Ford E 150

[brunoffrance]

Hi every one
I have the possibility to buy the FORD E 150 ... 1996.
OK I'dl prefer the silerado 1500, or the F150, or the ram1500 gmc but I have to use it for my work and the pick-ups have'nt great capacities in the rear; So 1500 is the only model I can drive in FRANCE with my driver license.
So difficult to find an american truck for a good price , the new ones are double of price comparated to USA...
So I've searched and found this E150, 4,9 l, 24000miles from US governement ( says the dealer ).
I've to work with it to carry medical waste and to tow my airsteam 27' 1971 overlander.

What do you think about this choice ???

Thank you one more time, you're great.


Bruno.

[Chas]

Bruno,

Sounds like you are smitten with all things U.S.? It is hard for us over here to give good advice as to what is the appropriate tow vehicle for you, being in France. Seems to be the perfect vehicle for your work needs but as far as towing your Overlander with it I feel most of us would think it is somewhat lacking. It has a 6 cylinder, correct? Probably a good sized engine for your part of the world, huh? But then again, depending on how much you tow and where it may be sufficient.

Chas

[uwe]

Hi Bruno,

It is going to be a question of expectacion, gearing and equipment, whether or not you will have a satisfying towing experience.
Does the vehicle have at least 3.70 gears?
Is it manual or automatic?
Do you have a towing speed limit in France?
I had an E150 with the 5.0 V8 and it did quite well towing a 4500lb car trailer.
My main complaint witht his vehicle were the brakes. It seemed to have very marginal brakes, no matter what i did to repair them.
Body and frame were most excellent!

[femuse]

Your trailer dry weight is about 4400LBs, which should give about 5900 max loaded.
I found number for a 1999 4.6l as 6100 to 6900 max trailer.
It's all pretty vague here. But if you try not to load your trailer too much, and if this type of vehicles as so rare in France, you should have a try at it.
What I would do, is put the heaviest stuff in the van, not in the trailer, and try to keep the van center of gravity as low as possible. (nothing on the roof for example).
Get heat resistant brakes pad on the van too. Don't use the AC, but use the heater in mountains, even in the summer. Not pleasant, but it helps a lot. (we had the AC removed to give more air to the radiator)
Good luck

[brunoffrance]

Thank you to given me your view on that;
The E 150 is only 6 cylinders for 4,9 l ; I don't know the gear ratio;
No special speed limits in FRANCE, except in few conditions with appropriate signs on motorways ( speed on hills ...).
But , most people , with lighter caravans drive slowly. I do too.
I was interesting in the beautiful pickup where I 'll put a isotherm cabin in the rear but no too many space in reality, or I have to take a 2,40 meters long bed but it'll be impossible to parck the trusk in town to collect the medical waste at the dentist...
It's right it's not easy to find an american truck in FRANCE, regulations is hard to accept these trucks on roads... our standarts are differrent from yours but when you love... I love America and your people, and your trucks, and your deco, ...
it's the same situation i knew with the A/S but it was easier because the old silver bullet is considered as collection...
No problem with standarts... all is permited.

The problem now is to tow it whithout to much problems ...
Do you advice me an harder engine, instead of the 6 cylinders ?

thank you one more time.

Bruno;

[uwe]

Dear Bruno,
the general opinionis that the bigger engine and the heavier truck, with the right setup, the better it tows, and the safer it tows.
But! I tried towing my Tradewind with a Mercedes ML320 last week, and it worked surprisingly well. Not at all wobbly or flimsy, with great braking and handling, even though I had no trailer brakes.
Next test is to hook up the RV style electrical plug to the ML and adjust the hitch to make it all conform, then hit the freeway for a 150 mile test run through Southern California, and it's desert.
To answer your question, I do believe in the case of the Ford, that a bigger engine would work better, as the Ford is already slow with the 6-cylinder engine and NO Airstream.
My Dodge van has power to go empty, so hooking up a trailer makes it slower, but acceptably so. The ML320 is much quicker than the Dodge, and the trailer also slowed it down, but it was quicker in acceleration with the Airstream than the Dodge.
Can you test drive the Ford, see how it runs and how strong it pulls? It might give you an indication of the gearing, and if it is at all suitable for your purpose.
Can you get parts for US Fords in France if something goes wrong with it?

