# F150 Question, Again



## AKF150LARIAT4X4 (Sep 14, 2005)

I know this has been covered 100s of times, but this is MY first time asking. I'm new to TTs and this forum, and haven't bought a TT yet. I have a 01 F-150 Lariat 5.4L SCrew with towing package. I'm looking at a 25RSS, 26RS and 28BHS. Would it be unsafe to carry these with a wife, two daughters (10 & 4) and a SnugTop cap? Does anyone have this trailer with a "wet" weight? I know all weights are different depending on what you pack but it will get me in the ballpark of what they'll weigh loaded. Of course I want the 28BHS but I also dont want to put my family in danger. By the way, the Outback web page lists the 28BHS in the 5er section but I thought the 5ers started with "F"? Is the 28BHS a bumper pull? If the 28BHS isn't safe then the smallest I want to go is the 25RSS, but worst case scenario I would have to get the 26RS. I JUST bought the truck, so getting another TV is a very SLIM option. Any help is greatly appreciated! By the way, I live in Alaska, so keep that in mind.


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## drobe5150 (Jan 21, 2005)

imho you do not have enough truck for the 28bhs tt, mine loaded w/no water in tank is around 6500#.
i have a friend that has the same truck you do, and they were struggling pulling a horse trailer with 2 horse's in it. they bumped up to a f250 v10. no more worries!
i hope this gives you an idea what your up against. as for other outbacks, members will chime in with their thoughts.
good luck.

darrel


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## hurricaneplumber (Apr 12, 2004)

I have a 2003 F-150 Screw, FX4, 5.4, 3.73 LS gears AND a 28BHS.

The 28BHS is around 6200-6500 fully loaded. I have a ARE cap and haul 4 people.

I am at the GCWR, a little less but weight wise maxed out.

Power wise, lots of power for normal driving, slows obviously on long hills, by the time I get to the top of a long steep grade, she is working for sure.

MPG, without cap, 7.5 MPG, with cap, 9.25 MPG.

My goal when it is time to trade truck in is to get a bigger one so that I don't worry so much about loading and power, I want more capacity.

If you travel lots of hills you will be unhappy, not enough power.

I believe those with the 26RS have found that it also weighs a lot when loaded. I think Tim's weighed more than mine.

Good luck

Kevin


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## camping479 (Aug 27, 2003)

The weights in the brochure can be quite a ways off. My 21RS has a 390 tongue weight according to the brochure, actual is almost 800. Your 150 will probably hit the gvw rating long before the tow rating. The 26RS would be your safer choice IMO, the 21 or 23RS would give you a better cushion as far as weight goes.\

Mike


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## mswalt (Sep 14, 2004)

Towed my 26RS with a 1500 Suburban (5.3L). Did OK but lost some power on the hills in the Texas Hill Country. Never tried anything really big, however. End result.....upgraded!

My personal opinion, pick the_ lightest _of your choices.

Mark


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## Morrowmd (Feb 22, 2005)

We have a 26RS and have never got an actual weight but after weighing much of the gear I believe I pull between 5500-5800#. This does not include fresh water, only keep a few gallons in the tank when towing.

Our Tahoe is rated to tow 7400# and does a decent job pulling our TT but runs out of power fast on big hills.

Good luck!


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## PDX_Doug (Nov 16, 2004)

AKF150LARIET4X4,

I'm not sure what the tow ratings and capacities on your 2001 are, but I am sure they are significantly less than the current F-150's, and the trailers you have listed are probably pushing the realistic limits on the new ones.

The 28BHS is a bumper pull, and at 7,000 pounds gross, I would scratch it off the list immeditely. the other two are both 6,000 pounds gross, and with carful packing, will probably work. You will be hurting for power though.

Remember that whatever your F-150 TV's ratings are, that is for a stripped down version of the truck, with a driver and full tank of gas. Any options you have on the truck, other people in the truck, cargo you are carrying, and the weight of the hitch setup, all must be deducted from the allowable tow ratings. You can pull whats left over.

