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  1. #31
    Big Traveler CWSWine's Avatar
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    You have already said you new to towing and you are going to towing right at the max capabilities of your truck. There are people are here that have been towing for years and know how to handle a long down hill run or gust of side wind going down hill while in corner or a emergency stop towing a heavy 5er or TT. I think you need to have a bigger margin for you first RV but that me.

    If I was looking for a hitch for 29rs I would be looking for a slider of some sort. If you looking at one the 150 series it looks from the advertisement that you could bet way with a standard hitch. If that case with the 150 series I would be looking at one that weights the least. I had B&W that with the hitch that was three pieces and had shipping weight of I believe 280 but I did love it.

  2. #32
    Rolling Along johndeerefarmer's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ctdecuir View Post
    Thanks guys - I really appreciate your insights and willingness to share! So here's a question - put yourself in my shoes, but with your current knowledge and experience. I have no previous experience towing, but I am really motivated to do this. I am ordering a new F150 HDPP 6.5' Bed TV which is going to be built (as much as possible) by the Ford factory to be customized for towing. IF you were starting from scratch - what hitch system would you go with knowing that you would be dealing with a 5th wheel trailer that has ~2,000 lbs wet pin weight, is going to be camp-ready at ~9,500 lbs, and is 30 to 32 ft in length?

    Based on my research the Andersen Ultimate and Pullrite Superlite seem to be great options because they are so light - but I am also seeing that the pin needs to be over or a little forward of the axle. My brother tows a 36 ft Columbus with a F350 - I don't know what hitch he uses, but he did tell me that the pin is positioned about 1" forward of the rear axle.

    Chad
    Either get the Patriot slider or the Titan Reese Slider that Rob has. It's better to have the slider and not need it than need it and not have it.
    Donald AKA johndeerefarmer
    2020 Ford F350 Powerstroke diesel
    2017 F150 ecoboost max tow
    2016 Reflection 29RS VIN# 573FR322XG3305717

  3. #33
    Site Sponsor Cate&Rob's Avatar
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    Chad (Ctdecuir):

    The “how big a truck do you need” debate has been going on forever . . . and the “you need a bigger truck gang" are not going to change their minds because of my opinion . . . so I will direct my comments back to your post #27 question . . . what would I do if I were in your shoes? Actually . . . I am in your shoes , I tow with essentially the truck that you have on order.

    You can safely tow at the rated limits of your new truck. You do not have to build in a safety margin . . . this has already been done by the manufacturer in establishing those limits. As an example, in our first year with heavily greased trailer brakes (that I did not know about at the time) we towed down some extended 6% grades in the Appalachians and the Ecoboost/truck brakes handled all 16,000 lbs of our combined weight just fine. The four wheel disc brakes are essentially the same size on your truck as they are on the bigger trucks.

    Rear axle capacity is 4800 lbs. Rear tire capacity is 6400 lbs at 80 psi. Factory tire pressure recommendation is 60 psi rear (to match axle capacity). This is sufficient to carry the pin weight, but the truck seems to ride better at 70 psi rear. This is what I run when towing.

    Would I like to have the 700+ ft lbs of a big diesel . . . of course . . . but the 420+ ft lbs and broad torque curve of the Ecoboost is just fine. I pull out and pass the 18 wheelers on the long upgrades . . . just like everybody else. For the 80% of the miles that are non-towing, the Ecoboost is a better choice. The 6.2L and other normally aspirated gas engines available in the larger trucks are rather anemic when compared to the Ecoboost and the Ecoboost keeps its torque up to 10,000 ft elevation.

    I have never towed a big TT, but my sense is that with a smaller truck, a 5th wheel with 2000 lbs over the rear axle is inherently more stable than 1000 lbs or more attached to the rear bumper. JDF has done some valuable investigating to confirm that it is really important to have the pin weight directly above or ahead of the rear axle.

    I did add airbags to my truck and with the onboard compressor I have tried many different pressure settings. The ride/towing influence is minimal below 50 psi but seems to be best at 30 psi which lifts the back of the loaded truck less than 1”. These are nice-to-have, but I don’t think they are necessary.

    I did add disc brakes to the trailer, but this was to overcome a shortfall of the trailer, not a limitation of the truck. My experience is that these are a great “safety and security” addition, but this is no different than what the guys with bigger trucks have found.

    I have never towed with the articulating pin box on the Reflection 150 line, as shown in the GDRV video for this model. I do know that GDRV did extensive real world towing durability testing with this configuration so I would certainly give it a try with a standard rail mounted non-sliding hitch. I do like my manual slider with the fixed pin box. Having the pivot point behind the axle is a definite benefit when backing the trailer.

    We all see many bigger rigs with their headlights pointed skyward. This will not happen with your HDPP F150. By the numbers . . . Empty: front of box 55 1/2” and rear of box 57”. With 2000 lb pin weight slightly ahead of rear axle: front of box 53” and rear of box 54”. The truck will sit level and will look just like the attached picture if you go with a Reflection 303 or smaller 5th wheel.

    Our 3 year old truck is getting close to the end of its extended powertrain warranty . . . so, time to think about a new truck. A 3/4 ton is a waste of money (in my opinion) so the only trucks that are a step up in capability are the one tons. The gas engine is not viable (again, in my opinion) so that forces the diesel. I just can’t justify the cost of that truck or the compromises in non-towing comfort and maintenance costs. We will be keeping the 303RLS, so with the experience of thousands of towing miles . . . our next truck will be spec’d almost exactly as the truck you have just ordered.

