# Truck towing capacity



## BillK (Dec 2, 2009)

Hi Guys,  I'm new to this forum so forgive me if I ask a previously answered question; I looked and didn't see one.

I am in the process of re-roofing/re-modeling a 2001 wilderness 31G bumper pull camper.  The camper is listed as weighing 6600 lbs. We have a 2002 Ford F-150 SuperCrew with a 5.4 liter engine and it is said to be able to tow 7100 lbs.  I know with water, gear and passengers we will exceed this max towing capacity.  Should the maximum tow weight not be exceeded any or could it be fudged a little.

The truck has a towing package and the camper has breaks.

Any help/advise would be appreciated.


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## rvbmrb (Dec 2, 2009)

That will be a load for your truck need to upsize to a F-250 I pull a 30ft bumper with my Suburban 1500 and its a load and my camper is only 5250lbs dry


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## Doyle (Dec 2, 2009)

The list weight of your camper may be the gross weight (all loaded up).   Haul it over to your local city dump or other place that has a truck scale and get it weighed.  Only when you know the true weight will you be able to make an informed decision.


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## DS7418 (Dec 2, 2009)

You will need a sway bar and equalizer set to go onto your receiver hitch ball,, then you will be fine. I pulled a 9200lb camper with my 2004 F150 and never had any issues with this set-up.


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## BillK (Dec 3, 2009)

Doyle said:


> The list weight of your camper may be the gross weight (all loaded up).   Haul it over to your local city dump or other place that has a truck scale and get it weighed.  Only when you know the true weight will you be able to make an informed decision.



The camper has a gross weight rating of 8750 lbs.  

We do have a sway bar that came with the camper but do not have a weight equilizer.  That will probably be the first on the "To get" list.


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## stratos201 (Dec 3, 2009)

Just remember it's not just the horsepower issues but the stopping ability as well. I've pulled a couple of my 30-33ft campers with both my 1500 and with the wifes Yukon XL but only for short distances with limited hills. BE CAREFUL!!!!!!! and make sure your trailer brakes work properly! If you ever pull it with a Diesel you'll sale the 150. (Especially if you pull it with a Duramax!! )


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## shiny 308 (Dec 3, 2009)

as long as you arent going to be pulling it for long distances i wouldnt worry about it,, just drive slow and keep a good following distance between you and the car in front of you!

       Diesels are nice but if youre just getting into camping id work with what you have before you get into the "black smoke" trucks.

       i pulled a 29ft fleetwood wilderness 1984 model with a 2001 Z71 with no problems for several years.


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## airboater1 (Jan 13, 2010)

think transmission,braking and engine torque? Diesel vs gas,what will give you the best capability without straining the tow vehicle. Suggest,that any weight pulled be no more than half of the suggested tow wt. Ex:tow wt of f150:5500lbs-pull no more than 2750lbs. this info will keep $$ in your pocket and your tow vehicle out of the repair shop.Good luck, happy camping.


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## GAcarver (Jan 13, 2010)

I use to pull a fith wheel with my silverado 4.8 and had no problems, but only on short huals of 100 miles or less.  Make sure
you get the sway bar and equalizer and some electric brakes, allow plenty of stoping distance.  What is the rear end ratio?


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## Gunny146 (Jan 13, 2010)

We Have a Shasta Oasis that listed at 7500 GVWR, the Dodge 1500 maxed at 7300. It pulled it but it didn't like it. If you plan on hauling that trailer much, I would at least upgrade to a 3/4 gas burner. But if it was me, and it was, I would go find a nice used coal burner. I found a real nice used 01 Ford F250 7.3 Powerstroke after a little looking. The difference between towing with a diesel and towing with a gas motor is massive. After a few mods to the truck we get 15-18 mpg. But if you choose to keep the 150, the hitch is a must and I would invest in some good after market gauges to montior the engine and transmission. Just my 2 cents.


