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Old 06-18-2016, 08:55 AM   #1
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2005 25' Safari
Phoenix , Arizona
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 2
F150 V6 EcoBoost or 5L V8?

Hi,

Picking up my 2005 Safari next week and shopping for tow vehicle. Any advise appreciated as I am drowning in decisions to be made and have never done this before. I have never pulled a trailer but have sailed a 46' boat...hopefully I will learn fast!

1. Ford or Chevy?
2. New or pre-owned?
3. F150 V6 Eco or V8?
4. Go with Airstream megahitch for $200
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Old 06-18-2016, 09:09 AM   #2
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2016 27' Flying Cloud
Hartsburg , Missouri
Join Date: Dec 2015
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We recently went through the same decision and ended up buying an 2016 F150 with the 3.5 L eco boost. We are very happy with our decision, You need to shop carefully to find a truck with enough payload by inspecting the stickers on individual trucks, We were able to get an XLT crew cab with a short bed and the 36 gallon gas tank with 1800 lbs payload. The truck as plenty of power. I did spend some significant time fine tuning weight distribution with our equalizer hitch but everything seems good now. If this was not also my daily driver, I might have more seriously considered a F250, but so far the eco boost in tow mode has done a great job with out 27' flying cloud. The stuff I learned on this forum really helped us make a decision, even if at times the amount of information and opinions seem overwhelming!
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Old 06-18-2016, 09:11 AM   #3
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2006 25' Safari FB SE
Spokane , Washington
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I tow my 25FB with a Toyota 5.7. It has plenty of power so anything in the 5 liter area should work just fine as will the Ford Eco-Boost.

If my tow vehicle was a daily driver I would look at the Eco-Boost. It gets very good mileage when not towing. When towing it is similar to all the rest.

Buying used is always a good economic move IF, you can find a good unit that has been taken care of and comes with all the bells you would like to have. Buying a truck will be a big expenditure so make sure you get something that fits your needs and is something that you will like.

If you have any thoughts of moving up to a larger trailer you might want to look at a 3/4 ton now. Half tons are limited by carrying capacity and not towing numbers. You will be able to tow your 25 with the trucks you are looking at but the big question remains, how much can you put in the bed of the truck once the trailer is on the ball?

It will all come down to your style. How do you camp, what do you bring along with you on trips, what are your plans for the truck in between trips, and how important are creature comforts to you?

I love my Tundra. It is dependable and comfortable by our standards and it has plenty of power to get up and over the mountain passes. It is rather weak in payload capacity so I do have to watch how I load it. Since it is just the two of us, we manage nicely. Again, you need to look at your situation before you jump. Best wishes. You have some exciting times just ahead. Enjoy.
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Old 06-18-2016, 10:41 AM   #4
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1991 34' Excella
Princeton , New Jersey
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Forget the Mega Hitch. If you do need to lock the trailer there are many much cheaper ways to do it. A pad lock through the hitch lever or a ball lock.

As for the truck it depends on where you intend to go and if yo are going to use the truck for other things. If you are headed for the maintains go for the V8. If the larger share of the usage is daily to work and your going to say on the plains go for the ECO.

The biggest single thing that most people overlook when picking a TV is the rear axle ration. You smaller trucks are designed for Soccer Moms and so called fuel mileage. Then tend to have the wrong gear ratio for pulling. When used that way there is a noticeable lack of power.
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Old 06-18-2016, 11:34 AM   #5
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1967 26' Overlander
Spartanburg , South Carolina
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I pull a vintage A/S with a vintage truck so don't have much personal knowledge. My friend however pulls a 31' wide body with a Ram 1500 diesel with the eco-boost turbo charger. He couldn't be more happy with it as a tv or about town truck. Says it pulls better than the 2500 Ram he traded in on it and gets like 23mpg about town.
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Old 06-18-2016, 11:35 AM   #6
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2016 26' Flying Cloud
Punta Gorda, Florida , Florida
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F150 ecoboost

Fran&Frank are right on. We have same truck.Our 2016 FC 26u tows great behind it. My only regret is I didn't get the larger fuel tank. Happy camping!


























i
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Old 06-18-2016, 11:36 AM   #7
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2005 28' Safari
Saint Joseph , Michigan
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Also have a 2005, AS 28' Safari and a 2011 F150 Ecoboost that we are very happy driving every where.
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Old 06-18-2016, 11:39 AM   #8
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Seattle , Washington
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FYI - At least with the Ford, you must put 1000 miles on the truck before first towing. And the cruise control is disabled for the first couple of hundred miles, for proper break-in.

So, don't plan to drive your brand new truck from the dealer to the Airstream store and then take off down the road.

BTW - The 2016 F150 Lariat Ecoboost w/max tow package is a nice rig. You'll like the auto backup system - really works.
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Old 06-18-2016, 12:20 PM   #9
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Blue Ridge , Georgia
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Very pleased with my 2014 Ford F150 3.5L Ecoboost with 36 gal fuel tank. Have towed our 25' Flying Cloud over 3000 miles from Fl up thru GA, NC, W Virginia,Ohio, KY, thru the mountains with ease. 60,000 miles on the truck with not one problem.

