My wife and I bought a new fifth wheel this winter. It is 8300lbs dry and my ecoboost is rated for 11,100 lbs. The ecoboost pulls great, but the hitch weight will be over my gvw by around 400 lbs. Lately I have been thinking again about going to a superduty, but I don't really need a diesel for the few times we pull the camper a year(I would love a diesel though). So I have been thinking about a superduty 6.2l but I'm torn between better empty mileage with the ecoboost and more torque with the ecoboost over a heavier and a more comfortable towing experience. My ecoboost is a 2012 with only 21,000 klm so I would loose a lot on trade in. I have been tossing around the idea of just putting some helper springs and giving my truck a try first.

Anybody have any thought?

 

The hitch on your trailer at 8300 pounds is over the gvwr of your ecoboost by 400 pounds?? Whats the gvwr of your truck and whats the hitch weight if you don't mind me asking? Are you going to buy a brand new Super Duty or a used one? If your buying new, why not wait and see what the 2015 F150s are capable of? Or do you need/want a new truck for this summer? I don't need a diesel but I have one because that's what I wanted. I also don't drive it daily, we use it as our long distance travel vehicle, we use my girlfriends car in town, and I am provided a work vehicle for traveling to and from work. If you really want a diesel, I'd say do it but make sure you can afford the expensive maintenance that come with it. Some days I wish I still had my 2010 F150 because of the faster warm ups in the winter and no turbo cool downs when your done traveling and the fact that I could start it, drive to the store and drive home and not care. But I don't think I would trade my F350 back for an F150 though. Just some food for thought. Good luck Marlon

 

The camper dry weight is 8300 lbs so I'm figuring about 9500ish loaded. Lighter than what I was pulling last year with our old trailer with the boat behind. I will not be doing that with this trailer. The new one has a dry hitch weight of 1650lbs and this truck has a 7700lb gvwr, the old trailer had a dry hitch weight of around the 1100lbs but had the water tank under the bed in the front so that added a lot of hitch weight( I didn't travel with the tank full much).

I have been looking at slightly used superduty's, both gas and diesel. I'm only looking at the 6.7 diesel because I've heard that they are holding up well. Is there really that much more expensive maintenance on a diesel? I know oil changes are double in price but can't you go a lot farther on a change? I have seen some 2011 6.7l with 80,000 - 130,000 klm in around my price range and the gases have been 2012's with around 40,000klm.

My truck is also not a daily driver, it's used as a family vehicle on weekends and to pull camper and boat. I was also thinking of waiting till the new 2015 f150's come out to see there numbers. Too many choices!!!!!

Is there anything to worry about with a '11 6.7l with 130,000 km?

 

For the diesels, check the build date and get an oasis report on them. One thing to remember is the 2011s and early 2012 6.7s have chances of dropping an exhaust valve into the engine. Any Powerstroke build after March 2011 has less chance of dropping a valve but its still there. Not all of them will drop a valve, I've seen a few very early built 2011s (built may-june 2010) go 300,000+ km problem free. I've even seen an early built 6.7 with over 500,000 miles (not km) without a problem other than the heated seats quit working. As for the maintenance, if you leave the dpf on I wouldn't go past 7500km max before changing the oil but a lot of people do, I did mine every 5000km before I removed the dpf. Also you have to do fuel filters every 22,000km (better to do them sooner than that though) at about $120 for the filters plus about an hour's pay to have them changed (I change them myself though), and you have def fluid, and oil changes cost about twice as much (which you already know). I have a little over 120,000km on my truck, built August 2010, and the only problems I've had have been power steering related and I plan on keeping my truck till about 300-350,000km. I removed the emissions off my truck at about 76,000km as well. A few things to think of are the pro and cons of both engines. Diesel - cost more, its gonna have more mileage, more expensive maintenance, diesel fuel is also more expensive right now, but it'll more than likely get better mileage empty (on the highway but I can't say for in town) and towing. The 6.2 will be cheaper, lower mileage, less maintenance but will get worse fuel mileage.

 

I would say stay with the ecoboost and give it a try first. Especially if you are not going far with the trailer.

 

Marlon here is my thoughts, and you KNOW Im a diesel guy!

The oil changes are more expensive, and if you get a good truck, that and the fuel filters are the only engine maintenance you generally have to worry about.

The economy while towing will absolutely murder your eco boost, and empty it will be good, but I doubt if it would be as good.

The cost of diesel is usually cheaper in the summer time and more expensive then gas in the winter time. When i did my taxes for last year, last summer, diesel was 10-25 cents a liter cheaper.

However, for the actual time you use the truck for towing, I dont think I would lose all the value of your current truck, cause you will lose a ton on it.
I didnt even mention the 6.2 gas superduty, cause I have heard lots of people talk about the bad fuel economy of them, and when you do daily drive your truck, it would be super expensive.

If that isnt a concern though, that would be an OK choice.

 

I would try that too if you`re not going far or often.
My son is in the same boat, he needs to move his 5th wheel camper trailer to a lake only a few times in the summer.

 

I would really like a 6.7l but I would have to buy a used one right now and I've heard of some problems with the earlier 6.7l that have me concerned to purchase one.

This year we are going to be camping a lot but only about 4 trips and farthest is a 3 hour drive. That's what's got me thinking of using the ecoboost but I'm concerned with being 500lbs over on the gvwr and what it could do to the rear axle and how much a overweight ticket would be. I talked with SGI and they can't take my insurance from me for being overweight.

I was planing on going to look at some trucks this weekend, a 2012 f250 lariat crew with the 6.2 and maybe a 2011 f250 lariat crew with 6.7. We will se how things go this weekend.

 

Dude? 500 lb aint nuthing. It's just two fat chicks in the back.

 

If it's just a few times a year, you can rent a heavy duty truck for those occasions. Much cheaper than buying one, especially if you like the truck you have.

 

I love my diesel, but...BUT...in hindsight, I would have stayed with a F150. I'm finding that the number of times I NEED the diesel power isn't as much as I had anticipated. I'm doing more commuting empty than hauling.

I feel that your situation, although recreational instead of work, is similar. Make your F150 do the job. Like was said, 500# isn't that much, and if you're not towing across the country or through the mountains, driving with care and caution should see that you fare fine.

I know I was an advocate for "buy the diesel and don't look back", $1.40/liter vs $1.27/liter would be a strong deterrent if I were to have to make the decision all over again. I would return to F150/Ecoboost.

Sorry if this sounded like a self centered post, I wasn't intending it to be that way, just expressing my personal experience in hopes to make your decision easier... Good Luck Marlon!!!

 

Don't know if this would help what about air bag kit for the suspension

 

Thanks guys! Your input is helping in my decision.

I have looked into air bags, but with my fifth wheel hitch the brackets cover up the frame where the air bags would go. I think I would go with a set of hellwig helper springs on the f150.

Some of the guys I work with have told be I'm crazy to pull a trailer that big with a half ton but then again they drive chev's

 

I looked at buying a 6.2 its even a dated motor as it is. Rumours are swirling of a turbo version
A second thought have you thought about buying a 2nd truck ie a 05-07 6.0 diesel lariat in good shape can easily be bought for less then 10G, then of course keep your Eco boost for day to day

 

With the air bag suspensions for super duties, they have a different bracket for trucks with 5th wheel hitches. Is it not similar with F150's?