Hello.

I'm looking to purchase a 2017 f250 to travel the country during my upcoming retirement. I'll be towing a lighter rv trailer around 3300#s and plan to use secondary roads and national park ways. Also, I'll be trailering on beaches, desert, etc and really wanted a f250 with 4WD. However, I have two issues/questions related to the above:

1) I live in NY STATE and after 6000 #s unladen weight I'm required to register the vehicle as "commercial" (note: the lightest 2016 f250 is 5900# +/-, This may drop to 5550# in 2017?). I do NOT want to register commercial as I'd like to use roads like the Natchez Trace that don't allow commercial trucks.

Question: is there a 2WD locking differential option that will "suffice" for most sand surfaces? I'm hoping to be able to squeeze in the super cab and still get under 6000#s. 4WD would likely throw me well over 6000#s.


2) Does anyone have any experience towing with a super duty in other states? In particular, I've heard that I need to be cautious with my overall GVWR and total truck/trailer weights in other states as there are differing limits that may require an upgraded operators license (??).

3) Finally, any stories or pointers from the road on towing in my situation would be appreciated. Funny 'war stories' from past experiences would be great to hear.

Thank you.

 

Just asking, but why a 250? Your tow weight and intended use seems better fitted for a 150. Better gas mileage and better ride. You can get the EB which tows like a diesel and have the same cab space too. I can understand the want to be in a heavier truck for safety and heavier weight ratings. But I think a 250 would be overkill. Hey, it is America and your money. Get what you want, if it does not suit you, trade it.

 

Thanks.

I'll like the redesigned frame and I'm hoping for a truck I can drive on my annual 6,000 mile trips for 15 years or more. The f250 has the beefier engine, tranny, suspension, axle.

Retiring and I'm not going to be able to afford trading it in regularly.

Also, the f250 comparably equipped to a f150 isn't much more....

 

Understood!

 

Welcome Hank,
I know zip about New York (though I did spend a week there one night! ) and their registration requirements, so no help there, sorry.
Driving in other states shouldn't be a problem though, as all states have reciprocity laws that defer to the state of record. Quite frankly, towing a 3300 pound travel trailer with an F-250 is not going to raise any eyebrows in your travels.
I pull a 7500 pound travel trailer and a 3300 pound unit myself. Pulling the little one with just a 2" drawbar with a 3.5" drop makes life slightly easier than having to mess with a weight distribution hitch.
Truck weight - if you are going to drive on sand, do not give up the 4x4. You will get stuck without it.
How does NY determine the unladen weight of a vehicle? If you have to go to a scale, there are some things you can do - remove the spare - that's well over 100 pounds for an 18" 'E' rated tire on a steel wheel. Also go with the fuel tank almost empty - that's over 250 pounds. Also, consider the XL trim level. Not nearly the amenities and creature comforts of a Lariat or King Ranch with FX4, but it's lean and mean. With a camper that small and light, you can safely skip the tow package and add the hitch, plug, and tow brake yourself. Finally, though you don't specifically address it, I'm assuming you are talking about the 6.2L gasser. The 6.7L diesel definitely would put you over.
All just off-the-cuff suggestions that might get you where you want to go. At least something to think about.
Good luck!

edit: for what it's worth, I towed my 17 foot 3300 pound camper with a 2006 F-150 XLT with 5.4L 3 valve 4x4 and tow package. It really handled very well, and I never lacked confidence in its performance. Cross winds, tractor trailers, etc. were a non-issue.

 

The F150 would certainly work for you. I've had several and towed all over the country with them. I would say for the most part the police leave recreational towers alone. I have been stopped and weighed when I had my enclosed car hauler but nothing ever came of it. I've never been stopped towing the open trailer or boats.

I bought an F250 in May just because I was able to get a better deal on it than I could on the F150. The new 2015 F150's were in high demand so there wasn't much dealing going on. You may have the same problem when the 2017 F250's roll out. If you do get an F250 I'm sure you'll like it as it does handle the heavy loads better. If you end up getting an ATV or golf cart you could haul it in the F250 truck bed easier than the F150.

In Indiana you can tow 10,000lbs with an operator's license and you can operate up to 26000lbs GVW. This restriction is typical in many states. Some states like California are stricter but mostly on speed limits when towing. The Pacific NW is a very popular RV destination, it seems the police are pretty tolerant up there. We had a State Trooper block traffic so I could make a U-Turn, how nice was that. I did find out west that gas stations can be far apart. The 36 gallon tank came in handy out there.

Licenses plates differ state by state. In Indiana and Illinois we can get passenger car plates on our trucks if they have a back seat. We can also get designer plates like those from colleges or the environment. No need to worry about the weight with these. If we do want truck plates then we can run into issues with weight ratings. Also Illinois is very strict about trucks driving in express lanes or any streets with boulevard or drive in the name. It’s not an Issue with car plates. I have Indiana University Plates on my truck.

I have the 6.2L gas engine in my current F250 and like it. I have a trip coming up to Florida soon, so I’ll see how it does in the Mountains. The EcoBoost F150 was awesome in the mountains. I would guess that the power stroke diesl F250 would be great as well. NA engines tend to need higher RPM’s as the altitude increases. Which engine are you thinking about?

 

Thank you very much the reciprocity and other help!

