Towing

[SkiSmuggs]

4x4: You don't need it until you need it. I've spun tires on wet grass while trying to level my fifth wheel.

[cantupshift]

I had a 14 F150 with a 5.0 w/o tow(5k rated), 2wd, and an x23b for the 500mile drive back from purchase, now WDH. Last year model, big discount.

Went over mont eagle without an extra trans cooler without issue. It really wanted to hold gears and wasn't real responsive and down shifting. Got about 9mpg.

Replaced with a crew cab F250 with 4wd. Shuffling around parking I have locked the rear end at half a dozen times and used 4LO maube or twice when locking the rear end wouldn't cut it.

I won't buy a truck again without at least being able to lock the rear end, probably not without 4wd.

[garyg23]

4x2 works fine. Just get some "real" light truck tires on the rear and get rid of the crap car tires that come on most pickups. Pump to 50 lbs (or recommended on sidewall for towing) and all terrain tires are best if you are expecting some mud or snow. I know plenty of 4x4 owners that have front end suspension/steering components half wore out that can lead to white knuckle driving experiences because it costs a fortune to have the necessary work done.

Might need 4x4 if you are hauling a 1200 pound diesel motor around on front axle. But don't forget to leave your golf clubs home to save weight/fuel!

[Fleetman]

Originally Posted by Meadows11

I am not worried about the snow as I have another vechicle for that. I just wanted to know if the 2WD could pull the camper. Here is the engine information below....
3.3L Ti-VCT V6 Engine With Auto Start/Stop Technology
ELECTRONIC SIX-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WITH T
4X2

Have been towing for years 2WD only. Currently towing 14k pound 5th wheel with 2WD. Only if pulling in mud/snow, off road etc do you need 4WD. When was the last time anyone on this thread used 4WD while towing.
Towing capacity with 2WD vs. 4WD is higher.

[kayakterp]

I use 4WD every time I Tow in the rain, that could be any season including summer. I won’t own any vehicle that’s not 4WD or AWD

[Elefantdude]

We used to pull our 2015 Jayco White Hawk 27 DSRL with a 2005 Chevy Silverado 1500 2WD. It did a decent a job pulling it, but there are times I wish I would have had a 4WD truck. Wet weather and winter driving going up hills and even downhill roads, would be uncomfortable. Finally, last year, we traded my 2009 Subaru Forester AND the 2005 Chevy 1500 Silverado 2WD for a 2016 Dodge RAM Rebel 4WD with 5.7 HEMI. It does GREAT pulling and I am a lot more comfortable pulling the Jayco in wet and winter roads :-)

[rush0001]

Don't get a 4x4 just because you want to tow a trailer. If you need 4x4 because of where you live, or where you want to travel to, or how you want to drive, get a 4x4. But it won't help your towing any - in fact, it is a slight disadvantage, as others have mentioned.

[ifallsguy]

I've been towing with out 2016 F-150 Supercrew with 6.5 ft box. No issues. However I would suggest you look into the 5.0L. When I've towed our 212QBW with a friends 3.5 ecoboost, I found the engine winding up much more than the 5.0L. And as a FYI, the truck is geared at 3.55. If looking at a new truck, I'd go with the 5.0 and 3.55 gearing. Good for towing and around town.
My city: 15.2 mpg
HWY: 18.2-20.2 mpg
Towing 11-12 mpg (6K+ trip from GA to WA, mainly interstate with mountain driving)

[Chet & Marie]

I have a 2014 Chevrolet Silverado half ton 2 wheel drive. We have pulled a travel trailer with it since we bought it new and have had absolutely no problems. I have always had four wheel drive prior to this but now we winter in Texas and no longer face Green Bay Winters. I saved several thousands of dollars as the truck was setting new on a dealer's lot for over 1 year as he was unable to sell a two-wheel drive in Green Bay. It has the tow package and towing it gets about 10 to 12 miles per gallon and on a regular trip with no trailer about 23 miles per gallon. It has traction control and the tow haul feature and has always done any job we have put before it. A lot less weight, better fuel economy, significantly better towing capacity and much less maintenance. We tow a 23 foot are LSW jayfeather that weighs in at about 5,500 pounds and it handles it like a champ. Obviously it wouldn't work with very well for ice fishing but I don't do those things anymore and just simply did not need four wheel drive.

[SUP]

I pull with a 2016 f150 with no problem. Your tt has same weight rating. Mine is the 212 qb

[Journey]

Check out the Ford towing specs. You’d likely be satisfied with the 3.3 as a daily driver. For towing it is a stone. The engine only generates 265lb of torque. If you ever decide to upgrade, it’s towing max is only 5100 lbs. Even the little 2.7 has 400lbs torque. But for towing, the 3.5 or 5.0 is the lowest I would go with. A little more money on the front end but cheaper than a new truck.

https://www.ford.com/trucks/f150/models/f150-lariat/

Some other features I would never go without-

Backup Camera
CarPlay
Towing mirrors
HD tow package with brake controller

Good luck. My 2010, 5.0 has 109,000. Only failure was the drivers seat buckle wouldn’t open. Doesn’t burn a drop of oil. Our little Escape with the 2.4 is a flat out Rocket. The little engines though give you inadequate engine braking. I did run into a guy in the Ga mountains who was towing a 20 ft pop up with an Escape and said he was happy. I dunno...

