Can I safely tow a 3500 LBS RV Trailer?

[tripplec]

It depends on a lot of factors.
- where you're driving (flat roads , hills, some mountain roads
(the steeper the incline the harder it is on the vehicle)
- time of the year (fall, winter, spring time its easier to keep the engine and tranny cooler)
- speed and weather (wind drag will slow you down a lot more than weight)
(the frontal area in sq ft are used in many tow application to calculate its rating)

Very important to used a high quality Synthetic Oil ( Quaker State, Castrol, Pennzoil for example) also if the engine shows high grades for hotter temp you may want to go up a grade if using 5W20 to 5W30 for example. Heat is the enemy when towing and your build should have a transmission cooler but do Verify its there. Assume nothing unless you see it.

 

[thebrakeman]

Typical planning numbers for a mid-sized travel trailer is 800-1000 lbs over dry weight. Some will say you should use the trailer's GVWR, but that could potentially kill an otherwise good idea. Let's assume on the light side (800 lbs) just for 2 people. Thay may sound like a lot, but it's not just what you put in the trailer. Dry weight is the absolute lightest configuration of that particular model as shipped from the factory. It does not include any added factory options (fridge upgrades, AC unit, entertainment systems, etc), nor does it include the weight of any dealer options (LP tanks, battery, etc).

So those weights are now 5165 an 5462 lbs, including estimates for factory options, dealer options, and all of your food & gear in the trailer. The larger trailer is already 250 lbs overweight. By the time you put the GF and some other gear in the truck (such weight must be subtracted from your tow rating), even the smaller trailer will be over your limit.

I recommend you limit your search to dry weights no more than 4000 lbs. Be aware that the V6 is not going to like towing a full-height trailer at expressway speeds. Be prepared to keep the speed to around 55mph, and lock out overdrive if the trans is hunting for the right gear.

 

[michael loibl]

Fun fact: the boys at Ford started welding the hitches on at some point during the 2005 model year. Not sure what production date they changed it. I guess they just couldn’t wait for the fourth generations production to start?
By the way my 2006 V6 with the inch and a quarter hitch also came with the auxiliary transmission cooler, And it had the blue wire for a brake controller hidden in the wiring harness by the back bumper. It seems like some have it and some don’t

 

[Explorer_PL]

Yep, there is no consistency in the production specs.

The 1 1/4" were not supposed to have the tranny cooler but mine does too.

 

[Christobal65]

Typical planning numbers for a mid-sized travel trailer is 800-1000 lbs over dry weight. Some will say you should use the trailer's GVWR, but that could potentially kill an otherwise good idea. Let's assume on the light side (800 lbs) just for 2 people. Thay may sound like a lot, but it's not just what you put in the trailer. Dry weight is the absolute lightest configuration of that particular model as shipped from the factory. It does not include any added factory options (fridge upgrades, AC unit, entertainment systems, etc), nor does it include the weight of any dealer options (LP tanks, battery, etc).

So those weights are now 5165 an 5462 lbs, including estimates for factory options, dealer options, and all of your food & gear in the trailer. The larger trailer is already 250 lbs overweight. By the time you put the GF and some other gear in the truck (such weight must be subtracted from your tow rating), even the smaller trailer will be over your limit.

I recommend you limit your search to dry weights no more than 4000 lbs. Be aware that the V6 is not going to like towing a full-height trailer at expressway speeds. Be prepared to keep the speed to around 55mph, and lock out overdrive if the trans is hunting for the right gear.

The weight he listed actually seems to include fresh water and propane as he said. The official listed dry weight of the 1685 trailer is 3805lbs.