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Old 10-13-2018, 09:38 PM   #21
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Unloaded vehicle weight on the 282QBXL is 6,457 lbs according to Forest River's website (for West Coast production, link to specifications below). So you are nearly at your truck's towing capacity even before adding any weight to the equation. Another issue is the trailer's length -- at 32' 10", this is more than most half-ton trucks, such as your F-150, can safely tow. I personally would not tow a trailer of that length with my half-ton truck (rated to tow 9,400 lbs) even on well-maintained roads. You will need to hire someone with a 3/4 ton or one-ton truck, or a professional towing company, to move this trailer off the mountain.

What you will do with the trailer once it's off the mountain is a critical, separate question. The combined hitch weight of the Wildwood trailer, plus your new hitch, your gear and belongings (even placed in the truck bed) and your passenger will almost certainly be greater than the payload your truck can handle. You can find your F-150's specific payload rating on a sticker in the driver's side door.

http://www.forestriverinc.com/produc...elID=2876#Main
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Old 10-13-2018, 09:39 PM   #22
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GVWR Gross Vehicle Weight Rating is the maximum weight the trailer is rated for, I.e., empty trailer weight plus all added cargo. So if you take as much weight as you can in a truckload or two, you can lighten the trailer a bit. A trailer brake controller is a must! You may be able to connect the controller with a cable to an existing plug under the dash IF you have the factory tow package. Factory tow package would include a 2" hitch receiver and 7 pin round electrical connector at the hitch. Newer trucks with tow packages include the brake controller. What the trailer weighs empty is likely close to 1000# (or more) less than the GTWR. (Edit: 6193# per above post.)

Your best bet would be to get somebody experienced towing travel trailers with a 3/4 or one ton truck to tow it for you. A 3/4 or one ton truck could likely pull your trailer without a weight distributing hitch. If using your truck, you really need a knowledgeable person to help set it up for towing. The 5.3L is a decent towing engine, I had that in my Expedition.
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Old 10-13-2018, 09:39 PM   #23
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Originally Posted by TheGerman View Post
Short answer: Find somebody with a properly equipped 3/4 ton truck to move the trailer.

Long answer: A few F-150 of that year may have the necessary tow rating to pull a 7500 lbs trailer, if it has the right gearing and tow package (better cooling). You also need a trailer brake controller and a weight distributing hitch. But the trailer is still significantly longer and heavier (if moving everything in one run most likely overloaded) than the tow vehicle which is always a sketchy thing. Somebody with a lot of experience might be able to work with this, but in the case of the OP I recommend against it.
I still dont understand why everyone is saying the trailer is 7500lbs if outside on the label it says 7705lbs
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Old 10-13-2018, 09:40 PM   #24
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Originally Posted by rsdata View Post
Max


I looked up specs on this trailer and found this...

The DRY weight is only 4135# plus a cargo weight of 3326#...

so if you do not load your trailer with rocks... (heavy stuff) YOUR trailer probably ONLY weighs 5000# or so... NOT the 7700#, which is the MAX LOADED with water tanks filled and cargo.

SO your truck is a lot closer to pulling this then you think. the reason you need a WDHitch is because of the 499# (and more likely 650-700#) hitch weight.
Wrong model. OP has a 282QBXL, presumably a unit manufactured for the West Coast.

Wildwood X-Lite West T282QBXL Travel Trailers / Toy Haulers by Forest River RV
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Old 10-13-2018, 09:46 PM   #25
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I still dont understand why everyone is saying the trailer is 7500lbs if outside on the label it says 7705lbs
Oh got it nvm
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Old 10-13-2018, 09:49 PM   #26
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Zowie.

First, find out where you are going to move to. Then use the phone and call several towing/transportation companies for prices. Then get a job or borrow the $$$ from her Dad. If you try and move it yourself, it sounds like it may end up being much more expensive than hiring it out, mainly because of inexperience and lack of equipment. Good luck!
Thanks
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Old 10-13-2018, 09:50 PM   #27
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Originally Posted by Go West View Post
Wrong model. OP has a 282QBXL, presumably a unit manufactured for the West Coast.
Yes its for the west coast
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Old 10-13-2018, 09:54 PM   #28
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Max


I looked up specs on this trailer and found this...

The DRY weight is only 4135# plus a cargo weight of 3326#...

so if you do not load your trailer with rocks... (heavy stuff) YOUR trailer probably ONLY weighs 5000# or so... NOT the 7700#, which is the MAX LOADED with water tanks filled and cargo.

