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Old 12-13-2015, 04:42 AM   #21
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Originally Posted by atcbrownie View Post
Yea it was ecoboost. I had all the options to give me the absolute best towing ability in the f150. I was on I68 heading west from Cumberland Maryland to morgantown wv. I believe it is 6% grade.
I wouldn't worry about the few mts. or passes that you will hit. 6% is pretty good. My old way of thinking is just pull over to the far right lane, throw on your flashers and just take your time pulling it. I'll even do that with my F-250, why push it. Your truck will thank you for it in the long run. Also do the same thing descending. 6% grade up or down is pretty steep especially on long pulls.
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Old 12-13-2015, 07:35 AM   #22
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7753,even that is asking alot from a F150....check your GVWR....
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Old 12-13-2015, 10:38 AM   #23
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From my limited time towing a travel trailer I would go with the lightest trailer that fits you needs. Remember, take it easy and enjoy the ride.
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Old 12-13-2015, 09:00 PM   #24
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Get the bigger TT. The unloaded is only 700 lb difference. The bigger one has heaver frame, axels and springs with matching tires. The travel weight will be similar for both TTs.

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Old 12-14-2015, 11:47 AM   #25
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Specs for the truck are 16,100 GCWR, 10,700 maximum loaded trailer weight rating, 2070 lb maximum payload weight rating. The hitch weight for the heavier TT is 953 lbs, the hitch weight for the lighter is 650. We should be within specs for either TT, but there is less of a safety margin with the heavier trailer.
Those hitch weights are for a dry trailer without factory options.

You're looking at 1350 lbs on the hitch, plus a 100 pound WDH if you go with the heavier trailer loaded to 9K.

So you have about 500 pounds to play with inside the truck. That has to include you and any family members and anything else you put inside the truck.

You might still be under. That turbo is going to be working hard though. I'd definitely go with the lighter one unless there is something in the floorplan that you dislike.

Start socking away money for the F250 you'll be in the market for by this time next year.
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Old 12-17-2015, 08:43 AM   #26
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Keen Family, whichever RV you choose, take it straight to the tire store of your choice and get rid of the factory tires!
Research here to learn about those "China bombs". Then go enjoy exploring safely with your family.
BTW welcome to the forum family from Beautiful Kentucky.
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Old 12-17-2015, 09:37 AM   #27
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OP, there is a lot of poor guidance being offered here resulting in conflicting information. First of all, the GVWR is NOT a good way to compare these 2 trailers. As one poster pointed out, the actual weight of the trailers may vary little, yet the CCC can be very different resulting in very different GVWR ratings. If that poster is correct that there is only 700lbs. dry weight difference, you'd be MUCH better served with the higher GVWR trailer. It most likely has heavier axles, tires and possibly frame to allow the additional CCC- all VERY good things. And as for the guy claiming the EB will struggle to pull that trailer in the mountains.......I'll probably get chastised for saying it, but it's the truth.....that's a load of crap. I pulled a TT with a GVWR of over 10K that was loaded to ~9500 thousands of miles. The vast majority of that time I was in 5th gear at ~2K RPM at 65. Pulled some pretty good grades through Kentucky and Tennessee in 4th at ~2650 RPM at 65 mph. I don't recall the grade, but it was steep enough that there was a dedicated lane with semis in it struggling to maintain 45mph. Oh, and at the very least, get a 4 point Equalizer BRAND hitch. Do NOT under any circumstances allow the dealer to talk you into a basic chain type WDH with a friction bar. Many people use the term "Equalizer hitch" to mean any type of WDH- kind of like some people say "Coke" to mean any type of soda- so you have to be specific that you want the Equalizer BRAND. And NOT the E2- the 4 point!
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Old 12-17-2015, 10:00 AM   #28
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Do NOT under any circumstances allow the dealer to talk you into a basic chain type WDH with a friction bar. Many people use the term "Equalizer hitch" to mean any type of WDH- kind of like some people say "Coke" to mean any type of soda- so you have to be specific that you want the Equalizer BRAND. And NOT the E2- the 4 point![/QUOTE]

