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Post by jstuart on Apr 4, 2021 9:31:06 GMT -5
I was a bit nervous, but we made our first pull from El Paso up to the mountains in Ruidoso, NM with my 2018 F150 3.5 Ecoboost. A couple months ago we purchased a KZ 283RLT Durango and are really liking it. Having owned two larger 5th wheels several years back, I always towed with an F250 King Ranch Diesel. Our focus this time around was to go a bit smaller and lighter, and I was very surprised how well the F150 handled the trip. In order to prepare, I added air bags, XL rated tires, Reese Sidewinder hitch, and a Curt A16 hitch. I estimate my trailer weight was just under 10K lbs. I am looking forward to reading the posts, lessons learned, and information on this site as my wife and I get accustomed again to RV life and this particular vehicle/RV setup. Attachments:
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Post by Edd505 on Apr 4, 2021 20:01:52 GMT -5
Congrats on the new RV. Be interesting on how that handles with more miles and adverse weather, wind, rains, etc.
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Post by jstuart on Apr 4, 2021 22:14:21 GMT -5
Congrats on the new RV. Be interesting on how that handles with more miles and adverse weather, wind, rains, etc. Agree. As for wind, it was pretty gusty which is typical this time of year. But the truck has 480 ft lbs of torque and 375 HP which did the job quite well. My other two 5th wheels were over 11K, and the KZ Half-ton was much easier to handle for sure. |
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Post by nvguy on Apr 4, 2021 23:32:58 GMT -5
Congrats on the first trip. It's good to hear a positive first hand report for both the RV and the truck.
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Post by Edd505 on Apr 5, 2021 13:39:31 GMT -5
Congrats on the new RV. Be interesting on how that handles with more miles and adverse weather, wind, rains, etc. Agree. As for wind, it was pretty gusty which is typical this time of year. But the truck has 480 ft lbs of torque and 375 HP which did the job quite well. My other two 5th wheels were over 11K, and the KZ Half-ton was much easier to handle for sure. Yep it's wind time down here, we are almost neighbors, I'm up at the Butte. |
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Post by Chuck on Apr 9, 2021 17:56:13 GMT -5
Glad to here that as well  Safe Travels Chuck |
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Post by goodvibes on Apr 14, 2021 9:55:18 GMT -5
What is the payload on your truck?
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Post by jstuart on Apr 14, 2021 18:20:53 GMT -5
What is the payload on your truck? On my truck, max towing is 10,700, payload is 3,230 ... per the Ford chart by the exact truck type configuration. The dealers are quick to tout max towing over 13K, but that seems to be in a perfect combination of all possible features. I admit that I was hesitant, but in the spirit of downsizing I think the truck and trailer is good combination for what we need right now. My last tow was in the mountains up to 10K ft and it did fine. Conservatively loaded up, the trailer weighs less than 9700. I also think the XL rated tires and air bags were a good investment. |
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Post by goodvibes on Apr 14, 2021 20:02:37 GMT -5
What is the payload on your truck? On my truck, max towing is 10,700, payload is 3,230 ... per the Ford chart by the exact truck type configuration. The dealers are quick to tout max towing over 13K, but that seems to be in a perfect combination of all possible features. I admit that I was hesitant, but in the spirit of downsizing I think the truck and trailer is good combination for what we need right now. My last tow was in the mountains up to 10K ft and it did fine. Conservatively loaded up, the trailer weighs less than 9700. I also think the XL rated tires and air bags were a good investment. The payload "chart" is worthless. What does the yellow and white sticker on your drivers side door panel say? |
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Post by kenc1325 on Apr 19, 2021 18:42:42 GMT -5
Congratulations I hope it continues to work out for you . Best of luck and happy trails
