TellyDSP

We recently completed over 800 miles with our 17 SCrew EB and a 28' bunkhouse. The truck pulled the trailer without any problem through the Smokies. I was able to accelerate up a 5% grade with ease. I have no complaints about the power of the engine. My only hangup is the crosswinds. I know theres a price to pay for dragging a 28' sail down the road. I'm interested in hearing from the guys that made the leap from 150 to 250. Do you notice the whole rig is more planted? I was finally convinced I didnt need the 250 after the first part of out trip. That all changed when I got rocked by cross winds the entire way from Gatlinburg to Chattanooga. It made me seriously consider whether the added mass of the 250 would make a noticeable difference in that situation. Other than sheer mass, the EB pulled like a champ and the entire rig stayed nice and tight going down the road. The hitch was dialed in tight and even with the winds, I never felt like the trailer wanted to do its own thing. I'm just not trying to make a habit of getting tossed around the lane like I did the last leg our trip.

If it helps, I'd be looking at a 6.2 250. I know it weighs about 1k less than the diesel. So I'd really like to hear from the guys who made the leap to the 6.2, since my main consideration is using the mass/weight of the truck itself as a better anchor for the trailer.

Magnetic157

I had a 16' F150 Max Tow 3.5 EB pulling a 33' / 7,600lb TT.

I had the same issues with cross winds and trucks passing - the tail kept wagging the dog on the freeway. The engine pulled great though.

I upgraded to a 2018 F250 6.2 and it definitely feels more planted on the road. In the beginning I was having some slight sway issues, but once I dialed in my WDH it pretty much went away. I just got back from a 7.5 hour trip to West Virginia and was able to cruise around 70mph virtually the entire time without issue.

clarkbre

Going from an '11 Ecoboost to a '16 6.2 was a noticeable difference.

Our trailer is 30' total with a 25' box weighing 7500. While the F150 had plenty of power, it lacked payload capacity and stability on the road. The F150 weighed about 5675 dry and 7200 fully loaded . In the 4k miles we towed our trailer with the F150, we were never in any danger; however, the truck never felt "planted" on the road. The truck was also maxed out the 1529 available payload and with another kid on the way and 2 already growing, the F150 got too small for our family.

Stepping up to the F250, the dry weight is 7225 and has a payload of 2766. Fully loaded, the truck weighs about 9100 and handles the trailer with ease. The beefier suspension, larger brakes, more robust frame and overall mass really do handle the trailer better. The other main difference is that the wheelbase of the F250 is 11" longer (156" vs 145") and that helps the vehicle track better.

Driveability of the 6.2 while towing is different but not in a bad or good way....just different. The 6.2 will rev higher than the Ecoboost and the transmission shifts more often....it does this by design. Without the boost of the turbos, the engine needs higher RPM to make more power. It's very happy at 3500 RPM in 3rd gear motoring up most hills. In comparison, the Ecoboost pulled the same hills in 3rd gear at about 3500 RPM but it was also running lost of boost. On paper, while towing, the fuel mileage is the same in both trucks. Both averaged 8.0-8.4 MPG towing; however, the argument can be made that the 6.2 is having to move an extra 2000 pounds....pound for pound, the 6.2 can move more mass using the same amount of fuel as the Ecoboost.

The only downside going from the Ecoboost to the 6.2 is the fuel used while running around empty. The Eco could get up to 19mpg going 65mph down the highway....it got about 14mpg in town (most of my driving). The 6.2 gets about 14mpg on the highway and about 11mpg in town. Again, on paper, those MPG numbers look like a crazy difference but they're really not. With the city driving being in the majority, the difference is not that much. And, keeping track of the regular vs. towing miles, my F250 spends 36% of it's life towing our trailer....so, for 1/3 of the usage of the F150 or F250, they would be getting the same mpg.

Hope this helps.

I found these 2 videos were good reviews as well:

PerryB

Stability wise, the difference is night and day. The bigger brakes are nice too.