Dustman, what's wrong with the chain type of WD hitch? I've been using the same 12000 pound rated Reese with no sway control for 15 years without issue. But I suppose you must match the hitch to the the tow vehicle. I have always had 3/4-1 ton crew cabs as tow vehicles so maybe for a lighter truck a more advanced WDH would be wise.
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Old 12-17-2015, 10:03 AM   #29
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The 2015 F150 built-in receiver has a max tongue weight rating of 1220 lbs w/WDH according to the F150 towing guide. There is a good chance you will be over this with the larger trailer.

http://www.ford.com/resources/ford/g...0_r1_Jan12.pdf
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Old 12-17-2015, 10:09 AM   #30
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Do NOT under any circumstances allow the dealer to talk you into a basic chain type WDH with a friction bar. Many people use the term "Equalizer hitch" to mean any type of WDH- kind of like some people say "Coke" to mean any type of soda- so you have to be specific that you want the Equalizer BRAND. And NOT the E2- the 4 point!
Dustman, what's wrong with the chain type of WD hitch? I've been using the same 12000 pound rated Reese with no sway control for 15 years without issue. But I suppose you must match the hitch to the the tow vehicle. I have always had 3/4-1 ton crew cabs as tow vehicles so maybe for a lighter truck a more advanced WDH would be wise.[/QUOTE]

You are correct. The larger the TV and smaller the TT, the less hitch you need. And vice-versa.
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Old 12-17-2015, 10:15 AM   #31
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The 2015 F150 built-in receiver has a max tongue weight rating of 1220 lbs w/WDH according to the F150 towing guide. There is a good chance you will be over this with the larger trailer.

http://www.ford.com/resources/ford/g...0_r1_Jan12.pdf
The dry weights of the campers are 700 pounds different- assuming the earlier poster was correct. Therefore, loaded weight should only be 700 pounds different. ~105 lbs TW difference, max. And you do realize that the 1220 number is derived from 10% of the max tow rating of 12,200, right??? The stress placed on that hitch is very dynamic and changes constantly as you travel. If it breaks at 1325, it was going to break at 1220 in a few minutes.... Yet, with all of this said, with proper loading, even if loaded to max GVWR of 9800 (which he almost certainly won't be) it's not a problem to keep under a 1220 TW.

Edit: Assuming Dodge Guy is correct and the 9800 TT has a dry weight of ~6800, you can figure the yellow sticker is likely around ~7200. Add 1000 pounds of gear and you are at 8200. TW should be between 820 and 1230. Ideal around 1025- easy to stay under rating.
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Old 12-17-2015, 10:20 AM   #32
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Originally Posted by keith_h View Post
The 2015 F150 built-in receiver has a max tongue weight rating of 1220 lbs w/WDH according to the F150 towing guide. There is a good chance you will be over this with the larger trailer.

http://www.ford.com/resources/ford/g...0_r1_Jan12.pdf
Good point. I delayed picking up my TT (6100 EW and advertised 1,100 hitch weight) until I installed a heavy duty Curt Class 5 XD hitch (16,000 pul and 1,600 weight). Less than $200 and money well spent.

Also, the OP might consider a power tongue jack from the git go. I unhooked the trailer one time and immediately went to Amazon to get a power unit.
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Old 12-17-2015, 10:24 AM   #33
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Good point. I delayed picking up my TT (6100 EW and advertised 1,100 hitch weight) until I installed a heavy duty Curt Class 5 XD hitch (16,000 pul and 1,600 weight). Less than $200 and money well spent.

Also, the OP might consider a power tongue jack from the git go. I unhooked the trailer one time and immediately went to Amazon to get a power unit.
No need for a new hitch on the F150- doubt you can even get one. But I concur with the power tongue jack comment. I used to make fun of the "wussies" that need a power tongue jack. Now I make fun of the guys that have sweat pouring off of them after running the jack down manually. Barker is the only way to go on the power tongue jack, IMHO.
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Old 12-17-2015, 10:32 AM   #34
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The dry weights of the campers are 700 pounds different- assuming the earlier poster was correct. Therefore, loaded weight should only be 700 pounds different. ~105 lbs TW difference, max. And you do realize that the 1220 number is derived from 10% of the max tow rating of 12,200, right??? The stress placed on that hitch is very dynamic and changes constantly as you travel. If it breaks at 1325, it was going to break at 1220 in a few minutes.... Yet, with all of this said, with proper loading, even if loaded to max GVWR of 9800 (which he almost certainly won't be) it's not a problem to keep under a 1220 TW.