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## mgrclicket (Jan 14, 2010)

*Tow package*

Look in your dash glove box for the placard that gives you
total gross weight etc. crunch the numbers.
just on your dry weight post and given your "fudging just a little", i see where you are setting yourself up for a lawsuit.
If an accident occurs, (hope it is not your fault, and GOD
forbid any fatalities you or them) the insurance companies
are not stupid. should it occur, the insurance company
can persue you for willful disregard, etc..etc 
they find things sometimes in order not to pay. thats your insurance company. the other persons insurance will sue you for negligence,etc and pray there is no fatality on the
other side, given the cost of millions of court judgements
your insurance can absolve themselves from you.
you are stuck with all cost. you also have civil court proceedings as well because the first leg you will be
charged with involuntary manslaughter at the least and that is criminal court for your punshiments first, then civil
court for lawsuits not including your property loss
and loss of life or property to the other party.All of it.
sorry about the long response but the reality here
is to have the correct tow package or drop to a smaller
trailer that fits into the DOT rules and regs.
I would not take that chance.
good luck on deciding.
mgrclicket

ROMANS 8:28


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## ratlird (Jan 14, 2010)

Stopping not pulling is what you need to consider not to mention that if you are involved in an accident and are overweight you will be in big trouble. Some states are even pulling over RVers to check weight using portable scales.


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## mgrclicket (Jan 14, 2010)

*tow weight*

Yes, stopping is important but you missed the whole point.
If a concious driver abides by the speed limit, distance to vehicle in front, and you abide by the DOT laws, it should be eaiser to stop because your vehicle weight/horsepower and towed item are MATCHED UP.  you can have all the right equiptment and not know how to use it.
Example: Trains are designed to carry weight but if the engineer does not have the proper amount of engines for the weight of the train and placement of empty cars in back and instead, allowed empty cars in front, the full ones in rear once he  throws the brakes, the heavier box cars, etc in the rear ride over on top of the cars in front of it, thus a derailment all due to weight.
they have mandated DOT laws regarding each car and where to place them and weight. so as you did say.. stopping is important, its how you do it.
mgrclicket

ROMANS 8 :28


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## deadend (Jan 14, 2010)

As MGRCLICKET said, you need to think about the legal ramifications for fudging it.  If you get into a wreck and someone is hurt even slightly a lawyer will ABSOLUTELY WITHOUT A DOUBT check into the legality of your setup and hit you as hard as he can.  Civil court will be the venue and I can tell you from experience it will not bode well.

I was sued in civil court by a drunk driver that pulled out in front of me resulting in the death of his wife and him in a coma.  He was charged criminally with vehicular homicide and failure to yield.  His lawsuit took 7 years to get to court and he was awarded a 1.25 million judgement by a bogus jury.  One of the main factors they tried to exploit was the fact that my truck had a lift kit etc.  Luckily I was within the law or who knows how much worse it would have been.  This stuff happens everday and if you are sued in civil court the system is geared in favor of the plaintiff and their high powered attorneys.  I don't play around with this type of liability anymore because it actually happened to me.  During the week of my trial there was a man being sued in another courtroom for exactly the type of situation you are describing.  A person was injured when his 1/2 ton truck and camper wrecked.  He lost very handily and expensively.


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## GONoob (Jan 15, 2010)

deadend said:


> As MGRCLICKET said, you need to think about the legal ramifications for fudging it.  If you get into a wreck and someone is hurt even slightly a lawyer will ABSOLUTELY WITHOUT A DOUBT check into the legality of your setup and hit you as hard as he can.  Civil court will be the venue and I can tell you from experience it will not bode well.
> 
> I was sued in civil court by a drunk driver that pulled out in front of me resulting in the death of his wife and him in a coma.  He was charged criminally with vehicular homicide and failure to yield.  His lawsuit took 7 years to get to court and he was awarded a 1.25 million judgement by a bogus jury.  One of the main factors they tried to exploit was the fact that my truck had a lift kit etc.  Luckily I was within the law or who knows how much worse it would have been.  This stuff happens everday and if you are sued in civil court the system is geared in favor of the plaintiff and their high powered attorneys.  I don't play around with this type of liability anymore because it actually happened to me.  During the week of my trial there was a man being sued in another courtroom for exactly the type of situation you are describing.  A person was injured when his 1/2 ton truck and camper wrecked.  He lost very handily and expensively.