Maury82

I've towed my 37 ft 8,400lb dry trailer with both, HDPP and a rented F250, and there is a difference, but not a "night and day" difference.

You are trying to compare a third string shorter wheelbase and soft P rated tires F-150 to a first string F250, instead of a first string F150...the HDPP, longer wheelbase, stiffer suspension and LT tires to the F-250 with more weight, stiffer suspension, and LT tires...apples to apples.

If I were you, I would first upgrade the truck tires to a good stiff D rated set of LT Michelins, and upgrade those soft and soggy "flip-flops" trailer tires to some heavy duty work boots stiff 10 plies. If there isn't any compromises for you having a larger truck, get the larger truck.

I larger truck was too great of a compromise for me, so I got the best compromise available for me.

Those tires will stiffen up your whole setup, but it still won't handle it in strong winds like a F250, but it might change your mind about feeling like you need a whole new vehicle.

My setup. No sway, no squirming, no tail wagging the dog, only a mild push on the truck from semis, and tows comfortably at 67mph up to 30mph winds, anything pst that I'm slowing down along with the semis.

nixamousa

We tow a 24 foot, 6500 lbs trailer. Our 2013 F150 towed pretty good, slowed on hills and in mountains. Crosswinds made it a little goosey, even with stiffer rear tires. We have an Anderson hitch system. We recently upgraded to 2019 F250, 6.7 diesel, XLT, primarily for pulling power in hills and mountains. Completed a 4400 mile trip recently pulling the trailer from the Midwest to Maine and back. The F250 is definitely a different beast, noticibly more rigid and stiffer in ride than the F150. Crosswinds were barely noticed as well as the suction effect from passing trucks. I just wish the F250 ride quality was as glorious as the F150 - we would all be in heaven.

acdii

A resounding YES. My trailer is pretty much like yours, Coleman 274BH, same length. I originally towed it IL to Utah and back up through, and over the Ike with a 2014 F150 EB. It towed and handled exceptionally well. Then towed it with a 2016 that had issues. Was not fun at all. Got a 2018, had to upgrade the hitch, the new body and suspension of the F150 has changed quite a bit from the 2014 and needs to be perfectly dialed in for a comfortable tow. I did finally get it dialed in and it tows well with the 18, but like you said, passing trucks and cross winds let themselves be known.

In planning for my next trailer, I went and bought an F350 because I wanted a Diesel, and I got a great deal on one. The F350 towing the same trailer is like a completely different animal. I can barely tell it is pulling a trailer. Semis can't be felt when going by, A few times I didn't know one was passing until I saw the front of it go past my door. There are two things that let me know I am towing a trailer, strong cross winds of 15+ MPH, felt a few crossing some bridges in Wisconsin, and road bumps that are large enough to bounce the trailer. Those are the only two things that the trailer will affect the truck.

Braking is VERY good compared to the F150. I was distracted for a moment while coming to a road to turn on and saw it last minute and hit the brakes. I was SHOCKED at how quickly it brought it all down to turning speed from 45 MPH. It was as if I didn't have the trailer back there. I can tell you, that even with the Powerstop brakes on the F150, there is no way it would slow the rig down as quickly as the Superduty can. I heard two voices behind me say WOW that was quick.

AN F250 will tow your trailer so nice, you will not want to stop.

Not going to compare power since you are looking at the gas version, but should be comparable to the EB in most cases except altitude.

77Ranger460

I pull a 25 ft 6k+ trailer with a 6.2 4.30 F350. I pulled about 4k miles this year. Several times I was in high wind. The truck felt solid the whole time. The only way I really knew the wind was blowing was from watching the trees beside the road. Braking is excellent.

nathan3306

Take a look at the ProPride P3 or Hensley Hitch if you're not quiet ready for the truck upgrade. That was a night and day difference from my E2 WD hitch. It will solve a lot of the complaints you have but you'll still have pull push from semis... just no getting around that. I will say, it's a vast improvement compared to the old.