5.0TA towed by F250 or larger - any issues?

[Tim L]

Originally Posted by Vin and Janice

Here are 2 pictures, we're usually taking pictures of scenery, not the rig!
We use a gooseneck hitch / adapter and love it. There's way more room in the truck bed with this arrangement.

Thank you very much. I agree it would be nice to have the extra bed space. How m
any miles would you estimate you have pulled the 5.0 with this set up? Any downside you have experenced?

Also, is there any noise, clanking, chucking etc.?

[gretnagreg]

I had a 2017 F-250 that towed a coachmen 5th wheel with a 1500 pound hitch weight. There is a lowering kit available for the back end of the f250 to level it out. I installed that on mine and it and the fifth wheel lined up perfectly. I would recommend that highly in this case. The f250 rear end was jacked up real high and once it was lowered down a couple of inches it looked a lot better as well.

[Vin and Janice]

Originally Posted by Tim L

Thank you very much. I agree it would be nice to have the extra bed space. How m
any miles would you estimate you have pulled the 5.0 with this set up? Any downside you have experenced?

Also, is there any noise, clanking, chucking etc.?

We have traveled/towed over 10k miles using the gooseneck setup. We have a convert-a-ball adapter on our escape which allowed us to use our existing gooseneck hitch. This is a great setup for us and provides more room in the bed of the truck. We have never experienced any noise or chucking. That being said, when we first added an offset ball we experienced a little noise the first time we towed with the offset. A 3/4” thick 2”x2” piece of rubber slid under the offset solved the problem. Knock on wood, no noise, no chucking, no problems for over 10k miles.

[Buckyver]

I have the height issue with my RAM 2500 Crew Cab Laramie Longhorn Long Box. The Escape manufacturer asked me to put 700 lbs or more in the bed and see if it dropped from the initial 60 inch measurement. I took my truck to the dump and get it weighed 8,140 pounds base. I then placed an IBC container in the bed and filled it partway with water until I got to 58 inches (1,100 pounds.) It took 1,460 pounds to drop to 57 inches.

Still waiting on feedback from the Escape manufacturer.

[Radar1]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

hmmm, went and looked at my Ford F250...






thinking the thing to do would be to buy two new cables, cut a few inches out of the middle and reassemble them using appropriate cable splices.

Another option might be to replace that tailgate bolt on the right in the first picture, with a shoulder bolt (like the one used by the cable on the left) and just swapping the cable ends around (that way the releasable end would be on the tailgate instead of the bed) so you could release it from the normal bolt on the tailgate and move it to the new shoulder bolt on the tailgate as needed. That way you could move the cable end to whichever bolt you wanted without needing an extra set of cables, and it appears doing that would keep the tailgate from going all the way down. Once done, just swap the cable end back to the normal bolt. I'm thinking having the cable temporarily hooked to the other bolt would keep the tailgate a little higher at least.

[Tom&Joan]

Hard to describe as our 2008 Dakota is 700 miles from here at present, but the cables can be routed around a "peg" so that the tailgate only drops down half way.

[GeorgeDoesIt]

3/4 ton trucks are YES for overall Heavy Duty suspensions, etc.
HOWEVER - the NEW GM Diesel 3.0L Diesel inline 6 cyl DURAMAX Turbo Diesel is well...FANTASTIC in the 1500 Sieries Sierra - suggest the HD Delani model (make sure you get the LONG BED in steel) I bought a Sierra 1500 4x4 SLE with all the bells and whistles, and I really am impressed with the Diesel Engine, pull a 5.0 Escape on a gooseneck hitch with an auxillary 60 gal tank below back window...I go 2500 mi on the tanks when full with no stops ( well no stops for fuel ) LoL...just chk out their 1500 models with the 3.oL Duramax, you will be amazed at the fuel economy and POWER (over 460 torgue at 1600, yes, 1600 RPM's amazing engine!! Feels like driving with a big V8! I like the Sierra AT4, its got a factory lift, then order your 5.0 with reversed axle, perfect match..

[Carmel Clown]

Originally Posted by HLynnH

Does anyone tow their 5.0TA with a F250 or similar tall truck? If so, did you make any adjustments to the trailer or truck? I was told that max height of the bed rails can be 58” with the 3” lift on the trailer. My F150 clears it without a problem but a friend wants to buy a F250. Thanks!

I do. I sent my truck measurements to ETI and they said it would Work but I had to get the high lift axel. I pull a horse trailer so I bought my truck with a gooseneck Towing package. I use the Andersen adapter To pull the 5.0.

[lucentheart]

What is the feedback from the Escape manufacturer?

Originally Posted by Buckyver

I have the height issue with my RAM 2500 Crew Cab Laramie Longhorn Long Box. The Escape manufacturer asked me to put 700 lbs or more in the bed and see if it dropped from the initial 60 inch measurement. I took my truck to the dump and get it weighed 8,140 pounds base. I then placed an IBC container in the bed and filled it partway with water until I got to 58 inches (1,100 pounds.) It took 1,460 pounds to drop to 57 inches.

Still waiting on feedback from the Escape manufacturer.

[Pilotshot]

I own a 2017 Ford F-350 6.7 Diesel and long bed. I took delivery of my 2020 5.0 TA 5th wheel last February from Escape. I ordered the high lift axle plus the extra entry step. From memory, the truck bed was 58" high. I have logged 8000kms so far this year towing the Escape. The truck and 5th wheel sit level and tows very well. As an extra bonus, the fuel mileage went from 11.5 miles/Imperial gallon on my former 31' 5th wheel to 18.0 miles/Imperial gallon towing the 5.0 TA Escape.

[Gregw]

What hitch are you using?

[Little Richie]

Originally Posted by Carmel Clown

I do. I sent my truck measurements to ETI and they said it would Work but I had to get the high lift axel. I pull a horse trailer so I bought my truck with a gooseneck Towing package. I use the Andersen adapter To pull the 5.0.

I have a 2017 F2 50 gasoline with 2 Wheel Dr. I got the 2 Wheel Dr. because I did not want to worry about the height of the bed rails. I have plenty of room. That being said that model year was allegedly about 2 inches higher if I had four-wheel-drive. I have plenty of room when turning on uneven surfaces.

I have a BW Companion hitch with a 7 inch offset. I also have a 2 1/2 inch lift kit from Escape. It all handles very well.

With bigger trucks you have to pay attention to the distance to the top of the rails to the ground and the distance on the back of the tailgate to the hitch. To enjoy the trailer you want to be able to hit you up reasonably is easily and you don’t wanna smack your rails

[gretnagreg]

I had a 2017 f250 Diesel that I towed an 8000 lb fifth wheel with. Ford makes kits to lower the rear end of the truck about one and a half inches. I installed those on the truck and it made it perfectly level while towing the fifth wheel it also made the high rear end of the truck much more manageable