Would I be okay towing this RV?

[Groo]

Groo here
Why?????????????????????????????????
The weight of the trailer [brake problem] and front shape [wind drag] effects pull and stopping
performance ...
Towing flat does not mean min tongue weight.
I have yet to see a trailer that when flat [hitch adjusted correctly ] did not put a fair amount of weight on the hitch.
And I been towing boats and horse trailers for [ -4, carry the 3====] 40 years.
Hookup is not rocket science.
Set hitch ,, tow ,if it is loose raise hitch, if front of the truck is wandering lower.
Then check.
Every trailer is a critter unto itself and will tell you what it likes.
The 10% rule is not hard an fast...
When we got real trailer brakes , [not just drag brakes working off the stop light]
many things changed...

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[TechnicallyReal]

No, but had one popped up I wouldn't have seen it under those circumstances. I think the point of that system is to just do it's thing without distracting the driver who's attention needs to be on the road anyway.

It's part of the stability control system and only activates when it detects a problem, in attempt to avoid an emergency situation from developing. I think it makes noise to alert you that something's wrong. Video on it:

Groo here
After all the tail waging stories of late, I am thinking that a wdh or sway control
Will mess with the sway setting on the truck and cause more problems than it saves.
Those with tail waging , try to tow with out all the extra hardward.
Just allow the trailer to run flat not nose up and keep the rig under 70...
We only used wdh with 4horse trailers [loaded] with a truck camper.
No sway bars at all and IF the trailer started to wag , a quick brake application fixed it.
Ps live in ohio and never pulled over 60-65 [the limit]
Also , if FORD [aka the mother ship] says the truck can take 7500lb and 750 hitch,,,
You can bet the farm it will handle it and much more safely.[ sue happy as we are]

Hitches with anti-sway prevent the issue of sway from occurring in the first place. Ford's electronic sway control is a reactive system that only kicks in when things get dicey.

 

[Groo]

True ,, BUT,, the sway control is looking for a specific movement .
The anti sway "CAN"cause that movement to be different or delayed if there is no setting to account for it...
It is a stupid computer after, it can't think like you or me.
Only do what it is told[programed]
I worked on them "back in the day"

 

[ElSolo]

Great, no issues at all.

Handled great. No issues at all. I use a Anderson WDH which works very well with my truck and camper combination.

That's great to hear! Our family is interested in a TT around the size of yours (maybe a foot or two smaller) and we're also interested in pairing it with the Anderson WDH. Glad to know it's a good combo.

 

[TechnicallyReal]

Did you gets get some kind of alert or warning on the dash LCD about Sway Control kicking in? From what I've read, it won't be silent about anything it does.



I think there are some wildly varying experiences with long trailers due to a few things in particular:

• Ranger suspension (stock vs FX4 vs aftermarket shocks vs sumos vs airbags etc).
• Ranger tire pressures.
• Particular weight-distribution & sway control hitch used (if any).
• How well the hitch is actually configured.
• How items within the trailer are stored / balanced.

This makes it really hard to predict how things will work out from one person to the next.

Myself, I just traded in a Jayco 174BH for a 264BH and am picking it up on Wednesday. I believe it's 29' 5" bumper to ball (26' box?), approx 4900 lbs from factory with full propane, and 6000 lbs GVWR. Some things that I am hoping will work in my favor:

• I installed stiffer shocks in the rear of my Ranger (Eibach's).
• I will be adding air to my tires when towing, which should help with lateral movement.
• I have an Andersen no-way weight-distribution hitch, which I have a lot of confidence in, but I'm prepared to buy a ProPride hitch if need be. The ProPride (and the Hensley) legitimately appear to eliminate sway concerns due to their unique design compared to all other hitches.
• I make the effort to setup the hitch properly myself rather than rely on a dealer.
• I make the effort to not store heavy items in the rear of the trailer.

I'll report back with my experiences when I can.

Rather than report the same things back in 2 different threads, I'm going to only report back in this one (first experience with the new trailer already there): https://www.ranger5g.com/forum/threads/what-are-you-guys-towing.1768/post-276291

 

[P. A. Schilke]

True ,, BUT,, the sway control is looking for a specific movement .
The anti sway "CAN"cause that movement to be different or delayed if there is no setting to account for it...
It is a stupid computer after, it can't think like you or me.
Only do what it is told[programed]
I worked on them "back in the day"

Hi Mark,

Here an example of towing Back In The day used RVs

 

[JesseS]

Do not go to Mexico....It is imperative if you do you carry a full fresh water tank...

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

Correct, we go to San Felipe every winter for 6 weeks, we fill the tanks on the US side, plus I installed a RO system, will only drink water we filter. I had tourista once and never want that again.

 

[Danager]

“ As an example, lets say your trailer, ready to go, weighs 4500 lbs. It has a tongue weight of 500 lbs.
Now your at 5000 lbs.
Add weight of driver/occupants, and whatever your carrying in the bed, and also add 50 lbs or so for the hitch equipment...lets say 1000 lbs. Your at 6000 lbs, still under the 7500 lb limit.”

