# New Rv'er



## ChiroDoc63 (Nov 9, 2005)

Hi all,
My wife and I are new to Rv'ing, and are in the market for a TT. Due to the limitations of my TV(2003 F150 FX4 5.4Triton V8 with a 3.55 axle), my tow max is 7400lbs. So obviously we need a light TT. We've been looking for almost a year now and seem to keep back to Outback. We like the 29BHS. I says it weighs 5100lbs UVW, so I still have some wiggle room for all the "stuff" we'll bring with us. Is this weight and length compatible for my truck. Yhe wheel base on my truck is 138.8". Also, are all of you happy with Outbacks construction and quality? And honestly, do you have ANY gripes about Outback at all? We've looked at Flagstaff, but heard horror stories with quality. We liked Zinger, but weight concerned us. You get the idea.......Thanks again!!


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

Unfortunatly the weight on the brochures wiggles a little also. After the mandatory options and your camping stuff, you will or can be close to the max weight that is listed for the trailer.

John


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## huntr70 (Jul 8, 2005)

I agree with John.....

If you see my sig, we are close....I have the 5.9 liter V8 and taller gears, and still find it lacking in some areas of towing, mostly long hills.

If you like the 29BHS, take a look at the 28BHS. It saves some on weight.
Listed 28BHS- 4930, 29BHS-5150.

And they are way low.....so be prepared for closer to 6000 lbs.

Steve

PS- We looked at Zingers also, but when the dealer didn't recommed pulling that length with a 1/2 ton







, I knew they were too heavy!!!


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## ee4308 (Aug 23, 2005)

ChiroDoc63,

Welcome to the site. I will leave the weight/length/TV questions for some of our pros on here, but I know you will be happy with an Outback that your TV can handle. sunny


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## wolfwood (Sep 19, 2005)

ee4308 said:


> Welcome to the site. I will leave the weight/length/TV questions for some of our pros on here, but I know you will be happy with an Outback that your TV can handle. sunny
> [snapback]63055[/snapback]​


yeah - what ee4308 said - - - lots of pros on that subject here. Welcome to our e-campground !! action


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## Jose Fernandez (Jun 22, 2004)

Chirodoc63,

I practically have the same truck as you, only in the Crew Cab. The max tow on the Crew Cab is 7900lb. I pull the Outback 21rs. The truck does fine, but really whistle's on long inclines...Not sure where you live- nor the size of your family, but I would not pull anything heavier than 6000lb (25rss or 26rs) (MHO) with my current set up. Many on this forum do, but my hat's off to them...

As to your question "are we happy with the Outback." I/we love it. Many, many here will say the same. It has brought us many hours of enjoyment and fun filled family times.

Jose


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## Ghosty (Jan 17, 2005)

Just so you know -- and its an old marketing trick -- but the UAW is virtually the frame, tralier, and shell -- does not include much anything else -- my 23RS weighed in at the truck stop -- almost empty about 1000 over the UAW -- the UAW does not take into account -- propane, batteries, any applaince or anything else...

OUTBACK says that my UAW weight should be 4360 -- it weighed something like 5185 "empty" the first time I weighed it and after i loaded the "stuff' and had it weighed at the truck stop I know that I was right at 5850 -- but I do bring allot of beer so that added weight









so keep that in mind -- what you call "wiggle" -- the rest of us call about 20% additional









for the rest of your questions -- your truck length is fine -- make sure that you have a good WD and SWAY device and it should tow well.

Also make sure that you have a Prodigy brake controller - think that we have discussed that ad nausem here and most agree that its the only way to go...

Personally really like to see 3.73 or higher axle -- that increases your tow capability and raises the rpms which causes the rpms to run a little higher thus a little more liquid running through the transmission cooler...

and hopefully you have a HD transmission cooler and tow package with the Ford ... if not you may want to invest in a trans temp gauge and a HD cooler ... neither one is really expensive and both worth it IMO...


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## Fred n Ethel (Aug 30, 2005)

ChiroDoc63,

Welcome to the site. action

I will leave answering the tough to the pros also.

Lots of good information to learn.

Ralph


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## Scooter (May 9, 2005)

Hello ,and welcome

I too have the same set-up as you and I am at my Tow Max( keeping 80% safety Tow
buffer). with my 21rs . Question : are you running 16 or 17 inch rims? as you will have to take that into account as well when calculating your tow limit capabilities. 
dont forget to account for additional weight for tv gas, people , cargo (trailer and Truck) fresh water etc...in your calculations. the wiggle room disappears quickly.

heres are a few links that may help

f150 tow specs

tow calculator


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## Castle Rock Outbackers (Jan 18, 2004)

The 3.55 axle ratio does it for me. No way on any "BHS" unit. 21 or 23 RS would be my suggestion.

