My 2018 F150 Towing Experience

[manley]

As referenced here (link), I recently joined the Ecoboost club by buying an '18 F150. Many have said, "that's not enough truck," but I believed those who said otherwise...

After driving back from Georgia to Texas over the last three days, I have a question:

Who wants to buy a 2018 F150 XLT?

The truck drives great, wonderful gas mileage, great power and braking ability, etc. However, when you put it in a crosswind, it's game over! The truck is simply too light to handle anything more than perhaps about a 6,000 pound trailer. I don't care what the SAE tow ratings say!

I'm done...

Knocks on the head taken, fixing to lose my rear end on trade, and crow eaten. For all those who said "I told you so," I say "yes, you did. I was wrong, and you were right. I'm sorry I didn't believe you."

[Grit_dog]

So Manley, any rethinking on your position that 1/2 ton trucks are not good for towing and all the ruckus around that? You know since you appear to be narrowing the problem down to a malfunction on your particular vehicle and not a broad stroke "issue?"

[BenK]

How close to overall/total $$$$/time spending are you willing before trading for a bigger TV that all of these 'upgrades' to make a lower class TV to come close to higher class TV's

Or...maybe you just have a lemon...

Keep us posted on how this journey goes and thank you for posting to date

PS...LT tire Load Range E are 10 ply tires. Higher class or number of ply would be F, G, H, etc

PPS...Load range with a letter is a throw back to the days when that meant the actual number of fabric pla's...today it only represents the ratings of a 2 ply/3ply/etc rated as if it actually had more plys. Material and process science allows designers to do much more with less number of plys

[Maury82]

https://www.f150online.com/forums/2015-2018-f-150/513257-2015-f-150-steering-issues-2.html

[Maury82]

manley wrote:
Upodate: the truck came back from the dealership as "nothing's wrong with it as far as we can tell. The faults cleared, so there's nothing we can do." Nonetheless, both the shop foreman and the service manager drove the truck with the Open Range hooked up, and both thought the truck was the trailer's "b!tch." In fact, the shop foreman said "I wouldn't pull it to Lake Arrowhead (a 20-mile trip)." The engineers never gave them a lead or any information to go on.

I just put new 275/70/18 LT Load Range E 12-ply tires on it, as well as new Bilstein 5100 rear shocks. On a 220-mile round trip this weekend, it was better. Still not as good as my '10 Silverado. The F150 has a LOT more side-to-side push with cross-winds. Granted, I had put air bags and LT tires on the Silverado, which I had never expected to have to do with the new F150 because of the 2,500 pound increase in towing capacity and also the increased (factory) payload capacity rating over the Silverado.

I've already plopped down $200 on Timbrens, $150 on shocks, and $500 on tires (net after selling my old tires online). I'm currently trying to decide now whether to go with a Hellwig sway bar or take the Timbrens off and go with air bags.

In addition, I KNOW that something is not right with the truck. For the first 20-30 miles today driving home, the steering wheel was cocked about 15 degrees to the left. I then went through a cloverleaf exchange and after that it was perfectly straight for the remainder of the trip. I've found a few threads online and bits of information that seem to indicate that it may be something in the EPAS (power steering - which is related to the error codes it threw on the first trip) that's causing all the problems.

Stay tuned...

I also read online how some trucks were inflicted with a steering issue,and one poster in a F150 forum eventually got it resolved.

I think your truck has a mechanical or program glitch, and not one associated with its capability to handle your trailer. Get that resolved, you should be good to go.

[Grit_dog]

Was just going to ask if there was something up with the EPS, or do you have lane keep assist on or something like that.

[manley]

Upodate: the truck came back from the dealership as "nothing's wrong with it as far as we can tell. The faults cleared, so there's nothing we can do." Nonetheless, both the shop foreman and the service manager drove the truck with the Open Range hooked up, and both thought the truck was the trailer's "b!tch." In fact, the shop foreman said "I wouldn't pull it to Lake Arrowhead (a 20-mile trip)." The engineers never gave them a lead or any information to go on.

I just put new 275/70/18 LT Load Range E 10-ply (edit: I knew they were 10-ply, but had a brain fart) tires on it, as well as new Bilstein 5100 rear shocks. On a 220-mile round trip this weekend, it was better. Still not as good as my '10 Silverado. The F150 has a LOT more side-to-side push with cross-winds. Granted, I had put air bags and LT tires on the Silverado, which I had never expected to have to do with the new F150 because of the 2,500 pound increase in towing capacity and also the increased (factory) payload capacity rating over the Silverado.