[brunoffrance]

Hi there;

I' ve understood the biggest engine was the best way to tow; In comparison with my actual Ford TRANSIT ( see picture ), with his 2 liters engine, 4 cylinder, 115 cv din, I suppose the 4,9 l E150 'll tow better...
I've asked to my Ford dealer about parts, it's possible via FORD Europe . If really they can't, I've always the possibility to order in USA, so i think that belgium or germany have ford dealers who know these trucks and are able to get parts for them.
I know the ML Mercedes so they are not in the range of prices i can pay for a vehicle; Plus I can't put medical wastes in the rear...

Do you really want to get this kind of SUV ? Not an american one ?
It'll be very fun that your vehicle dream 'ld be an European one, when , most of european people 'ld want to buy an american SUV.

Bye,

Bruno.

[85MH325]

Hi Bruno!

I had a '92 E150 van conversion with the 4.9L six and an automatic transmission. I think the rearend gearing was 3.73 or thereabouts. In any event, I towed a 6,000 lb sailboat from Ukiah Ca to San Diego and back with it successfully and had no problems whatever. I did have the heaviest shock absorbers I could buy on the rear.

It won't go fast over mountains or large hills, (I don't think I'd try the Alps with it), and always tow with the electronic overdrive off, but if you're patient and not in a hurry, it will do the job for you.

Roger

[trailertrash]

Bruno-
This thread is old, but if you haven't bought it yet-
I took a GMC Vandura 2500- which is a 3/4 ton vehicle with me to Europe last summer, to pull my 1970 27 Overlander around. It was no fun to climb the mountains with- I was on the side of the road it allowing it to rest and cool off twice on some large hills. It had a 5.7 litre engine, and an overdrive trans.
I have now bought and am getting ready to ship, a 1995 E350 21 passenger short bus, which I have converted to a toy hauler with an Airstreams interior in the front- which came out of a rusted 1975 Globetrotter. I have 9 feet behind the drivers seat of "living area" for my daughter to play in and ride comfortably, and 8 feet behind that for my Harley, my BMW dirt bike, and my Jet Ski.
I can tell you- if you want a good tow vehicle for the mountains in France, get a Powerstroke van- 250 or 350, and they're less expensive than the P/U by usually half. Forget the gas ones- unless you get a 7.5L, and I'd convert it to propane- otherwise you'll spend $1000 to drive it to St Tropez from Normandie and will still be slower than the diesels.
I also like the MB 711D or a Sprinter, which is now being sold here as a Freightliner and Dodge van, and the USA will realize how far behind our vehicles are as these units get sold.
My tow vehicle/toy hauler is in for paint right now- ultra brilliant silver with very coarse metallic flakes, and it gets a set of vintage A/S nameplates front and rear, and a blue stripe with the newer A/S logo on the sides- so if you see something that looks like an A/S flying up the mountains on the way to Millau- one of our favorite stops- its mine!

[brunoffrance]

Thank you, trailertrash for your advice;

I'm in negociation with the E150 owner but no bought for the the moment.
If i take the 250 or 350, I have to get a truck license driver; I can ride up to 7716 lbs only. So it very difficult to find these trucks in FRANCE and more difficult to import them because regulation is very hard... except in collectible way.

I love pick-up trucks too but for my job, there is'nt a lot of space to put waste containers inside.
In the van , it's OK and you even can equip it in gas . For a consumption of 15 mpg, the LPG is very intersting comparated with the diesel: 1 liter LPG= 0,30 € or $ / 1 liter diesel = 0,65 € or $; more than the double; OK there is the equipment to pay ...

If you ride a lot ( I) it's very intersting.

I'm impatient to see your van in picture.


Bruno.

[brunoffrance]

great day, yesterday, I went to see, in reality the famous US governement E15O and it is as new...
So very disappointed when the dealer show me specifications for towing and apparently, this "truck" can only tow... 4850 lbs !!!!
Papers are from belgium and I doubt the number, may be an error , or a GCWR said without knowing the real caracteristics of this foreign truck.

Is there some one who can say me the real mass I can tow with the Econoline E 150 ( 1996 6 cyl in line, GVWR 3039lbs, 4,9 liters, gear ratio standard 3,73 ? ).

