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F150 Towing 2800BH

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  • #16
    Check your Ford manual, but I believe Ford says to transfer only 1/2 the weight back to the front axle when setting up the hitch.
    2017 Imagine 2650 & 2019 F-250 (Got tired of the F-150)

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    • #17
      It may also be good to check the setup on the hitch. For the Equalizer hitch as an example, a measurement from the top of the front tire to the fender is taken with the truck sitting level and unloaded. Next the trailer is hooked up, loaded with no bars, where another measurement is made on the front. Then adding the bars, the rear of the truck is raised to achieve the half way point between the previous two measurements. Some out there will also use scales to try to get even loading between the front axle and the rear axle.
      Also on my equalizer hitch which I'm using the 10000/1000lb bars, I'm really at the high end of this bar at 960 lb tongue weight where if I had to do this over, I would have purchased the 12000/1200 lb unit. This way on strong inputs, the heavier bars would offer additional support.

      Good advice in looking in the Ford manual also #16.
      Last edited by Guest; 02-12-2020, 08:54 AM.

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      • #18
        Sounds good guys. I've set aside a day to tweak the setup before our next trip. We aren't planning another trip for a couple months so I have some time to get it all dialed in. Thanks so much for all of the great info.

        This forum is an amazing resource!
        Mike & Kristyn
        '20 Imagine 2800BH
        '19 F250 XLT 6.7 CC SB
        ProPride 3p 1400

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        • #19
          Originally posted by MikeG90 View Post
          Hi Everyone,

          My wife and I are brand new to the TT world and just took our first 4 day camping trip. We towed about 300 miles on both interstates and smaller highways. It was a mixture of hills and flat lands.

          We are pulling with a 2018 F150 Lariat 3.5 eco boost with trailer tow package and a Blue Ox sway pro with 1000lb bars. I’ve got the WD hitch tuned pretty well everything sitting nice and level. We’re under all of the weight specs of the truck and in regards to power it tows the trailer very well. However the handling left me with some white knuckle moments. Being passed by big rigs was fine but cross winds really gave me trouble. We had gusts of 20 mph which would push the rig around and make it feel like it was sliding side to side and pushing the front of the truck towards the wind direction. I assume this was sway but I’ve never felt it before so I’m unsure.

          I think the 150 should be adequate for this setup but now I’m second guessing it. Can something be done to help the setup handle better? Jumping up to an F-250 would be a bit of a stretch at this point but I think we’d consider it if we really needed to. I can post my scale weighs both unloaded and with the loaded trailer if that would be helpful. I haven’t measured tongue weight yet but plan on ordering a scale this week.

          We really love the trailer and had a fantastic time!

          Thanks for the help!
          Howdy Mike,

          We have a similar capacities and setups. 2012 F150 Platinum (20" wheels w/ Michelin LT@40 PSI), Blue Ox 1000#, towing a level 2017 2600RB.

          Of all the mods I've done, the one that reduced "truck suck," the most was Goodyear Endurance tires. There is a marked difference in the weight and sidewall stiffness between the Westlakes and GD Endurance. Much better towing experience!

          We had no issues for the 15,000 miles on the Westlakes but, wished we changing them out for our my very first trip.

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          • #20
            When I first picked up our 2600 in Nov, I found trucks and wind were an issue. We have a 2019 F-150 w/ 5.0, similar the 2016 I had traded in. With the experience we had with the 2106 with a lighter TT we replaced the rear shocks. The rear shocks on these trucks are trash. We replaced the rears on the 2016 after towing about 10,000 miles with Bilsteins and there was a massive improvement. I was surprised how soft the OEM shock were. Fast forward to the 2019. Replaced the 2019 OEM rears a week after delivery Bilstein 5100 series shocks. The new trucks's OEM shocks were so soft I could compress them by just pushing on the ends.

            I also added a rear Hellwig swaybar which also stiffened up the rear end. Upgrading the bars from 750lb to 1000lb on our Blue Ox Swaypro, I found using the 8th link, rather than the suggested 9th link, adding the Hellwig swaybars and replacing the rear shocks, the trailer pulls better, isn't really affected by passing semis or wind. My wife, who has always been on the nervous side when a semi passed, now naps as we drive since we aren't getting blown around anywhere near as much.

