Anyone Tow W/ 1998-03 F-150?

[ElCamino Man]

Hey guys. I am wanting to trade in the ol F-250 for somethin a little nicer and newer. I used to own a 2002 F-150 King Ranch about 3 years ago and loved it! Id like to get another, but I dont think that old 5.4L will lug my 31' very well. Itd probably do fine on flat terrain, but any hills and it will probably have to revv to the stratosphere to retain 45 mph. Anyone have real world experience?

[sailors]

Hi, I tow our 1994 excella 30 with our 2003 F-150 and so far have not had problems. The ford has the tow package with 5.4 eng. Haven't pulled any real hills yet but small ones are OK.

[Randy Gates]

I have a 2000 F150 with a 5.4L V8 and it has towed beautifully with alot of power. I have run it in extreme heat this summer up the 5 northbound and that is alot of pulling. I tow a 20' Globetrotter. I intend to buy another F150 with the largest V8 next year if the economy improves. I believe the F250 is too bulky a frame for around town vs. the F150. I hear the ecoboost is an awesome unit, but I feel better with a Ford V8 when climbing. I currently have about 135,000 on my old girl. Hope that helps. But if the F250 has worked well for you then stick with it.
Randy

[slowmover]

it will probably have to rev to the stratosphere to retain 45 mph

This is your question, not a particular TV: Why would it bother you to use the engine the way it is designed to be used?

IMO, an engine that has to work for a living lasts longer, runs better and has fewer problems overall.

The best spec of TV is one that suits solo miles very, very well, and can tow the TT. Too much TV makes no sense despite that being an [unexamined] "working assumption" in the RV world. (Same as for "weight" where "aerodynamic resistance" is the crucial factor).

And, I'd do a TITLE search with "FORD" and "F150" . This forum has been around long enough (and the vehicle in question old enough) that not all contributors from way back are today active.

I believe you're thinking is in the right direction. Plenty of cars & minivans would be good choices for that 1981 TT.

Weigh the TT for an adjusted empty weight (full water + propane + supplies/equipment permanently aboard) for a more accurate picture as you make comparisons. Do the TW at the same time.

.

[Kevin245]

We tow with an 03 SuperCrew. Pulling grades greater than 8% can be a struggle, otherwise there really haven't been any problems.

[Dan and Liz]

Our 03 King Ranch supercrew 5.4L with tow package has done fine with our 25' Sovereign for the most part, but we're definitely slow on the high passes here in Colorado -- 35 mph on Monarch last summer. If we had a 31' I'm pretty sure I'd be looking for an F250 diesel, even on rolling terrain. On the other hand, if I had the jing I'd look hard at the new Ecoboost.

[wahoonc]

We tow with a 2003 Extended Cab F150 4.6l V-8 Lariat with a factory tow package. I have no problem on most of our trips, but we stay out of the deep mountains.

For the mountain trips we tow with a 1996 CC Dually F350 7.3l PSD with 4:10 rear

Aaron

[ElCamino Man]

Yea this truck is lookin less likely all the time. Theyres tons of em on the road but few for sale oddly? It seems like itd be a diamond in the rough to find a King Ranch for sale thats still in good condition... Maybe I should just swap King Ranch seats into my F-250

[Kevin245]

Originally Posted by ElCamino Man

Yea this truck is lookin less likely all the time. Theyres tons of em on the road but few for sale oddly? It seems like itd be a diamond in the rough to find a King Ranch for sale thats still in good condition... Maybe I should just swap King Ranch seats into my F-250

Completely understand as I drive them until the wheels fall off. Our 03 SuperCrew just turned 225K and the 97 has 321K. If the F250 is in good shape then add the interior and roll on.

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by ElCamino Man

Yea this truck is lookin less likely all the time. Theyres tons of em on the road but few for sale oddly? It seems like itd be a diamond in the rough to find a King Ranch for sale thats still in good condition... Maybe I should just swap King Ranch seats into my F-250

Another high mileage driver on my Ford trucks here My '96 F350 "only" has 145,000 on it. The '03 F150 has 208,000, the 97 F150 350,000 (that one is a V-6) and another F350 that we us on the farm...odometer broke at 405,000.

Nothing wrong with going custom.

Aaron

[ElCamino Man]

Holy cow! I couldnt imagine owning a vehicle for longer than 100,000 miles. I get bored too easy!

Thats when I turn to customizing!

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by ElCamino Man

Holy cow! I couldnt imagine owning a vehicle for longer than 100,000 miles. I get bored too easy!

Thats when I turn to customizing!

Buddy, my folks kept their Silver Streak 27-years . . you saying you're going to be getting another TT every few years?

Customize is the right idea: hitch, brakes, lash-up, not just a real fine interior. I finally started to "upgrade" my truck when it hit 9-years and 185k. Get the one you want (the point of this thread?) and make it new, make it right. Make them into a old pair of comfortable gloves.

.

[ElCamino Man]

I know whatcha mean! And no, Ill prolly keep the Airstream around for awhile! Even though I debated selling it and getting a 34 footer
Only problem was, those 34 footers costs about 3x what I paid for mine... and Id only be getting an extra 3 feet! I plan on keepin both my truck and Airtsream and dressin em up the way I like em!

(also, I know EXACTLY whatcha mean by a pair of broke-in gloves. I have a pair of Deerskin leather gloves that have lasted a month and a half of heavy labor. Most gloves last me a few days. LOVE them things!)

[slowmover]

Take it from a truck driver: get a pair of goatskin gloves as they'll about last forever. Natural lanolin, and most mechanics hand cleaners have some . . that'll take off the real dirt plus keep them in service for a very long time (given a decent pair, not all are well-sewn).

Look forward to what you post with your rig as things come along.

.

[ElCamino Man]

Ill try to keep you guys updated! So far the newest thing its gettin is a new u-joint. Dropped the dern thing the other day... Easy fix!