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On this week’s show I welcome returning guest Mark Polk of www.RVEducation101.com. Mark talks trucks and towing, torque and horsepower, gross vehicle weights and towing capacity. I invited Mark on the show to help me navigate “truck language” and help me figure out if the Ford F-150 of my dreams has the capacity to tow my 3000 pound Riverside Retro with ease. There’s much to learn about engines, towing and safety in this episode.
My 2017 Riverside Retro has a dry weight of 3037 pounds. The manufacturer says the maximum load the axel can hold means I cannot safely carry more than 832 pounds of cargo in it.
My old Ford F150 had a V8 5.4L engine with plenty of power for my little 1966 Vintage trailer.
The Society of Automotive Engineers along with the automotive manufacturers developed a set of real life towing situations which standardized the methods which manufacturers use to guage towing capacities. One of the tests is towing on an incline with the air conditioner running.
New technology has enabled the V6 engines of today to be able to do the work of the V8 of ten years ago allowing for more horsepower and torque and better gas mileage.