            The replacement of the rear shocks, installation of the Hellwig swaybar and moving up to the heavier spring bars where done in our driveway. They have stiffened up the ride a bit, but the truck handles rough roads and towing much better.
            Last edited by Running from Gnats; 02-25-2020, 12:21 AM. Reason: clear up spelling
            2020 F-250 Lariat 2WD SuperCrew 6.7L, Blue Ox SwayPro hitch w/ 1000lb bars
            2020 Imagine 2600RD w/ Road Armor + wet bolt suspension, Yakima Longhaul Bike Rack, MicroAir EasyStart 364 for AC, Lion Energy 105 amp Lithiium Ion X2
            Amateur Radio Call N9XGZ
            FMCA # 489460

            Comment


            • #21
              Your 150 is 2wd or 4wd?
              Dave and Sue
              2020 GD 2250RK
              2019 F-150 XLT, 5.0, 4WD, SB
              Curt 17500 WDH, 3.55
              GY Endurance, Dexter EZ Flex
              SCPO(SW) USN, (Ret), HP: Tampa Bay ⚓️🇺🇸

              Comment


              • #22
                It's 2wd. I have had 4wd in the past and don't see a need for it. Back when I lived up on the Canadian border, we had a 4WD. Same as living in the mountain at Flagstaff, AZ. But here in southern Georgia, I'd rather have the additional payload/towing capacity, less maintenance costs, better fuel mileage. I don't go off roading but can easily haul our 2600RB on US Forest Service roads (watching overhead clearance) and other boondocking sites.

                Replacement of the rear shocks and the rear sway bar are the only changes made to the truck.
                2020 F-250 Lariat 2WD SuperCrew 6.7L, Blue Ox SwayPro hitch w/ 1000lb bars
                2020 Imagine 2600RD w/ Road Armor + wet bolt suspension, Yakima Longhaul Bike Rack, MicroAir EasyStart 364 for AC, Lion Energy 105 amp Lithiium Ion X2
                Amateur Radio Call N9XGZ
                FMCA # 489460

                Comment


                • #23
                  I just wanted to thank everyone here for their advice. I have nearly the same setup. GD 2800BH, 2019 F-150 XLT / 3.5 EB / Max Tow, 20-inch wheels, Blue Ox w/ 750# bars and also white knuckled our first trip. Granted, our trip was in a storm with 20mph winds, gusting to 30mph. That's "all hands on deck" driving folks. Our trip home was a little easier, but still had quite a bit of sway from wind and traffic, which was discouraging.
                  I too, am using the 8th link on the BlueOx, but will probably up it to the 1000# bars as you have there. I'm eyeing the Bilstein shock upgrade, as the ride felt like a boat, up, down, up, down, up, down. The Max tow is supposed to have a more sturdy rear sway bar from the get go, so I'll have to do the research on the differences vs the Hellwig. I will also use the spreadsheet as a template for my WDH tuning.

                  In all, thanks again to all! I really appreciate the info too! I imagine you're helping more people than you think.

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                  • #24
                    snovak
                    I don't think any F150 has a factory rear sway bar. My HDPP (heavy duty payload package) certainly doesn't.
                    The so called "Max Tow Package" gets you the hitch and the built in trailer brake controller . . . I don't think it gets you any extra towing capability.

                    After 20,000 towing miles, the back of my F150 was beginning to feel a little loose. I considered the Bilstein rear shock "upgrade", but from info on an F150 site, I stayed with replacement OE HDPP shocks which returned the sway control to like new. These OE HDPP shocks are reported to be "tighter" than Bilsteins.

                    From many Grand Design RV forum discussions, the best improvement for a non-HDPP F150 is to go from the stock P (passenger) tires running about 35 psi, to LT (light truck) tires running 60 psi if they are C spec or up to 80 psi if they are E spec. My HDPP OE tires are LT E spec.

                    Rather than aftermarket Hellwig add-ons, you might want to consider upgrading to factory HDPP rear springs. These have three full length leaves rather than the standard two.

                    I also run Airlift air bags with an onboard compressor and wireless controller. At 30 psi bag press, this really stabilizes the back of the truck while only lifting it less than 1". With the onboard control system, you can really play with this capability. I have tried 10 psi to 100 psi . . . 30 is the sweet spot (in my opinion).

                    Rob
                    Cate & Rob
                    (with Border Collies Molly & Angel + Kitties Hazel & Elsie)
                    2015 Reflection 303RLS
                    2022 F350 Diesel CC SB SRW Lariat
                    Bayham, Ontario, Canada

                    Comment


                    • #25
                      Thanks guys! Just coming back to read through this info. My air bags are coming in tomorrow and I’ll be installing this weekend. Good to know that about 40lbs doesn’t lift the back too much. I assume you don’t want the bags to lift the rear of
                      the truck much if any so the WD bars can still keep the original tension.