I've already plopped down $200 on Timbrens, $150 on shocks, and $500 on tires (net after selling my old tires online). I'm currently trying to decide now whether to go with a Hellwig sway bar or take the Timbrens off and go with air bags.

In addition, I KNOW that something is not right with the truck. For the first 20-30 miles today driving home, the steering wheel was cocked about 15 degrees to the left. I then went through a cloverleaf exchange and after that it was perfectly straight for the remainder of the trip. I've found a few threads online and bits of information that seem to indicate that it may be something in the EPAS (power steering - which is related to the error codes it threw on the first trip) that's causing all the problems.

Stay tuned...

[BenK]

Weight is just one attribute to any TV's ability to manhandle that Mr Murphy situation

Since higher class TV's has 'bigger' stuff...of course the frame is bigger (gauge, box section, etc), suspension is bigger (bigger springs/hangers/shocks/brackets/etc), drive train is bigger (bigger drive shaft, U-Joints, tranny, diff, etc), Tires/wheels (higher class tires and the wheels to accommodate their higher pressures, etc) and a big ETC

Note however, that most OEMs that offer lower class and several higher class TV's will use the exact same basis body/cab/etc in all classes. With some minor changes to differentiate them...some don't even do that...and...that seems to confuse so many into thinking that there isn't much difference between the various class ratings of TVs...

Or just changing one or more of the components to higher class...but...bottom line is that the GVWR, F or R GAWR as still the same...

[Maury82]

Threebigfords wrote:

VernDiesel wrote:

demiles wrote:
When you select a 5300lb vehicle to tow a conventional TT that’s 9000lbs + the potential for instability increases dramatically regardless of what option package you select. Manufactures TWR simply do not take into account such things as lateral wind loading and poor road conditions ect. that consumers will experience in real driving conditions.

Didn't remember reading his TT was that heavy but Agreed a 9k TT is more than you tow with a halfer. Even though my experience doing it was good. I believe SAE J2807 does take into account wind to some degree. But is that 9k any worse than an 8k 3500 rated for and towing a 30,000 pound load.

In a way, yes it is worse.

I've towed a lot of different trailers a lot of miles over the last 30 years. High profile trailers are the worst.

So let's take that 1/2 ton truck at 6k lbs and his long 9000 lb travel trailer...put a 30 mph crosswind against it...it's going to get pushed. The WD hitch and sway control are going to kick in and the whole setup moves away from the wind into the next lane.

Same length and profile trailer that weighs 20k behind a one ton truck weighing 9k gets hit with the same 30mph crosswind....same hitch and sway control kick in and the whole setup moves away from the wind into the next lane...A LOT SLOWER....WHY?

WEIGHT.

It has nothing to do with frame thickness, payload capacity, or what brand of shocks you put on. In those crosswind situations, weight is your friend.

It simply takes more wind to force the heavier vehicle over at the same rate as the lighter vehicle all other parameters being equal.

I had the wind test, and the shear wind as you pass into an opening.

One thing I can say, is I'm doing better that the big rigs around me, and I've been pushed, but 30 mph never pushed me into the other lane.

Thirty mph causes me to slow up a bit, just like it does those tractor trailers, and most are doing more swaying than I'm being pushed a bit, but I'm not in any peril or danger.

It's not important that I can maintain 65 mph in high gust situation, it's important that I'm safe, even if I have to taper down my speed 5 mph to do so.

That may be a huge trade off to slow down for many, but that Is very small trade off so I can have the truck that better fits my needs.

I don't know how bad a 37 ft.9,000lbs trailer is supposed to feel to a 1/2 ton truck, but my judgement only comes to how I feel while towing my trailer.

I don't feel this frightening experience as you guys keep talking about.

I'm more concerned about gas prices than I am about my next trip.

I'm also more curious about how much more stable a 3/4 ton is versus my truck. Heck, I feel stable now, so the 3/4 ton must be Corvette stable...can I steer with my knees while eating donuts?...lol

[Grit_dog]

^ So by that analysis, a 1/2 ton towing a 15kkb trailer of the same length would be over 50% more stable in those situations than the one towing a 9klb trailer?
Now I'm cornfused! Lol
The Big 3 should make some rvnet members paid spokespersons for their HD truck lines! You guys could make some money spewing your theories and the mfgs would sell more big trucks!!!

[Threebigfords]

VernDiesel wrote:

demiles wrote:
When you select a 5300lb vehicle to tow a conventional TT that’s 9000lbs + the potential for instability increases dramatically regardless of what option package you select. Manufactures TWR simply do not take into account such things as lateral wind loading and poor road conditions ect. that consumers will experience in real driving conditions.

