Tow capacity, Electric brake box inside truck,tranny cooler?

[blgreene89]

We looking at purchasing a camper to live out of for about 6 months but also long term I don't want anything I can't pull if I choose too.
We live in North Carolina looking at going to Virginia SML, or across the USA (mountains, flat land etc...
My truck is a 2018 Ford F-150 4x4 3.5 liter V6 twin turbo specs say it can pull 13,200 lbs idk?

Preferably a towable camper and wondering how much weight on a camper I should be pulling dry weight, gross weight etc...?

Also, do I need to have an electric brake system installed in my truck for the camper?

And lastly, at what weight or length should I get an external transmission cooler installed?

Thanks,
Blake

[librty02]

blgreene89 wrote:
We looking at purchasing a camper to live out of for about 6 months but also long term I don't want anything I can't pull if I choose too.
We live in North Carolina looking at going to Virginia SML, or across the USA (mountains, flat land etc...
My truck is a 2018 Ford F-150 4x4 3.5 liter V6 twin turbo specs say it can pull 13,200 lbs idk?

Preferably a towable camper and wondering how much weight on a camper I should be pulling dry weight, gross weight etc...?

Also, do I need to have an electric brake system installed in my truck for the camper?

And lastly, at what weight or length should I get an external transmission cooler installed?

Thanks,
Blake

I would look at your specific trucks specs again as I have a 18 as well and to get that 13200 tow rating you must have max tow package you must have 20 inch wheels you must have the 3.5 eco and the truck must be a 4X2 to get the 13200lb tow rating

My truck has a 13000 lb tow rating as well as a 1300lb hitch tongue weight rating as I have all the above stated but mine is a 4X4.

If you had max tow to get that 13.2k tow rating the truck would have the IBC installed from factory and the pro trailer back assist.

The HDPP option actually hurts the tow rating and it is lower than 13k

I bet your tow rating is in the ball park of 9600lbs deepening on the conf of the truck

All that being said with a 13k tow rated truck I am just under my trucks GVWR when loaded to camp with my wife daughter and 2 dogs in the cab and a 7200lb GVWR trailer behind it. It tows its perfectly well but I could NOT tow anything heavier with my truck and with my family. I would need to step up to a 3/4 ton at that point. So my trucks 13k tow rating is absolutely useless to me.

[Grit_dog]

blt2ski wrote:
Grit,

Be it a van or a pickup, really doesn't matter. I've had fully pickups bought with no hitch! Could be the person at order desk assumed buyer would pull a 5W. So why have a reciever hitch added?
At that time, built in controllers were not available.
But the ratings for my company purchased van, are on par with similar gvwr pickups.
I do admit, towing with an 8' or so overhang would not be fun. Put a 4K pallet on the very back, had 6200 on RA, 2500 on front. 1500 lbs lost on FA, rear was dragging, yet per Frods gvw spec, I was 1000 lbs under wieght, but 700 over RA capacity.
This thing is a poorly designed rig for hauling wieght!
Enough of that.
Their are reasons for ordering rigs with or without towing hitch, and or controllers.

Marty

You just proved my point. It’s not a good towing platform. Compared to a similar equipped pickup.
And while the member Back of the Pack, who has had a little to much speed and benzine back in the day, while behind the wheel, feels that pickups are the worst towing platform, the rest of the world generally disagrees.

[Bowling300]

I have a 2018 also with the 3.5 GTDI. Check the bottom of the hitch to see what your hitch is rated at. In order to tow 13,200 you have to have the max tow package. It is listed on vehicle window sticker. I thought I had it to but when I read my vehicle window sticker and look at my hitch I have the heavy duty one which is $995.00 cost from the factory and the max is $1295.00 from the factory. My truck has all the stuff for MAX but I have heavy duty. My info:

2018 f-150 Sport 4dr
4x4
3.5 GDTI
36 gallon tank
smart trailer connector
upgraded sway bar
upgraded bumper
upgraded hitch
IBC
20 inch rims
upgraded radiator
trans cooler
3.55 ecteronic locker


GVWR 7000
payload 1645
hitch 11,600
tongue weight 1,160
GCVWR 17,000

[blt2ski]

Grit,

Be it a van or a pickup, really doesn't matter. I've had fully pickups bought with no hitch! Could be the person at order desk assumed buyer would pull a 5W. So why have a reciever hitch added?
At that time, built in controllers were not available.
But the ratings for my company purchased van, are on par with similar gvwr pickups.
I do admit, towing with an 8' or so overhang would not be fun. Put a 4K pallet on the very back, had 6200 on RA, 2500 on front. 1500 lbs lost on FA, rear was dragging, yet per Frods gvw spec, I was 1000 lbs under wieght, but 700 over RA capacity.
This thing is a poorly designed rig for hauling wieght!
Enough of that.
Their are reasons for ordering rigs with or without towing hitch, and or controllers.

