I'm new to this group, this is my first posting. But not new to Fords, I have a '93 F150 XLT 4x2 (5.0 AT) and a '98 Expedition 4x4 (4.6 AT). Love them both, owned Ford products all my life with great success.

Questions...

I have a 6,800lb 5th wheel camper, (Alpenlite 245) that I'm ocassionally pulling on short trips with the F150. Needless to say, the 5.0L engine works hard to do so, seems underpowered, wants to drop into 2nd gear anytime it slows on a hill. Not much oompf...

This F150 has 131,000 miles on it, I'm 3rd owner, and evidence of a previous 5th wheel hitch was seen when I had my Reese installed, so it definately has a past tow history, which is unknown. Transmission seems okay, but this vehicle is at rated max towing capacity when towing the Alpenlite. I had the pan pulled at a transmission shop, they said everything looked fine, after a test drive, they said it shifts okay, but the shifting was 'soft'. They said that I'm probably pushing my luck by towing the Alpenlite, considering the mileage on the truck, unknown tow history, and the truck's overall strain when doing so.

I'm considering getting something newer, currently looking at the '96 (or newer) F250 with the 7.3L diesel. Seems diesel is the way to go for towing of any kind, but is it necessary in my case?

Or should I just rebuild the tranny in the existing F150 before it fails, which is certainly the more inexpensive route?

I'm open to each and every suggestion from the members of this forum, your knowledge and expertise is why I'm here.

Thank you, from the mountains of north Idaho.

Christopher

 

well for starters the f150 is a light duty truck. but you can tow with it! ive towed with a gasser and diesel and by far the diesel gives me the best results!

 

you are not overloading your F-150 by any means. And the 5.0 a great motor that will run for a long time under those conditions whether you take care of it or not (its a bulletproof drive train) But a diesel is much more capable.

You said you take short trips.

I would not buy a diesel based on what you wrote unless you just want one....but you didn't say that.

Maintenance on a diesel cost more. An oil change will cost you nearly 4 gallons of oil every time you change the oil. Oil and air filters cost more. And fuel filters have to be replaced on a much more regular basis with a diesel.

Solo fuel mileage will be very similar to what you get with your 5.0 gasser. Towing with a diesel will get better mileage and will pull your trailer better.

But you didn't sound like you do enough towing to justify the added cost of a diesel truck. And lets not forget that nearly every where in the country diesel is higher than gas, so much so that you can loose the added benefit of the better towing fuel mileage. If you were towing alot or were planning to take longer trips with a heavier trailer or maybe some mountainous driving with your trailer, I would encourage the diesel purchase. But not for occasional short trips.

Alot of folks that buy diesels really get dissappointed because they are using them as a "grocery getter" 50 weeks of the year. A diesel shines only when there is work to be done. Your grocery getting F-150 will be fine for the occasional short trip pulling your trailer. And if you feel like you need a little extra power, install some headers and duel exhaust.

 

Welcome to FTE.
mnmwhit has some good points.
I'm going to advocate getting the diesel, if for no other reason than to have a truck that is well suited for the task. They will easily pull twice the weight of that trailer and your travels to and from the destination will be transformed from a laboring truck to one where hills are no longer an issue. The PSD will simply spool up and climb the hill with no question asked!
They really do thier best work when heavily loaded, but they are fine when there is no load too. The resale value of the diesel doesn't seem to go down either, like on a gas engine vehicle.

I recommend springing for the Powerstroke, you will be VERY glad you did.

 

While the F150 will do the "basic" job for you, I have found that the problem you encounter is the top end acceleration and down hill control. I have used the F150, while sufficient, didn't really feel like I was in control all the time, expecially on down hill grades, not to mention cross wind stability and stopping capability of the larger trucks. I moved from the F150 to the Diesel (350) and cannot believe the difference it makes in all aspects of towing.

I say move to the diesel. It will handle any present and future needs you may have, and will last you a very long time if properly cared for.

