We were looking at travel trailers the other day and the salesman said we should really have a 3/4 ton with more power or a diesel to pull the trailers we were looking at.
He showed us a few trailers that were rated to be pulled by a half ton and they were way too small for our liking.
Two other couples we talked to said they had half tons and traded them in for the F250 diesels they now have.

They said the F150 is capable on flat ground but throw in any hills and the truck is just incapable of doing the job.
They said you'll ruin the truck.
We were looking at 24-26 foot trailers that were up to 70% of the tow rating of the new F150.

I'm wondering if the 6.2 would make a big difference when it comes out.

Maybe an F250 diesel is a better idea?

Has anyone tried to pull a 7000 lb trailer up any hills with the 09?

 

my 05 would pull that with ease, im sure the 09 will be just fine.

 

Do it day in day out and just yesterday i was loaded right up to the max and the truck was fine. I did have to floor it to get out infront of traffic and i can tell you it didn't hang about. Thats the first time i had to use tow/haul mode because of how loaded i was and the extra revs helped out quite a bit. But my trailer is only 7ft wide and 14ft long and only about 7-8ft tall so i wind resistance ain't really a big factor but these travel trailers may be a lot worse than my trailer and i wouldn't like to say how that would play out compared to my trailer. it can def tow 7000-8000lb with no problem at all. Lets put it this way. I was coming onto the interstate and there was a loaded up car hauler in front of me and i put my foot down and got around and past that truck in no time at all. I really don't think you would be driving as quick with a travel trailer in tow anyway.

 

It's mostly about preference, where you live, how you drive, and how often you tow. I see you live in Idaho? Me too. I know my family would never be satisfied with anything less than a diesel pulling a camper around the rockies. But if your trips are mostly short non interstate you might be satisfied. To me towing is stressful and having a diesel makes it more manageable. Not saying the 5.4 won't get it done day in and day out. But you might be more comfortable in a diesel, especially at high altitudes on mountain passes.

 

mine is a 2000 f250, 5 speed, 4.10 gears and i wouldnt try to pull a 7k lb camper up a hill of any size. ive got several trailers i pull with both my diesel and my 5.4, anywhere from 3000lbs up to 12k lbs. my camper is one of my lightest trailers at about 3500lbs but has the most wind resistance and my 5.4 struggles up the smallest hills with it. one of my trailers is 7k lbs but is much lower to the ground, more aerodynamic and doesnt even stand above the top of the cab. it handles it better than the camper, but still has to hit 3rd and 4th quite a bit even on small hills. combine the weight of that that trailer and the aerodynamics of my camper and it would struggle like you wouldnt believe. it also depends on how steep these hills are too. if its mostly rolling hills that arent too steep or too long you will be more than fine with it. but when ive taken mine across the mountain to asheville, nc i didnt think it was going to make it with an empty car trailer that weighs around 3k..... i had it in 3rd gear with the pedal on the floor and losing speed the whole way. if the hill had been another 1/8 of a mile long then i probably would have been in 2nd gear.

that being said, the 09 has a bit more hp and torque than mine does, its a lighter truck, and has a 6 speed instead of a 5 speed. so it does have some advantages when it comes to being able to maintain speed up a hill.

 

oh, and not trying to start a gas vs diesel or diesel vs v10 war here. but you asked, and my vote goes for getting a diesel or a v10. i pull the same trailers on the same roads with the same weights with both a 5.4 and an obs 7.3 and the difference is ungodly. i can pull stuff in 5th gear with my 7.3 and not even know its back there that im dropping to 3rd and having to run the dog **** out of it with my 5.4. like broncobran said, it just makes it so much more manageable with the diesel. my 5.4 will get the job done, but *every* hill i see i have to look where traffic is, spot any slow cars up ahead that will slow my momentum, make sure im in the right gear before i even hit the hill so i dont slow down too much, etc. with my 7.3 i dont care what my trailer weighs, how steep the hill is, how long it is, what cars are in my way, etc. because i *know* it will do it with ease.

 

We thought that the Diesel would be the way to go too. We just don't want to buy a new truck and find out it was a mistake. A used 2008 F250 Diesel with low mileage is going for less than the new F150.

It more than likely wont be an every day driver so the Diesel even makes more sense.

Thanks for the info.

 

i will say that if youre looking for a diesel you might want to look at one with the 7.3 in it instead of the 6.4. its a good idea to stay away from an engine that is either brand new and doesnt have all the bugs worked out of it or is on its way out the door. and the 6.4 fits both of those categories.