SO your truck is a lot closer to pulling this then you think. the reason you need a WDHitch is because of the 499# (and more likely 650-700#) hitch weight.
Do these numbers mean anything to you?Click image for larger version

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Old 10-13-2018, 09:59 PM   #29
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Originally Posted by Go West View Post
Unloaded vehicle weight on the 282QBXL is 6,457 lbs according to Forest River's website (for West Coast production). So you are nearly at your truck's towing capacity even before adding any weight to the equation. Another issue is the trailer's length -- at 32' 10", this is more than most half-ton trucks, such as your F-150, can safely tow. I personally would not tow a trailer of that length with my half-ton truck (rated to tow 9,400 lbs) even on well-maintained roads. You will need to hire someone with a 3/4 ton or one-ton truck to move this trailer off the mountain.

What you will do with the trailer once it's off the mountain is a critical, separate question. The combined hitch weight of the Wildwood trailer, plus your new hitch, your gear and belongings (even placed in the truck bed) and your passenger will almost certainly be greater than the payload your truck can handle. You can find your vehicle's specific payload rating on a yellow sticker in the driver's side door.
If my trucks towing capacity is 7700lbs how does 6400lbs put it nearly at capacity?
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Old 10-13-2018, 10:11 PM   #30
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That weight is very close to the limit but it isn't just the weight that is important. A flatbed trailer with a low profile load that weighs 7000lbs is easier in my opinion is easier to haul than a 7000lb cargo or travel trailer. Things like sight, center of gravity being higher, and overall length make it harder to haul. I would really suggest having someone move it for you. Learn how to haul it later in a better environment. Not on the side of a mountain.
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Old 10-13-2018, 10:13 PM   #31
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That weight is very close to the limit but it isn't just the weight that is important. A flatbed trailer with a low profile load that weighs 7000lbs is easier in my opinion is easier to haul than a 7000lb cargo or travel trailer. Things like sight, center of gravity being higher, and overall length make it harder to haul. I would really suggest having someone move it for you. Learn how to haul it later in a better environment. Not on the side of a mountain.
Got it thank you
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Old 10-13-2018, 10:24 PM   #32
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Regardless of the actual weight of the trailer, you are going to be driving down dirt mountain road. Depending on the condition and steepness of this road, this could be somewhere between dangerous and suicidal. 5 or 6 thousand pounds pushing an F-150 could get hairy. Like someone said, you will have to have a working brake controller and you need to know that it is operating the trailer brakes and adjusted properly. This is usually done on level roads, not mountain roads.
My truck weighs 8000 pounds and I was towing a farm tractor on a tandem axle flatbed trailer down a dirt road. It was a fairly mild mountain road, but that tractor was pushing me. As I was braking, my tires were slipping. It was not a very comfortable feeling.
Please think this through carefully and don't risk your truck and trailer and, possibly, your life.
I wish you the best.
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Old 10-13-2018, 10:31 PM   #33
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Regardless of the actual weight of the trailer, you are going to be driving down dirt mountain road. Depending on the condition and steepness of this road, this could be somewhere between dangerous and suicidal. 5 or 6 thousand pounds pushing an F-150 could get hairy. Like someone said, you will have to have a working brake controller and you need to know that it is operating the trailer brakes and adjusted properly. This is usually done on level roads, not mountain roads.
My truck weighs 8000 pounds and I was towing a farm tractor on a tandem axle flatbed trailer down a dirt road. It was a fairly mild mountain road, but that tractor was pushing me. As I was braking, my tires were slipping. It was not a very comfortable feeling.
Please think this through carefully and don't risk your truck and trailer and, possibly, your life.
I wish you the best.
Thanks for the help! We definitely wont be doing anything risky. Definitely gonna think this one through and wait till everything lines up.
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Old 10-13-2018, 10:37 PM   #34
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Originally Posted by trailernoob View Post
If my trucks towing capacity is 7700lbs how does 6400lbs put it nearly at capacity?
We haven't established that amount, since you haven't provided any specs other than engine size and 4x4.
According to the 1999 Ford Towing guide, there are 8 different towing capacities for the 4x4 F150 5.4 v8, depending on GCWR, rear end ratios and cab size.
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Old 10-13-2018, 10:43 PM   #35
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Without knowing where you are other than on the side of a mountain you could be excluding someone who has the truck to move you or offer help. Why no location? Are you tending a pot farm or what? We can tell you that you can't do it with what you have but we can't say if anyone could help.
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Old 10-13-2018, 11:05 PM   #36
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There's a bit of a learning curve to setting up your hitch properly and pulling a trailer. Your route, while fairly short, sounds like a challenging one and once you get it to your destination, you have to park it and that can be tricky, too - depending on the site. It seems to me that having your first towing trip be like what you're describing would be pretty risky.

