New trailer - enough truck?

[mgssrs]

I think your truck will pull it fine. We just bought a Sunset trail SS291RK and I put it on a CAT scale last week and got a surprise. Front axle was fine. Rear axle fine. Trailer axles were fine. Overall weight with load bars on was fine. But the tongue weight was way over.
My trailer says the tongue weight is 690 lbs with empty LP tanks and I don't know if the battery is in that. My hitch assemble weighs 116 lbs. That adds up to 916 lbs without one ounce of anything else. On this trailer the only outside compartment is at the front. You would be surprised how much your X chocks, wood blocks, hoses, electrical cords and wiener forks can add up too. The water heater and fresh water tanks are in the front also.
The place we went to has very rusty water so we always bring our own. So add in 43 gals of water plus 6 gal in the water heater and the tongue weight was up to 1720 lbs.
It actually towed really well like that but my hitch mount is only rated for 1400 lbs. So I had to redistribute some weight and we will not be hauling water any more.

[mgssrs]

By the way when you guys say Ecoboost are you talking about the 3.5 or the 2.7?

[mikenannie]

Originally Posted by mgssrs

By the way when you guys say Ecoboost are you talking about the 3.5 or the 2.7?

3.5.

[mark5w]

I second the Roadmaster suspension. I also added drilled and slotted rotors, and semi metallic brakes pads made for towing. 40,000 on Ecoboost and 9900 miles on Cruiser, no problems with either.

[mikenannie]

Originally Posted by mark5w

I second the Roadmaster suspension. I also added drilled and slotted rotors, and semi metallic brakes pads made for towing. 40,000 on Ecoboost and 9900 miles on Cruiser, no problems with either.

Thanks! The Roadmaster looks so simplistic it's hard to believe it does anything? Also makes me wonder why manufacturers don't do something similar at the factory (obviously patent issues for exactly the same design).

Did you really notice a big difference with the Roadmaster?

[OhioMark]

Originally Posted by mgssrs

By the way when you guys say Ecoboost are you talking about the 3.5 or the 2.7?

3.5. 2.7 max is around 5K so it's not pulling anything on this forum. But amazing mpgs for so much power


I'm waiting for Ford to add two cylinders and drop an ecoboost in a 3/4 or 1 ton. That would be interesting.


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[mgssrs]

Originally Posted by OhioMark

3.5. 2.7 max is around 5K so it's not pulling anything on this forum. But amazing mpgs for so much power


I'm waiting for Ford to add two cylinders and drop an ecoboost in a 3/4 or 1 ton. That would be interesting.


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They actually go up to 8500 with the 2.7. I test drove them and the 3.5. They have a lot of power just seem so small. It hard to change my thinking about displacement but I would have been okay with the 3.5

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[Labbie]

Originally Posted by mikenannie

While we're on the topic of trucks, have either of you had any issues with your Ecoboost? I love mine thus far, 62,000 miles - no issues.

At 78k I had a camshaft position sensor go bad, glad they got it covered under warranty since it was a week long job. 86k on the truck and that was the only major issue. 21k pulling.

[Delillo]

We have an identical setup, 2017 SS26SI with 2011 FX4, 3.5 Ecoboost. I have a Reese Straight Line with dual cam sway control that takes care of any potential sway issues. The truck has NO problems pulling or handling thus unit.

[NoodlesWIU]

Hi Mike,

I have as close to your setup as I think you may find. We have a 2015 F-150 XLT 3.5L ecoboost with max tow, just not max payload. Our door sticker says 1780 for paylod. We also have a 2017 Sunset Trail 26BB. Yours is the newer version of ours, but same floor plan. We had similar concerns initially. We added the Roadmaster suspension and it is awesome! We also recently upgraded to LT tires and that helps both with the "squish feel" and trailer bounce on concrete we sometimes noticed.

With that, we have the front storage loaded, and balanced with items under the dinette because it's directly over the axles, as well as we load our coleman grill in the shower in its carrying case to offset some tongue weight and it fits like a glove in their.

With a full tank of gas, trailer loaded at about 8K, tongue weight at 825, I weigh about 230, my wife about 130. 2 dogs each at 50 pounds, about 100lbs of junk in the bed of the truck, and our weight came in at 6,880.

Cheers!

[OhioMark]

Originally Posted by mgssrs

They actually go up to 8500 with the 2.7. I test drove them and the 3.5. They have a lot of power just seem so small. It hard to change my thinking about displacement but I would have been okay with the 3.5

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My bad. I misread the towing guide. That's insane power from such a small block

So when I'm wrong I dig in and find out more. Great article here on consumer reports where they did a real world towing review. Wow. Just Wow


http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/n...-tow/index.htm

What I did find interesting is just like the 3.5 the real world mpg are all over the place. I can attest to the 3.5 that you only start to sniff the Ford posted MPGs if you accelerate like a cargo ship and never pass anyone in the interstate.

