbs. Puma TT over 26,000 miles with my old 2007 Dodge 5.7 Hemi using the load distribution, sway kit and hitch that the TT's previous owner sold me with the TT. It seems old fashion from what I see in the ads and on the road. The LD bars connect to the TT with chains that I can adjust by choosing the link in the chain I want to attach to the TT. The sway bars are separate and can be cranked down as hard or as soft as I prefer. Based on your experience, I think I might stay with my current kit when I do get my new truck. There is simply more ways to fine tune the system. Your thoughts?

[Bhrava]

Originally Posted by Puma26RLSS

Very interesting. I have towed my 7,900 lbs. Puma TT over 26,000 miles with my old 2007 Dodge 5.7 Hemi using the load distribution, sway kit and hitch that the TT's previous owner sold me with the TT. It seems old fashion from what I see in the ads and on the road. The LD bars connect to the TT with chains that I can adjust by choosing the link in the chain I want to attach to the TT. The sway bars are separate and can be cranked down as hard or as soft as I prefer. Based on your experience, I think I might stay with my current kit when I do get my new truck. There is simply more ways to fine tune the system. Your thoughts?

That is pretty much what my Husky was. Worked perfect for the 2014, but not at all with the next Gen F150. All I can say is give it a try, if it works great, if not, well at least you know there are at least 2, the Blue Ox and Equilizer that work very well. One of the reasons I found out later was that the bars were 800 pound rated, and when I had the 2014, the TW on the trailer was 790 pounds, it was our first year with the trailer and we added a few things over winter, so when I hooked up to the 2016, the TW was 850 pounds, only I didn't discover this until well after I bought the Blue Ox. Don't know if replacing the 800 pound bars with 1000 pound would have solved the issue, but by then I was already $500 into the Blue Ox.

[{Tpc}]

Originally Posted by Girtski

I have real life experience. 2018 F150 XLT, 1649lbs payload, 6.5' box, 3.5EB, 3.55 electronic locking diff, 36 gallon tank, pro trailer backup, Max Trailer Tow but NO HDPP. I have a Rockwood 8315BSS coming in at 6796 dry and around 7300 lbs loaded. It's box is 31' long. I wrestled with this setup for the summer of 2019 unable to get a comfortable ride with side wind, passing vehicles etc causing unacceptable sway while highway driving. I moved weight around, tried different settings on my Blue Ox sway pro hitch. I rode with the Blue Ox rep, tried 2 different sets of bars, various ball height settings, various tire pressure settings on both the truck and trailer. Went across the CAT scales 17 TIMES. I had the entire rig weighed with the help of some Ford Engineers and I couldn't have spread out the weight better than what I had. The Ford guys gave me another hitch to try with a friction sway bar. Didn't help. I have a friend make a custom plate to go under my ball so I could use 2 friction sway bars. Helped slightly but not enough to make me feel comfortable. I must mention that my 2001 F150 Supercrew 2WD towed this trailer flawlessly. I made the assumption that a brand new 2018 with the previously mentioned options would be an improvement. I couldn't have been more wrong. Ended up dropping another 3200.00 on a Hensley and it is much better but still not as good as the 2001.

Is the new truck a supercrew as well? What is the tongue weight on your trailer? Do you have the 20 inch wheels or the 18 inch? (I think its 18 lol).

I'm just wondering aloud here, not trying to pick apart the work you did in setting up, just questions I had.

With my 2018, I was pulling a 5k trailer, with the 2.7 with a dual friction sway control setup. I came from a 07 Tahoe, which was dialed in with this setup. When I got the new truck I thought it would be a good idea to redistribute some of the weight off the tongue into the middle portion of the trailer. First trip out it was terrible. I moved that tongue weight back and after a shank change for height, I was right back in business.

With the 2020, I went with a curt tru track style hitch as I sold the other with the other trailer. Because of the pandemic and a general lack of time, this one isn't as dialed in. The trailer is bigger and heavier which I think plays a large part in that, but I also miss the adjustment style of the last hitch. I'm sure I will get in dialed in this year (I wasn't happy with how the dealer did it) but I'm not sure I will get another hitch style that requires torque guns and tools to make any sort of adjustment, again.

[Mountaineer1954]

Didn't say that the comparison was there. Just hoping to be able to contribute without someone jumping down my throat while trying to impress everyone else. Better luck next time I guess.

[{Tpc}]

Originally Posted by Mountaineer1954

Didn't say that the comparison was there. Just hoping to be able to contribute without someone jumping down my throat while trying to impress everyone else. Better luck next time I guess.

I didn't jump down your throat and nor was I trying to impress anyone. I apologize if you took it otherwise. I was just pointing out the difference, mainly for the OP benefit, because I have the real world experience of both types of vehicles (EB vs V8) as well as towing lighter vs heavier trailers with these types of vehicles.

Again, I apologize, I guess I just didn't think that stating your particular trailer doesn't compare to the OP trailer in this situation was going to be a big deal. Merely an observation. Nothing wrong with the contribution.

[The Big Toe]

Originally Posted by {Tpc}

Is the new truck a supercrew as well? What is the tongue weight on your trailer? Do you have the 20 inch wheels or the 18 inch? (I think its 18 lol).

I'm just wondering aloud here, not trying to pick apart the work you did in setting up, just questions I had.

With my 2018, I was pulling a 5k trailer, with the 2.7 with a dual friction sway control setup. I came from a 07 Tahoe, which was dialed in with this setup. When I got the new truck I thought it would be a good idea to redistribute some of the weight off the tongue into the middle portion of the trailer. First trip out it was terrible. I moved that tongue weight back and after a shank change for height, I was right back in business.

With the 2020, I went with a curt tru track style hitch as I sold the other with the other trailer. Because of the pandemic and a general lack of time, this one isn't as dialed in. The trailer is bigger and heavier which I think plays a large part in that, but I also miss the adjustment style of the last hitch. I'm sure I will get in dialed in this year (I wasn't happy with how the dealer did it) but I'm not sure I will get another hitch style that requires torque guns and tools to make any sort of adjustment, again.

Battery operated, 1/2" drive, 300 lb-ft of torque with an inflator. Both for 99$. You need the batteries but you can find those on sale, too. Home Depot. Milwaukee and DeWalt are also in the market. YMMV

I won't leave home without them. And more.