 

Actually, just the opposite is true. Sitting around is bad for the diesel. But I also think a 5.4L is a bad idea (any year.) An F250 is the right tool for the job, and if it's going to be a driveway queen, the V-10 is the motor for you.

 

Well if your worried about power and still want your truck to be nice around town. Supercharge the f150, and hook up to the trailer and away you go. And once you unhook if you drive it nice you will keep your fuel economy. With the price of diesel (and extra cost of just buying a diesel) and economy of the v10 you would be money ahead to keep your 09 f150 and supercharge it. In my 05' I have pulled some loads over what i was rated for and still blew by similarly loaded f250 and f350's. Well thats my though on the matter, thanks for reading my rambling.

 

if i read the op correctly, he doesnt already have the 09 f150 and hes in the market for a new truck and is thinking about the 150. i may be wrong though. and the price of diesel isnt really an issue. diesel is 2.05 and regular is 2.00 here. even if he already had it, putting a supercharger on it would void his warranty, and probably not worth it to him. just my opinion, but im not a big fan of supercharging or putting a turbo on a gas engine if you plan on keeping it any length of time. ive owned several and used them as daily drivers and not a one of them made it past 130k miles. on average they made it around 100k before they got a cracked head, broken rings, or started drinking the oil faster than i could pour it in.

 

That's what I thought too. My advice would be totally different for someone who already owned a truck. An '09 that you already own would be adequate. But if you don't own a truck, and you know you are going to buy a TT, don't buy an F150. You will regret it for the rest of your ownership.

 

This is an interesting thread.

My background experience....
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I've owned a 5.4L 1997 Expedition (3.73 limited slip) since it was new. I've owned a 24 foot travel trailer that, when loaded, weighs around 4600 pounds. I wouldnt' want anything less than my Expedition, and have often though an F150 would tow a tad better. *BUT* It does perfectly fine for the 6-10 times a year we travel. I've travelled from Minnesota to Montreal and back...and also from Minnesota to Georgia and back.

My thoughts as I consider a replacement vehicle since my Expedition has 189 K on it now....
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As I consider I might want a bigger travel trailer....probably around 28 feet....and probably weighing in loaded at around 8K max. I had been ruling out any half ton vehicle. I wanted an F350 with the integrated brake controller and a diesel engine.

This past year, I've been very tempted by the Tundra and 2009 F150 for their capabilities seem to flirt with being reasonable for my needs.... (i.e... 10,000+ towing ability, Tow Mirrors, among other things). My wife and I test drove a Tundra....and while we wanted to like it, we were underwhelmed with the 'feel' of it. We just test drove a 2009 F150 and we liked it a lot better.

I had convinced myself the 2009 F150 would suffice for my needs and has just a few more creature comforts than the F350. I'm guessing the general every day driving manners of the F150 will be better. Setting my personal bias that favors the F350 aside... I'm *really* struggling trying to justify the F350 versus the 2009 F150...when I consider than 90% of my driving will be without towing.

Now, I have to say that I'm very impressed the RV salesmen described by the original poster would even bring up the 'capable tow vehicle' discussion with them as they were trailer shopping. I have found too often, people were put in 25 foot trailers behind an Explorer...and watching them be pushed down the highway makes me cringe.

In addition, I also have to say that in my research into Travel Trailer options, when you get into the 7000+ category...I find *very* few people that RV alot that would recommend the half ton class.... most will say go 3/4-1 ton and diesel....without a doubt. But then many of those are full timers... which I am not.

Sorry to ramble...but this thread kind hit right on what I've been wrestling with for a year or so now. Currently my biggest roadblock is the fact that the Expedition just keeps on running and running....and with only a couple of the minor spots in unseen spots... it's hard to consider replacing it because it costs so damn much to do it.

whew...better stop there.

 

The f150 will pull 8000lbs no problem. I live in Utah and pull my TTrailer about 6 times a year. The trailer is 4500lbs (24') along with that I pull a second 12' trailer (2000lbs) with the Rzr and I also have my outlander in the pickup bed. It will pull the canyons no problem! you might drop down to 50mph on the steeper grades but that is to be expected. In fact it pulls just as well as my 3/4 ton chev W/6.0.

 

That does not make it the right tool for the job.

This forum is full of people who bought F150's, only to later trade up to a Superduty. Not everyone does that, or even feel the need to, but plenty of them (me included) have done exactly that.

On the other hand, I've never heard anyone say, "you know, this Superduty is nice, but it's just got too much power. I want to downgrade".