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Post by redbull on Apr 23, 2021 8:39:07 GMT -5
Congratulations on your new camper and.....Wow, I'm impressed..your 3.5 Ecoboost must be a beast! I just pulled my brand new Durango half-ton 286BHD with my 2021 Ram 2500 6'4 Hemi from Missouri to Indiana and I wasn't thrilled with the pulling power at all. It pulled ok, but it seemed that the motor was working hard most of the time and wished for more pulling oomph especially up hills and from dead start. I personally thought that the Hemi will barely notice 8,500 dry camper behind, but it definitively did. We had light NE winds and I was doing 65MPH most of the time so drag wasn't too much of an issue here. I'm kinda scratching my head...how my truck gonna pull my camper loaded? Payload wise, my truck barely squat under the pin weight of the camper and there was no sway of any kind and I felt pretty confident towing it. Breaking was Excellent. We averaged little over 10MPG on 500 mile trip. Will see how it pulls loaded, but I'm seriously thinking of getting 6.7 Cummins...BTW, we love our new camper!!!   Once again, the 3.5 Ecoboost must be just better motor for pulling than my Hemi. |
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Post by jfspry58 on Apr 23, 2021 10:35:50 GMT -5
I was a bit nervous, but we made our first pull from El Paso up to the mountains in Ruidoso, NM with my 2018 F150 3.5 Ecoboost. A couple months ago we purchased a KZ 283RLT Durango and are really liking it. Having owned two larger 5th wheels several years back, I always towed with an F250 King Ranch Diesel. Our focus this time around was to go a bit smaller and lighter, and I was very surprised how well the F150 handled the trip. In order to prepare, I added air bags, XL rated tires, Reese Sidewinder hitch, and a Curt A16 hitch. I estimate my trailer weight was just under 10K lbs. I am looking forward to reading the posts, lessons learned, and information on this site as my wife and I get accustomed again to RV life and this particular vehicle/RV setup. Congrats on the new rig! It’s a great looking combo and looks like it rides nice and level too. Best of luck and safe travels! Jay |
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Post by jfspry58 on Apr 23, 2021 10:41:00 GMT -5
Congratulations on your new camper and.....Wow, I'm impressed..your 3.5 Ecoboost must be a beast! I just pulled my brand new Durango half-ton 286BHD with my 2021 Ram 2500 6'4 Hemi from Missouri to Indiana and I wasn't thrilled with the pulling power at all. It pulled ok, but it seemed that the motor was working hard most of the time and wished for more pulling oomph especially up hills and from dead start. I personally thought that the Hemi will barely notice 8,500 dry camper behind, but it definitively did. We had light NE winds and I was doing 65MPH most of the time so drag wasn't too much of an issue here. I'm kinda scratching my head...how my truck gonna pull my camper loaded? Payload wise, my truck barely squat under the pin weight of the camper and there was no sway of any kind and I felt pretty confident towing it. Breaking was Excellent. We averaged little over 10MPG on 500 mile trip. Will see how it pulls loaded, but I'm seriously thinking of getting 6.7 Cummins...BTW, we love our new camper!!! View AttachmentView AttachmentOnce again, the 3.5 Ecoboost must be just better motor for pulling than my Hemi. First, congrats on the new rig! I don’t know that his 3.5 is necessarily a better engine for towing than your 6.4, but it does have 2 turbos that yours doesn’t. The Hemis love to rev. Unless you’re red-lined you should be fine, and your Ram 2500 is definitely a sturdy truck. Now the 6.7 Cummins... it’s a beast! Good luck and safe travels! Jay |
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Post by redbull on Apr 23, 2021 14:56:12 GMT -5
