new owner of a T-2475

[tcmbk]

I just bought a 2004 Solaris T-2475. It has a GVWR of 5500, and now I need to purchase a tow vechile. I was looking at a Ford F-150 with a 4.6L v-8 with a gear ratio of 3.55 that has a manufacturer's tow rating of 6100 lbs. I am not sure whether it is adequate to tow the T-2475. Can anyone help me out or give me any suggestions?

Tom

[MACK C-85]

Welcome to the club!! I'm sure some of our towing gurus will be able to help you more, but here are a couple of things to consider:

Does it have a towing package? Yes, you need it.

How much weight will you have in the truck? The weights stated are for the truck and a 150 lb. driver, add a couple of passengers and "some junk in the trunk" and the weights start to add up.

What is the combined gross vehicle weight rating? This is the rating for the truck, passengers, cargo and the trailer.

Just a couple of things to start with, and remember an RV is a big bread box and it takes more to pull than a boat or utility trailer of the same weight.

[PTHutch]

Hi Tom

Welcome to the club and congratulations on your new (to you) Sunline T-2475.

Wrt the tow vehicle question:
A lot depends on the type of towing you plan to do, the amount and the locations, such as long trips, lot of hills / mountains, etc. The more trips and more mountainous driving, the more truck I would look at.

Also, remember, the published tow rating only includes the driver. Therefore you have to reduce the tow rating by the weight of other passengers and cargo you plan to have in the truck when towing to know what the realistic tow rating is of the F-150.

For example, if you plan on doing a lot of long trips that include a lot of hills / mountains, I might also be looking at the 5.4L engine, just to know I had the extra power to handle these conditions.

To respond to your specific question on the F-150 w/ 4.6L & 6,100 lbs tow rating:

The first check that I use is the 80% check. Based on having your loaded trailer ~80% of your tow vehicles towing capacity. This 80% rule gives a buffer to account for cargo and driving conditions, such as towing in hills and mountains.

In your specific case 80% of 6,100 lbs is 4,880 lbs.
I would guess that with a trailer of 5,500 lbs GVWR; your loaded weight would be between 4,500 lbs and 5,000 lbs.
So it looks like the Ford F-150 with a 4.6L v-8 with a gear ratio of 3.55 is in the ball part, at least from the initial assessment.

However, as I mentioned above, I would also look at a 5.4L engine. The 4.6L could do it, but you probably be smiling a lot more with a 5.4L.

To do a full weight analysis you need to know or find out:
For the F-150 Tow Vehicle (TV)
Gross Capacity Weight Rating (GCWR)
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)
Unloaded TV Weight
Loaded TV Weight

For your Sunline Travel Trailer (TT)
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) (5,500 lbs)
Unloaded Weight
Unloaded Tongue Weight
Loaded TT Weight
(estimate at Unloaded Weight + 800 to 1,000 lbs depending on how much you carry)
Loaded TT Tongue Weight
(estimate at Unloaded Tongue Weight + 300 lbs)

Then:
The TV GCWR > Loaded Truck Weight + Loaded TT Weight
The TV GVWR > Loaded Truck Weight + Loaded TT Tongue Weight
The TT GVWR > Loaded TT Weight

The other weight to consider to make sure you’re within its limits is the TV’s Gross Rear Axle Weight Rating. This would be compared against the loaded weight of the truck on the rear axle plus the loaded tongue weight of the TT.

Hope this helps some.
Hutch

[kanyonkitty]

Hi Tom,

Welcome to the group and wonderful world of Sunline ownership. I can't get anywhere near as technical as Hutch did, but I can tell you from experience, it is no fun towing with a marginal vehicle. Towing near or at your max makes your vehicle work a lot harder and will put extra stress on it.. Also, make sure you use a weight distribution/sway control hitch. Another thing, even "IF" you think you'll never take longer trips or be towing in the mountans, you never know once you get the camping bug. Trus me, I know.

Kitty

[pwb01]

You might check the 5.4L V8 consumer ratings vs the smaller V8 and weigh the cost and milage difference. With the 3:55, we get 18 on the highway and 11 towing our T-1950. It has a towing capacity of 8500#.