Randy


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## eyeguy (Sep 7, 2004)

We have an 2003 Expedition 5.4l with 3.73 gears that we used to tow with. I recently got a new TV because I was not happy with the ability pull up hills. The F150 has a longer wheel base so I think you would be fine with the length of the trailer. But that weight and taller gears you will have a hard time going up hills and will not win any races off the line either. If you go with the 28 I would at least plan on a regear.


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## HootBob (Apr 26, 2004)

Welcome ChiroDoc63 to the Outback Family
I would agree with John and Steve you will be to close for comfort.
As for the Outbacks never had a problem with either of the 2 that we've owned
Wouldn't trade for anything.

Don


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## PDX_Doug (Nov 16, 2004)

action action action *WELCOME TO OUTBACKERS, CHIRODOC63!* action action action 
Glad to have you aboard!

The Outback is a great trailer, and I am sure you will love one. No RV is perfect, they all have there issues, but the Outback is among the best in it's class (and several higher!).

As far as your towing capability, forget the bigger Outbacks. They are way more than you will be able to handle with your current rig (for the reasons others have already mentioned, and a few more). I would look at something along the lines of the 23RS. Maybe as big as the 25RS-S or 26RS, but only if there are no mountains where you live.

We are a friendly family here. Feel free to ask all the questions you need. They will never be met with arrogance or scorn!









Good luck in your hunt, and...

Happy Trails,
Doug


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## Devildog (Sep 8, 2005)

Good luck on your decision ChiroDoc. As you can see, I have a similar F150 to what you do, but mine is rated at over 9000lbs. with the 3.73 rear end. I could easily go up to the 28BHS, but it does great with the 25RSS, which I think is a good match. Loaded, I am probably in the neighborhood of around 6000lbs. Hope all the helpful advice on here helps you out.


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## NDJollyMon (Aug 22, 2003)

Gripes? Sure. Search QUALITY CONTROL and you'll find a few.

I think, overall, most are satisfied with their purchase. You'll find a few leaks and other problems here and there...just like anything else.

Welcome aboard!


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

Have to agree with everyones comments.

1) Outbacks are great trailers, but we've all had a few issues come up

2) Your current Truck is not the right vechile for that trailer. Either find a smaller Outback or purchase a new TV.

We're glad you're here and don't want to hear any horror stories from you on how the trailer caused an accident. Be safe...

Oh yea...almost forgot to say...


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## MGWorley (May 29, 2005)

Sorry I can't help you with th weight.

As far as being happy with our OB ... we're very satisfied.

If we had it to do over we would not change a thing. Prior to our purchasing our OB we looked around for well over 6 months. Our research and overservations toild us that dollar for dollar OB has the competition beat hands down on quality.

Of course as with anything we had a couple of small items that we had to take our OB back in to be corrected. All were taken care of with no problem. (My way of making sure that I did not have to wait for an opening in my local dealers service department was to give my service writer a couple of $15.00 cigars.)

Bottom line, I don't think that anyone can go wrong with an OB.

Mike


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## ChiroDoc63 (Nov 9, 2005)

Good morning,
Thanks for all the good advice. Now help me convince my wife I/WE need an
F-250....she's a tough sell. But seriously, do any of you know if I went to a 3.73 rear end, how much that increases my tow capacity. The reason we want/need bunks is because we have a 9 y.o and a 1 y.o. and we like the idea of them having their own area, if you know what I mean. Thanks again...all of you are great!


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## nascarcamper (Jan 27, 2005)

Welcome to the club. I have the 28BHS and before I got the superduty I pulled it with a 4.7L Dodge. I made out ok until I hit long interstate inclines or went to the mountains. The 250 with 6.0l pulls it so much better than the smaller gas truck did. Add in the suspension difference and it would be a no brainer if you were buying a truck. Since you already have the truck I would locate a dealer that would let you pull one. My dealer did so I knew what I was getting into before I bought it. They will all tell you it will be no problem but you have to form your own opinion on your comfort level while towing. A borderline weight combo makes a long trip much longer. My biggest problem was probably on the interstate as I couldn't pull it fast enough so I always had vehicles passing me creating sway issues. If you're towing short distances you'll probably be satisfied with the combo. I've never been on a short trip with mine and I've found my new truck to be so much more comfortable to haul with. There's nothing like going up a steep mountain grade passing other vehicles while towing the Outback.







That's my tow cents worth. Good luck with your decision. As far as quality goes, Outback have their share of stupid issues but most of them are minor fixes. I've never taken mine back to the dealer. I fixed all the stupid stuff myself. Thanks to this forum help is just around the corner.