How to live the American dream? SUE! I hate to hear stories like this.

Off topic, I thought any modification was illegal?


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## mgrclicket (Jan 15, 2010)

Deadend: so you say the judgement against you was 1.25 mil.
How in the world do  you pay a judement like that?
are you under appeal? I feel so sorry for you and sympathies
abound from my family. it is absolutly incredulous that a jury
would have done so. what an awful shame. my hat is off to you sir.
Unfortunatly, I penned a quote 10 or more years ago seeing this
tradegy of injustice in our lives and i just might start using it again.
Quote:   "Nowadays it seems like for anything you do it's either illegal or it offends someone." end quote.
have a good day deadend......
mgrclicket

ROMANS  8 :28


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## deadend (Jan 15, 2010)

mgrclicket said:


> Deadend: so you say the judgement against you was 1.25 mil.
> How in the world do  you pay a judement like that?
> are you under appeal? I feel so sorry for you and sympathies
> abound from my family. it is absolutly incredulous that a jury
> ...



I have really good insurance!  I would have been the last person in the world to allege any sort of conspiracy on any level before this happened to me but I watched it unfold before my eyes in Cobb Co. Superior Court.  The plaintiff threatened my attorney's life while on the stand with no consequences.  The prosecuting attorney and judge were buddies, there was legal wrangling, evidence suppression, and inconsistencies levied by the crooked judge.  A mistrial was called for several times and Nixed by the judge.  Highly paid "experts" came up with untruths and the plaintiff was suddenly reformed from an alcoholic meth head to a pillar of society and religion intent on helping fight world hunger, fix hurt puppies, and mentor children at church.  I could tell you the whole story but it would take an hour.   It was interesting that the jury came up with a judgement that coincidentally was equal to the policy limits on my insurance.

The moral of the story is that everyone needs to shield themselves from needless liability which wasn't a factor in my trial but certainly hurt the man who lost the trial over the camper accident.


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## Full Pull (Jan 16, 2010)

Yuel be fine Just don't try to win any races and get the proper Tow hitch set up
IE: bars ,weight dis hitch and swaycontrol if neaded.
and electric brake controler.


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## RVGuy (Jan 16, 2010)

BillK,

Deadend is right.  Being in the RV industry I see this kinda stuff everyday.  Folks get plain hurt.   These other gentlemen that are telling you,  you'll be fine are probably experienced at towing.  All the advise about the ramafications on your vehicle are correct.  It will wear out your vehicle overtime.   Transmission, engine, differential.  But the biggest issue is stopping. not stopping when you are driving slow, not when you are taking it easy, and not when you have given the proper following distance.  But when that idiot 2 lanes over decides he has to get off at the off ramp coming up and cuts on front of you and you have to stop.  Is it worth your familes well being to risk it? You always have to remember the idiots on the road.  Mr. Deadends story illustrates that we are all responsible for their madness no matter what.

We have a saying in the RV Service Business  "Just cause you can pull it, doesn't mean you can stop it."


just my .02 cents


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## DukeBoy30 (Feb 3, 2010)

I pull a 29ft wildwood camper that ways 7700lbs with my 2007 tundra. Its suppose to handle up to ten thousand pounds but I would'nt recomend it.I always know that campers back there.Get a f250 and you'll never worry about it.


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## walters (Feb 10, 2010)

*pulling*

you will be fine pulling it, i pull a 6600 pd fifth wheel with my dodge 1500, pulled it threw mountains, 350 miles to beach, no problems and it stops it fine with my break box,
stops it just as good as my f350 use to, if you have a distrbution hitch and a break box you will have no problems...


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