Marty

[schlep1967]

I'd take that 13K with a grain of salt. I believe there is some sort of lawsuit against Ford right now for over stating the payloads of their trucks. Seems the test trucks were configured in a way they would never sell them. Missing a bunch of parts to allow for higher payload numbers.

[Grit_dog]

blt2ski wrote:
Grit,
Issue could come about when owners manual like the one in the T250 I drive at work. Under towing it states 11-12k or so towing with the 3.5eco boost. My van has no factory hitch or controller. This can be a good thing if say the hitch is not rated for more than 10k lbs. Or if factory controller only has ability for a 2 axle trailer, you plan to pull a 3 axle.
Having setup a number of trucks to do what I wanted them to do vs n-ga-neers at factory, thinking they know what I'm going to do within their design spec box. Not ordering this extra dollar cost profit stuff is a good thing IMHO. Then again, IF you fit with in the base spec, it's cheaper than doing everything aftermarket.
A majority of the trucks I've bought new since 81 have not had factory hitches.

Marty

Except it's a van...
Although, I have seen a bunch of half ton pickups recently with no hitches...the dumbarse company I work for ordered them that way since they made a rule that we are not allowed to tow with 1/2 tons!
(Probably someone higher up spending too much time on rvnet and drank the kool aid!)

Since the OP split the scene here, let the off topic discussion roll!

[JIMNLIN]

Preferably a towable camper and wondering how much weight on a camper I should be pulling dry weight, gross weight etc...?

Also, do I need to have an electric brake system installed in my truck for the camper?

And lastly, at what weight or length should I get an external transmission cooler installed?

Thanks,
Blake

Welcome to the forum where you get answers about how much weight all over the spectrum.

Ford markets the 3.5 EB engine in several different F150 gvwr/rawr packages ranging from 6800 gvwr up to 7850 gvwr for towing performance.
For load carrying performance the F150 3.5 EBcan come with small 3800 rawr up to 4800 rawr.

For that 13xxx lb trailer your truck should be the F150 HDPP at 7850 gvwr and 4800 rawr.
However I sure wouldn't wan't to pull a 13xxx lb especially a TT in the mountains or out here in the plains in high winds.

IMO a 8k gross weight trailer would make a better tow for the F150 HDPP.

Brake controller ?? My 1500 chevy has a built in factory controller and works great as does a aftermarket Prodigy on my 2500 Dodge/Cummins pulling a 11400 lb 5th wheel trailer.

Most newer gen LDTs today don't have tranny/engine cooling problems as did our older trucks. Adding one won't hurt but IMO not necessary for a 8k gross trailer. Other F150 owners can give you their input.

Good luck on the hunt>

[MFL]

Grit dog wrote:
OP is probably a 1 hit wonder.
And I’ve not seen a recent model 1/2 ton with any real towing package that didn’t come equipped with trailer brakes.
Not sure how the OP got a max tow type truck with no IBC.

I agree, if the OP is quoting specs from his own F150 truck, 13K+ towing capability, it should have come with the IBC.

Jerry

[blt2ski]

Grit,
Issue could come about when owners manual like the one in the T250 I drive at work. Under towing it states 11-12k or so towing with the 3.5eco boost. My van has no factory hitch or controller. This can be a good thing if say the hitch is not rated for more than 10k lbs. Or if factory controller only has ability for a 2 axle trailer, you plan to pull a 3 axle.
Having setup a number of trucks to do what I wanted them to do vs n-ga-neers at factory, thinking they know what I'm going to do within their design spec box. Not ordering this extra dollar cost profit stuff is a good thing IMHO. Then again, IF you fit with in the base spec, it's cheaper than doing everything aftermarket.
A majority of the trucks I've bought new since 81 have not had factory hitches.

Marty

[LITEPHIL]

I too tow with a 1/2 ton and it's rated at 12,900 lbs but as I have said in the past,anything over 8,000 lbs and I would have a 3/4 ton.

[Grit_dog]

OP is probably a 1 hit wonder.
And I’ve not seen a recent model 1/2 ton with any real towing package that didn’t come equipped with trailer brakes.
Not sure how the OP got a max tow type truck with no IBC.

[C_Schomer]

A friend bought an F150 in 09 and he said it could tow 15k. Later he said that was 15k gcvwr. Be sure you know what all the numbers mean. Craig

[blt2ski]

Being as OP has not said WHICH of the models he has, he may very well have the 8300 gvw 150. Which in reality, could handle a 13k trailer...
If he has the typical 6600-7200 gvwr optioned 150. 13k is out the door.
The 3.5 turbo does have the power to run down the road at 18k lbs or so total

As far as a brake controller. Been very happy with the prodigy the last 20-25 yrs or so it's been out. I've had 3-5 of them in different trucks, replaced due to age etc

Marty

[IdaD]

I think it would be nuts to try pulling a 13k lb trailer with any F150 but if you can it may be possible in a quick jaunt to the local lake on occasion type of scenario. If you're wanting to do it 6 months a year you need a lot more truck to approach that weight, imo.