Question 2020 F150 3.5 ecoboost towing capability

[JohnintheUS]

Best trailer with options for family of 5 - what have you all found to work best with a 2020 F150, 3.5 eco, short bed, 3.55 gears with max trailer package.
Thanks in advance! Happy Camping

 

[Gizmo]

Look at your door sticker and get the payload but it's going to be hard to find something with 5 people in the truck that doesn't exceed the payload of the truck. A 6000-pound travel trailer has a hitch weight between 600 and 900 pounds(10% to 15%) the 100 pounds for hitch now add in the weight of 5 people. An example would be 750 tongue weight + 100-pound hitch weight + 700 pounds for 5 people 1550 pounds of payload to right on the edge of being overweight and that with a 6000-pound trailer ready to camp. With 5 people unloaded weight of that TT would have probably been in the 4500 to 5000 range.

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

Welcome to RVF, @JohnintheUS; glad to have you here. Let me suggest that you use the Search function at the top right corner of the forum page to look for “towing capability.” There have been many recent threads on that subject.

TJ

 

[JohnintheUS]

Thank you for the suggestion...new to this forum, will check it out via search.

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

Thank you for the suggestion...new to this forum, will check it out via search.

Tow vehicle capability has been a popular topic lately and rather than me trying to recap all the threads, it just seemed better to point you to some existing threads. Wasn’t trying to evade answering your question.

For people pulling trailers, having a proper tow vehicle for safely towing their RV is critical. Way too many folks get bad advice from trailer sales people and uninformed internet posters, and find themselves under-trucked...or, over-trailered. ?

You are wise to be doing your homework before pulling the trigger on a deal for a trailer. That will help keep you and your family safe and enhance your RV experience.

Good luck with your search for the right trailer for you and the family.

TJ

 

[JohnintheUS]

Tow vehicle capability has been a popular topic lately and rather than me trying to recap all the threads, it just seemed better to point you to some existing threads. Wasn’t trying to evade answering your question.

For people pulling trailers, having a proper tow vehicle for safely towing their RV is critical. Way too many folks get bad advice from trailer sales people and uninformed internet posters, and find themselves under-trucked...or, over-trailered. ?

You are wise to be doing your homework before pulling the trigger on a deal for a trailer. That will help keep you and your family safe and enhance your RV experience.

Good luck with your search for the right trailer for you and the family.

TJ

No worries, I know you weren't, but looking at other threads has also helped. Safety first for me and my family - always. I appreciate all your input

 

[Horseshoer]

Best trailer with options for family of 5 - what have you all found to work best with a 2020 F150, 3.5 eco, short bed, 3.55 gears with max trailer package.
Thanks in advance! Happy Camping

Best trailer with options for family of 5 - what have you all found to work best with a 2020 F150, 3.5 eco, short bed, 3.55 gears with max trailer package.
Thanks in advance! Happy Camping

Cargo is going to be your down fall with five people and all the gear it takes. Even if the kids are small you are going to get heavy in a jiffy.

 

[Kevin D Pem]

You are wise to be doing your homework before pulling the trigger on a deal for a trailer. That will help keep you and your family safe and enhance your RV experience.

Good luck with your search for the right trailer for you and the family.

I might add looking realistically at your buying power.

 

[Germanrazor]

I too desperately wanted to go EcoBoost 3.5 for everyday gas mileage. In the end, opted to go Super Duty and while I did not want to pay the diesel premium, opted 7.3 Godzilla engine! I kept my TT in check but it also is enough for growth.

The truck I have can even do a smaller 5’er if the time comes. I rather have too much truck than squeaking by for sure. I am new to RV world stuff, not trucks and towing. The biggest things I struggle with are those darn WDH devices and initial setups. But that’s behind me now.

Trucks are way too darn expensive! But unfortunately, to play you have to pay.

 

[Amoque]

I have a friend who did ALL the research and ended up with a Dodge 1500 series and a "lite" model tow-behind for him and his wife. He decided to save himself a few hundred dollars by traveling to a neighboring state where "overhead" wasn't so high to pick it up. On the way home there was a modest crosswind; he was so distressed by the handling that he pulled in at a closed scale thinking something must be wrong. There he determined that all was as he expected and well within manufacturer's specifications. He continued "white knuckling it" all the way home where he parked the trailer and literally never moved it again. Two years later he sold it and bought a tent.

Point is, not all the answers are in the numbers and lighter trailers (and vehicles) have both pros and cons. I absolutely recommend the RV lifestyle to anyone who will sit still long enough for me to get on a soap box, BUT... my general advice in RVs (as well as life) is to avoid the ends of the bell curve and stay firmly centered in your comfort zone.