Trailer selection help requested

Morgan3820

Morgan3820

Ejection Handle Pulled
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Jun 29, 2013
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New Bern, NC
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El Conquistador
Now that inventories, if not pricing, has improved. I am going to upgrade to an enclosed trailer to haul my motorcycles to the mountains and other places. I was originally going with a 6 x 12 but I have been thinking about a 7 x 14, thinking that it would allow me to do a toy hauler conversion camper someday if I decided to go that route at some future date.

The question is it much more of a load pulling the bigger trailer? I have zero experience towing enclosed trailers. The current tow vehicle is an old F150 5.4L. It works fine with the current open trailer. Trips would involve highways and the Appalachians Hills. I would love a newer truck but for now the current vehicle will have to suffice.
 
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Double wide. You will be the envy of the park.
 
A 7 by 14 will pull easily.
I regularly tow an 8.5 by 24 with my F150, only in a strong crosswind is it an issue. After having a bad experience with Mirage, I'll never buy that brand again.
 
7x14 ramp door height was an issue for the ranger so went slightly bigger. Have a 2019 f150 with the 3.5l Ecoboost. Tows it great. But mileage is atrocious. 6.5 miles from Illinois to northern new Mexico. No replacement for displacement. Looking back should have gotten the coyote engine.

We repair all types of trailers. They're all built very cheaply. And a manufacturer might have 3 different "brands". Cant say one is better than the other. I'd make sure to get a torque flex style axle. Electric brakes are a no brainer. Would probably stay away from the screw-less exterior
 
Until your looking at your trailer’s weight is more than your truck weighs, you’re probably not going to have a problem with the trailer.

Yes, there’s the occasional super-light high surface area trailer that has problems in the wind, but that means you probably don’t have enough weight in the trailer.

For ref, I consistently haul a 28’ 7000-lb trailer with my F150 (17KR, 5.0L, 3.73 gears) without problem.
 
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Our 3.5l F150 tows my wife’s horse trailer without a problem. You’ll be fine. Get electric brakes if possible.
 
I don't know how much trailers like that weigh, but I've got some knowledge about towing RV's...camping trailers

it's more about frontal area and horse power when it comes to "can it tow"... length isn't nearly the factor as weight. Except for cross winds, a long trailer will tow pretty much similar to a shorter one, all else being equal.

Just be very careful about weight limits. The truck would almost certainly tow it ok, even if it's grossly over but it'll not handle as well.

I had a 1/2 ton silverado, V-8 engine and factory tow package. I started looking into it and found that since I had a lower ratio "highway" differential, my capacity was surprisingly low. Don't just look at the towing rating. That's very misleading. Cross reference the tables in the manual with your actual RPO codes to verify your engine, differential, etc....
I got a weight of my truck, loaded as if it would be when towing the trailer...family, coolers, and all...and compared that to the actual front and rear axle ratings, and the GVWR and GCVWR. It was a surprisingly small weight and not at all in line with the "tow capacity".
 
So the takeaway message is get a BFT.
 
Well, there’s a lot to be said for not missing an opportunity to justify a new truck...
 
With that truck and trailer, I don't think it'll care at all about the wind drag. It may care about the weight in the hills, depending on what you have in it. Weak link used to be transmission fluid temp, for trucks with automatics pulling a trailer, not sure if that's still true.
 
Racerx said:
I'd make sure to get a torque flex style axle.
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I did a on-site visit of our torflex axle mfg. After that walk through it was clear why >30% of our new axles failed toe-in inspect. Personally, I wouldn’t have one, but they have their place in the market.

marc
 
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The only other thing I worry about is being short coupled at the tongue, but most builders seem to have gravitated away from ‘compact’ tongue lengths.
 
Morgan3820 said:
old F150 5.4L
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That's a lot of forking motor to pull with.
I've pulled 20ish foot boats behind a full size van with a 4.9L six cylinder...
Do you need to maintain 80 mph going up hills, or can you live with 55 in the right lane?
 
Just be sure to set your truck up with a brake controller….pulling is not the issue, an F150 can get pushed around some on mountainous downhill twisties.
Recommend Trailers of the East Coast just to East of Statesville, NC to shop for trailers and get you set up correctly.
 
Whatever trailer you get, make sure it is one that is hooked up to the back of the truck.

The ones that are hooked up to the front of the truck are difficult at highway speeds....
 
Zeldman said:
Whatever trailer you get, make sure it is one that is hooked up to the back of the truck.

The ones that are hooked up to the front of the truck are difficult at highway speeds....
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What about the trailers made from a truck bed?
 
Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe said:
That's a lot of forking motor to pull with.
I've pulled 20ish foot boats behind a full size van with a 4.9L six cylinder...
Do you need to maintain 80 mph going up hills, or can you live with 55 in the right lane?
Click to expand...
Yup.

hilux-towing-challenge.jpg
 
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