                      I’m hoping the bags stabilize things a bit. May also look into the HDPP shocks.

                      I aired up my stock tires to 48 psi and found that they felt much more stable while towing. So hopefully I can hold off on buying LT tires until I need a new set anyway.

                      Will report back on the results.
                      Mike & Kristyn
                      '20 Imagine 2800BH
                      '19 F250 XLT 6.7 CC SB
                      ProPride 3p 1400

                      Comment


                      • #26
                        Originally posted by MikeG90 View Post
                        I assume you don’t want the bags to lift the rear of the truck much if any so the WD bars can still keep the original tension.
                        I've tested this, Mike. The results are in post 9 of that thread I linked.

                        Summary: With air bags at 5 psi and then at 100 psi there was no detectable difference in the weight of my truck and trailer combination on the CAT scale. What that means is the Blue Ox WDH still transferred the same amount of weight forward and rearward, regardless of the air bag setting.

                        Guest wrote about the benefit of air bags (and how they differ from weight distribution) here: https://gdrvowners.com/towing-and-hi...=6700#post6700


                        Forum moderators are not GD employees--we are volunteers and owners presumably just like yourself. Unless specifically mentioned otherwise, we have nothing to gain should you choose to purchase a product or engage a service we discuss on this forum.

                        2017 Ford F-350 DRW, '19 315RLTSPlus

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                        • #27
                          Originally posted by howson View Post

                          I've tested this, Mike. The results are in post 9 of that thread I linked.

                          Summary: With air bags at 5 psi and then at 100 psi there was no detectable difference in the weight of my truck and trailer combination on the CAT scale. What that means is the Blue Ox WDH still transferred the same amount of weight forward and rearward, regardless of the air bag setting.

                          Guest wrote about the benefit of air bags (and how they differ from weight distribution) here: https://gdrvowners.com/towing-and-hi...=6700#post6700

                          Thanks! Now that you mention that, I remember reading that in your post. Thanks for the reminder.
                          Mike & Kristyn
                          '20 Imagine 2800BH
                          '19 F250 XLT 6.7 CC SB
                          ProPride 3p 1400

                          Comment


                          • #28
                            FWIW: I’ve read for several recent years that the ONLY way to get the HDPP is to buy/order your F150 with the 3.5L TT engine. I could be wrong but have not found otherwise in any Ford published literature.
                            Dave and Sue
                            2020 GD 2250RK
                            2019 F-150 XLT, 5.0, 4WD, SB
                            Curt 17500 WDH, 3.55
                            GY Endurance, Dexter EZ Flex
                            SCPO(SW) USN, (Ret), HP: Tampa Bay ⚓️🇺🇸

                            Comment


                            • #29
                              Originally posted by Schiefswret View Post
                              FWIW: I’ve read for several recent years that the ONLY way to get the HDPP is to buy/order your F150 with the 3.5L TT engine. I could be wrong but have not found otherwise in any Ford published literature.
                              The attached is from the 2019 F150 brochure . . . I have not gone looking for the 2020 version, but I would expect it to be the same. HDPP is available with different engines, but the highest payload and trailer towing capacity comes with the 3.5L Ecoboost powertrain.

                              Rob
                              Attached Files
                              Cate & Rob
                              (with Border Collies Molly & Angel + Kitties Hazel & Elsie)
                              2015 Reflection 303RLS
                              2022 F350 Diesel CC SB SRW Lariat
                              Bayham, Ontario, Canada

                              Comment


                              • #30
                                Originally posted by Cate&Rob View Post

                                The attached is from the 2019 F150 brochure . . . I have not gone looking for the 2020 version, but I would expect it to be the same. HDPP is available with different engines, but the highest payload and trailer towing capacity comes with the 3.5L Ecoboost powertrain.

                                Rob
                                Also the HDPP is not available on the Lariat or higher for those of us who appreciate those models. XL and XLT only.
                                2020 F-250 Lariat 2WD SuperCrew 6.7L, Blue Ox SwayPro hitch w/ 1000lb bars
                                2020 Imagine 2600RD w/ Road Armor + wet bolt suspension, Yakima Longhaul Bike Rack, MicroAir EasyStart 364 for AC, Lion Energy 105 amp Lithiium Ion X2
                                Amateur Radio Call N9XGZ
                                FMCA # 489460

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