I've got an '05 F350 six litre that has been in the shop more times than I can count. Total P.O.S.!!!!!!!!!!!Anyways, I'm thinking of getting rid of it and going with a half ton. Probably around a 2006 or 07. I regularly tow about 8000 pounds and was wondering, what guys who tow with thier half tons have to say about this.How does it handle steep grades? What kind of fuel economy do you get? Whats your average speed while towing? Can the cruise control handle pulling this kiind of weight up medium grades? I'd prefer a manual trans but that is going to be very difficult if not impossible to find. With that in mind how does the auto trans hold up?Thanks.

 

Depending on configuration max tow capacity is + - 9,000 ish. Steep grades you will be in 2nd and running 3500 / 4000 rpm to hold speed. Cruise control will not hold with out constant updown shift, best to just take of of od untill on flat road. Manual trans has less towing capacity and 1st gear is not very low so heavy loads are really hard on the clutch. Fuel economy towing 8000, 8 to maybe 10 mpg.

The 5.4 has a real flat torque curve and pulls quite well for what it is but it is not a Diesel. I had a 6.0 also, only good thing about it was that it was stolen. The coyotes liked it better for hauling illegals and drugs into this country, They found it 4 months later in Arizona beat to hell.

 

for what you are describing towing, you need a supercab with 6.5' bed, or a Supercrew.

either way, the 5.4 3v, 3.73 gears, 17" rims and tow package from factory to finish the deal


that will put you at about 8,600 to 8,900 for total tow capacity. if you are towing alot...aka all the time with 8,000 lbs, most likely you should look into a F250 with the 5.4 for the extra towing stability...or go backwards and get a 7.3 Superduty


the F-150 will handle your described loads just fine and it'll get you there safely. but the truck wasn't designed for doing this all the time. as 442w30 pointed out, expect 8-12 mpg towing a heavy load.


I've towed 6-8,000 and handfull of times. You know the weight is there, and acceleration was hampered...but it wasn't anything the 5.4 couldn't overcome. She wasn't a hotrod, but I was happily surprised by the merge with highway traffic, and the truck handled the mountains near Seattle without any problems...only hit 2nd gear a handful of times.

 

FYI I have a 2006 F150 with the heavy duty package that includes 4.10 gears.

I tow 6,000 to 7,000 lbs about 4 times a year and the truck is adequate.
I tow with OD shut off.

The best mileage I've gotten with this truck is about 17 mpg (Imperial gallons) and honestly didn't notice much difference while towing. I have not however actually measured the mileage while towing.

I too like the OP would prefer a manual transmission. Unfortunately, it's not available with this package. The 6 speed from the Super Duties would be sweet.

I can't comment on the durability of the auto tranny, but I haven't cooked mine yet. (Knock on wood.)

Cheers... Bruce

 

Thanks guys.

One thing I forgot to mention is that really want an 8' bed. Don't know if thats available on half tons.

One thing I WON'T do is buy another diesel. The maintenance and repairs, especially repairs, are ridiculous. I'm fighting with Ford right now over 2 fuel injectors that should be covered under warranty and they're wanting 2 grand just to replace them. Not to mention the fuel costs that I don't think is going to change anytime soon. Its worth mentioning, with the above load on my 350 I only get 8mpg.

 

8 ft bed is only available on the Heavy Duty F-150 with the 10.25 rear axle (7 lug)


which would probably be ideal for your uses anyways.

 

Towing 8k around often enough is going to put some real wear and tear on an F150. Believe me I do it. If you tow 8k every other day and just follow the regular service intervals you'll be spending alot more than what you think is alot of money to fix a diesel. There's no comparison between the two. If you get 8mg on a diesel pulling 8k expect like 2 with any gas rig!

 

I tow that kid of weight alot and knock on wood no problems out of my truck and i'm running 35's under it. There is a post of mine a few pages back showing the tow hauler with my toys that i tow and a car trailer that i tow as well. My truck has 48K on it and 25K are towing miles. I take very good care of my truck always change the oil at 3K. I have the edge box so i can see my MPG's and i get around 8-10 towing the camper. And thats a 30 footer.

Mark

 

Sorry to hear about your 6.0 experiences. I'm afraid that engine is not up to everyone's expectations.

From your profile, I gather that you are in New Mexico, so you will have some real mountain towing. I've owned an '05, 4.6, tow package XL and currently have an '08 with the sizzling V6. So please take this personal opinion with a grain of salt.

The two best options, I think, are an XL with the heavy duty package or a Super Duty with the 6.8L V10. A manual transmission is off the table in the F-150 unless the truck has a V6, and that maxes out at 5200 pounds towing as I recall. The XL will also probably have the 8 foot bed you want. It will also probably have a higher ratio than 3.73. Except for the XLT, I don't think any of the other trim lines offer an 8 foot bed. Since you are planning on buying used, you will probably be looking at a unit which has been ridden hard and put away wet. Caveat emptor. (I can't remember if the heavy duty package was available in the 04-08 XLT or not -- it is in the 09.)

A Super Duty with a V-10 will most likely also serve you well. Since you are buying used, you might consider sacrificing the 8 foot bed criteria. My thought is that you will be able to get a cleaner unit by moving up a couple of trim levels, hopefully finding that horse person who's babied the vehicle and has to retrench due to the economy.

Or you could trade in your current F350 for a 2009 F150, equip it exactly the way you want it, and avoid a lot of the compromises that come from buying used. This might be the cheapest and most satisfactory choice in the long run. I'd consider adding a tuner and re-gearing to a 4.10 rear end if the stock unit didn't meet your needs.

At any rate -- good luck.

 

Thanks alot, yes I am in New Mexico.

The V-10 is looking real good. I'm really doing alot of looking. The half tons may just be too small. I'm even considering selling, if anyone will buy it, and looking at older trucks I can pay cash for. Alot to consider.

The warranty on this dude is up in August and I really don't want to have these 1800-2200 dollar repair bills every 3 months.

 

I would go with a v10 super duty. I used to drive dump truckS and more is always better when it comes to hauling things.

 

You can get an 8 foot bed with out the hd payload package and 10.25 rear at least in a regular cab.

 

I agree with what was said above.. a V10 might be the perfect thing if you are not looking for another diesel..

 

I would say a V10 as well as you are going to be regularly pulling near the max of an f150's capacity. It could do it on the HD package but it would not be fun especially in the NM hills. Having the extra power of the V10 would get you there much more comfortably plus you would have the ridgidity of the super duty in your favor. Plus it would get ya out of the diesel.

~jstnromero

 

ive hauled 20,000lbs of cattle with my bosses V10 f250 and it did it like the cattle trailer wasnt even there