Also, the tow ratings assume level ground and no head winds. Of course in the real world we do have hills and mountains, and the wind does blow.

Long story short, if you plan on keeping your F-150, I would recommend the lightest Outback you can live wth.

Happy Trails,
Doug


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## Sidewinder (Feb 25, 2005)

AK,

See my sig and picture below. If you are towing the flat lands and roads where you can go 60-65 without getting run over, you will be fine with the 28BHS. The Screw is a little heavier than my Scab, but I always have the truck packed with firewood,etc., so we will probably be about even. 95% of the time my rig is JUST FINE. The only problem I have (and I have posted about this previously) is that when I'm on the interstate and tractor trailers come screaming past me, I get pushed around a bit. I think this could be solved by the substitution of an F350 PSD crew cab, but if I did that, there would be no $$$ left for camping........So I just stick to the two-lane roads as much as possible.

However, a few trips to the Blue Ridge Mountains this summer had my F150 panting pretty hard. More than once I looked down to see the old tach waaay past right of center trying to find some more power for those switch-back climbs.

Summary:

Flat roads -- go for either one
Mountains roads or A LOT of interstate travel -- think smaller trailer or bigger truck.

Just my $.02,

Sidewinder


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## Herbicidal (Aug 29, 2003)

Our 2004 26RS has a 'camping weight' of 5,620 lbs. I did not have any water in her at the time. Our's came with all options and we added a second 12v battery up front.


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## huntr70 (Jul 8, 2005)

I tend to agree with Sidewinder...I have basically the same setup, just in the Dodge version. Tow rating on mine is 7400#. The 28BHS is rated at 7000# max. Would I want to pull it at 7000# with 3 other people in the truck and the bed loaded?? NO. I don't seem to have much trouble anywhere, but the 360 V8 does do some straining on long hills. However, this is the same engine that the older 3/4 ton Dodges had, so the gear ratio in the rear must be different. (plus the heavier springs to make it the 3/4 ton)

Will it be unsafe?? Probably not, with the correct hitch setup you should be fine, but it is all in what you feel comfortable with.

My suggestion....get the WD hitch and sway bars, and pull each one. Tell the dealer you are going to buy one or the other and want to see which tows better.

Steve


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## DANJOGAVINMO (Apr 17, 2004)

I am now convinced that PDX_DOUG secretly works for Nissan's "Anti-Ford Ad campaign department". Honestly, I am getting a little tired of the constant F150 trashing, they can tow more than utility trailers.

AKF150LARIAT4X4, from someone who actively tows with the rig in question (see my sig, I have a 2002), you should be fine with either 25RSS,26RS or smaller in my first hand opinion. The truck holds my family of 4 and our bikes usually, no Cap though. My 25RS-S, purchased in Aug of 2002 BTW, weighs in at ~5600 when heavily loaded for very long trips (2 weeks), less for shorter trips. With water at ~8 lb/gal you can do the math. My FAWR, RAWR, GVWR and GCWR's are all within mfg's limits.
We travel quite often up hills when going to camp at the beach you know the camper is there, but generally can keep up with the speed limits there. It took a while for me to relax about running the engine at higher RPM's on grades, but I am OK with it now (max rpm I pull on a steep grades is ~3600rpm, mostly I run at ~3100rpm on typical grades). Some folks wind their's up even more.

I would personally recommend the 25RSS as a good trailer for a family of 4.
Danny


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## huntr70 (Jul 8, 2005)

Check out this pic...it is from the campout we were just at last weekend.









Yes, it is a V8 Grand Cherokee, and yes, they are towing a 28BHS.

I didn't get to see them come in, or leave, but I assume they made it both ways.

Your P-up will tow more than this SUV.

Sorry so small.

