Towing

[69Mach1]

My car trailer is rated to 7,000 or 8,000 lbs.. can't recall exactly what the plaque on the trailer says.. the point is, it weighs 2,250 lbs and is a pretty beefy steel trailer. It would be enough to haul your X and still be under the tow limits of the SCrew Raptor. So, as long as you don't get a boat anchor of a trailer you should be good to go.

Towed over 1,500 miles with zero issues. WD & electirc trailer brakes are a must.

 

[IronRaptor]

2010 SCAB Towing 9000+ LBS

Not sure where I should have posted this so I will post it here. I just wanted to share some of my experiences and hopefully learn some things too. I have a 2010 SCAB with the 6.2L. The wife and I just bought a 31 foot Keystone Cougar High Country. It is 35 feet tongue to bumper. It weighs in at 8K dry and about 9K when loaded. Talk about over the max! Anyway it has a weight distribution hitch and sway control from Reece. This is my first time towing anything this large and I was totally at ease the hundred miles we towed it from the dealership. The raptor was great and actually sat pretty level. The ride was a little bumpy in the back so I installed Firestone air bags for a stock F150 and yes I know I will not go off road on this trip anyway. Several semis passed us and I passed a couple once I got comfortable enough driving it. There was not even a hint of sway and I never felt out of control. Never topped 65 and was getting right at 10MPG. I have now passed 10K towing this beast and will share some pros and cons:

PROS:
1) Awesome amount of power. Never once did I wish for more. Even going up the grades the truck would pull at whatever I set cruise control on. Coming down it would engine brake and keep the speed exactly where I wanted, except for the steepest parts and I would just gently brake and let the engine do the rest on those parts.
2) Gas mileage Is averaging 9.3. Not too bad for the amount of weight I thought.
3) Braking was easy and predictable. This was the one area I thought I would have trouble in, but it was great.
4) Maneuverability. In the small tight RV parks the truck was a champ. I saw heavy duty trucks with trailers in the 25’ to 28’ range have to get different spots because they could not maneuver like I could. I cannot stress how great this aspect is.
CONS:
1) High wind gusts would definitely get your attention. It was not white knuckle just the need to correct and sometimes surprising.
2) Semi trucks were totally predictable and did not cause any issues. It was flat faced vehicles that I could really feel pass me that drew me into them. I.E. UPS trucks and flat front semis. Again not white knuckle just got your attention. I feel like the issues are most likely related to the wheel base, but after a few encounters you just learn to anticipate.
3) Gas Mileage 9.3. Not too great either HAHA
4) On really sharp maneuvering (think jack knife) the trailer rubs on the top rear of the bed. Sucks because it does cut down my turning radius a little.

Over all I am really impressed. Will post some pics in a few days….

 

[Icecobra]

Cons, insurance can refuse to cover any accident due to towing more than its rated capacity... loosing control and death....

 

[whtrapta]

I would send back the air bags and get the RPG bump stop kit with the 4" bumps for towing. Much better and you can easily (5 mins) go back to off road capable.

 

[tbone]

ive towed this much and 10k untill i loaded up and did the frame test with the bed and noticed that it didnt pass with the load on but passed with the load off. in my opinion its very hard on the truck and the frame until i got the bump stop kit and it passes now and when i run with that kind of load my axle is an inch or too from the rpg bump stops. i have a photo with that kind of load and i was riding on my rpg bump stops with less than a quarter of an inch gap between them.

---------- Post added at 04:06 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:05 AM ----------

and i have the 2.5 inch ones not the 4 inch

 

[MagicMtnDan]

I'm not a towing professional but I'd suggest you look into much beefier aftermarket rear leaf springs!

 

[tbone]

i am on the look for some does anyone have any towing experience with aftermarket springs?

 

[whtrapta]

WSI springs are made to hold heavier loads but dont feel harsh without one.

 

[NickPic83]

WSI springs are made to hold heavier loads but dont feel harsh without one.

this is what i suggest at the very least

 

[IronRaptor]

After towing for over 10k miles on this set up I feel o have a pretty good feel for how the truck performs. Adding better springs or a bump stop will help but having air bags is the ultimate in ride comfort. I can level the truck perfectly and they absorb all of the imperfections in our great freeways. Trust me when I say riding on the bottom leaf is not a ride I would want to do for more than a mile. As far as insurance goes unless it is written in your insurance policy then they will cover it. I have yet to find or hear about one claim that Was denied. I made this post for others that might be thinking about this with their raptor this is real world towing results and i hope it helps some one out.