I am looking at options for a vehicle which is or can be set up to tow a Goose Neck Horse Float. Towing capacity needs to be 4.5t. Preferably twin cab so we can sit the kids in as well. What should I be considering / not considering in the F Series.
Thanks
Sprats
PS Previous Proud owners of 69 F100, which we had to bang the metal dash to get the lights working and 84 Bronco. Time to get back into an F Truck

 

Hi Sprats,

My 2005 F250 4WD Power Stoke Diesel (PSD) crew cab is rated to tow 4.5T.

You could look for any 4WD PSD - the gooseneck ball is an attachment that can be easily retro fitted if you find a decent truck without one already.

I've noticed in my travels that the gooseneck ball has cross braces that go from chasis rail to chasis rail at the top of the wheel arches. This means that you have to do something tricky if you also want to run air-bags on the rear axle.

Good luck with your search. Look through the forum posts here if you want to do some research on F250s, and feel free to ask any questions.

Welcome to the Aussie Chapter of FTE!

 

Mine has a Reese gooseneck attachment fitted and airbags at the rear, but not all airbag kits will fit with the gooseneck (bags need to go under the chassis rails, not on top of the springs).

The F-trucks that were sold here with the 7.3l are capable of towing a bit over 6T (~12,500lbs) as a gooseneck, but were not rated as such by Ford Australia because most states have registration/licensing difficulties above 4.5T, and there was not a hitch available in Australia that offered >4.5T tow ratings. Importing a hitch from the US would enable you to tow the 6+T

These trucks are designed for gooseneck towing, and do a great job at it, really your only other option if you are looking at 4+T and carting kids is a small crew cab, cab over truck (Isuzu/Mitsu Fuso). My previous truck was a single cab version of these, and frankly I found it a pain in the **** - slow when loaded, used the same (or sometimes more) fuel, really uncomfortable and while there are parts dealers in most places, you pay for the nose for them, and there is no aftermarket like there is for the F-Series. About the only benefit was the 30s job to lift the cab and have full engine access, but you don't get that on the crew cab models, instead there is the centre panel (which admittedly gives you a lot better access than the F-series, but still).

Main things to look for when buying an F-truck is maintenance.
Expensive problems are: Engine (particularly injectors - they wear out eventually), ball joints, front steering arms, suspension sagging.
Other more minor problems is the CPS, 4x4 vacuum engagement and some of the electrical items like window motors/door lock actuators eventually die, but all are very cheap to replace sourcing parts from the US.

 

Artie is selling he's. U would be hard up tryn to find better

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...-my-truck.html