I'm very confident the f150 would do the job and the trailer is very light. If possible, I want the f250 for several reasons including my perception that the heavier frame, engine, tranny will lengthen the life of the truck in my use scenario, and, it pretty much costs the same as the f150.

I'm not going to buy a supercharged 6 cylinder as I lack the confidence it would make 15 years without charger replacement or issues with the engine proper from the long term added stresses of the higher RPMS and the extra fuel/air being rammed through. Maybe I'm old fashioned. I'd get the old 302....

Yeah, due to governmental factors (i.e. "the man" not letting me register a 6500+ pound truck noncommercial, and, the Natchez Trace, et al ?? not allowing commercial vehicles), I'll likely end up with the f150.

I'm still holding out hope that someone here can tell me they towed in sand effectively with a locking differential.

 

Thanks for all that. It's good to listen to people and their differing experiences! Yes, I'very been assuming a retiree in a pickup towing a rv doesn't exactly sethe off any cope internal radar but I like to travel hassle free and therefore that includes as legally as possible.

In NY they actually put "commercial" on the commercial plates. This may be a matter of semantics, but, the Natchez Trace site states they don't allow commercial vehicles. Now, how exactly a commercial vehicle is defined by the US park service may not necessarily include the fact that the plate has commercial on it. I have an email in to them and hope for a favorable answer.

Btw, I'm taking scenic routes and NEED to not be forced off roads such as the BRP or NT because of this. The quality of my retirement adventures demands that I don't spend a lot of time on interstates. I'm not in a rush and the journey is a big part of my destination.

 

Hello, thanks for the replies.

I've been trying to reply to responses using my cell phone. I don't see any of my reply posts and will check this tomorrow from a pc.

 

Perhaps it is working.

I'm sorry I can't remember everything from the response posts but I'll try to clarify where I'm coming from here.

I am very confident that an f150 would do the job well. However, I would really like to be able to buy the f250 and feel as though it would last longer as I'm hoping to use it for 15 years. I like the new f250 frame, the bigger engine and tranny, beefed up suspension. I also like that i get all this from the f250 at essentially the same $ as the f150.

So, the most essential point from my original post should have been "would a locking differential provide a ceptsble traction in sand?". I'm not going to be looking to be in sand pits or cruising the dunes. I just plan on towing a trailer into sandier areas and would like to be reasonably assured I'd get in and out.

The following are the things I absolutely need from a truck in order of priority:
- under 6000 pounds so I can register noncommercial
- durability, durability....
- around 40k or less
- capable enough to tow a 3300# trailer I to and out of sand areas
- no ecoboosts, I feel as though a turbocharged 6 cylinder is less likely to make 15 years than a 6.2L nonturbo
- I'd love to get the super cab and a 8' bed
- 4WD would be great but hopefully not absolutely necessary, I'd forego this if i can to get under 6000#s

Finally, thank you for all the tips and opinions. I really do appreciate everything you've offered even though I can't reply to all efficiently.

 

For the 2016 models, it looks like the only way to get the curb weight under 6000 pounds is to get a regular cab, 2wd, 6.2L, and probably the XL trim stripped down with zero options. That comes in at 5940 lbs.

http://www.ford.com/trucks/superduty...ions/exterior/

Obviously these numbers will likely change for 2017 though.

 

when I watched the "ecoboost torture test", I went out & bought one...within a week.

the only reason I don't have it any longer is due, primarily, to buying a new 5th wheel & it being too big to SAFELY tow with an F150 (I was not concerned in the least about the motor handling it, it was the frame & suspension of a 1/2 ton towing a 28.5 fifth wheel with an empty weight of about 7800# that was worrisome)

with the exception of a few glitches, the ecoboost has, so far, been a proven workhorse & if my towing situation ever changes & I'm not towing the trailer any longer, would not hesitate to buy another

Complete Ecoboost torture test

 

This really is a no-brainer, you are overthinking this.

You aren't going to be decreasing the life of an F150 by pulling a 3,300 lb trailer. There are folks who pull that much with minivans and still see 200,000+ miles out of them. The half-ton chassis is built to move over 15,000 lbs GCWR, and you'll be operating at just over half of that.

There's nothing old-fashioned about the modern 302. It's a brand-new engine that was introduced in 2010. Aluminum block and heads, double overhead camshafts, 4 valves per cylinder, and shares not one single part with the 302 of yore. It's been on the streets for less time than the 3.5L EcoBoost has.

Get the Super Duty if you want, but if you're like me you will be unhappy with the compromises. I liked my Super Duties, but if I didn't pull a big trailer I would never have owned either of them.

 

I just recently got an F250. It's a basic model with manual lockouts. We've been having snow and I've found that judicious use of the rear locking differential will often get me places without stopping to engage the hubs. Is it 4wd? No. Is it better than nothing? DEFINITELY yes!

6000 pounds is the NY limit? Really? Man, I thought my state was stupid!

 

A quick check on your DMV web site shows you can modify a truck over 6,000 lbs to get passenger plates.

Vehicle modifications and registration class | New York State DMV

If your modified pick-up truck with an unladen weight greater than 6,000 lbs., you can register it in the passenger class if it meets the following conditions:

"the pick-up truck does not have any business advertisements and is used exclusively for non-commercial purposes
a camper top having one or more side windows completely encloses the truck bed
the pick-up truck has seats, seat fittings, or camping equipment installed in the truck bed"