Didn't remember reading his TT was that heavy but Agreed a 9k TT is more than you tow with a halfer. Even though my experience doing it was good. I believe SAE J2807 does take into account wind to some degree. But is that 9k any worse than an 8k 3500 rated for and towing a 30,000 pound load.

In a way, yes it is worse.

I've towed a lot of different trailers a lot of miles over the last 30 years. High profile trailers are the worst.

So let's take that 1/2 ton truck at 6k lbs and his long 9000 lb travel trailer...put a 30 mph crosswind against it...it's going to get pushed. The WD hitch and sway control are going to kick in and the whole setup moves away from the wind into the next lane.

Same length and profile trailer that weighs 20k behind a one ton truck weighing 9k gets hit with the same 30mph crosswind....same hitch and sway control kick in and the whole setup moves away from the wind into the next lane...A LOT SLOWER....WHY?

WEIGHT.

It has nothing to do with frame thickness, payload capacity, or what brand of shocks you put on. In those crosswind situations, weight is your friend.

It simply takes more wind to force the heavier vehicle over at the same rate as the lighter vehicle all other parameters being equal.

[4x4ord]

My F350 pulls multiple trailers ranging from 5000 lbs tag to 25,000 lbs gooseneck. The truck handles all but 1 trailer very well. The one that behaves like yours is my 5th wheel when I have my motorcycle carried on the back. Take the motorcycle off and it pulls beautifully. With the bike on back and no counter weights up in the bedroom the trailer is very dangerous to tow even though it still has 2000 lbs of pin weight. By adding 400 lbs of ballast up in the bedroom the trailer pulls ok although not the way it does without the bike on back.

It's possible a heavier truck won't accomplish what you want. I would borrow a 1 ton on a windy day and see if it solves your problem before pointing my finger at the f150 as the entire problem. Maybe the solution is to move the trailer axles back 2 feet.

[manley]

troubledwaters wrote:

manley wrote:
Thanks, JIMNLIN for the information from the Ford Fleet Guide.

Based on that information, I should have the frame that is 0.1 inches thick. I say that because the GVWR on my truck is 7,000 pounds and the GCWR is 17,000 pounds. Trucks with the lower GVWR (I think it is 6,300 pounds) would have the 0.087 frame thickness.

We'll see what the Ford engineers say about this situation... let's just say that my case has "escalated."

I don't know what you want the engineers to say. The thicker frame (and higher GVWR) only comes on models with the Heavy Duty Payload Package (HDPP). You didn't buy one with the HDPP; even though you were going to be towing almost 10,000 lbs. Somehow that's the engineer's fault?

You been on here long enough to know it's the payload that matters.

Did I say it was the engineers’ fault?

[discovery4us]

My enclosed trailer loaded with both toys weighs around 10,000 lbs. and it is a pleasure to tow with my 2015 Ford SCREW 3.5 Ecoboost. I am much shorter at only 25 foot total length. I don't use a Hensley or any other special hitch, just a 1 inch rise, 16,000 lb. draw bar. Only complaints is fuel mileage drops considerable but with 35 gallon tank it is doable and I don't have tow mirrors.

Have you pulled the trailer with any other truck?

[troubledwaters]

manley wrote:
Thanks, JIMNLIN for the information from the Ford Fleet Guide.

Based on that information, I should have the frame that is 0.1 inches thick. I say that because the GVWR on my truck is 7,000 pounds and the GCWR is 17,000 pounds. Trucks with the lower GVWR (I think it is 6,300 pounds) would have the 0.087 frame thickness.

We'll see what the Ford engineers say about this situation... let's just say that my case has "escalated."

I don't know what you want the engineers to say. The thicker frame (and higher GVWR) only comes on models with the Heavy Duty Payload Package (HDPP). You didn't buy one with the HDPP; even though you were going to be towing almost 10,000 lbs. Somehow that's the engineer's fault?

You been on here long enough to know it's the payload that matters.

[Jackfate]

I to had your experience after purchasing a new 1500 that was rated max tow for the class . My first 2 TV ‘s were 3500/350 . But I listened to manufacturers/ sales people stating Oh the 1/2 tons can do what you need. Bought 2- 2016’s both new , lossed around 6k . Now I’m back to a 3500 & a deisel . This was after 2 wd hitches, air bags and several trips to the scales. It’s all physics . We very much enjoy towing now , and maybe the lesson was expensive but I know for sure now. Reminds me of the tv show house “everybody lies”

Best of luck