Edit: Assuming Dodge Guy is correct and the 9800 TT has a dry weight of ~6800, you can figure the yellow sticker is likely around ~7200. Add 1000 pounds of gear and you are at 8200. TW should be between 820 and 1230. Ideal around 1025- easy to stay under rating.
I agree the hitch will handle more than the manufacturers rating but I'm of the school you don't exceed what the mfg specifies. Mostly it has to do with liability or warranty issues but there are also the longer term wear & tear factors that come into play.

As far as staying under most folks don't pay much attention to what weights they have or how they are distributed unless they perceive a problem while driving. The typical person just throws their stuff in and goes. I don't know how the OP packs but I've seen a tendency for people to load their TT's the max more often than packing the minimal needed.
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Old 12-17-2015, 11:38 AM   #35
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I agree the hitch will handle more than the manufacturers rating but I'm of the school you don't exceed what the mfg specifies. Mostly it has to do with liability or warranty issues but there are also the longer term wear & tear factors that come into play.

As far as staying under most folks don't pay much attention to what weights they have or how they are distributed unless they perceive a problem while driving. The typical person just throws their stuff in and goes. I don't know how the OP packs but I've seen a tendency for people to load their TT's the max more often than packing the minimal needed.
The OP would have to load around 2500lbs of stuff into the 9800 GVWR trailer to get to max. That's very unlikely. If they load each of the 2 trailers in question the same, which we have no reason to believe they wouldn't, everything I've stated is accurate.

Edit: In other words, if the OP is overloaded with the "lighter" one he'll likely be overloaded with the "heavier" one. I don't think he'll be over on anything other than possibly payload of the truck depending upon how many people he hauls and how much stuff he loads in the bed, regardless.
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Old 12-17-2015, 01:58 PM   #36
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GVWR has nothing to do with trailer weight it stands for Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and never changes. The two key words are "Vehicle" and "RATING". IE MOST newer 250/2500 have a GVWR of 10,000 lbs and that weight RATING is set by the manufacture of the truck and does not change.
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Old 12-17-2015, 02:30 PM   #37
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GVWR has nothing to do with trailer weight it stands for Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and never changes. The two key words are "Vehicle" and "RATING". IE MOST newer 250/2500 have a GVWR of 10,000 lbs and that weight RATING is set by the manufacture of the truck and does not change.
Not sure what your point is??? Trailers have a GVWR also. And a CCC. And a NVWR, commonly referred to as the "yellow sticker" weight. And a "dry weight", which is the bare bones model weight.
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Old 12-17-2015, 07:26 PM   #38
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Thanks. This is all very helpful. The deal on the light weight trailer fell through. We are heading out this weekend to look at several models.
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Old 12-19-2015, 07:06 AM   #39
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The op is comparing GROSS trailer weights. If they are loading their trailer heavier that that weight they have other issues to deal with.
I will agree with other posters in the fact that you need to look at your trucks combined gross vehicle weight. Never ever go over that. My Ram's tow rating includes 800 lbs (do not have math in front of me at moment but I did it when bought new trailer a month ago) for people and cargo. I go through that 800 lbs pretty fast with 4 people and my tools and firewood so I loss some towing weight.

There are several other threads on here about TV and TT weights. What it boils down to is can your TV stop your TT and do you feel safe driving it. People who are a lot smarter than me came up with vehicle weight and tow ratings so I follow their advice more than I would anyone on a forum, my advice included.
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Old 12-19-2015, 09:50 AM   #40
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My advice would be to get the one you like best keeping in mind a 250 or 2500 TV may be in your future. Either one, in my opinion, puts the truck too close to it's limits to be comfortable. I know people that pull over their weight ratings and don't seem to mind at all but I like a larger margin.
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