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The towing capacity of a 2019 Ford F-150 Lariat crew cab is ten,100 pounds. The Airstream Classic trailer it's towing weighs seven,800 pounds. A unproblematic equation. Until you do the math. (Photograph: Carly Schaffner/Trucks.com)
The thought of hauling a thirty-human foot Airstream Classic trailer to a luxury RV resort on California'southward Fundamental Coast seemed like a whimsical adventure.
But hauling 7,800 pounds of trailer weight is no romantic vacation, even if you lot're headed to wine land. A successful trip requires a gutsy tow vehicle, a knowledgeable pilot and – virtually of all – good old-fashioned arithmetic.
I thought a 2019 Ford F-150 Lariat coiffure cab pickup powered by a iii-liter turbo diesel engine could do the job, peculiarly based on its 10,100-pound towing chapters.
PEOPLE COUNT
Unhitched, the F-150 felt light and nimble. The aluminum trunk, v-human foot-six-inch box and actress muscle from the diesel engine gave the pickup an athletic feel. It navigated metropolis streets hands and maintained speed effortlessly on the highway. The commuter'southward seat is comfortable and offers excellent lumbar back up over long distances. The back of the cabin has enough space for people and storage of road-trip essentials. A useful stowage compartment is tucked away under the rear bench.
The F-150 looks more than lusty enough for the task of hauling the 30-foot Airstream. Maybe and then, when both are empty. (Photo: Carly Schaffner/Trucks.com)
Towing isn't just near the trailer. You take to count people and gear when calculating the towing capability of a truck. That's especially true when the journey includes inclement weather, irresolute elevations, rugged passes and fast-moving traffic.
With the trailer hitched, my hubby beside me and two kids in the back, the F-150's personality completely changed.
WHITE KNUCKLES
The hills of Paso Robles, Calif., are the real deal. On a 75-mile loop that headed west from our RV resort to Cambria, south to Morro Bay and so dorsum north toward Atascadero, the Airstream manhandled the truck. It was no longer the idyllic hotel-on-wheels I was looking frontwards to for the next 3 nights.
The commencement miles on surface streets toward Route 46 felt comfortable. The F-150 held its conviction on flat roads at 35 mph and smoothly guided the trailer around turns. Our rig blended in with the other travelers carting monstrous RVs with well-equipped pickups.
The feeling shifted, however, every bit I merged onto the freeway. I accelerated to settle in amid the flood of RV-haulers traveling at the posted 55 mph speed limit for vehicles with trailers. Almost immediately the truck started to swerve nether the weight of the trailer.
I gripped the wheel and wondered who was driving – the trailer or me. Passenger cars in the fast lane seemed to wing by at lightning speed.
The F-150's big mirrors were definitely helpful, allowing visibility around the (sometimes swaying) trailer. (Photo: Carly Schaffner/Trucks.com)
The truck's trailer sway-control apace mitigated the move. I sensed its automatic braking under my foot and a alarm on the musical instrument panel told me to boring downward. Ford's towing applied science provided some assurance.
The weather condition was also menacing. Information technology was a blustery day with thick cloud cover and light mist. Headwinds pushed dorsum at the truck equally we approached what appeared to exist a never-ending series of rolling hills.
To command speed on downgrades, I shifted from Drive into Manual fashion and kept the truck's 10-speed transmission between 3rd and fourth gears. The F-150 chugged forth amongst traffic at a sluggish forty mph, a speed that gave me more control of the heavy load.
COASTAL Cruise
We emerged from the hills and headed south along the coast on Pacific Coast Highway. The whipping wind finally subsided. I relaxed into the southbound drive as expansive views of the Pacific Ocean filled the windows. The air thickened, and light rain dotted the windshield.
Nearly of the coastal leg followed a two-lane highway. The drive was smooth but boring. Occasionally the road widened to 2 lanes, giving faster vehicles an opportunity to pass.
I turned eastward onto U.Southward. Road 41 for the domicile stretch of the bulldoze. The highway mostly snaked back and forth. The truck's oversize side mirrors gave me extended visibility equally nosotros followed the curves of the road. We finally made our style back to I-46 and exited the freeway.