You also have to invest in a good weight distribution hitch and brake controller before you can do anything. I'm betting it would be cheaper and safer to hire someone to move it for you.

My husband and I bought our travel trailer in another state and then hired someone to deliver it to us. We used a website called uship.com that lets you post the specs and details for your trailer and then professional drivers will bid on the job. We had our trailer delivered and parked in our driveway for about half of what it would have cost us to drive there and bring it back ourselves. It's worth checking out and it doesn't cost you anything unless you accept someone's bid. https://www.uship.com
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Old 10-13-2018, 11:09 PM   #37
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I certainly looked up the wrong trailer... SORRY for giving you incorrect info YOUR trailer is much heavier then the one that I looked up...

You are going to need a properly setup 2500 or 3500 truck to get off that mountain road.

The 7705# number you keep asking about is the MAX weight your trailer is designed to handle, that is with full loads of water and cargo and propane tanks plus battery. The actual weight of your trailer is probably a 1000# less than that, depending on what you have added or what you have in the tanks.

The reason I asked about precisely where you were at is that maybe someone on this forum would be familiar with that area and type of road where you are located and be able to provide some specific information. I was not trying to be nosey.

As you travel your local town, look around for a 2500 or 3500 series truck and inquire as to if the owner might want to help you out and earn a few $$$ in the process. Once you get down level, then someone can help you determine your trucks capability on towing on a normal highway instead of downhill on a dirt road.

Yes, installing a WDH hitch correctly requires you to be on a level surface. It is not rocket science to install a WDH, the instructions are pretty straight forward, but if not done correctly can lead to some serious problems when towing, especially with a TV that is close to it's limits.
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Old 10-13-2018, 11:14 PM   #38
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I would also ask what the grades are on the roads your planning to go down beyond just the truck/trailer specs. What percent and how long are they? This is not something you want to do on your first attempt pulling a travel trailer at or near capacity for the truck on and untested WDH setup you installed yourself. I have a heavy trailer (about your weight) and went down steep paved grades several miles long and would not choose to do it again.

Should you try it make sure your insurance is paid up for the truck, trailer, and you...after you had some road time and understood how it behaved sure but now it may be best to get help.

If you are planning to sell the trailer then have who even plans to buy it pay for the haul down the mountain or do it themselves after they pay you for it. If you plan to keep it pay someone until you know what you are getting into. This is a worst case scenario with loaded truck, heavy trailer, new WDH, new driver.

To tow this yourself based on what I read so far seems like a $200-$500 WDH, a $40-160 brake controller, wiring harness installed TBD until we know the truck, insurance etc could be cheaper to have it done depending on how far you need it driven.

Maybe tow insurance would be able to help cover it?

Best of luck.
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Old 10-13-2018, 11:16 PM   #39
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Without knowing where you are other than on the side of a mountain you could be excluding someone who has the truck to move you or offer help. Why no location? Are you tending a pot farm or what? We can tell you that you can't do it with what you have but we can't say if anyone could help.
Id just rather not give away my location on a random internet forum
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Old 10-13-2018, 11:20 PM   #40
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I certainly looked up the wrong trailer... SORRY for giving you incorrect info YOUR trailer is much heavier then the one that I looked up...

You are going to need a properly setup 2500 or 3500 truck to get off that mountain road.

The 7705# number you keep asking about is the MAX weight your trailer is designed to handle, that is with full loads of water and cargo and propane tanks plus battery. The actual weight of your trailer is probably a 1000# less than that, depending on what you have added or what you have in the tanks.

The reason I asked about precisely where you were at is that maybe someone on this forum would be familiar with that area and type of road where you are located and be able to provide some specific information. I was not trying to be nosey.

As you travel your local town, look around for a 2500 or 3500 series truck and inquire as to if the owner might want to help you out and earn a few $$$ in the process. Once you get down level, then someone can help you determine your trucks capability on towing on a normal highway instead of downhill on a dirt road.

Yes, installing a WDH hitch correctly requires you to be on a level surface. It is not rocket science to install a WDH, the instructions are pretty straight forward, but if not done correctly can lead to some serious problems when towing, especially with a TV that is close to it's limits.
I doubt anyone on this forum is nearby where I am its in the middle of nowhere. But thanks for all of the helpful information. Sounds like im going to need to find someone to help.
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