Steve


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## nascarcamper (Jan 27, 2005)

I had the Dodge with the 360 first and then I bought an 03 with 4.7L. I honestly couldn't tell the difference when towing between the two. Flat land up to 60 or 65 they were fine. My problems were interstates and the mountains and sometimes long slow grades would put her gear hunting. Then I bought the F250 SD and life changed. I looked at all of the Outbacks but didn't like the ones with the slideout bed in the rear. That basically left the 28BHS and we have been very happy with it. If you have plenty of time while traveling you'll do fine with the 150 but plan on lots of stops for gas. I'm glad I made the change but we put a lot of miles with the previous combos and never had any real problems. On a side note the salesmen that sold us our camper never said anything about towing issues with the rear bed slides until we were signing the papers for the 28BHS. Then he told us they had a lot of complaints about bouncing due to the added weight in the rear. Anyone had any problems with this? I prefer the old school designs without all the extra hardware to go wrong. It felt more like a popup to me. Not talking bad about them though as I spent a lot of great years camping in one and still miss it until it's time to pack up in the rain. Everyone has opinions and that's why they make the different models. Just my view. Good luck with your decision. You can't go wrong with the Outbacks!!!


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## camping479 (Aug 27, 2003)

> Then he told us they had a lot of complaints about bouncing due to the added weight in the rear. Anyone had any problems with this?


Haven't had any problems with bounce, I would be pretty sure keystone figured in the weight of the slide when they designed the trailer. If it was an issue I think tongue weights would be light and sway would be a bigger problem than bounce.



> Our 2004 26RS has a 'camping weight' of 5,620 lbs. I did not have any water in her at the time. Our's came with all options and we added a second 12v battery up front.


Do you know what your tongue weight was when you weighed??

Mike


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## Jeff&Dort (Jun 18, 2005)

My TV is 03 F150 King Ranch with 5.4L and tow package, I pull a 23RS usually fully loaded. When we first started test driving the truck our dealer let us pull our TT with diffrent F150s and the main thing we found is that the 3.73 dif. made a huge difference. The only trouble I've had is long grade pulls (mtn. passes) but Mn. lakes country and ND hills are no problem.


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## hurricaneplumber (Apr 12, 2004)

My 3.73 gears get my 28BHS up and moving very nice. The 5.4 motor has been very reliable for us.

Knowing that I am a full load going down the road, I slow down while driving, pay attention to the road, watch the camper and listen to the truck. Anticipate what is happening in front of me and plan my next move in advance. All of which should be done regardless if you have lots of extra capacity or are maxed out. There is no logical reason to tow a rig that weighs around 13000 lbs at 75 MPH down the road.

Another note, the listed towing capacities are to "obtain maximum published performance from the vehicle setup".

Use common sense in your decision, do what you feel comfortable with. Personally I have no problem hauling my 28BHS with my Screw, but that is me.

Good luck.


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## jzero (Mar 24, 2005)

I have an 02 F150 Supercrew King Ranch which I would never part with. My answer to more power was simply this: K&N intake replacement (from the throttle body), Custom 2 1/2" dual exaust with X pipe (for torque), JBA Stainless steel and Ceramic coated headers (more torque) , Hypertech power programmer (for timing and more fuel) and last but not least: 4:10 gears. I added Cooper Discoverer ATR tires in a custom size: LT275/70/17 (wider and taller) load range C, Rancho 9000, 9way adjustable shocks (set firm when towing). I put in a Keystone ram air hood for maximum cold air flow directly to the intake.

Now go shopping!

I can tow as fast as I want. The only time I am slowed down is on 12,000 ft. passes 45mph (yes I live in Colorado) there just isn't enough oxygen for a gas engine up there...Thats why I'm saving up for THE BLOWER!!!

I tow a 21r/s. I always tow fully loaded with all supplies, Family (wife, 2 kids). We usually hit very remote spots that I can barely fit the 21rs into. My advise to you is to keep your trailer as small as possible

Good Luck and keep the truck!


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## gregjoyal (Jan 25, 2005)

huntr70 said:


> Check out this pic...it is from the campout we were just at last weekend.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Hmmm, that is a little much. The V8 4.7L HO Grand Cherokees are rated to tow 6500 pounds with an 11,000 lb combined weight. I guess if the 28BHS is empty, it isn't too out of line (remember the GC weighs in around 3800 lbs and has a max weight of about 5100 lbs).

