Our Truck Specs, Not enough capacity for Elite II?

[trekhard]

GVWR 7650 lbs

Front GAWR 3750lbs

Rear GAWR  4050lbs

 

Tire and Loading combined cargo 1555lbs

truck

[SeaDawg]

For whatever reason, I  can download your file, but I can't open it. 

Could you post screenshots instead, please? 

Thanks

[John E Davies]

Here it is. I am not sure what that "doc" is but my iMac could open it.... I made a screen capture. The OP is mixing apples and oranges (pounds and kilograms).

 

John Davies
Spokane WA

[SeaDawg]

What year and model is your truck,

[trekhard]

2014 f150 ecoboost 3.5L with tow package.  

[trekhard]

oh yes. I did mix the fruit.  it's 7650 lbs gvwr.

[John E Davies]

A lot of LE2 owners are quite happy with this model of F150, it has good power but you will very limited in payload. Figure out how much “stuff” you want to bring along. subtract off the weight of the Andersen hitch and the trailer tongue weight, about 700 pounds together (the tongue weight varies a lot depending on trailer options). What is left is available for passengers and their gear. So with that 1555 pounds of payload, you have around 855 left. That is not a lot, but it is OK, especially for just one person or a couple. BUT if you want to bring along two more people plus their gear, it is not going to be very good at all. Any optional equipment bolted onto the truck takes away from the available payload, a canopy could be 200 pounds, for example. Offroad accessories like steel bumpers are realllly heavy. 

This is why people buy Heavy Duty trucks, so they can pretty much not worry at all about weight. If it fits in the bed, you can bring it. Almost…. 

John Davies

Spokane WA

 

 

[trekhard]

Thank you John.  There are 2 of us plus 25 lbdog and this would be our first rv so we have zero stuff.  I am a minimalist, but did want to bring an outdoor rug for a dog lounge area plus 2 outdoor chairs.  could we just put that in the Ollie?  also if we have the new lithium batteries plus solar and soft start we wouldn't need a generator, correct?  

[John E Davies]

25 minutes ago, trekhard said:

Thank you John.  There are 2 of us plus 25 lbdog and this would be our first rv so we have zero stuff.  I am a minimalist, but did want to bring an outdoor rug for a dog lounge area plus 2 outdoor chairs.  could we just put that in the Ollie?  also if we have the new lithium batteries plus solar and soft start we wouldn't need a generator, correct?  

With just two people and a small dog, you can bring along a fair amount of gear in the truck. You do need a generator, not necessarily to run the air conditioner, but to recharge those batteries when you can’t plug into “shore power”. Unfortunately, as delivered they will NOT charge off your truck while you are towing. I believe that you are in Colorado? There are lots of terrific spots in your area that have no hookups at all, like most National Parks and Monuments. Your solar panels can do a lot, but on some grey days or in a shaded site they won’t be nearly enough. And on a blistering July day you will want to run the A/C off the generator,  NOT the batteries, or they will be quickly drained.

John Davies

Spokane WA

[trekhard]

Thank you.  Yes, CO.  

[BackofBeyond]

9 hours ago, trekhard said:

Thank you John.  There are 2 of us plus 25 lbdog and this would be our first rv so we have zero stuff.  I am a minimalist, but did want to bring an outdoor rug for a dog lounge area plus 2 outdoor chairs.  could we just put that in the Ollie?  also if we have the new lithium batteries plus solar and soft start we wouldn't need a generator, correct?  

HI, glad to have you on the forum.

With the purchase of the E II with the options you describe - minimalism kind of goes out the window. You will discover  - over time - just loosely  putting stuff in the Oliver - will not work in the long run. You will develop systems for storing the "stuff" you find you need/want. It will be more than you believe  - at this time. 

You will not need a generator if you don't plan to run the AC -much (if at all) - or you don't do a lot of boondocking. In the 3 years we have enjoyed Ollie - this is the first year we will have a gen set along - due to our desire to avoid the crowds at the more established camp areas.  And it is really only due to a desire to run the AC when we are trekking across the mid west in 100 degree temps, and not hooked to shore power. You will have to discover what your preferences will be over time.

As to the TV - your main inquiry -  - As others have replied, you will be fine at the onset - and over time - depending on where your RV travels take you - may find you need - more payload, more power (Torque), more room, and a more planted feel while pulling on the interstates and in the mountains. The 3.5 is a good powerplant, and the Ford a good vehicle - but it will be asked to perform at the upper reaches of its design intent - on anything considered "grade challenging" .  Comfort - and how tiring it can be - will also begin to play into the equation. I must admit I wasn't aware of this until I went from a similar vehicle to my current 2500 GMC. Worlds difference at the end of a 600 - 800 mile day. By the way - as good as the 2014 powerplant is - it is worlds less than the current crop of engines - all manufactures have made great improvements in power, efficiency, and features. Boggles the mind. Ford is now building a truck that is more power generator than vehicle..... well sort of😁

The Oliver It is a great start for your journey. And it is a Journey - both in destinations, experiences, and equipment. 

