Possible to pull an aluminum trailer with a ford F150?

[mydaddysjag]

So, we might be getting a new truck given to use this spring and it is a F150. I also would like to get a new trailer this spring, I sold mine last summer in hopes to get a new on this spring. My husband thinks a F150 with a brake kit will be able to pull a 2 horse aluminum bumper pull, but I'm arguing that I don't think it can do it.

What do YOU say? Previously when I had my older steel 2 horse bumper pull we pulled it with a suburban, but that's now out of commission.

 

[Littleum]

The wheel base on the F150 is what scares the bejesus out of me.

 

[Jill]

I think they come with a couple or few different engines? Our F150 has a big V8 and a transmission cooler. It has a break kit. It is a 2000 flareside lariat w/ about 50k miles on it (love it love it love it). It pulls our aluminum trailer very well, however, ours is a mini gooseneck one. It is 6' tall, 6' wide, and 14' long. Empty, it weighs about 3,500# and from what I think I understand, our truck can tow about 8,000#. It doesn't seem to tax it much at all to pull that trailer and of course our little bumper pull one is like it's not even back there.

 

[Genie]

We have a Ford F150 Lariat and pull our aluminum trailer with 5 slant stalls for minis. It has a brake kit as well and my husband says it's a dream to haul with.

 

[Coventry Lane Farm]

Shouldn't be a problem towing the trailer, just make sure that you have good braking systems for the truck and trailer and check the wheel bearings if the trailer is used, that is a big concern, most people don't ever check the wheel bearings and then they have troubles when they travel.

 

[Minimor]

We've only ever had F150s and have pulled a few different trailers with them. My favorite of the trucks was the 300 straight 6 with the 4 spd standard transmission--that was a real nice truck for towing the trailers we've had. I'm now driving a 302 V-8 automatic overdrive; it does the job, but I don't like it nearly so well.

We did have a steel 2 horse trailer, 5' wide, 7' high with 14" rims...that trailer didn't pull nice at all, partly due to the 7' height (really noticed it catching the wind--the best it ever pulled was one day when we also had a big round bale on the back of the truck--the bale broke the wind & the trailer towed along real good that way!) and partly due to the smaller wheels; I definitely noticed the difference between those 14 rims and the more common 15s.

We're now towing a stock trailer--5' wide, 6'4" high & 14' long and the bigger 15 rims--and it tows great. Don't even notice that it's behind the truck when we're hauling a few minis. I've also hauled it filled with hay and the day my trailer brakes gave out I definitely noticed a problem in stopping the hay filled trailer! With just 3 or 4 minis on board, though, it's light enough that the truck would have no problem stopping it even without the brakes...which tells me that it is okay to pull with the F150 (after all, they always say it's not how much can your vehicle tow, it's how much can your vehicle STOP??)

Last fall, with one Mini on the trailer, I hit a section of washboard gravel road that set my trailer to swinging rather wildly behind the truck--the truck's back end twitched a little with each swing but it held the road & I got the trailer under control--I was very pleased with the truck's performance in that situation...though I slowed down & didn't try that again!!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I pull my stock trailer with our half ton F150. It does have a V8. Our F150 has a Tekonsha Prodigy brake controller, which is fantastic! I have only towed 2 minis and a cart, so do not know how it would work with the weight of big horses. However, we do pull a flat trailer loaded with my 1946 Minneapolis Moline antique tractor and it does great. The brake controller makes a big difference.

 

[nbark]

My F150 hauled a four horse stock all over New England, Ford makes a great truck and I LOVE the heater in the winter.

 

[Carolyn R]

I think it will have no problem at all. I tow my mini stock trailer (steel) with a nissan xterra (suv). I had a two horse bumper pull big horse trailer, just a tack area with a hay manger above, and pulled it with the same vehicle. The new trailer is easier and lighter to pull, but it did fine with the old one too.

Carolyn

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

Oh come now, the wheelbase on an F150 is the same as any other full sized truck. Its very similar to the F250 and F350, and the Suburban. I'd be very confident in saying that an F150 can tow as much, if not more, better than a Burban 1500 can. I personally do NOT like the long bed crew cab heavy trucks since they are so hard to manuver in day to day driving, and that's how big you have to get to be longer than a full sized F150. Now, I would not suggest buying or using a V6 truck, or a short bed/reg cab truck. Those are too small. But the larger, medium or long based trucks with the 5.4L V8 engine pull very nicely. The Prodigy brake controller is hard to beat, and not only is it ill advised to tow without SOME kind of trailer brake, but its also illegal.

