The gross weight of the trailer when loaded is a bit over 8000 pounds.



Yes, the trailer is taller, wider and longer than the truck. Look, I am not knocking the V-10 at all. They are great engines. It always puzzles me when I see posts stating they towed 5000 pounds with a 5.4L and had problems when I can tow 8000+ and not have problems. I sometimes feel a lot of owners use the extra power of a V-10 (or Power Stroke) to compensate for poor driving skills.

I think you should drive both engines and decide for yourself which will work for you.

 

Go redFord I wish I had a picture of my trailer load with my 65 hp tractor backhoe and grapple on the loader when people come up with this 5.4 is underpowered, and then maybe some video going up the mountain roads and maintaining 65 mph I just don't get it when people tell me they're flying by other people are you out of your mind pulling 9000 pounds and speeding remember you might have to stop that thing LOL, I can't imagine the gear ratio makes that big of a difference from 4.10s too 3.73 and you just verified that thanks. By your picture I'd say you make your living like me driving an hauling something every day not just once in a while it makes me laugh when I see posts like this saying it can't handle it or can't get out of its own way I should start taking pictures of my truck down of its helper springs with either vinyl tile or ceramics, then videotape driving across the Northeast some days from Albany to glens Falls, Albany to Rutland Vermont let's see now that's not too much of a up hill ride ;-) to the ski lodges in Vermont you get my point. try what I did drive both vehicles and I would also include the diesel "hands-down the most power" and then decide for yourself what you need not what you can brag about most people with diesels don't even need them, I get told every day by guys on the site I should've bought a diesel like there's in the morning they jump out with their lunchpail and hand tools as I pull up with my load of tile and I just laugh as I keep making a living with my 5.4. Take care

 

Like I said in a previous post, I am not in any hurry with a load on the truck and I'll let the engine work. I am not planing to tow more load than that. The 5.4 seem to be enough from some of your usage. So what I am seeing from all your answers is that they are two very good engines. Now it's up to me to find the better used deal. I'll try to have a look at both. I already did testdrive the 5.4 in a 2006 f-350 ext. cab long bed and felt comfortable with it, not with a load though. I also think people might over arguing the weight of a crew cab vs a regular cab. I mean how much can it represent? 400 to 600# more. These truck can tow up to 8000-9000#, I don't see ON SPEC ONLY that this 600# a big issue with a load of 3500#. I'll repeat again that I am not planing for towing more weight than that, I know that most of you guy's are using your truck way more hard than I'll do. That being said, for my exact purpose, I really still wonder what will be the better choice on fuel economy. Please nobody give me the that is a big pig and it will take a lot anyway. If you consider a difference of 2mph on a small vehicul doing around 30mph, it is not a big deal. But 2mpg while towing on a truck that is averaging 10mpg makes a 20% difference and that is a big deal for me. That can mean a very nice family activity on every trip with the money saved.

Thx to all again!

 

When I had the 2008 F-250 Crew Cab (4 full sized doors & 6' bed), 5.4L with 3.73 gears I observed:

13.6-13.9 MPG: Flat, level ground with cruise control set at 60-65 MPH with the truck empty other than me.

12.3-12.6 MPG: City driving, without getting on it at green lights or changing lanes.

11.6 MPG: When my wife drove it (she thinks she's something of a Tony Stewart).

9.0-10.- MPG: Pulling a 21' Center Console Boat (~5000lbs). The boat has a T-Top on it so in addition to the weight I am also pulling a large parachute.

The truck had a 30 gallon tank - which requires fill ups at intervals <400 miles.

 

You have a couple interesting points. First off is truck wieght. I rolled my '04 V10 crew cab shortbed 4x4 across the local truck scales and was shocked to find it weighed 7000 lbs. Now that was with a fiberglass cap (300 lbs?) and 1/2 tank of gas but otherwise it was empty. I have no idea what regular cab trucks weigh in at so maybe someone else will add to that. As for the difference in gas prices, I just returned from a week in the dunes and found my overall gas expenses to be about $30 round trip (300 miles one way) than when we used the Suburban. The Suburban absolutely labored up each hill, foot to the floor at 45 mph on some hills, getting 9 mpg, towing the exact same load. The V10 Crew cab cruises up the same hills with the cruise control set at about 58mph and gets about 8 mpg. Mind you, this is hwy 101 on the Oregon coast and it's one steep hill after another, plus tight turns and lots of slow traffic. The V10 has so far proven to be exactly what I want and more. I know we all need to make our own choice as far as trucks, but if I had gotten the 5.4 I would have been in the same boat as the Suburban, both power and mileage-wise. Was it worth an extra $30 in gas? Without question.

