Thinking of Purchasing Raptor Questions - Height / Towing / Bike Hitch Rack

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I am in the market for a truck and my first choice is the 2019 Raptor, but I want to make sure that it will be a relatively reasonable choice.

I have an extra long garage bay so length is not a problem. My garage width is at 106 inches wide and I have looked up that Raptor width including mirrors is 97 inches so it is tight, but it should work. However on height my bay is 82 inches tall and according to the spec of the Raptor it is 78.5 inches tall. Is this 78.5 inches to the top of the roof or to the top of the roof antenna fin thing? I intend that on test drive that I drive it into the garage and see how it fits, but this may be a non-starter for me if I know it won't fit and I can write the Raptor off the list.

The reason why I am getting a truck is because my wife and I are wanting to get a small travel trailer to go mountain biking, hiking, etc. and we do not have a truck to pull it and we are due for a new vehicle anyways. I know that the Raptor is not the best suited for towing, but the intended size of the travel trailer is fairly small as I would prefer a smaller trailer than larger as we intend to spend the majority of the time outside and only use it for sleeping, showering, and food prep. My guess is that we would take less than 5 trips a year with our two kids and dog. I like the idea of getting a small toy hauler to put bikes in and possibly a 4 person side by side in the future. A couple that have caught my eye are the Forest River Grey Wolf 25RRT at 690 pounds hitch weight and 5103 pounds UVW and the Jayco Octane Super Lite 222 at 795 pounds hitch weight and 5450 pounds UVW. I know this is all on the edge of what the Raptor is specified for, but I wonder if the toy hauler gets loaded in the back and with a weight distribution hitch it will pull fine. I have read that toy haulers pull better when loaded up as the tongue weight is not as high. I have seen a couple forums of people pulling toy haulers with Raptors, but just wanting some extra feed back in case I am missing something. If someone has a toy hauler model that they think is perfectly suited for the Raptor, then I am all ears.

My third question is that I have a 1-Up hitch mount bike rack that I intend to keep and use. I have seen where most people put bikes in the bed, hang on the tailgate, or mount on the sides. I saw one Raptor forum where someone had their 1-up hitch mount bike rack on a Raptor but they never came back to discuss exhaust heat. How has everyone dealt with exhaust hitting the rack or bike wheels? Is this problematic? One of my bikes have carbon fiber wheels and I have read of carbon fiber wheels delaminating due to exhaust heat. Do most people just change to side exhaust? I guess I can get a hitch extender that raises or drops instead.

Sorry for the rambling and thanks in advance!
 

waveslayer

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So I am in the same boat as you and do all the above, just have +2 more kids then you.. so i end up having to use my Suburban for all the kids and wife, plus I tow a big toy hauler and need the V8.

As for answering, you will find yourself driving the Raptor more and biking less. I love to MTB, but when I can baja my truck, the seat is more comfy on my saddle soar butt. Plus AC seats! Sign me up.

In seriousness though, they are not the best for towing, you may want to get bumpstops or some type of towing solution to stiffen the rear with the trailer on there. I have Fox bumpstops from RPG.

I use the bed for my bike or a rack, no issues with the heat yet. My carbon wheels haven't melted.

I have owned all sorts of trucks and love my Raptor, but I use it as it is intended for.. fast off roading and boosting.

If you are not going to really off road your truck, save the money, get a sick Diesel and a nice toy hauler with a bad A CanAm Maverick X3. But wait for the new direct drive "shaft" driven model from Can Am, coming soon.

Hope this helps

My wife thinks I only have 3 guns
 

cayenne

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I have a 1-Up, never had issues with the exhaust heat. If you IM me your cell I'll take some pictures of it installed this weekend and text them to you.
 

smurfslayer

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Stock, the Rap is 6’6.5” to the top of the --cab--
I have the old style antenna and it’s one the front of the cab which sits a little lower. if that adds any height, it’s not noticeable. I’ve been in garages labeled as 6’8”, and managed to stuff Lucille in there with no damage.

Be wary of going up / down levels though. Some of the height disclaimers are more serious than others. I had to back out of one.
 
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Scott Phillips
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Thanks for all the information and advice. I live in the midwest, so baja running would not be too often and mountain biking would likely remain as my number one hobby. My two children are still somewhat small at 4 and 7 years old, so a small travel trailer is ideal. Does anyone know how much the 2019 roof antenna shark fin adds to the height of the truck? I have 3.5 inches to spare on paper. I would prefer to not need all 3.5" of it.

Any body see any thing that would say the Jayco 222 toy hauler is a no go with this?
 

PlainJane

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I would consider that the GVWR is 8000 for the Jayco Octane Super Lite 222 and its pretty easy to get to that.
Thats about 2000 over. I am sure the Raptor caan do it, you will need to increase the spring rate in the rear.
I think a F150 4x4 SCREW would be a better fit for the towing with the kids.
 

motoman289

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Bomber strap for quick rides, and the rocky mounts fork mount for longer trips and days that i bring the bike to work. both great solutions.
 
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