This is my truck and trailer. The truck has been totalled out in Colorado last month by a dealership mechanic (thankfully no serious injuries other than the truck fatality) so now the trailer is for sale, but while it lasted this truck and trailer easily towed 10,000 miles, several times across the country. The trailer, empty, puts 1400lbs on the truck and weighs in at 4300lbs. Its almost completely aluminum, only two steel pieces, the hitch and the axles. Loaded, the trailer puts 1500lbs on the truck and weighs in at 7,000lbs. Its a 20' gooseneck trailer, pulls like a dream. Not a single factory recommended rating was exceeded when I pulled this trailer, in fact, 98% of the time I even had my 10% safety allowance I like to keep while towing live weight. Technically this trailer is a 4H trailer, but I never put more than two full sized horses (drafts even) on it at any time.

 

[wildoak]

I hauled with Suburbans (had 3) for many years, and I will tell you my F 150 is a much better pulling vehicle. I have a 3 horse slant BP, which is admittedly kind of long for a BP. I had some sway problems with the Suburban, if I wasn't careful it wanted to swing around on the highway. The F150 is stronger and steadier - my husband was even convinced after using mine to get a load of hay, and bought himself one as well. This was a big concession for him LOL, he did a lot of griping about mine at first. The only place I fault the Ford is on gas mileage, it's terrible. And mine is worse than his, only real difference is that my truck is a King Ranch and his is a year newer.

Jan

 

[twister]

I too pull my trailer with an F150 Lariat and we have the prodigy brake controller also. The trailer pulls like a dream with the F150 with 3 minis in and my buggy in the back.

 

[Candice]

Our F150 pulls our warmblood size sundowner with not problems. Our trailer weighs in at 3500lbs (very light) but very tall and wide. With sway bars our navigator pulls nicely too.

 

[zoey829]

We have a V6 F150 and it pulls a steel double horse trailer. Went to Ohio and back n coudnt even tell it was on the back!!! It also pulled an 8000 lb tractor

 

[FoRebel]

We've pulled an aluminum trailer with 2 full sized horses (with the power braking box) with our Dodge Dakota that we had. I still haul the same trailer, 2 full sized horses with my GMC Envoy.

 

[MeadowRidge Farm]

Both of our farm trucks are 150's. The Ford is set up with a heavy duty suspensin, and the Chev just a factory built one. We have hauled our trailers all over using both these trucks. I am down to just a two horse now, but prior to that we had a 6 horse gooseneck. The Ford had no problems and could pull it with ease, the chevy did seem to have a little bit of a tougher time. We also pull loaded gravity boxes which weigh in at 16,000 lbs, with either truck.

 

[ruffian]

Depends on the engine size and the rear-end size. A heavy enough engine and rear end will easily pull a trailer.

I've pulled with a suburban, Tahoe, 1/2 ton Chevy and 3/4 ton chevy. (Can you tell I'm a GMC Person? LOL )

The only issue I ever had was pulling a small trailer with a Ford Explorer. Just not enough guts.

 

[Katiean]

I had a 1978 Ford F-150 (had to take 7 months off of driving so I sold it). I have a 1987 Campbell Coach 2 horse TB height extra wide trailer. We pulled that trailer with my Ford F-150. we even took it over Donner pass and hit 1/4 mile of ice and spun in circles and had no problem other than faceing the wrong way on the freeway. I have also pulled bumper pull trailers with a Cadillac (that was the '80's). I think if you are looking at a newer F-150 you will be fine too. Most places you rent trailers at won't hook to a Ford Explorer. But, you are not looking at one of them.

 

[Kathy2m]

I haul with a F150 Lariat. It does have the bigger V8 and it came with a towing package. My trailer is a alum. over steel, 2H, WB size, have hauled 2 bigs no problem, now its for the minis and cart. Good Luck, Kathy

 

[PAS Hercules]

I hauled a steel stock trailer with carriage & belgian draft horse with my f-150 for many years I also haul our 3 horse slant fully loaded with arabians, the truck does fine, a little sluggish on hills but not bad.

I have a dually but it's a diesel hog and the f-150 runs on natural gas so it's really cheap for shorter hauls !