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## PDX_Doug (Nov 16, 2004)

ChiroDoc63,

The lower gear ratio (3.73:1) will certainly help your towing capabilities. A 4.10:1 would be even better! But in your case, I think it really just comes down to a lack of raw horsepower. Gearing helps, but it really just masks the fact that the F-150 lacks power.

Now, don't get me wrong, I am not a Ford hater (although, I have been accused of that!







), my opinions come from alot of careful study and research. When I bought my Titan, it was not my first choice. I really wanted that new F-150. But when it came down to towing ability - the only reason I was buying the truck in the first place - the F-150 was not going to get it done.

Fortunetly, there is a wide range of Outbacks, and you can find plenty of bunk space even in a midsize unit.

Happy Trails,
Doug


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## camping479 (Aug 27, 2003)

Welcome to the group









We've had a few minor issues, nothing major.

Switching to a 3.73 rear would help, we did that with our truck. IMO that's a lot of trailer for a 1/2 ton. Would probably do alright but not great. We're towing our 21RS With our yukon and powerwise it's adequate, towing more would be a struggle.

Mike


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## socialstudiesmom (Nov 1, 2005)

Welcome to Outbackers,
We're certainly not as wise as many here as we just got our Outback last weekend! However, it's our third RV and we're very impressed. I'm sure there will be problems, but you put an apartment on wheels and tow it down the expressway - there's going to be problems!

As far as towing, you're getting some good advice from previous replys. However, dh and I decided not to take it (with much respect to those who advised otherwise). Reason being, we rarely encounter a steep hill where we rv in MI. We did get the Prodigy system and a sway bar. In a couple of years, my dh will be upgrading his truck and then we'll probably end up with an Outback fifth wheel.







You'll find us pulling it through some mountain ranges in Tennessee then!

Best wishes with your decision and hope to see you with an Outback soon!

Mary
2006 Outback 28 rs ds
2006 Durango Limited (Hemi) SWEEEEET!


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## Sidewinder (Feb 25, 2005)

Now hold on guys.

Let's clarify a little bit (see my sig). The towing ability of your F150 will strictly depend on the terrain over which you plan to travel. My F150 does just fine here in the flat lands of Central and southern VA.

But....and this is a substatial BUT. Trips over certain passes of the Blue Ridge Mountains will bring the old brute to his knees.

The 28BHS is a very light trailer for it's size, but no way is it as light as the brochure would lead you to believe.

I would love to step up to a 5er and a 250 (what the h#ll....if you gonna dream..350) Yeah, a 350 PSD, but for 90% of our travels, the F150 does just fine.

As far as regearing....don't do it. The move from 3.55s to 3.73s would not gain you enough towing capacity to justify the $700 per axle cash output. Besides, my F150 with 3.55s runs right in its "sweet spot" at 60-65mph with OD locked out....and that's fast enough when you're sitting in a 13000 # missile.

If you live and will travel in a flat area, buy the 28BHS....heck I'll sell you mine so I can get DW moving on that whole PSD thing. They are great trailers.

Welcome and good luck

Sidewinder


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## camping479 (Aug 27, 2003)

I think we need to mention weights here as well because towing is more than about power and being able to get the whole setup moving. GVWR has a lot to do with it and 1/2 ton trucks hit their GVWR long before the tow rating. Being overweight, even a little, can put you in legal jeopardy if you have an accident (is that right Ghosty??). I'll bet most of those, including myself, who are towing with 1/2 ton trucks are right at or over their truck's GVWR.

Those of us who have run over a set of scales have been pretty suprised at the results. Either at or over the trucks GVW and the trailer's GVW.

Our yukon is right at it's 6500# gvw and our 21RS was 50# under it's GVW and we travel pretty light (or so we thought







). Many of us have found the weights in the brochures to be WAY off, our 21RS according to the brochure has a 390# tongue weight, actual is almost 800 and others who have weighed their larger trailers have found similar results.

Anyway, that's my .02's worth, maybe less.

Mike


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## Crawfish (Sep 14, 2005)

I think you will be very happy with the Outback. Me and DW loves ours. As many Outbacker's have said, you will have some problems, but not as many as with other TT's. Welcome to the site and hope you become an Outbacker like the rest of us.

"*Let's Go Camping*"

Crawfish


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## TheMillers (Aug 8, 2005)

We've had out Outback for less than a year. We just took in to the service department to fix our laundry list of minor problems for the first time. There was nothing wrong that stopped us from camping. I did learn how stupid the service department is and that I should probably fix any minor stuff myself, but that's for a different post! Anyhow we love our Outback and our friends are thinking about getting one also after seeing ours.

I think a big selling point for the Outback is this website! I don't think you'll find anything like this site for those other brands. It does seem like that trailer is too big for the truck as others have pointed out.


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