2500FL Trailer...what to tow it with

[Superboiler]

We will likely get a 2500FL Minnie very soon. The thing that has delayed us getting it is we need to get something more capable to tow it. We have a 2015 Explorer with the towing package but it maxes out at 5000 lbs that it can tow. So I would probably move to a full size truck. Looking at the Ford F-150 and other options. Need to stick to gas. The truck will also be my daily driver to work and hopefully still fit in the garage here in Michigan. Four door and comfortable are very important. We see ourselves going all over ...especially out west and north so we will need power for hills.

Just wondering what folks have and their experiences on long trips, hills, gas mileage?

[BobC]

A half ton PU like the F-150 should do just fine. My rule of thumb is to stay at or below 80% of your trucks tow capacity. Keep in mind that tow capacities are often quoted based only on a 150 lb driver and no payload in the truck.

I towed a Nash 25S (Gross Dry Weight 5,1803, GVWR 8,000#, Dry Tongue Wt 540#) with a 2004 Nissan Titan 4-door crew cab for nine years without a problem. Towing I got about 10 mi/gal. Here in CA, the towing speed limit is 55 mph but I found the sweet spot, rpm and engine load-wise to be about 62 mph.

I drove conservatively and didn't push it on hills, but downshifted and took my time on long grades, up and down.

IMHO, you don't need a one ton (250) or a Diesel, plus they take up more room and may not fit in your garage whereas a 150 with a shorter bed will.

[RodneynDawnT]

I’ve been reading positive things about the Ford F-150 with 3.5 eco boost and max tow package.

That being said, my current truck is a 2007 Dodge Ram 1500 with 5.7 hemi, tow package, 3.92 gears, which is now at 175,000 miles. I bought it new in 07 to replace my 150,000 mile 01 f150 SuperCrew with 5.4l, which I also bought new. Believe it or not, the Dodge has been much more reliable. It seemed I was always replacing a coil pack or some sensor on the Ford. The Dodge has had a water pump at 80 and 160k miles plus tires, brakes and a couple of ball joints. That being said, there’s been a lot of changes on all makes over the years. I personally would have no issues with any of the 1/2 ton offerings out there that met my requirements.

I pull a 28rbds, which is about 2000 lbs heavier than the 2500fl.

[old_engineer]

That trailer is definitely too much for the Explorer before you leave the dealer's lot. Maximum towing weights in the vehicle towing guides are not realistic. How much a truck can pull is individual to that truck. The tow guides are stated for the lowest trim line with minimal options, a 150 lb driver and minimal tongue weight. Think a four wheel farm trailer where the weight is carried by the trailer. The same goes for trailer dry weights. A trailer will weigh more before you even leave the lot once the battery and LP tanks are installed. Commonly the trailer will be heavier by a 1000 lbs or more. Most dealers won't tell you this as they only want to see the trailer leave the lot.

The first thing most tow vehicles run out of first is payload capacity. The TV will have a sticker stating the maximum payload for the vehicle on the driver's side door pillar. This is the maximum weight that can be loaded and includes the weight of all passengers, their personal effect, cargo, owner added options, weight distributing hitch and trailer tongue weight. To determine the available payload for the trailer tongue and subtract the weight of all passengers, personal effects, cargo and 100 lbs for the WDH. The result is how much weight you have left to carried the trailer tongue. Take this number and divide by .13 (13%) and you will have a good approximation of the maximum trailer weight the TV can tow safely. Tongue weights typically run between 10% - 15% of trailer weight. The most common range is 12% - 14% which is why I use 13% as a rule of thumb. I would also calculate for 15% tongue weight to obtain a worst case scenario. For your trailer assuming a not unrealistic a loaded weight of 6K lbs you would have a tongue weight of 780 lbs. Don't forget that kids grow so that 40 lb future linebacker in the back seat could be closer tot 200 lbs down the road.

After the payload you still need to determine if you are within the Gross Combined Vehicle Weight, hitch receiver capacity and Gross Axle Weight Rating. If any is exceeded then the TV is too small for the TT. The GCVW is obtained from the towing guide or owners manual. The hitch receiver should have a sticker with its ratings and the GAWR is on a sticker on the driver's side door pillar. With the exception of hitch receiver rating these are most accurate by weighing. You can get a good enough quick estimate the GCVW by adding the TV curb weight plus estimated passenger/cargo/WDH/tongue/etc weights plus the estimated loaded weight if the trailer. Curb weight is obtained by taking the Gross Vehicle weight Rating from the driver's side sticker and subtracting the payload from sticker. I have yet to see the GAWR be exceeded by a TT that meets the payload, hitch receiver and GCVW. I think it is more of an issue when you start talking 5th wheel and goose neck trailers where the pin weight sits right over the axle. I would not recommend towing a 5th wheel with a 1/2 ton truck. There are some that can handle the 5th wheel weights but a 3/4 ton also has the truck weight to help keep things under control.

All of this should also be in the owners manual's towing section.

With that said there would be a number of F-150 configurations that should tow that trailer just fine. Personally I would go with a 3.5L Ecoboost but the V8 would also handle it. You should look at XL, XLT or Lariat trims with nothing more than an x02A options package to get the highest payloads. While the math might work for a 2.7L model having one I would not recommend that for this trailer. While capable to me the practical maximum is more in the 5K - 5.5K lbs range. You can get a better idea or get questions answered on the F150 forum. In particular the towing section. I would also spend some time browsing the "Post Your Payload" thread to get an idea of the payload ranges you will run across. Here is a link to the towing section:

https://www.f150forum.com/f82/