At the resort, I noticed that about other guests used heavy-duty pickups. Our half-ton truck was out of place. A more thorough expect at specs of the F-150 Lariat revealed that the towing equation is complex.
NUMBER Crunch
Ford lists the towing capacity of the four-wheel-bulldoze F-150 SuperCrew Lariat with a diesel engine and towing package at ten,100 pounds. In theory, the vii,800-pound-Airstream is inside its capabilities.
But other factors come up into play.
Kickoff is the automaker's official adjourn weight of the vehicle, which for the F-150 is 5,271 pounds. That does not take into consideration the options on the truck.
At $lxx,100, including the $ane,595 destination fee, this model was loaded with $20,520 worth of options. Features like the twin panel moonroof ($1,495), bedliner ($595) and power running boards ($995) add extra weight.
The Airstream weighs 7,800 pounds. That's before adding water, propane and personal belongings. Those modify the equation. (Photo: Carly Schaffner/Trucks.com)
The truck'southward weight was closer to five,710 pounds, co-ordinate to Ford. And a half-full, 26-gallon fuel tank adds nearly 100 pounds, bringing the full weight to 5,810 pounds.
H2o AND PROPANE
Second, consider the weight of the trailer. The official weight is 7,800 pounds, but it has a 54-gallon h2o tank and two propane tanks on board. Water weighs 8.34 pounds per gallon, so one-half of a tank adds 225 pounds. Even an empty propane tank weighs about seventy pounds.
The trailer weighed at least eight,100 pounds, mayhap more.
Now, examine the payload of the truck: 1,288 pounds. Payload is the passengers plus the cargo. My grouping weighed a combined 430 pounds. Cargo added another 250 pounds for a full of 630 pounds.
Finally consider how a trailer adds tongue weight, which is the amount it exerts on the hitch. Information technology'south typically calculated at ten pct of the weight of the trailer and cuts into the payload. In the case of an 8,100-pound trailer, natural language weight is 810 pounds. The Airstream, however, had 2 propane tanks sitting right on top of the hitch, which bumps the tongue weight to an estimated 950 pounds.
These figures contribute to the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating, which is the curb weight plus payload. The Ford recommended GVW is vii,050 pounds. Our weight was 7,390 pounds.
Another weight valuation of the truck is the Gross Combined Vehicle Weight Rating. This is the curb weight plus the payload plus the trailer weight. The F-150 has a GCVWR of 16,100 pounds. The load weight on my trip was 15,490 pounds, leaving me only 610 pounds of wiggle room.
LOADED WEIGHT
"The F-150 isn't really the best choice to tow any Airstream over 27 feet," said Chris Cordes, a towing expert and Airstream administrator. "A loaded 27-footer is at the border of this truck's operating envelope. You'll find the vehicle struggling to accelerate as well as maintain speed on large grades."
Who would have thought math class would come up in handy for adventuring? (Photograph: Carly Schaffner/Trucks.com)
Loaded weight is the key, he said.
"You want at least a 15-20 per centum margin of fault between the towing chapters and the trailer's fully loaded weight," Cordes said.
However, Ford told Trucks.com that it does non recommend a cushion and that it stands by the truck'south towing capacity.
But beware of load weight creep. Manufacturers weigh trailers without h2o, propane, nutrient or personal belongings inside. Add all that up and at that place's a proficient chance you're 1,000 pounds heavier than the empty weight, likely more, Cordes said.
"I would not recommend pulling a 30-pes trailer or above with anything less than a 3/4-ton-level truck from any brand," he said.
Going by the minimum fifteen percent dominion on the F-150'due south towing capacity of 10,100 pounds, my Airstream should not take exceeded 8,585 pounds. At 9,060 pounds, I left only x percent room for mistake.
Next time I meet the Airstream it'll be with a Ford F-250 Super Duty so the trailer doesn't stop up towing my truck.
Carly Schaffner June 22, 2018
Towing tin can seem daunting for beginners, but the right technology can ease the burden. I towed five,000 pounds 150 miles in a GMC Sierra and am better off because of it.
Source: https://www.trucks.com/2019/06/14/towing-giant-airstream-trailer-big-math-problem/
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