Howard,
My wife and I are serioiusly considering becoming fulltimers. We have found your website to be the most informative we have seen and thank you for sharing.
We are looking at the F450 and a 5ver.
My questions for you are:
Did you get the 4x4 option on your truck?
Have you traveled any steep grades and how did your truck perform?
Wannabes,
Chris & Jessica Bull
igotjam said
02:45 PM Sep 10, 2007
We have an 08 F-450 towing a Doubletree Elite 5er. The trailer weighs 20,000lbs (only a Teton would be heavier. Everything is great except for the Ford built in brake controller. It won't work electric disk brakes (like we have on the trailer). Read the Ford owners manual if you are getting a trailer with disks. Other than that its great. Do slow to about 25mph on big hills with it floored but its a heavy trailer we have. (most will be less than 20,000lbs)
Howard said
05:28 PM Sep 10, 2007
Hi Chris & Jessica!
Thanks for the kind words.
We did NOT get the 4 X 4 option on our truck. Four-wheel drive lowers the towing capacity of the truck a few hundred pounds, and at the time of our purchase we wanted as much towing capacity as we could get.
I have pondered whether we would get four-wheel drive if we were doing it all over again.
We've had one time where I made a bad decision on parking and could've used 4wd to get us unstuck. But other than that, my only desire for 4wd has been to do some off-roading once in awhile.
I suppose if we had enough towing capacity cushion, we would get the 4 X 4. But I'm not positive.
We have had the truck on some steep grades. It has handled beautifully. We took the advice of many on this Forum about towing on mountain passes and we make sure we do not push it beyond its capabilites.
Our fiver weighs in at about 18,000 pounds and our fifth wheel towing capacity is 21,000 with our 2005 F450. We do slow down to about 40 mph when going up a long, steep grade with the pedal to the floor. But we rarely do that. We try to keep it around 30 - 35 mph and don't push the truck's transmission.
Hope that helps.
Ken & Sarah said
08:57 PM Sep 10, 2007
igotjam, Maybe a dumb question, but how do you stop? Did you have to install a controller for the disk brakes? What are the advantages of the disk brakes over electirc? Thanks for your help.
z3bull said
10:16 PM Sep 10, 2007
Thanks to both of you for the great info. I had read that about the Ford brake controller not working with the Disc Brakes. How did you get around that?
Chris & Jessica
igotjam said
12:48 PM Sep 11, 2007
The brakes don't totally not work. They sometimes work....Ya not a good situation...After trips to many Ford dealers and at least 50 trailer shops I found someone who could disconnect the Ford controller (without making the computer go crazy) and replace it with an aftermarket controller. The 08 if different from the 07 or older. Neither will operate the disks but 07 and older are easier to disconnect so you can instal an aftermarket controller.
Judy said
11:09 AM Sep 12, 2007
Towing our Elite Doubletree suites with an F-550 no problems. Keeping it at 30 to 35 going up hills also. southwestjudy & Bob & 2blackdogs
Hi Chris & Jessica!
Thanks for the kind words.
We did NOT get the 4 X 4 option on our truck. Four-wheel drive lowers the towing capacity of the truck a few hundred pounds, and at the time of our purchase we wanted as much towing capacity as we could get.
I have pondered whether we would get four-wheel drive if we were doing it all over again.
We've had one time where I made a bad decision on parking and could've used 4wd to get us unstuck. But other than that, my only desire for 4wd has been to do some off-roading once in awhile.
I suppose if we had enough towing capacity cushion, we would get the 4 X 4. But I'm not positive.
We have had the truck on some steep grades. It has handled beautifully. We took the advice of many on this Forum about towing on mountain passes and we make sure we do not push it beyond its capabilites.
Our fiver weighs in at about 18,000 pounds and our fifth wheel towing capacity is 21,000 with our 2005 F450. We do slow down to about 40 mph when going up a long, steep grade with the pedal to the floor. But we rarely do that. We try to keep it around 30 - 35 mph and don't push the truck's transmission.
Hope that helps.
Maybe a dumb question, but how do you stop? Did you have to install a controller for the disk brakes? What are the advantages of the disk brakes over electirc?
Thanks for your help.
Chris & Jessica
southwestjudy & Bob & 2blackdogs