[SkyBound]

Originally Posted by Journey

Check out the Ford towing specs. You’d likely be satisfied with the 3.3 as a daily driver. For towing it is a stone. The engine only generates 265lb of torque. If you ever decide to upgrade, it’s towing max is only 5100 lbs. Even the little 2.7 has 400lbs torque. But for towing, the 3.5 or 5.0 is the lowest I would go with. A little more money on the front end but cheaper than a new truck.

https://www.ford.com/trucks/f150/models/f150-lariat/

Some other features I would never go without-

Backup Camera
CarPlay
Towing mirrors
HD tow package with brake controller

Good luck. My 2010, 5.0 has 109,000. Only failure was the drivers seat buckle wouldn’t open. Doesn’t burn a drop of oil. Our little Escape with the 2.4 is a flat out Rocket. The little engines though give you inadequate engine braking. I did run into a guy in the Ga mountains who was towing a 20 ft pop up with an Escape and said he was happy. I dunno...

2011 was the first year the 5.0L was offered (as well as the 3.5Eco) so if you indeed have a 2010 it's either the 4.6L or 5.4L.

I agree that the engine braking on the EcoBoost engines isn't as good, due to it having 2 less cylinders providing compression resistance.

[Journey]

Yep. My sig shows 5.4. I got a chest cold so I’m blaming it on the meds.

[Camper_bob]

I agree with the general theme; you don't need 4x4 unless you need 4x4, and it is a bit of a detriment in most towing situations.

But I won't ever own a non-4x4 again. I owned 2 4x2s before my Ram, and in a handful of situations, not having 4wd got me in trouble. Not major trouble, but enough to cause inconvenience. When I got my Ram 2500, I made it a point to get 4wd, and I'm glad I did. I used it QUITE often, and a few times even while towing.

But here's the thing. My dad's deer lease has mostly "primitive" roads (and I mean real goat trails), so I used 4wd all the time out there. We go to the beach quite a lot, and part of those trips often involves driving far down the National Seashore, which requires high-clearance off-road vehicles. I live in a relatively rural area, and have needed 4wd before just to get in or out of my area. I replaced that Ram with a Grand Cherokee 4x4 with a 2-speed transfer case (allowing 4wd low range). It doesn't have locking diffs, but that's typically okay for most of what I do (I don't crawl rocks, and mostly have 4 on the ground) and I can "make due" with this. For anything more "hard core" I have a 94 Wrangler (still no locking diffs... yet).

So, it depends on what you're going to do with it. For me, I'd rather have it and not need it, because I know I will need it at some point based on my personal experience, situation and usage patterns. Or at least it would make my life A LOT easier. And having it gives me the confidence to know I can get in/out of "marginal" situations.

[SkyBound]

I would never buy a 2WD truck for various reasons. One point I will make though is that if you get your 4WD truck stuck, you are REALLY stuck compared to a 2WD. One gets stuck more often, the other gets stuck worse. 4WD can get you into places and situations that you don't want to be in!

[TxLoser]

I'm in Texas. Had one 2WD drive truck, and it did just fine due to where I live. It stayed in the garage if the roads got slick in the winter months. Towed some with it and that was fine too so far as 2wd vs 4wd. Since that I've owned 2 4wd trucks. Only used the 4wd a handful of times. Never "needed" it. Just a convenience thing.

The two big drivers for me getting 4wd, were availability on dealer lots, and resale. Not so much resale value, but ease of sale. Not too many people look for a 2wd pickup around me. Doesn't make sense really, but that's what I learned when trying to sell the 2wd Tundra.

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by SkyBound

I would never buy a 2WD truck for various reasons. One point I will make though is that if you get your 4WD truck stuck, you are REALLY stuck compared to a 2WD. One gets stuck more often, the other gets stuck worse. 4WD can get you into places and situations that you don't want to be in!

Totally agree.

If you get cocky and say "I have 4wd, I can get in/out of there!" without the required skills and judgement, you can definitely get yourself in trouble. I stuck an '88 GMC Suburban (ETA, yes, it was 4wd) in mud up to the axles. The tires were literally spinning in air. Had a guy in a modded Blazer yank me out. Another learning experience on many levels including never move with the doors open. Yup, bent the driver door right up along the front fender, never worked right again even after we had it repaired. That's what you get when you're 16 and think you're invincible.

If you have 2wd, you're less likely to take a chance and get in trouble in a lot of cases. Not me, but the more reasonable among us... you'd think I've learned by now!

[nko2000]

Originally Posted by Meadows11

Does anyone pull their camper with a 4x2 vechicle? I have a X23B and I have been looking at a new Ford F-150 4x2... Thoughts?

I've driven nothing but 4x4's for 37 years and do expect to change until my kids lock up the truck keys. I live in semi-rural IL so 4WD is at the very least advantageous in the winter and for the trips I take to the western states necessary. I made up my mind in 1978 after I got stuck on a well maintained, dry forest service road in WA with a 2WD truck.

[Bookemdanno]

Originally Posted by Camper_bob

Totally agree.

If you get cocky and say "I have 4wd, I can get in/out of there!" without the required skills and judgement, you can definitely get yourself in trouble. I stuck an '88 GMC Suburban (ETA, yes, it was 4wd) in mud up to the axles. The tires were literally spinning in air. Had a guy in a modded Blazer yank me out. Another learning experience on many levels including never move with the doors open. Yup, bent the driver door right up along the front fender, never worked right again even after we had it repaired. That's what you get when you're 16 and think you're invincible.

If you have 2wd, you're less likely to take a chance and get in trouble in a lot of cases. Not me, but the more reasonable among us... you'd think I've learned by now!

You made me remember the good old days....had to dig out the high school yearbook. Had me a '80 Ford F250 with the 460 big block, suspension and body lift on 44" Groundhogs. Miss that truck, but DON'T miss the 5 MPG!!

[TxLoser]

Now that's a truck.