Congratulations on your new camper and.....Wow, I'm impressed..your 3.5 Ecoboost must be a beast! I just pulled my brand new Durango half-ton 286BHD with my 2021 Ram 2500 6'4 Hemi from Missouri to Indiana and I wasn't thrilled with the pulling power at all. It pulled ok, but it seemed that the motor was working hard most of the time and wished for more pulling oomph especially up hills and from dead start. I personally thought that the Hemi will barely notice 8,500 dry camper behind, but it definitively did. We had light NE winds and I was doing 65MPH most of the time so drag wasn't too much of an issue here. I'm kinda scratching my head...how my truck gonna pull my camper loaded? Payload wise, my truck barely squat under the pin weight of the camper and there was no sway of any kind and I felt pretty confident towing it. Breaking was Excellent. We averaged little over 10MPG on 500 mile trip. Will see how it pulls loaded, but I'm seriously thinking of getting 6.7 Cummins...BTW, we love our new camper!!! View AttachmentView AttachmentOnce again, the 3.5 Ecoboost must be just better motor for pulling than my Hemi. First, congrats on the new rig! I don’t know that his 3.5 is necessarily a better engine for towing than your 6.4, but it does have 2 turbos that yours doesn’t. The Hemis love to rev. Unless you’re red-lined you should be fine, and your Ram 2500 is definitely a sturdy truck. Now the 6.7 Cummins... it’s a beast! Good luck and safe travels! Jay Thanks, you’re right. I pushed it up to around 4K rpm few times and that’s when I could see some pulling progress... anyway, we got home safely and overall it was a nice experience. I just need to work on leveling a bit, my truck bed is so high that the trailer was little too much nose up for my taste. |
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Post by jfspry58 on Apr 23, 2021 15:05:04 GMT -5
Thanks, you’re right. I pushed it up to around 4K rpm few times and that’s when I could see some pulling progress... anyway, we got home safely and overall it was a nice experience. I just need to work on leveling a bit, my truck bed is so high that the trailer was little too much nose up for my taste. I had to do some leveling on mine as well. When I unhitched yesterday I was looking at mine and still need to either lower my hitch another inch or raise my pinbox. I also tow with a Ram 2500 and they really are tall. Mine is a Cummins but I have 2 different friends with the 6.4 and they’re pretty stout engines. One of them is currently camping next door. These things create LOTS of wind drag so even the lighter ones can really load your truck, but I’m sure you already knew that. Enjoy your new rig! Jay |
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Post by jstuart on Apr 25, 2021 18:01:53 GMT -5
Congratulations on your new camper and.....Wow, I'm impressed..your 3.5 Ecoboost must be a beast! I just pulled my brand new Durango half-ton 286BHD with my 2021 Ram 2500 6'4 Hemi from Missouri to Indiana and I wasn't thrilled with the pulling power at all. It pulled ok, but it seemed that the motor was working hard most of the time and wished for more pulling oomph especially up hills and from dead start. I personally thought that the Hemi will barely notice 8,500 dry camper behind, but it definitively did. We had light NE winds and I was doing 65MPH most of the time so drag wasn't too much of an issue here. I'm kinda scratching my head...how my truck gonna pull my camper loaded? Payload wise, my truck barely squat under the pin weight of the camper and there was no sway of any kind and I felt pretty confident towing it. Breaking was Excellent. We averaged little over 10MPG on 500 mile trip. Will see how it pulls loaded, but I'm seriously thinking of getting 6.7 Cummins...BTW, we love our new camper!!! View AttachmentView AttachmentOnce again, the 3.5 Ecoboost must be just better motor for pulling than my Hemi. Redbull - Glad you like the half-ton Durango. We are liking ours as well. One thing that effects tow capacity is wheelbase/bed length. Short box quad cabs will likely have a lower tow rating regardless of the running gear it comes with. In viewing your pictures it appears that the RV is riding back farther than perhaps it should? Maybe its fine ... but with a short bed (which I also have), a Sidewinder pin box is important for hitch placement and turning clearance. Do you have one or is that a regular pin box? |
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Post by redbull on Apr 25, 2021 21:29:52 GMT -5
