I own a 75' power wagon (sorry i am a dodge fan also) and I am looking for a used ford truck to tow my rig on a flatbed. My dodge weights stock at about 3300lbs,but with the lift,bumbers,tires/wheels etc. I guess it tops the scales around 4500lbs plus another 1000lbs for the trailer? My question to all you ford expert is what will tow this rig? I am looking at an f-150 ext cab 4x4 will this do it,or do I need to get the power stroke (hard to find in my price range in AZ) PLEASE HELP!

 

You'd probably be better off with an F-250 than a 150. Heavier brakes and springs, for one thing, and engines and axle ratios more suited to pulling. A big gas engine will pull it but use more fuel; diesel will cost more to buy but burn less fuel, so make a guess how much you'll be driving it and see if the diesel will pay for itself in fuel savings.

 

so you think the 150 will pull it? I don't know if its a 5.0 or 5.8 will both do it? I go to the lake/off roading once a month and its only around 200 mi. round trip, but this is more or less a daily driver(hoping the 150 gets around 15 mpg or so?) I do plan on a one time cross country tow to get everything back to Ohio where i am originally from! the 150 is a x-cab short bed 4x4(95') with a 2" lift and some performance mods I read that these should pull a MAX of 7700 lbs is that accurate? THANX for the help!!!

 

While I don't doubt the F150 will pull that truck and trailer, I'd be more concerned with getting it stopped. F250's and F350's are better suited to haul the kind of load you're talking about. They have heavier rear axles and way bigger brakes.

 

With an F-150, I'd wonder if the 7700 lbs is not max payload, but rather max GCW--that is, the weight of the truck and what it's pulling together. Yes, it would very likely pull it, but getting going is the easy part. The hard part is stopping, and like 390fe said, half-tons don't have the axles and brakes to handle that kind of weight. Your 4x4 and extended cab take up a good chunk of that weight too--the truck itself weighs more. I've pulled other vehicles, including other trucks, with F-150s and before that a couple of Dodge D-150s, but those were short pulls, not regular trips on the highway, and I made a point of staying off the highway whenever possible. If you're going to load it and pull it 200 miles, an F-250 would be a wise investment. The unloaded gas mileage won't be that much worse for daily driving in between pulls either.

As for the truck you're looking at, there's a sticker on the driver's side doorframe that will tell you what the truck's maximum GVW and GCW are. You need to know both if you're going to pull anything. The GVW is how much the truck can carry on its axles (including itself, don't forget); the GCW is combined truck+trailer. You don't want to exceed either one of them, and I'd bet, with the load you're wanting to pull, you'll be over the F-150's GCW.

In all honesty, if you're going to make one long trip at first, you might consider getting the '75 shipped back to Ohio, and then once back there, look for something for the regular trips. If you only have to deal with 200-mile round trips once a month, an old F-250 with a 400 or 460 would work fine, cheap enough to buy that you could keep something else for a daily driver. The run from AZ to OH is going to be a lot more demanding, and if you only have to do it once, paying a trucker to move it for you might be cheaper.

 

What if the trailer had brakes on it would it help enough???????

 

You want brakes on ANY trailer weighing more than about 1500 to 2000 lbs. In fact, it is the law, in most states. I forget what the minimum trailer weight is in AZ where above that they require trailer brakes, probably around 2000 lbs. For towing a truck weighing 4500 lbs, you want a 2-axle 16'-18' flatbed/carhauler trailer rated at 7000 lbs GVW, with brakes on at least one axle, and expect the trailer to weigh 1500 lbs or maybe more, depending on how solid it's built. So you're looking at a loaded trailer weight of about 6000 lbs or more. Typically a half-ton (F150) is good for up to 5000 lbs towing. Above that, you want the largest available engine and lowest available axle ratio in the truck. I have towed 6000-7000 lbs with a half-ton truck with small-block V8 and it will do it, but not all that great. Its one thing to do it once or twice than to buy the truck specifically for towing that weight on a long term basis. I suggest you forget the F150 and look at an F250 with at least a 351/5.8L and 4.10 gears. A 460/7.5L or diesel would be much better. Forget the 302/5.0L, it doesn't have the ***** for towing heavy trailers and needs a very low axle ratio get it up into it's powerband at the lower vehicle speeds you will be towing at. In AZ, if you're towing 200 miles or more, you're towing over the mountains. You'll want a capable truck, engine, and axle ratio that will make your trip enjoyable and relaxing. A truck with a bigger engine and lower axle ratio will not only have more power but also get better mileage while towing than one with an engine that is too small or axle ratio that is too high. An example of a low axle ratio is 4.10. A high one is 3.55.

 

Hey thanx,you just saved me from buying the wrong truck,instead I will re-consider the 97' f-350 4x4 std. cab long bed with the powerstroke even though it will be more expensive(fuel,maint,inssurance ect.) but it should "pay out" in the long run?!!one more question what type of trailer would you recomend (5th wheel or ??) what's easier to drive with,what should I look for?

 

There are gooseneck car hauler trailers, but they weigh alot more than a conventional bumper-pull type. They also cost ALOT more than a bumper puller. The goosenecks are easier to back up and can turn tighter, which is probably part of why the local haulers (Payless, Tow4Less, etc.) use them almost exclusively. I would stick with a regular trailer instead of the gooseneck though. Your intended use of the trailer doesnt seem to me to suggest the need for a goose. The gooseneck hitch is also more costly and difficult to install than a regular reciever hitch.

I suppose there are 5th wheel car hauler trailers out there, but I haven't seen one, they're usually goosenecks. In any case, the 5th wheel hitch is even more expensive than a gooseneck hitch and takes up most of the truckbed when installed. It's good for hauling really heavy RV trailers, but not necessary for what you're intending to tow.

The insurance and registration difference between a 150 and a 350 isn't all that much in AZ. Generally that is a cheap state to register any vehicle in. Out here in CA, they really get you on registration costs and insurance isnt cheap either unless you live out in a rural area (I lived in AZ for years before I came out here).

You should be able to pick up a descent used car hauler trailer for $1000-1500 or a new one for $1500-2000. Look for one with 16'-18' oak or steel deck, 2" ball coupler, 7000 lb GVWR, tandem 3500 lb axles with electric brakes on at least one axle, either leaf spring or torsion suspension, 15" 5 or 6 lug wheels, slide-in ramps, and tiedown attatchment points. Some good brands are TexasTrailers, AzTex, and Carson.

You will need a Class III or above 2" frame-mounted reciever hitch on your truck, a slide-in ball mount the right height to pull the trailer level, 2" ball hitch, safety chains, and an electric brake controller wired into your truck. Check out www.thetowzone.com for any of those items. To secure the powerwagon to the trailer, you will want 3/8" chains w/hooks and chain binders.

As far as the diesel trucks go, the diesel engine will get better mileage than any gas engine and will last longer too. In most parts of the country diesel fuel is equal to or cheaper than gasoline, so you might save there too. The main disadvantage is the high initial purchase cost of the diesel truck and the higher cost of oil changes. The '96 and '97 trucks are the best years for the Powerstroke diesel and E4OD automatic trans. The Powerstroke came out in mid-'94 and the E4OD's problems were pretty much worked out by '95/'96. If you can find a diesel truck in your price range, go for it! Otherwise, the 460 is a great engine too, just doesnt get as good mileage or last as long as the diesel.