    Everyone has to find their own comfort zone for towing . . . I am well within mine.

    Rob
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails IMG_0290.jpg   IMG_1254.jpg  
    Cate & Rob
    2015 Reflection 303RLS

  4. #34
    Seasoned Camper
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    Rob - can you tell me exactly which Titan Reese Slider you recommend? eTrailers only recommends one Patriot, but there are 3-4 Reese Sliders of multiple heights that are rated at 4,000 TW and 16,000 GTW (I assume you would recommend this version and not the 5,000 TW 20,000 TGW version). I am also assuming that your F150 has a 6.5' bed like the one I ordered...

  5. #35
    Seasoned Camper
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    Rob - I sent my last post before seeing yours. Wow - thanks so much for providing this valuable information based on your experience. This is why forums like this are an essential piece of the research puzzle! I have made my choice and I'm sticking with it - a new F150 HDPP w/Max Tow, as through my research I have to agree with your statements about 3/4 ton Ford TVs. I can't wait to pick the F150 up, but I am also a little apprehensive about how much Payload capacity it will have. I will send a picture of the door sticker when it comes in :-).

  6. #36
    Site Sponsor Cate&Rob's Avatar
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    Chad - My Reese Titan 16K Round Tube Slider http://www.reeseprod.com/products/fi...BrcMeTEENU8ezQ is the only 5th wheel hitch I have ever had . . . so I can't really recommend it or offer a comparison to others. Reese also has rails and installation kits customized for different trucks. I used their F150 kit and this worked well. They now have installation kits with specific corrosion isolation for the aluminum box.

    I was advised to stay away from the less expensive square tube slider . . . so I did. When first installed, the slider was rather difficult to operate. I worked at lubricating the mechanism and cycling it to where it now moves easily with the full pin weight of the trailer. I have heard stories of other sliders where you have to put down the trailer landing gear before moving the slider . . . that would be a PITA.

    Buying a Reese product, I though I was buying "American made" . . . they were not really clear about this in their sales literature. I was a little disappointed to find that all identified parts are made in China. But . . . I have had no function or wear issues across 15,000 miles.

    There is a little bit of play in the attachment between the top plate and cross frame that generates a slight clunk when going from pulling to braking. I inserted a piece of heavy felt that absorbs most of this. The felt has to be changed about every 2000 miles . I have heard that the neoprene bushings wear but are easy to replace. Mine are still fine.

    Rob
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Reese 16K Titan Slider.jpg  
    Cate & Rob
    2015 Reflection 303RLS

  7. #37
    Site Sponsor Cate&Rob's Avatar
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    Chad - Confirming that I do have the 6.5' bed with the crew cab.

    I also sent you a forum private message with a couple of additional "thoughts" .
    BTW, I notice that you are a "Trial Member". After a month, this will change to "Registered Guest" and you will lose access to some stuff.
    This forum has paid subscription "Site Sponsors". This retains access to everything (and means we don't have to endure advertising and pop-ups). The cost is $12 per year. The best $1 per month you can spend on your rig (in my opinion ). See the "Become a Sponsor" tab at the top if you want to do this.

    Rob
    Cate & Rob
    2015 Reflection 303RLS

  8. #38
    Rolling Along TNFSolitude's Avatar
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    Now that the conversation has morphed to slider hitches, and specifically Reese, I'm going to weigh in. My Reese 20K slider hitch had to be replaced three time because they would not function properly. The 4th time my dealership installed the Curt A20 which seems to be a huge improvement. The noise and clunking Rob mentioned was always present. You shouldn't need to improvise like he has to tolerate the noise.
    The point of having a slider was to use the manuever function when backing into a tight space, ie my driveway or many campsites. The manuever function on the Reese never worked correctly, but we never knew it because this is our first 5th wheel. There was always a loud screeching noise as it slid on the round tubes. Finally it stopped locking into the manuever position and I had to put wood blocks in place to keep it from sliding forward as I backed into our drive. Our dealership finally stopped selling the Reese slider hitch due to my and other owners warranty returns. They had 5 slider hitches on the floor waiting to go back to Reese when I was last there.
    There are many good hitches to choose from, do your research prior to plunking down your money. Good luck.
    Tom & Nancy
    Newport, MI
    369RL, #302

    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

  9. #39
    Seasoned Camper
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    TNFSolitude - thanks for the response - I will definitely take this into account. Your experience - while painful for you, is extremely valuable for me to know about. Thanks for the perspective on Reese - what Hitch brand did you end up going with, and how is it going?

  10. #40
    Seasoned Camper Dave27's Avatar
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    I looked into the F150 for all the reasons listed above. But it looks like it is a little short in cargo capacity for our needs. Based on weights at a CAT scale, our pin weight is 1960 lbs, and total cargo weight is 900 lbs, total 2860 lbs. The 2018 F150, with 4x4 supercab, 3.5 L ecoboost, 6.5 foot box, max trailer tow package, heavy duty payload package, 36 gal tank, 18" heavy duty alum wheels, and 10 speed transmission has a maximum payload of 2700 lbs. I was disappointed, it is close, but we need a little more weight capacity.

    Dave
    2016 Reflection 27RL
    2015 Silverado 2500HD 6L
    B&W Patriot 18k slider
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

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