Congratulations on your new camper and.....Wow, I'm impressed..your 3.5 Ecoboost must be a beast! I just pulled my brand new Durango half-ton 286BHD with my 2021 Ram 2500 6'4 Hemi from Missouri to Indiana and I wasn't thrilled with the pulling power at all. It pulled ok, but it seemed that the motor was working hard most of the time and wished for more pulling oomph especially up hills and from dead start. I personally thought that the Hemi will barely notice 8,500 dry camper behind, but it definitively did. We had light NE winds and I was doing 65MPH most of the time so drag wasn't too much of an issue here. I'm kinda scratching my head...how my truck gonna pull my camper loaded? Payload wise, my truck barely squat under the pin weight of the camper and there was no sway of any kind and I felt pretty confident towing it. Breaking was Excellent. We averaged little over 10MPG on 500 mile trip. Will see how it pulls loaded, but I'm seriously thinking of getting 6.7 Cummins...BTW, we love our new camper!!! View AttachmentView AttachmentOnce again, the 3.5 Ecoboost must be just better motor for pulling than my Hemi. Redbull - Glad you like the half-ton Durango. We are liking ours as well. One thing that effects tow capacity is wheelbase/bed length. Short box quad cabs will likely have a lower tow rating regardless of the running gear it comes with. In viewing your pictures it appears that the RV is riding back farther than perhaps it should? Maybe its fine ... but with a short bed (which I also have), a Sidewinder pin box is important for hitch placement and turning clearance. Do you have one or is that a regular pin box? It is regular pin box hooked up to Andersen ultimate hitch via adapter, my truck box is 6,4. I don't have much issues with turning and clearances, in fact I have a ton of cab clearance with my current setup. I'm thinking of lowering the pin box to the maximum (2 holes up) that will lower the front end about 2 inches, also I'm thinking of reversing the goose ball adapter to bring the camper few inches closer towards the cab. That will give me a little more clearance from the tailgate and it will bring the the pin right over the rear axle. Your set up looks pretty sleek..nice and level too. My truck tow rating is 14500 for 5W and payload at 3030. I personally cannot imagine towing that much wit it. We're going camping in 2 weeks, we'll see how the truck pulls loaded camper with the new lower and closer to the cab setup...can't wait |
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Post by captaindurango on Oct 9, 2023 0:32:07 GMT -5
I pull our 283RLT with a 2005 Nissan Titan! I have towing brakes, rotors and calipers.
I also installed a set of Firestone rear suspension airbags.
It stops on a dime wet or dry conditions. We stay close to Texas and so far it’s been great!
Titans can pull up to 9500 lbs even running E85 fuel.
Might upgrade to a F250 one day though.
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Post by nvguy on Oct 9, 2023 21:47:29 GMT -5
I have wondered how the Titans pulled, apparently they do OK. Yeah, the F250 /350 are nice, and they do pull like crazy, but until you start towing in the Rockies or the Sierras you are probably fine.
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Post by flhtci2006 on Oct 9, 2023 22:42:07 GMT -5
The F150 with a 3.5 eco boost is indeed a killer truck. But, as mentioned earlier, what does the door sticker say your payload is. I have never seen an F150 with over 2000lb payload. My understanding is the max possible is about 2300lbs but that would be a stripped model. So, my concern falls on payload which is why I upgraded to a F250. My payload with me, my wife and tongue weight exceeded/or equal to my max payload in the F150. Just guessing, your pin weight is maybe 1700lbs. Add 400lbs for driver, passenger and some odds and ends and you're at 2100lb payload. Also, the weight of the trailer is about 40% more than your truck weight which, and it happened to me, can cause the tail (trailer) to wag the dog (truck). Assuming you are within payload rating, that truck will easily pull 10Klbs up any hill or mountain. I pulled 10Klbs up Colorado's Million Dollar highway, a max altitude of over 11K feet with no problem and doing the speed limit. I just had to be easy coming down with the brakes. I stopped halfway just to check them and let them cool for 5 minutes.
Do a CAT scale weight check in your typical or max trip setup.
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