Here is a thought experiment - Pile into a heap all your stuff you take on the first trip - take a picture. After 5-6 trips do it again - compare. Good luck. I failed at minimalism - I am attempting to reform - but failing ......

Have fun

RB

 

[trekhard]

Great info BackofBeyond.         

[BackofBeyond]

By the way - will be running around your back yard in mid to late June. Shout out when you see us..... we will be in the white Oliver.

 

rb

[topgun2]

2 hours ago, BackofBeyond said:

we will be in the white Oliver.

 

Well, since there is a red one and a black one out there, being in the white one certainly narrows the field - 😁

[SeaDawg]

Even minimalists carry some stuff. You'll acquire it as you go along.😃

We keep outdoor gear like welcome/walkoff mat, outdoor rug, and chairs in the truck bed. Dirty laundry and hiking boots ride there, too. Miscellaneous items like a grill, and table. Or, at times, a chain saw. Keeps the trailer cleaner. And, none of those are very heavy.

Probably the heaviest individual items we carry are drinking water, fuel, and generator. 2 or 3 five gallon water jugs at roughly 40 pounds each. Genset, depending on which one, is 30 to 50 pounds. 

You'll figure it out, as you go along, as we all have. 

Imo, best tow vehicle is the one you already own, if it specs out. 

[SeaDawg]

Actually,  it would be interesting to start a new thread,  like "how many pounds of stuff do you carry."

We'd be lower than some, higher than others, I'm sure. (Though we like to consider ourselves minimalists. 🤣) pretty sure the mobile garage guys with 2500s would be waaaay higher .

The longer we camp, the less we take. Winnow out the excess at the end of season each year.

[Galway Girl]

Trekhard,

I used to have an F150 3.5 Eco 4WD SB Crew Cab. 
It had a 1557 lb cargo capacity...so very similar to your truck
We found it towed the trailer perfectly and we got reasonable mileage and had plenty of power even in the Rockies.

Where we had to be careful was when we fully loaded the trailer with food and water, and the truck bed with gear.
In particular on steep downhill descents we had to be really be careful to shift down before the descent as the 3.5EB doesn't have the compression braking of a diesel.

Just pay attention to payload item's and  you'll be fine.

1) Payload of GEAR you carry in the truck....1555 lbs sounds like a lot until you start carrying items for longer trips...like bikes, extra coolers, generators etc.
    We carry a generator, extra cooler, 2 bikes, camp stoves and tools.
    Our gear including a truck canopy typically ran right at 550 lbs in back + 400 lbs for passengers  left us 605 lbs available for tongue wt. 
    That meant we were right at the payload limit all the time and we had to be careful about where we put extra weight.
     We were needing to put some items from the back of the truck into the trailer to maintain proper tongue wt and balance.
     (Example - the extra coolers would go inside the trailer instead of inside the truck.)

2) Tongue Wt. of EII - ours ranged from a low of 580lbs (full propane, full food, but empty water. no tongue box load) to as high as 730lbs one time where I had too much front loaded gear including the tongue box full of gear.

Most of the time our actual wt of the trailer is between 5800 and 6300 lbs...and our most common tongue wt has been ~650lbs (as we have a storage box on our tongue.)

Here's a real CAT Scale printout from our F150 days.
The truck was loaded up about 475# of gear in the back, 200# passengers, and the trailer had full water and full dual 30gal propane tanks.
Tongue wt on this run was 685#.
We were exactly at the Payload limit of 1557 for the truck.

Note: The GCWR for this F150 was 18,100 lbs so we were well under that limit.

 

 

Data Table for our F150:

F150 Truck GVWR = 7000 lbs
3:55 axle, max tow pkg

Cargo Capacity = 1557 lbs
Truck GCWR = 18,100 -20” wheel
Tow capacity:  12,700 lbs

Hitch Capacity/tongue load

Weight carry rating on hitch - 5000/500
Weight Distributing rating on hitch  - 12,200/1220

 

 

 

 

[Trainman]

If that Ford is a F-150 3.5 Eco-Boost with tow package it will pull anything you can get into the truck and trailer. If your a minimalist camper under most conditions you will never overload your Ford, or get close to it, just Install the Anderson and hit the road, you will never know the trailer is back there most of the time. On a rig like to have I would not even spend the time putting the pencil to it, many on this forum are pulling will a Ford with your setup and have no problems. 

trainman

[John and Debbie]

On 5/19/2021 at 8:13 AM, Galway Girl said:

Trekhard,

I used to have an F150 3.5 Eco 4WD SB Crew Cab. 
It had a 1557 lb cargo capacity...so very similar to your truck
We found it towed the trailer perfectly and we got reasonable mileage and had plenty of power even in the Rockies.