BUT I wouldn't do it....

I was just curious about the offical numbers (mine old 98 was the 4.0L and it had plenty of torque for towing my 3500# boat & trailer). I came across this PDF.... It seems to have some VERY good information for anybody who tows.

http://www.wjjeeps.com/misc/wj_towing_info1.pdf


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## Highlander96 (Mar 1, 2005)

Funny thing........I really have not see any "F150 Bashing" here. Everyone has opinions and we all know what that means.

The F150 is a great vehicle. Now, with that said.......I would not want to tow the 28BHS with it. I would be leary of towing the 28BHS with my 2500HD which is rated much higher. That is based on my own comfort level.

Bottom line is tow what you are comfortable with!!!!! Use some of the calculators to figure you weights and go with your gut.

BTW......Did anyone see the post on the other side where somebody totaled their 28' Outback in the Sacramento Area? He was towing with a Yukon XL.

Happy Outbacking!

Tim action


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## PDX_Doug (Nov 16, 2004)

Danny,

I'm sorry if I offended you with my 'F-150 bashing'. My intention was never to do either.

When I was shopping for a TV last fall, I can tell you in all honesty that the new F-150 was at the top of my list. I really wanted that truck. As far as domestic vehicles go, I have always been a Ford nut.

That being said, I did alot of research. Read a lot of road tests and especially comparison tests of all the available 1/2 tons. To a test, every one of them picked the Titan as the strongest tow vehicle in the class. Furthermore, every one of them listed the F-150 near or at the bottom when it comes to real world towing ability. I also conducted my own 'road tests' of each, and although that did not include pulling a trailer, my personal impressions told me the reports I had read probably were not far off the mark.

As far as working for Nissan is concerned, I have owned 18 vehicles in my day, of all types and manufacture. Of those, I have had two that were absolute lemons. The first a 1969 Datsun roadster, and then a first year Nissan Altima (an absolute piece of c**p!). After the Altima, I swore I would never own another Nissan product in my life!

So, bottom line is, I like the F-150. I wanted the F-150. But my entire purpose for purchasing the truck - I am not really a truck guy - was to get the most capable tow vehicle I could, and short of a diesel 3/4 ton (which neither my wife or I wanted to live with), I - reluctantly - picked the Titan. So far, it has been a great and capable vehicle.

I'm glad for you if you are happy with your F-150. But the question was asked here, and I did my best to offer the best, most honest and unbiased opinion I could. Sorry if that opinion does not match yours.

Happy Trails,
Doug


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## DANJOGAVINMO (Apr 17, 2004)

Doug,

Thanks. I think I was having an especially bad day, probably read into your comments too much







(I just returned back to work after a 10week vacation!!).

A point for those on the forum and one I need to take to heart myself is that many of us are proud and content with our trailers and tow vehicles, and sometimes it does not take much to offend. I'm sure the folks successfully towing 21RS's with mid-sized rigs don't appreciate some of my input's either.

The bottom line is that towing trailers with 1/2 ton, gasoline rigs is something that can be done successfully if a person does research, sticks within vehicle ratings, and tempers their expectations. What is comfortable for one person may not be for another.

TGIF
Danny


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## PDX_Doug (Nov 16, 2004)

Amen Brother!


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## drobe5150 (Jan 21, 2005)

Highlander96 said:


> Funny thing........I really have not see any "F150 Bashing" here. Everyone has opinions and we all know what that means.
> 
> The F150 is a great vehicle. Now, with that said.......I would not want to tow the 28BHS with it. I would be leary of towing the 28BHS with my 2500HD which is rated much higher. That is based on my own comfort level.
> 
> ...


tim action

i did read that post about the guy rolling his 28 bhs, personally i think he was driving to fast, he only stated that he was coming down a grade, well which grade was it :dunno:i am thinking he was coming down out of auborn, it is pretty fast there, then it starts to flatten out so people are flying down that grade. then he
states he had changed his b/controller and forgot its location







i wish the guy was a member here so he could tell us his story









darrel


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