Tow Vehicle-F150 vs F250 or similar

[Old and soft]

I am glad the government finally set some testing standards several years ago so the manufactures have to compare apples to apples.
I do realize my 21 year old f250 is in line with modern, properly optioned 1/2 tons, but I am not giving up my 7.3 power stroke.
Wish I had a pic of that 80's ford ranger hauling the gooseneck trailer we saw years ago.

[bamorris]

Originally Posted by HAL9001

Ultralight is a legitimate industry term generally used for TTs that employ various specific building techniques to reduce weight such as using aluminum rather than wood for the internal structure and lightweight fiberglass bonds rather than aluminum for the siding. There are other techniques as well designed to reduce weight so that a smaller tow vehicle can be effectively used for larger-sized TTs. This is not just marketing, it's engineering. The techniques have proven quite effective and the results can clearly be seen in the significant weight reductions from older conventional designs.

BTW, sarcasm does not add anything to the discussion here and the moderator specifically stated that the discussion will remain open as long as it stays civil. So, please, keep things civil or the thread might be shut down with you as a cause. Your sarcasm isn't even any good, the Space Shuttle was one of the most incredible feats of engineering in the history of mankind and one of our greatest achievements ever, hardly the butt of any joke. To fly into space it used highly advanced groundbreaking ultralight technologies such as the ceramic tiles and a lightweight but high-strength frame.

For some of us, sarcasm adds a bit of entertainment to a thread like this. I thought his reference to the Tundra towing the space shuttle was appropriate and welcomed. Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. As in towing a 9,000 lbs travel trailer with a half ton.

[gymracer]

You said exactly what I was saying, the 250/2500HD is so much better tow vehicle. You may not have to have it, but it sure makes you feel better and safer.
People that have never had a 250/2500 or 350/3500 don't know and say they are doing great. The 1/2 ton trucks are made for riding around like a car or going to Lowe's to get a few 2x4s once in awhile.

[LuckyDuck]

Originally Posted by Old and soft

I am glad the government finally set some testing standards several years ago so the manufactures have to compare apples to apples.
I do realize my 21 year old f250 is in line with modern, properly optioned 1/2 tons, but I am not giving up my 7.3 power stroke.
Wish I had a pic of that 80's ford ranger hauling the gooseneck trailer we saw years ago.

I hear you! And actually our old 7.3s are getting more valuable from what I’ve seen.

[HAL9001]

Originally Posted by bamorris

For some of us, sarcasm adds a bit of entertainment to a thread like this. I thought his reference to the Tundra towing the space shuttle was appropriate and welcomed. Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. As in towing a 9,000 lbs travel trailer with a half ton.

Entertainment? At someone else's expense?

Ok, so now in addition to HD trucks, you're trying to justify sarcasm rather than a civil discussion. What's next, bullying, trolling? Apparently, you can justify anything provided it supports your position. Discussions can go downhill fast with that attitude. That's why there needs to be moderators and why threads get shut down.

[HAL9001]

So some of you guys find sarcasm entertaining? Ok then, here's some more.

Let's say for a second that the logic to always get a bigger tow vehicle is 100% true, as some of you insist. If this logic is infallible, then it must apply to all trucks, not just half-tons.

So, I guess all of you 3/4 ton owners were complete fools not to get a 1-ton. After all, you should always get a bigger truck than what you need for that extra margin. Those big TTs and fifth wheels I always see you pulling with your 3/4 ton really need a 1-ton, certainly not what you have.

And all of you 1-ton single-axle owners were fools not to have purchased a dully or a semi-hauler because those are bigger and better than a 1-ton single and you should always get a bigger truck. Those massive fifth wheels I always see you pulling really need a dual axle or a semi-hauler, not some inadequate 1-ton single like you have.

Bigger is always better. No matter the size of your TT or fifth wheel, we all should own at least a 1-ton dully. No, wait, make that a semi-hauler. Bigger is always better. Period, end of discussion.



What's that you say? You carefully selected a truck that was well qualified to pull those big TT's and fifth wheels you have and didn't need to go any bigger than what you chose? Oh, sorry, my bad.

[VKC]

Why are Motorhomes not mounted on 1/2 ton trucks?

[craigav]

Hopefully this helps some of us here. Consider a hammer as a tool, consider a truck also as a tool. So lets say we have a 150 hammer, 250 hammer, and a 350 hammer available for hammering these nails. Lets also consider that the 150 hammer is designed to hammer an 8d or smaller nail, the 250 hammer a 20d and smaller, and the 350 hammer can hammer a 60d nail.

Now does this mean a 150 hammer can hammer a 60d nail? Maybe one could try but it would be extremely hard and wouldn't work out very well. How about a 350 hammer being used to hammer a 2d nail? Well, it would hammer it but the opposite issue occurs where the 350 hammer is much larger than needed, requires more energy than needed, and overall not optimal for driving small nails.

Point being, just like nails and hammers, there are many different size RV's that one could purchase and the best tool (tow vehicle) to use is one that is the most "optimal" to do the job, not one that is too small nor one that is too large, but the one that is just right is best. So everyone would be well advised to purchase a hammer that is large enough with a little room to spare, but you don't need a very big hammer if you are only hammering small nails.

The end. ~CA

[Pickledill]

Lighten up "Francis"!?

[LuckyDuck]

Originally Posted by SeekingAdventure

Working on payload calculations for the F150. If towing a travel trailer with GVWR of approx 6000-7000lb, and a bunch of passengers with total weight of 650-800lb (depending on who joins). Is the F150 capable in this situation? Should I be looking at an F250 (or similar in other makes)?

The max payload of the F150 listed online is much higher than the actual trucks I've seen, with real life door stickers noting only around 1700lb payload.

The dealers just dismiss the sticker weight & go back to talking about tow capacity & online info. Ordering an F150 new with a 'max payload package' will leave us with no TV for many months (6-12 months!) & we don't want to wait a year to get out there.

We started out hoping to tow with an SUV. Once we moved up to the F150, we thought we would have lots of room before reaching weight limits, but seems it isn't so. We're still figuring this out. Looking forward to your good advice.

The poor OP! He asked a perfectly logical newbie question and got everything from semi-haulers to hammers, with a space shuttle thrown in! If he’s still following this thread, he probably has decided to buy a fishing boat instead.

His original question was whether he could tow a 7k-pound TT and “a bunch of passengers” with an off-the-lot F-150. Ninety posts later, the answer is a clear “maybe”.

Does this capture the essence of what everyone is trying to convey so passionately?:

In short, your truck must have adequate specs (payload and towing capacity, brakes, suspension, etc) for the trailer and cargo you want to haul. Each truck is different, as is each trailer and your load. You can put all the variables into a calculator (there are some out there) and determine if the truck you want will be adequate with whatever margin of safety you prefer.

Just like the “bigger hammer” or semi-hauler will be more than adequate, a 3/4 or 1-ton will be, too. But there may be trade-offs in comfort, cost and convenience. Again, use the calculations to determine what’s best.

Lastly, if you plan to tow a space shuttle, you best go with a Tundra.

[Yooper906]

Originally Posted by LuckyDuck

Lastly, if you plan to tow a space shuttle, you best go with a Tundra.

Absolutely! You won't even know the shuttle is back there. LOL

[JFlightRisk]

Thread closed