Classic-30 tow vehicle F150 vs F250?

[Joellen]

Does anyone have any experience with a tow vehicle for a Classic 30? We test drove the 2017 F150 and F250 today....my preference is the F150 but the dealer was pushing the F250. Price wise they are about the same when we add all our options....If we decide on the F150 do we have to purchase the FC-30 instead of the Classic-30?

[GoWhereTowed]

with that large of trailer, definitely 250

[rpenczek]

Traded a 2015 Silverado 1500 5.3 max tow pack for a 2016 2500 diesel after we bought out 30' Classic in July. 2500 diesel is a much better tow. I believe it's the weight/stiffer suspension more than the motor, but the motor is nice too.

[rpenczek]

2500 is only a little less maneuverable in parking lots and some parking garages are too low.

[Ambot]

I never towed prior to our 2017 F-350 and our 28' Pendleton. Took it out for the first time last weekend. It's a very confident experience in the HD truck with a pro pride hitch.

[FCStreamer]

An F-150 can tow a 30 Classic. Depending on how you load your truck and trailer, you could exceed the weight limits. You'll have to do some aggressive weight management.

A FC is lighter and you still have to do weight management, just not as much.

A F-250 has higher towing and payload, so you'll be able to load more stuff.

Depends on how many people and how much stuff you carry with you.

[Sjcjr]

I originally towed my Classic with an F150 and I was not at all comfortable. I bought the F250 and have never looked back. Simply put, I do not believe the F150 is adequate nor do I believe it is safe. JMO.

[FCStreamer]

I will have to disagree with you on the safety comment. Properly loaded, the F150 is as safe as any other truck.

[2012FB]

Another vote for the F350/2500 diesel as it is what we pull our 30' bunk with.

[paiceman]

You "can" tow with the F150, however, I would check the payload sticker on the driver side door as well as the tire rating in the same place. Unless you are looking at an F150 that is well beyond special you will exceed payload capacity of the F150 in towing the F150.

We started with the F150 several years ago with our 30' FC, we were over payload with just my wife, myself and our two dogs plus the hitch weight. Switched to an F250 Diesel. Terrific experience and within specifications.

Now we tow our 30' Classic with an F350, even better than the F250.

Bud

[Boogieshoes]

F250 will give you much more flexibility in what you take along for the trip. More power than you will ever need, but it is really nice to just scoot up big hills without trouble. More importantly, you can descend in safety and confidence; the exhaust brake is a wonderful help. I almost never need to apply brakes on even the steepest grade. As noted in an earlier reply, get a ProPride hitch system as well.

[Bruce B]

Payload! It is all about the payload.
Having towed with a slightly overloaded F-150 for 4 years, we switched to a Ram 2500. The difference is pretty amazing.
As I write this we in the middle of a trip in our little Bambi. It is heading back to the Mothership to have a corner panel replaced after losing an argument with a tree branch in our driveway .
We drove 600 miles yesterday, towing in some heavy I95 traffic for the first part of the trip and what amazes me is just how effortless the entire experience is with the larger truck. Traveling in the 2500 is simply far less fatiguing.
The F-150 was fine when it wasn't burdened with all of the stuff we tend to bring along but when loaded, it suffered and that truck simply felt nervous and required more concentration to drive. For the record, I worked pretty hard to optimize that F-150 and Bambi combo. Tires, hitches and hitch setup were all scrutinized carefully and all made a difference.

We will be back at Jackson Center today and although we look a little ridiculous towing our diminutive Bambi with the larger truck, I'll never go back to a smaller truck.
I know what I'd choose if we were towing a 30' Airstream!
Bruce

[fbgairstream]

I agree with the gentle man that talks about payload. I would buy a 2500 . The braking is better on the 2500. It's all about payload. Find as dealership that knows how to educate you in payload. Very important. I would not tow a classic with a1500.

[joshjack]

Have a signature 30 that I tow with a RAM 2500. Given the choice I would not go smaller - there's really no benefit to the smaller tow vehicle.

[EarlM]

I am voting for the F-250 no need to worry about weighing etc. Diesel has exhaust brake. F-150 is less expensive but I hate to compromise safety for dollars

Earl

[SusanFleck]

Agree with all the comments about half and three quarter ton trucks. We really wanted the 1500 but our dealer set us up with a 30 footer loaded to same weight as a Classic (bags of cement!) and had us tow with the 1500 and 2500. No question the 2500 was much better choice. This summer we went over the Bighorn Mountains in Wyoming and knew the 1500 would never make it. It's a lot of truck when not pulling a trailer but we are happy with the choice we made. Good luck to you!

[dugster]

I am a satisfied Silverado 2500 Diesel owner towing a FC28. The 4 most important factors for me were engine power, suspension, braking & payload. I spent a lot of time doing all of the calculations about payload and ultimately decided that if I stepped up to the 2500 I could take whatever I wanted wherever I wanted. If you limit your travels to flat land and gentle hills, the half ton truck will serve you well. However, you live near some mountains in the northeast. Since price is similar, choose the option that will give you security and free up your mind for other things. Enjoy!

[LaPorte214]

Originally Posted by fbgairstream

I agree with the gentle man that talks about payload. I would buy a 2500 . The braking is better on the 2500. It's all about payload. Find as dealership that knows how to educate you in payload. Very important. I would not tow a classic with a1500.

Is this F150 an Ecoboost? We have a 2015 F150 Ecoboost Supercrew King Ranch. The sticker says load capacity of 1538 pounds and are told by the Ford Dealer we can handle 10,700 lbs max trailer weight. We bought this vehicle before considering buying a travel trailer. Our concern was can this vehicle comfortably handle a 28 ft Airstream (this is the size we wish to purchase). We would be carrying two adults and one 40 pound dog plus luggage as we are too old for sporting equipment. Loaded trailer weight of a 28 foot is about 7600lbs. We are total rookies to the towing game so any thoughts/suggestions would be appreciated.

[aandastream]

Originally Posted by LaPorte214

Is this F150 an Ecoboost? We have a 2015 F150 Ecoboost Supercrew King Ranch. The sticker says load capacity of 1538 pounds and are told by the Ford Dealer we can handle 10,700 lbs max trailer weight. We bought this vehicle before considering buying a travel trailer. Our concern was can this vehicle comfortably handle a 28 ft Airstream (this is the size we wish to purchase). We would be carrying two adults and one 40 pound dog plus luggage as we are too old for sporting equipment. Loaded trailer weight of a 28 foot is about 7600lbs. We are total rookies to the towing game so any thoughts/suggestions would be appreciated.

I'm in the same boat. Just got a 2016 f150 ecoboost and plan to tow an international 27' with it. The numbers seem to all add up with room to spare.

[casarodante]

Been towing an Airstream for 13 years with an F250 (2017 now) and would not go any less. To me, it is not the capability of pulling the trailer but stopping the entire rig.

I have used a standard Reese drop chain style with our old 25' but when we went to the 31' we went with an Equalizer. ProPride/Hensley may be a nice hitch but is not really needed with an F250. Plus their additional price and extra hookup time make them less desirable to me. Heck I will even tow very short distances on the ball without equalization.