Guy Leverett
Blue Ridge, GA
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Old 06-18-2016, 12:41 PM   #10
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2019 27' Globetrotter
Missouri Valley , Iowa
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I will give the F 150 and EcoBoost another vote. We had a '10 F 150 w / 5.4L V8. The '15 F 150 w / 3.5 Eco has way more pulling ability than the V8. Whether it is our 30' Classic w / slide or 25' Excella, the Eco engine is hard to beat! We have the max tow, 36 gal gas tank, S Crew and other nice features. We don't carry much in the truck box.

Dan
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Old 06-18-2016, 01:23 PM   #11
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2015 25' Flying Cloud
Long Beach , California
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We just got a 25' and went through a similar decision process. If we had gone with the F150 (safest pickup in its class), we would have gotten the 3.5L eco boost. Because we plan to full time with lots of toys in the truck bed, we went with a 2016 F250 diesel. If we had time to wait only a few more months, we would have gotten the 2017 F250 or even 350 that will incorporate many of the great features introduced on the F150 in the last two years.

Our first trip out, we got 14mpg including some of the steep grades around LA.

However, we opted to keep my old 4Runner for my daily driver because the big beast of a truck is oversized in a land of compact parking.
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Old 06-18-2016, 01:25 PM   #12
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2005 25' Safari
palm beach gardens , Florida
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Zola2006 View Post
Hi,

Picking up my 2005 Safari next week and shopping for tow vehicle. Any advise appreciated as I am drowning in decisions to be made and have never done this before. I have never pulled a trailer but have sailed a 46' boat...hopefully I will learn fast!

1. Ford or Chevy?
2. New or pre-owned?
3. F150 V6 Eco or V8?
4. Go with Airstream megahitch for $200
Personally, I'm a Chevy GMC person. 6 liter with full tow package 2500, diesel really best.
Regarding Ford, check one of the new Car and Drivers for excellent comparison of V6 versus V8
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Old 06-18-2016, 01:27 PM   #13
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2016 30' Classic
Houston , Texas
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Zola2006 View Post
Hi,

Picking up my 2005 Safari next week and shopping for tow vehicle. Any advise appreciated as I am drowning in decisions to be made and have never done this before. I have never pulled a trailer but have sailed a 46' boat...hopefully I will learn fast!

1. Ford or Chevy?
2. New or pre-owned?
3. F150 V6 Eco or V8?
4. Go with Airstream megahitch for $200
I appreciate your questions as I was in the exact same place approximately one year ago as I needed to order a TV in preparation for a to be order a 2016 AS Classic. I went with a 2015 Ford F150 EcoBoost 3.5L V-6 importantly with a 3.55 rear axel ratio. My research at the time indicated that this particular engine / axle ratio had a maximum towing capacity of 12,000 lbs. I also ordered the max tow package, the 36 gallon gas tank and the power telescoping mirrors (similar to that seen on F250s). So far, so good. Good luck with your decision.
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Old 06-18-2016, 01:42 PM   #14
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2013 31' Classic
billings , Montana
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Chevy".....
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Old 06-18-2016, 01:44 PM   #15
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2002 30' Classic S/O
Garden Valley , Idaho
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Both the 5.0 and the 3.5 will do equally as well, but I would opt for the 3.73 rear end on either kne, plus the 36 gallon gas tank. The 3.5 has a little more power and torque, but the 5.0 is a much simplified engine in comparison.
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Old 06-18-2016, 01:47 PM   #16
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2016 28' Pendleton
terre haute , Indiana
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See the recent issue of Car and Driver which compared a F-150 equipped with the 3.5 Ecoboost and one equipped with the V8. Interesting reading.
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Old 06-18-2016, 03:10 PM   #17
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2015 27' Flying Cloud
Conroe , Texas
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Posts: 284
All about the gear ratio
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Old 06-18-2016, 03:19 PM   #18
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2014 25' FB International
2007 20' Safari SE
2005 19' Safari
Qualicum Beach , British Columbia
Join Date: Sep 2004
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We've been using a 2008 GMC Max Tow 6L and have absolutely no complaints. Fuel mileage towing and empty is totally acceptable and the payload of 1957 lbs has been plenty.
If U had the money to buy new I would go to the new GM with the 6.2L and Max tow for the same 3 reasons of payload,mileage and towing capacity. Used I'm going to have to wait a couple of years for this same truck to show up.


George
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Old 06-18-2016, 03:38 PM   #19
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2014 27' Flying Cloud
Bushnell , Florida
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 413
It's a rather lengthy read, but here's our story about going from a 2013 F150 w/5.0 to a 2015 F150 w/3.5 EB. I can add after just completing an 11 night trip with our Pete in the mountains of North GA and Western NC, that I am once again pleased that we made the change. The 3.5 handled the short but stout grades in the country we were running (mostly 6%, some up to 8%) very well with our coach weighing around 6500 lbs loaded.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f463...le-141137.html

Hope this helps.
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Old 06-18-2016, 05:57 PM   #20
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2012 30' International
Ferndale , Washington
Join Date: Aug 2014
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I pull my 30' International with a RAM 1500 5.7. I have tested Fords and just don't find the seats are comfortable for me so I have had very good luck with GMC's (on my third 3500 Dually Duramax) but for ride comfort, power, and fuel economy I really like the RAM (unloaded around 19-20 mpg). I have yet to find a mountain pass I had to slow down on for lack of power including the North Cascads Hwy and the Vantage grade in WA and some 7000 foot passes in southern Utah. I'm very happy!
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