^^^Sorry, but no.

It is important to read and understand the various terms related to towing. GCWR, GAWR (F/R), Payload, Receiver weight rating with and without weight distribution, etc.

Trailer weight is just that. I would always use the max. In fact, tongue weight can be removed from total weight to calculate trailer axle weight.

Towed weight is also separate from (but affects) payload (what weight the truck “holds”).
Payload includes tongue weight and everything forward of the ball. The hitch, cargo in the bed, passengers, fuel, and additional (weight differential) of added accessories.

 

[Grumpaw]

“ As an example, lets say your trailer, ready to go, weighs 4500 lbs. It has a tongue weight of 500 lbs.
Now your at 5000 lbs.
Add weight of driver/occupants, and whatever your carrying in the bed, and also add 50 lbs or so for the hitch equipment...lets say 1000 lbs. Your at 6000 lbs, still under the 7500 lb limit.”

^^^Sorry, but no.

It is important to read and understand the various terms related to towing. GCWR, GAWR (F/R), Payload, Receiver weight rating with and without weight distribution, etc.

Trailer weight is just that. I would always use the max. In fact, tongue weight can be removed from total weight to calculate trailer axle weight.

Towed weight is also separate from (but affects) payload (what weight the truck “holds”).
Payload includes tongue weight and everything forward of the ball. The hitch, cargo in the bed, passengers, fuel, and additional (weight differential) of added accessories.

You have a GCWR of about 12,200 to 12,500 depending on truck model. Truck weighs around 4000-4400 depending on model. That leaves you with about 8000-8500 capacity. deduct 4 people, hitch weight, load in bed, say 1500 lbs, tongue weight of say 500 lbs.
Your at about 6500 lbs for a towing total trailer weight.
Figures are dependent on what is in bed, people weight, ect. But he is still safe in towing a 4000-4500 lb trailer.
Dosen't really matter how you figure weights, primary is the Gross Combined Weight that is the important #. What it can "tow, weight wise" is primarily based on the hitch itself, what it's rated at, and what the engineers decided was a weight that could be towed without damaging the drivetrain. There is also the factor that you don't want to tow a rig that weighs approximately 1 1/2 times the weight of the truck (not counting the really big 5th wheels that you need a F-450 - F-550 to tow).
It is all how the weights are calculated, truck/trailer/loads for both. Figures I posted were just an approximation based on the size/weight of the trailer he inquired about, and he is well within the "limits".
The primary reason Ford indicates a 7500 lb tow and a 750 tongue weight is solely based on the class 3 hitch that is factory installed. Has nothing to do with what the truck can actually tow. If one were to install a class 4 hitch with a 10,000 tow rating and a 1000 tongue weight rating, one could argue that the Ranger could handle it. I wouldn't want to try it, but again, the hitch would allow for it.

 

[Danager]

You have a GCWR of about 12,200 to 12,500 depending on truck model. Truck weighs around 4000-4400 depending on model. That leaves you with about 8000-8500 capacity. deduct 4 people, hitch weight, load in bed, say 1500 lbs, tongue weight of say 500 lbs.
Your at about 6500 lbs for a towing total trailer weight.
Figures are dependent on what is in bed, people weight, ect. But he is still safe in towing a 4000-4500 lb trailer.
Dosen't really matter how you figure weights, primary is the Gross Combined Weight that is the important #. What it can "tow, weight wise" is primarily based on the hitch itself, what it's rated at, and what the engineers decided was a weight that could be towed without damaging the drivetrain. There is also the factor that you don't want to tow a rig that weighs approximately 1 1/2 times the weight of the truck (not counting the really big 5th wheels that you need a F-450 - F-550 to tow).
It is all how the weights are calculated, truck/trailer/loads for both. Figures I posted were just an approximation based on the size/weight of the trailer he inquired about, and he is well within the "limits".

I agree with most, just not adding tongue weight to trailer weight. Trailer weight includes tongue weight.

I totally agree with also working within GCWR. People close to or at the limit of trailer weight will often exceed payload, then surpass GCWR.

 

[Grumpaw]

I agree with most, just not adding tongue weight to trailer weight. Trailer weight includes tongue weight.

I totally agree with also working within GCWR. People close to or at the limit of trailer weight will often exceed payload, then surpass GCWR.

Funny thing is, is that if Ford installed a class 4 hitch with a 10,000 tow rating and a 1000 tongue rating (using a proper weight distributing set up) and upped the tow rating to 10,000, no one would question it, cause Ford says its OK. It would only be OK cause that what the hitch is rated at. Forget power, engine, tranns, rear end, ect ect ect...it's all based on the hitch.

 

[RandomHB]

Great, no issues at all.

Handled great. No issues at all. I use a Anderson WDH which works very well with my truck and camper combination.

This is fantastic to see. I have an 22 foot Airstream on the way, with the same wet weight. My dad keeps telling me I'll want to upgrade the truck, but I'm trying to avoid that.

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