Towing Question

[RCD1968]

Hello,

I am new the Heartland Owners forum and have recently upgraded my TT. I traded in my 21' Forest River for a Prowler 32LX. As this is a "bigger" RV I have had some questions after purchasing it, mainly after looking at different postings online. My tow vehicle is a 2014 Ford F-150 ecoboost with the 3.5L engine. The specs from Ford rate the maximum tow capacity at 9200lbs. The dry weight of the RV is 6688lbs and I use a weight distribution hitch as well as air bags (I know air bags do not increase payload, I added them due to a 2" sag). I towed it 4 hours from the dealership home with no issues. As I was looking around on the internet I saw many people voicing concerns (not on this site) regarding tow weights, vehicles, etc. By all specifications my tow vehicle appears to be equipped to handle this RV and I didn't have any issues on the road. I guess I am looking for additional input as I want to be safe out there. Please feel free to ask questions or provide any thoughts. Thank you. Robert

 

[jimtoo]

Hi RCD1968,

Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum and to the family. We have a great bunch of folks here with lots of information and all willing to share their knowledge when needed. I'm sure you will get some info from our other members soon.

Be sure and join our Heartland Owners Club. Then join us at a rally when you can meet lots of the great folks here and make friends for a lifetime.

Enjoy the forum.
Jim M

 

[Kinguni]

I tow a 285LX with my 2013 EcoBoost with tow package and the truck handles it OK. I think you quoted under on your dry weight though because that's the dry weight of my trailer and the Heartland site lists yours up around 7500 lbs dry. Most important is good weight distribution and sway control. If your weight distribution is set up correctly your truck should be level without airbags. If I could justify I'd probably upgrade to a Super Duty, but it's also my daily driver and realistically this truck is more than up to the task. We've done a couple of bigger trips the last 2 years with it using an Andersen Weight Distribution Hitch and the sway was minimal. You have a little more length behind you so sway could be a little more an issue. I think you'll be safe if set up correctly, but many will tell you you need at least a 3/4 ton truck. At worst if you aren't set up well for sway control the sway control in the truck will slow you down safely. We didn't use sway control the 1st year with this trailer and it really was not fun.[h=1][/h]

 

[RCD1968]

I tow a 285LX with my 2013 EcoBoost with tow package and the truck handles it OK. I think you quoted under on your dry weight though because that's the dry weight of my trailer and the Heartland site lists yours up around 7500 lbs dry. Most important is good weight distribution and sway control. If your weight distribution is set up correctly your truck should be level without airbags. If I could justify I'd probably upgrade to a Super Duty, but it's also my daily driver and realistically this truck is more than up to the task. We've done a couple of bigger trips the last 2 years with it using an Andersen Weight Distribution Hitch and the sway was minimal. You have a little more length behind you so sway could be a little more an issue. I think you'll be safe if set up correctly, but many will tell you you need at least a 3/4 ton truck. At worst if you aren't set up well for sway control the sway control in the truck will slow you down safely. We didn't use sway control the 1st year with this trailer and it really was not fun.

Hello,

Thank you for the feedback, it is much appreciated. When I was looking at the RV the website had 7500lbs dry weight however the sticker on the inside of the door reads 6688lbs. I am not sure about that discrepancy since I've never seen it before. The majority of my camping trips are within 1 hour of my home. I was planning on a longer trip, maybe 12hrs this summer to Florida. My truck is also my daily driver so for my purposes I really cannot justify an upgrade right now. It sounds like we are very similar in both truck and RV.

 

['Lil Guy']

Most people don't believed they need more truck till it's to late. The extra stopping power of a 3/4T truck is nice to have on hand. By having a diesel with engine brake you're safe to go. Plus the whole tow experience is so much more relaxing. JMO