 

Avmike,

Thanks for the reply and advice, and to all that have responded. Most everyone recommends going with the diesel. My original question was also posted in the 87-96 F150 and larger forum, some advice there leans towards a shift kit and rear end gear reduction on the F150. What I failed to mention in both forums is that I stand 6'3", and the F150 is a regular cab. After a 2 hour drive, I climb out looking and feeling like a fossilized Praying Mantis.

The underpowered drive train of the F150 has actually prevented me from going longer, farther and more often. I'm a self employed advertising-commercial photographer, and would just love to do cross-country photo expeditions in my slow times of the year, (autumn thru spring), trips that would last 3-6 weeks, and go two-three times a year or more.

After all this advice from you knowledgeable Ford owners, here's what I'm now thinking:

Sell the F150, getting about $3,000 for it (KBB-NADA estimates), add another $7,000 to that and go shopping for a '96 or newer F250 with the 7.3L PSD, extended cab, at least.

Here's the new question: I've never owned a diesel, what do I look for in a good one, what questions do I ask the seller? What accessories or upgrades should I be looking for? What should I absolutely stay away from?

Also, what is all the additional maintenance diesels need over gas engines? What accessories-upgrades are common and recommended, like chips, etc? And what is a 10k upgrade? Is there websites, etc you can recommend to me for a quick education on such matters?

Hey, guys, thanks for all the advice, and your patience with your new-newbie. It is truly appreciated, you guys are the experts at what I need to learn.

Cheers,
Chris

 

This question would be better asked over in the diesel forum.

 

I thought this was the general diesel forum...

 

Try going to the 7.3 fourm, a little futher down on the main page. There is tons of good reading about the diesel in that forum.

Diesel I think would be your best truck for what you are talking about doing.

Good luck.

 

The bigger concern about the transmission hunting is that it will overheat and leave you stranded on a mountain pass. Gas engines will tow fine, but none are quite ready from the factory. You could go with a larger gas engine and upgrade it with new exhaust, cats, air filter, etc transmission update to make the shifting more firm. You'll be surprised how much it helps to up the HP. It will hunt for a gear a lot less. At least that was my experience for the Class A I had and also the Expedition that I used to pull a 6000 lb trailer. Think of this way. The engineers have a shift point in mind based on vacuum draw etc. It will take you longer to hit those points since the engine will be working more efficiently. Adding a chip will only make that better.

The diesel will tow over the mountains much better since they are made to live in that rpm range with torque and less affected by the elevation. I can't say that you need it, but the diesels will definitely do the job easier.

 

at 6'3, i would suggest going with a 99 or newer superduty diesel.
a 96 will be the same size cab as you now have. the newer superduty's are much larger.
i just picked up an 02 F250 stretch cab diesel on Monday, and can not believe the difference between it and my 88 diesel.
as far as putting a chip or a tuner on it, my advice is do not do it. i have heard of and seen way too many ford diesels than have been killed by "power adder programs"

they pull great just the way they came out of the factory. and the tuners reduce fuel mileage , and sometimes engine life with the added power programs, depending on the type and degree of retune.

 

with a good chip the milage will stay the same or be better and won't hurt the 7.3 diesel
the chip will also make the transmission last longer

 

Or get a truck with a manual transmission. No overheated automatics to worry about.
And I second the thought about the 99 and newer having bigger cabs. I'm 5'8" and it's almost too big for me. The back of my calves rub on the front of the seat when I'm driving.

 

maybe thats why I think mine is so comfy,I have always said my truck is more comfortable to drive than anything I have ever owned
the onlty vehicles that ever came close were my '70s lincolns,and that includes mercedes,volvo and a host of others

 

If you would like to take the longer trips I'd say the diesel will be for you. The cabs in the 99 or newer are much more comfortable for those of us over 6', so I'd spend my time looking at those. For towing the 6,800 lbs. you won't need a chip or tuner.

Spend some time browsing the 99-03 7.3 forum. You can check use this link for general info :http://7point3.com/Mods.aspx

And when your ready to start looking at trucks https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/5...questions.html

Good Luck