Who here has an F150 Raptor? Towing inquiry

[cbrookre]

So I am considering swapping my Mustang for an F150 Raptor. Was planning to keep my Mustang much longer, but my insurance has been going up dramatically from when I first got it (started at just above $500 per year, and went up to almost $1400 now, with no reason (no tickets or anything). We quoted for when our son gets his permit, and that number would double. Also, our kids are starting to grow more and the thought of having them in the convertible is making me much more uncomfortable than I thought it would.

The only vehicle that I would almost freely trade my Mustang in for would be an F150 Raptor. If we did this, we would also trade in our 2006 Expedition that we currently use for towing, which would position us for having more vehicles just for the kids. But doing this would put us in the position to use the Raptor for towing our travel trailer the 1-3 times a year that we do it.

The Raptors are rated for 8,000 pounds. Our trailer is 6500 empty, so will be pushing that once we load everything up (though we never tow it filled with water, which would be the main thing that would add a huge amount of weight).

I have read that there are ways to bolster the stability (prevent rear-end squat) like adding leafs to the rear springs or adding extra support for the suspension. But my question is, how stable is a Raptor when towing at or near to max capacity stock, if anyone has done this? I know that the powertrain and frame would be fine, but the shocks and struts are not built for that purpose specifically. Have been towing for 30 years, but no experience with this particular vehicle and I hesitate to believe that anyone would allow us to hook it up during a test drive just to see.

I know that a regular F150 would be better for towing, but really love the Raptors as a regular vehicle and the emotion is always part of the equation for someone that loves automobiles! Any advice?

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[Litenin75]

https://www.fordraptorforum.com/threads/finally-got-a-true-removable-towing-solution-see-pics.58963/

 

[cbrookre]

https://www.fordraptorforum.com/threads/finally-got-a-true-removable-towing-solution-see-pics.58963/

Thanks. I did see that and it looks like an interesting solution. Did not read the whole 23 pages, so I did not yet see how much to install, how much hassle with the Nitrogen tank and such, but once it is installed it looked pretty darn simple and easy to put in/out! Wondering how it would tow without adding anything specifically. Thanks for taking the time!

 

[Barrel]

Don't waste your time with that. I towed about 10000 miles with my 2017 Raptor. Two things you need to make it not suck: https://timbren.com/blog/2017/10/20/new-timbren-ses-ford-raptor-2017 (takes 15 minutes to do both sides when you get good at it), and a WDH which you should have with a heavy trailer like that anyway.

The Raptor is very stable with the trailer I had which was about 6500lbs loaded. The power made cruising and on ramps easy. I will say though since the Raptor's brakes aren't great to begin with it's not better with a trailer.

 

[cbrookre]

Don't waste your time with that. I towed about 10000 miles with my 2017 Raptor. Two things you need to make it not suck: https://timbren.com/blog/2017/10/20/new-timbren-ses-ford-raptor-2017 (takes 15 minutes to do both sides when you get good at it), and a WDH which you should have with a heavy trailer like that anyway.

The Raptor is very stable with the trailer I had which was about 6500lbs loaded. The power made cruising and on ramps easy. I will say though since the Raptor's brakes aren't great to begin with it's not better with a trailer.

Barrel, thanks for the response from an experienced owner!

We always use a WDH, so no problem there. Do the bump stops like that make the ride much more harsh? I guess it would be the (much) lesser of two evils in this case (better to be hitting against them than have the front end lift that would make it feel more floaty and unstable). The other vehicles that I have towed with are not that great at stopping anyway (standard F150/F250/Bronco/Expedition), the key there is to a) dial in the trailer brakes just right so they are helping you but not locking up and b) just be very aware of what is going on around you and give yourself ample room to stop with no surprises. Are the Raptor's brakes inferior to a stock F150 with towing package? I would expect they are similar.

 

[Barrel]

The Raptor's brakes are a touch smaller to fit the 17" wheels compared to a regular F-150, plus the Raptor is a few hundred pounds heavier. The bump stops are actually really compliant when the trailer is hooked up, very harsh when the trailer is not. So as long as the trailer is behind you it actually smooths out the ride but if you disconnect to ride around town it's going to be unpleasant unless the bed is weighed down by cargo.

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