Where we had to be careful was when we fully loaded the trailer with food and water, and the truck bed with gear.
In particular on steep downhill descents we had to be really be careful to shift down before the descent as the 3.5EB doesn't have the compression braking of a diesel.

Just pay attention to payload item's and  you'll be fine.

1) Payload of GEAR you carry in the truck....1555 lbs sounds like a lot until you start carrying items for longer trips...like bikes, extra coolers, generators etc.
    We carry a generator, extra cooler, 2 bikes, camp stoves and tools.
    Our gear including a truck canopy typically ran right at 550 lbs in back + 400 lbs for passengers  left us 605 lbs available for tongue wt. 
    That meant we were right at the payload limit all the time and we had to be careful about where we put extra weight.
     We were needing to put some items from the back of the truck into the trailer to maintain proper tongue wt and balance.
     (Example - the extra coolers would go inside the trailer instead of inside the truck.)

2) Tongue Wt. of EII - ours ranged from a low of 580lbs (full propane, full food, but empty water. no tongue box load) to as high as 730lbs one time where I had too much front loaded gear including the tongue box full of gear.

Most of the time our actual wt of the trailer is between 5800 and 6300 lbs...and our most common tongue wt has been ~650lbs (as we have a storage box on our tongue.)

Here's a real CAT Scale printout from our F150 days.
The truck was loaded up about 475# of gear in the back, 200# passengers, and the trailer had full water and full dual 30gal propane tanks.
Tongue wt on this run was 685#.
We were exactly at the Payload limit of 1557 for the truck.

Note: The GCWR for this F150 was 18,100 lbs so we were well under that limit.

 

 

Data Table for our F150:

F150 Truck GVWR = 7000 lbs
3:55 axle, max tow pkg

Cargo Capacity = 1557 lbs
Truck GCWR = 18,100 -20” wheel
Tow capacity:  12,700 lbs

Hitch Capacity/tongue load

Weight carry rating on hitch - 5000/500
Weight Distributing rating on hitch  - 12,200/1220

 

 

 

 

2) Tongue Wt. of EII - ours ranged from a low of 580lbs (full propane, full food, but empty water. no tongue box load) to as high as 730lbs one time where I had too much front loaded gear including the tongue box full of gear

How do you measure your tongue weight?   

[Dave and Kimberly]

Towing an Ollie EII with F-150:

  I put this together (generally from an example somebody else posted) and then plugged in my particulars.   Ultimately, I should be good when towing my Ollie.  Interestingly, what I discovered was that I have plenty of towing capacity... but my payload capacity in the truck is going to be close... ok, but still close. 

[taylor.coyote]

I had a first generation Toyota Tundra. the truck was rated at 1350 lbs for payload.  After trailer tough weight  (600 lbs), I had 750 lbs pay load left. Then filling the gas tank (160lbs), the A.R. E. cap (200 Lbs) my wife, large dog and me (500LBs), Anderson Hitch 60lbs , pickup bed slide (180 lbs). The truck was tapped tapped out before we put any gear in the truck. Our absolute minimum basics listed above total 1,700 lbs.  I don't know about you but we are all about easy access and that adds to the need for more payload. We barley use the basement of the trailer because I hate getting on my knees.  We got over worrying if my wife can bring an extra bikini and bought a short box F250. Everything goes in the back of the truck under a canopy,, Including an extra 35 gallon tank of water for boondocking. More power than you will ever need and tows like a dream. The down side:  a big truck is not as nimble and not as easy on the fuel. We get an average of 14.5 mpg towing. A big truck is no for everyone but it works well for us.  

[Galway Girl]

On 8/20/2021 at 1:02 PM, John Welte said:

2) Tongue Wt. of EII - ours ranged from a low of 580lbs (full propane, full food, but empty water. no tongue box load) to as high as 730lbs one time where I had too much front loaded gear including the tongue box full of gear

How do you measure your tongue weight?   

John,

 

I have a Sureline Tongue Wt. Scale.

e-trailer had a really nice scale for tongue wt. that is much easier to use.

https://www.etrailer.com/Tools/etrailer/e99044.html

 

 

 

[Trainman]

On 5/17/2021 at 10:43 PM, trekhard said:

Thank you John.  There are 2 of us plus 25 lbdog and this would be our first rv so we have zero stuff.  I am a minimalist, but did want to bring an outdoor rug for a dog lounge area plus 2 outdoor chairs.  could we just put that in the Ollie?  also if we have the new lithium batteries plus solar and soft start we wouldn't need a generator, correct?  

Smart, travel light and don't get carried away with stuff you probably don't need, or will never use. 

trainman