# Towing a camper with f-150



## Reel Blessed (Apr 7, 2005)

I am sure there will be plenty of opinions on this but I really wanted to get any advice I could get on making towing my camper more enjoyable. I have a 2012 F150 with the 3.7 V6. I have owned diesels my whole life but decided I wanted a smooth riding truck last year because I wouldn't be towing much. Well now we decided to buy a camper and now I am towing it a lot. hwell: I bought sway bars and that helped but I think I need a equalizer/weight distribution hitch because my truck squats down a bit and almost feels like my front wheels are going to come off the ground (exaggerating a bit). The camper is only 25' and weighs 5,500 lbs. Will the hitch make that big of a difference or do I just need to go back to a 1 ton? The engine pulls the camper without a problem.


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## reba3825 (Feb 28, 2013)

your asking a lot of a half ton truck.the hitch will make a considerable difference but it will never be comfortable on long distance trips.good luck


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## atcfisherman (Oct 5, 2006)

Back in the 70's and 80's, people pulled tractors, farm equimpent, etc with 1/2 ton trucks. From the numbers you provided, I don't see a problem unless you want to pull it 65+ MPH. If you felt compelled to get another truck, the 1/2 ton Ford F-150 with the ecoboost v-6 or the new 5.0 v-8 can handle that with ease. I have the 5.0 in my 2012 F-150 crew cab 4x4 lariat and it pulls my Pathfinder bay boat with ease and it has pulled one of our tractors with ease too.


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## weedeater (Aug 22, 2012)

if you have the EcoBoost with max tow package then your truck is rated at 11300lb towing capacity which is well above what you need for that trailer or if not max tow its still rated over 9000lb towing but it wont matter what you are rated to pull if you dont have it hooked up to the right hitch. If you have swaybars then you need the weight distribution hitch to help with the sag and bounce, these hitchs help tie the trailer frame to truck frame and make it more rigid.


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## ATX 4x4 (Jun 25, 2011)

I have a 09 F150 5.4 so I can't speak for the engine but I can for the squat issue...

I put Firestone Ride Rite air bags on the rear of the truck. Now, I have zero squat issues and I've had the truck LOADED. I can put as much rake back in it as I want, regardless of the load. Naturally tho, the more air the more rake but the stiffer the ride. It helped stabilize the truck big time by virtually eliminating body roll in curves and corners when aired up and towing a load. Truck handles way better....and keep in mind I sold a 07 5.9 4x4 cummins for this truck. No regrets.

Which rear end do you have? The 3.73 & my 5.4 makes for an impressive combo for towing.


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## ATX 4x4 (Jun 25, 2011)

They replace your bump stops and connect the frame with the axle. I won't drive a truck without these again.


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## Tennif Shoe (Aug 11, 2011)

550# to 775# on the back of a 1/2 ton without a weight distribution hitch is asking a lot, add one and you will be fine. 5500# is the least max towing capicity for that truck. Need a little more info on cab version, wheel base length, and rear end ratio to get more exact numbers. However, I am guessing this is not a regular cab, short wheel base truck with the 3.55 rear. ( thats the one that can only haul 5500#). *Please have a brake controller no matter what truck you have!*


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## onyourlimit (Jun 30, 2006)

x2 on the Ride Rites. I put them on my Silverado. Drastic improvement on handling for pulling my camper. Levels the truck easily and takes the bouncing out I got with just a distribution hitch.


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## Reel Blessed (Apr 7, 2005)

Ok update. I bought an equalizer hitch that came with one sway bar. The equalizer hitch works great and really improved the ride. However, I am still getting quite a bit of sway even at 50-55 mph. I tightened it and adjusted it and tried everything I could. Thoughts? Would a 3/4 sway as much? Does that have anything to do with it? It is not enjoyable to have this thing moving me all over the place.


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## MR. L. (Jun 19, 2007)

tongue weight is a big factor...


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## Reel Blessed (Apr 7, 2005)

So what do I need to do?


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## Fishtexx (Jun 29, 2004)

Park your truck and trailer on LEVEL ground with equilizer hooked up. Take a tape measure and measure front and rear of trailer frame distance to the ground. Adjust the ball (at the receiver) to make those measurements equal (level). If your wife is like mine, you may want to load the trailer for a normal weekend trip before making these adjustments (as it will affect tongue weight). Proper initial set up will make a big difference on how your rig handles, then you can fine tune the sway adjustment by trial and error to find the sweet spot. Taking these steps are well worth the time spent.


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## Reel Blessed (Apr 7, 2005)

I tried to do that today at the campground but the ground was not perfectly level. I will find a parking lot tomorrow and try again. Thank you.


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## StinkBait (May 31, 2004)

1. Did you buy the actual Equal-I-zer brand hitch?
2. Did you follow the installation instructions?


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## Reel Blessed (Apr 7, 2005)

Problem solved! A camper next to me asked me if I had "tow assist" on my truck. I do and it allows you to select "sway control" and to turn it on and off. He told me that he had to turn his OFF in order for his truck to tow his camper properly with the aftermarket equalizer hitch and sway bar. To me this didn't make any sense but I was willing to try anything at this point. So I turned the sway control OFF through the menu on my f150 and I was shocked when it solved the problem. No more sway and tows like a dream.


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## ATX 4x4 (Jun 25, 2011)

Awesome! God bless Ford pickup trucks.


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## CopanoCruisin (May 28, 2006)

We added a second friction sway bar to our Valley 10,000/1,000 equalizer hitch when we upgraded to Towing a 2011 Open Range JT 337RLS at close to 10,000lbs. 2010 F150 Super Crew, 3:73 gears, six sipped auto and max tow package


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## redexpress (Apr 5, 2010)

Ford pickups eh? Turn the sway control off so it won't sway? Hmmm.


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## Reel Blessed (Apr 7, 2005)

Lol. Yeah it makes perfect sense. :-/


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## redexpress (Apr 5, 2010)

Well, it apparently works. Congrats on solving it. I may be on here posting something similar. Looking at trailers on the 'net. Do I get a tongue pull or 5th wheel?......my head hurts. lol


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## Pocketfisherman (May 30, 2005)

The sway control built into the ABS controller is designed to work on a trailer with no sway bars at all. If your hitch has anti sway bars, and you turn on the trucks anti sway control, they fight each other as the damping as the truck's computer is not tuned to account for added damping from the anti-sway bars. Not so strange at all.


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