My actual truck can tow 3968 lbs... and the difference with the E150 is not enough to buy it if the datas are confirmed.

Thank you

Bruno;

[Stefrobrts]

Do some digging on the Ford.com site and you will find the answers you seek....

I can tell you that my E150 with a 5.7L v8 is only rated for 6000lbs, so the lesser rating for the 6 cylinder engine doesn't surprise me.

[brunoffrance]

Hi there
Again this all thread about my choice for towing my old silverbullet;
My french Ford Transit had suffered this summer, to go to the south of FRANCE, not enough power. So I searced the american cargo, the Econoline in V8 but , Not many in Europe, or too much expensive, from Canada ( hello the customs taxes: 22% + 19,6 %), or not in french card ( hello to transform foreign card in french, with technical french administration ), and so and so...
I decide to stop the E150 search and find other solution BUT with french papers... Not easy too, not good prices...
Finally I ve found a FORD F150, pick up, 4,6l, V8 in very good condition.
See it on the picture.

is'nt this, the american dream in FRANCE ????

Thank you for your trucks, and all over .

Bruno.

[qqq]

Bruno,

Nice to hear from you!
Congratulations on your nice looking truck.
Did you try it towing the Airstream? I'm sure you will love it.
It sure is the American dream

Hart

[brunoffrance]

Hi QQQ;
Happy to read you again;
I've gotten my F150 , only yesterday afternoon, and no time to tow The A/S. I don't think I'm going to do it soon.. No destinations at that time. So I'm going to take pictures of them , this afternoon, and to fill down , all the water I 've let in tank, before winter arrive.

Best regards,

Bruno.

[Gordon Watt]

Hi Bruno

I towed my 31 ft Soveriegn with a 1999 Ford F150 4.6 standard 2 wheel drive with no problem.

BTW, I didn't make it to Dunkerque last spring as my daughter's wedding (in Scotland) went bad because the groom chickened out and we had to go to Scotland to be with her.

[overlander63]

Originally posted by brunoffrance
Thank you, trailertrash for your advice;

I'm in negociation with the E150 owner but no bought for the the moment.
If i take the 250 or 350, I have to get a truck license driver; I can ride up to 7716 lbs only. So it very difficult to find these trucks in FRANCE and more difficult to import them because regulation is very hard... except in collectible way.

I love pick-up trucks too but for my job, there is'nt a lot of space to put waste containers inside.
In the van , it's OK and you even can equip it in gas . For a consumption of 15 mpg, the LPG is very intersting comparated with the diesel: 1 liter LPG= 0,30 € or $ / 1 liter diesel = 0,65 € or $; more than the double; OK there is the equipment to pay ...

If you ride a lot ( I) it's very intersting.

I'm impatient to see your van in picture.


Bruno.

Bruno, I don't know about Europe, but here in North America we have available something called a "topper", or "camper shell" that mounts on the top of the bed of a pickup truck, making it very much like a van (with not much headroom).
One is available here for your new truck.
have you considered this?
Terry

[brunoffrance]

Hi terry;
I've seen that and I' going to search, in FRANCE, or EUROPE, where I can find this kind of cover; May be ,not so large than a camper shell, but somthing great to cover the F150 bed to put all my future waste containers.
If you have some links, in USA, it'll be great.

Thank you

Bruno

[Stefrobrts]

Bruno, I'm happy for you that you found a good tow vehicle. I think you'll be much happier with that than with a 6 cylinder van! It looks very good!

[brunoffrance]

Thank you Stephanie;
I hope this F150 'll tow great. For the moment , no destination and the A/S 'll go wintering.
The 6 cylinders Econoline was'nt enough strong for towing and it'was necessarry to find the V8 , as yours;
I've found only one so, when I 've called, it was sold...
I've seached with announces on the web, but no more in FRANCE, some in EUROPE, but , most of time, they were van version, too expensive. The only way was the CANADA; Again, too much taxes ( hello custom ' taxes 22% plus TVAat 19,6% ...) and great difficulties to get french card, with french technical administrations.
So I decided to find a french pick up and here it is.

Now that is right, both towing and business.
I'm going to equip it with LPG and find the great cover, to put inside the medical waste containers.

By, stephanie.