Lurking around the internet I found the towing mpgs for the 2.7 are about the same as the 3.5 also.

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[mikenannie]

Originally Posted by NoodlesWIU

Hi Mike,

I have as close to your setup as I think you may find. We have a 2015 F-150 XLT 3.5L ecoboost with max tow, just not max payload. Our door sticker says 1780 for paylod. We also have a 2017 Sunset Trail 26BB. Yours is the newer version of ours, but same floor plan. We had similar concerns initially. We added the Roadmaster suspension and it is awesome! We also recently upgraded to LT tires and that helps both with the "squish feel" and trailer bounce on concrete we sometimes noticed.

With that, we have the front storage loaded, and balanced with items under the dinette because it's directly over the axles, as well as we load our coleman grill in the shower in its carrying case to offset some tongue weight and it fits like a glove in their.

With a full tank of gas, trailer loaded at about 8K, tongue weight at 825, I weigh about 230, my wife about 130. 2 dogs each at 50 pounds, about 100lbs of junk in the bed of the truck, and our weight came in at 6,880.

Cheers!

Thanks Tim. We have that same grill! I'm really surprised to hear about the roadmaster suspension, because as I mentioned, it looks to simplistic to actually work

Great info, love the pics, thanks again.

[mikenannie]

Originally Posted by NoodlesWIU

Hi Mike,

I have as close to your setup as I think you may find. We have a 2015 F-150 XLT 3.5L ecoboost with max tow, just not max payload. Our door sticker says 1780 for paylod. We also have a 2017 Sunset Trail 26BB. Yours is the newer version of ours, but same floor plan. We had similar concerns initially. We added the Roadmaster suspension and it is awesome! We also recently upgraded to LT tires and that helps both with the "squish feel" and trailer bounce on concrete we sometimes noticed.
...

Cheers!

Tim, I'm curious about the new LT tires. I have 63k miles on my oem Goodyear Wrangler 'P' tires and I'm not far away from needing a change anyhow, so what LT tires did you put on your truck?

How much air to you put on them, front and back, when towing?

New trailer is ordered, now the wait.
Thanks.

[Delillo]

FWIW, I replaced my original tires with BF Goodrich All Terrain TA/KO 2.

I have used these tires on at least three of my past vehicles and cant say enough good about them.

[Labbie]

Originally Posted by mikenannie

Tim, I'm curious about the new LT tires. I have 63k miles on my oem Goodyear Wrangler 'P' tires and I'm not far away from needing a change anyhow, so what LT tires did you put on your truck?

How much air to you put on them, front and back, when towing?

New trailer is ordered, now the wait.
Thanks.

Michelin LTX MS2's running 60 psi. front and back.

[travelin texans]

Originally Posted by Labbie

Michelin LTX MS2's running 60 psi. front and back.

I've got a lot more truck & tires & I highly recommend Michelins. My last set had 70k, could've gotten another 5k, but was heading out for the summer, & a lot of that was with a 16.5k fifth wheel in tow. Yes they are pricey, but from my experience no more than buying 2-3 sets of some other brand to 1 set of Michelins. The set on my truck now has 30k on them & look like the day they were mounted & again close to half or more were with the 5er in tow. No I don't receive any compensation for my recommendation.

[mikenannie]

Originally Posted by travelin texans

I've got a lot more truck & tires & I highly recommend Michelins. My last set had 70k, could've gotten another 5k, but was heading out for the summer, & a lot of that was with a 16.5k fifth wheel in tow. Yes they are pricey, but from my experience no more than buying 2-3 sets of some other brand to 1 set of Michelins. The set on my truck now has 30k on them & look like the day they were mounted & again close to half or more were with the 5er in tow. No I don't receive any compensation for my recommendation.

Danny, I've always been a fan of Michelins too, but I've never had them on a truck previously. Do you know which tire (MS2, Defender, etc.) you have been using? Thanks

[mikenannie]

Originally Posted by Labbie

Michelin LTX MS2's running 60 psi. front and back.

'man mirrors' ... love that.

Thanks for the feedback. I'm a Michelin fan myself, but haven't had them on a truck previously. I know some have the Defender, but I've seen mixed reviews of both the MS2 and the Definders. Some like them, and some complained.

[mikenannie]

Originally Posted by Delillo

FWIW, I replaced my original tires with BF Goodrich All Terrain TA/KO 2.

I have used these tires on at least three of my past vehicles and cant say enough good about them.

Nick, interesting suggestion. The reviews on their website seem to indicate that the newest version of this tire doesn't wear well - fast tread reduction. Thanks for the feedback, I would not have considered GoodRich previously.

[mark5w]

Never been a fan of Michelin's. Over priced and over rated. The set on my last 150 barely made it 25,000 miles. Never again. Had good luck with my Generals; had 1 set on a GMC last 75,000 miles before I traded it in.