Whether you've been towing camper trailers for years or taking your first family vacation pulling a small travel trailer, towing isn't something to be taken lightly. To successfully tow a trailer behind your F-150, you need to develop a new set of driving skills. Even hitching and unhitching a trailer requires know-how.
Skipping over just one crucial piece of the process could compromise your traveling safety. Let’s face it, safety is job one when you’re traveling with your family.
Are you ready to head out on the highway with a trailer in tow?
Here’s a short checklist of important items you may have overlooked:
- Check your tires on your trailer.
- Make sure your F-150 maintenance is up to date.
- Use trailer safety chains. All trailers should have safety chains that hook up to the hitch.
- Check trailer lights.
- Consider getting tow mirrors.
- Use wheel chocks when unhooking the trailer.
- Practice driving with a trailer. Before hitting the road, it's a good idea to practice accelerating, backing up, braking, making wide turns, and using your sideview mirrors.
- Make sure your F-150 and travel trailer are level. Any sag or squat will make it difficult to control your rig and compromise the safety of your towing adventure. If this is the case, consider getting a set of Timbren SES suspension upgrades.
Choosing the best suspension upgrades for your Ford F-150
Here’s what you should know about half-tons: Light-duty, half-ton Ford F-150s aren’t designed to carry heavy loads even though you’d expect them to.
So why is that?
Today’s trucks are designed to ‘ride like a Cadillac’. In other words, they’re designed with the look and feel of a luxury car. And that includes a nice, soft, Cadillac ride!
But when you soften the ride of a truck, it comes at a price: Reduced carrying capacity. If you load 2,000 lbs onto the bed of your half-ton truck, you haven’t necessarily overloaded it. But if you back away from the truck about 10 feet and look at it from the side, you will notice that the rear is sagging. And this will only get worse as you continue to load it up day after day, year after year.
Here’s the thing: your truck should remain level even when loaded. Sag and squat is a recipe for disaster, especially when you’re towing a trailer.
If you’re just driving around in your Ford F-150 every day without a load, you won’t need helper springs. But if you’re loading it up to the gills or towing a trailer that causes the rear of your truck to sag, you will definitely need to *increase its spring capacity.
*Note: Increasing your truck’s spring capacity does not increase the GVWR set by the manufacturer. In other words, you must stay within the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating – the maximum weight a vehicle is designed to carry – which includes the net weight of the vehicle with accessories, plus the weight of passengers, fuel, and cargo.
The following is a quick comparison of Airbags and Timbren SES helpers:
Airbags
Price: $2500
Rated capacity: 5,000 lbs
Progressive spring rate: NO
DIY installation: NO
Improved ride quality: YES
Durability: NO
Lifetime Warranty: NO
100-day money back guarantee: NO
Timbren SES
Price: $297
Rated capacity: 8,600 lbs
Progressive spring rate: YES
DIY installation: YES
Improved ride quality: YES
Durability: YES
Lifetime Warranty: YES
100-day money back guarantee: YES
Ford F-150 and Timbren FR1504E: A match made in heaven ❤️
Above, we compared Airbags to Timbren SES suspension upgrades to see which one of these suspension helpers is best for your Ford F-150. A quick observation suggests that Timbren SES products win big points for:
- lowest price
- highest rated capacity
- most reliable
- highest added stability
- easiest installation
- best warranty
Also, Timbren SES upgrades aren’t vulnerable to malfunctioning like an airbag system.
In fact, a Timbren SES system is completely bulletproof. (Quite literally!) Unlike an airbag system, Timbren SES allows you to set it and forget it. In other words, Timbren SES requires zero maintenance.
Additionally, an airbag system can’t provide enough stability if you’re hauling a top-heavy load like a truck camper or towing a heavy 5th Wheel. Timbren SES can. Thousands of satisfied customers recommend Timbren SES - part # FR1504E - suspension upgrades for your 2024 Ford F-150.
For more information about Timbren SES products, visit Timbren.com
Rigid Hitch Inc.