 

I have a 08 f-250 CC 4X4 with the 5.4 and I avg 15-17 mpg depends on the traffic here in the dfw area. And I have towed 9500lbs with 1000lbs in the bed. I avg about 9 mpg going about 120 miles. The best mpg I have avg was 18 once driving out to west TX going on I-20.
Now about the V-10, if it was such a great motor how come they wont offer it in the new super duty unless you get the cab and chassis option only. Just sayin.

 

The 5.4 is a great motor indeed. But out here on the west coast we have hills and turns and hills with turns and you simply cannot maintain momentum like you can on flat straight roads elsewhere. I remember renting a PT Cruiser in Florida a few years back and marveling at how stout the car felt. The thing stayed in overdrive at 70mph on the entire drive from Orlando to Ocala ( about a 1hr, 45 min drive) something that no other car I'd driven at home would do. Then my 7 year old son pointed out how flat the state was, somthing I had never noticed. Drive your 5.4 crew cab out here and see if it's "good enough" after a long pull...

 

I don't think you can judge a motor based on whether they are going to continue to offer it. There could be a myriad of reasons for Ford to toss it. As of late, the V10 competes very well with the psd and maybe they just don't want that kind of overlap in their stable. It could also be that the cost of producing them is rising and they don't want to add to the option cost. It could also be that Ford is putting their gas eggs in the 6.2 basket.

We don't have enough info to accurately guesstimate why. My guess is that dependability or performance were not considerations.

 

I think that either motor will probably work just fine and you should just pay attention to getting the truck in the best overall condition for your money that you can find. The 5.4 will be down on power compared to a V10, if you're not trying to win the Stoplight Nationals or Pike's Peak with your camper on, it probably won't bother you. The V10 probably uses a little more fuel, but given the weight and aerodynamic penalty of these trucks, it's really not that much of a difference. You can find people on this site with either engine getting 7mpg or 18mpg. Driving styles and traffic patterns probably play the biggest role in getting good or bad mileage.

 

If you are going to use that mentality , that must be why you cannot get a stick shift any more either(because they are no good?) NO it is because ford does not sell enough of them, due to people thinking like you

Now to the OP. You can get by w the 5.4. But You could of gotten by in the 80s-90s w a 300 6cyl in a f350 but Why?! If is like getting a 351 in the 97 and older trucks. If you are buying a big truck get a big engine, it only makes sense. And as stated earlier, the 6.8(v10) is only a 600 option. On top of that when you hit the gas, the truck goes. Not drop 2 gears and scream , like the 5.4 will do.

I would not even give a 5.4 SD a second look if i was shopping for one.

JMHO

 

I am just sayin look for the truck with the options you want and dont worry if its a 8 or 10 you will be satisfied with either one.......they stoped the v10 in thef250 f350 superduty in 2011 so the mexican oil burner wouldnt have the comp-a-ticion..........(both of the new motors will be made in mexi)

 

That exactly what I get with my '05 CC 8' bed V10 with a 4.10 axle. I do average 8-9mpg with the 9950lb GVWR travel trailer behind it instead of 9-10 though.

JL

 

Ill say this- Redford is giving you some really good advice. It is going to come down to a personal preference. If you are one of those guys that need to pull uphill at 70mph, get the V-10. Im not knocking the V-10 by any means. It is a great motor, and I'm kinda sad that it wont be available in the 250 and 350's past the 2010 model year.
I run an 08 f-250 4X4, 5.4, 6 spd manual with 4.10's, and NO electronic 4 wheel drive actuator so I can free spin my front- I like my stub on the floor. I pull a 32' travel trailer pretty often and the heaviest trip we did it was weighing in at a shade over 10,000lbs, but it is usually somewhere around 9000. I live in alaska so the driving varies quite a bit, but there is always a lot of driving in the mountains. Any time I am pulling my camper I will get somewhere between 8.5 and 11mpg. I saw you were asking about the wind drag so i included a picture of my rig. YES, it drags in the wind a lot so I wouldnt worry too much about your camper. All in all I love my set up, and I think that the 5.4 is a great motor and you just can't kill it!

 

I agree with that completely. The 5.4L does not get the respect it deserves. Same as the 4.6L in the F150.
JL

 

Part of the problem with gassers in SDs and even the F-150s is most of them came geared wrong from the factory. Ford should have never offered 3.73 gears in a gasser. 4.10 standard with 4.30 and 4.56 gears as options.