Superduty and towing 101
 

So I'm the proud papa of a new '17 F-150. I'm not thinking of replacing it, but I am considering adding a new 250 soon or maybe 5 years down the line. So the question is, just thinking of capability, if I get the diesel option, am I set for towing? The F-150 is better/best with the max tow package and the heavy duty payload package and the 3.5 Ecoboost (but a lot of people love the V8, and let's not get into that). My point is, just getting the 150 is not enough to get all you can out of a 150, and just that and the 3.5 EB or V8 is not all you can get. You really need to look at packages and axle ratios. The Ford website and online brochures are a little convoluted because they combine the different Supa Duties (250, 350, etc.). If I get a 250, I'm thinking of towing a travel trailer that might 10,000 pounds and might be up to 15,000 pounds. And, I would also frame the question this way: if my local dealer has a real deal on a 250 with diesel, assuming I don't hate something about it (needs to be a big cab to fit the family), is that all it takes? Or do I need to look at the window sticker for something specific. For years, not owning a pick-up, I would see the Sunday ads and see trucks from all the dealerships showing 1/2-ton trucks for great deals, but when I got serious about the F-150, I saw how that "deal" truck wasn't for me.
Thanks,
Mike Todd

Congrats on the new F-150. These trucks with the 3.5 engine and properly geared will tow 7 to 8K pounds easily. Towing 15K pounds is in the 350 dually range. If you ever plan to get a 5th wheel you'll find out quickly that they have payload problems with a 250 vs a 350. If you do plan to ever get a large and heavy trailer make sure the tongue or pin weight can be handled safely by the tow vehicle. Car and camper dealers will tell you anything to make a sale then it's your problem once you leave the gate and find out your truck can't handle the load. Do your homework in advance!!

Oh, boy. I've seen these discussions on the boards. So 15K pounds is 350 dually territory? (Sigh.) So if I were to get the most basic (but full-sized cab like the the 150 super crew) with the diesel, what can it reliably tow? And what options help that number out?
Thanks,
Mike Todd

With a F-150 even with all the tow packages I would only pull 7 to 8K pounds max. I pulled a 9K pound boat with my '13 F-150 Ecoboost for only 65 miles and it was a pain. Anything above that I would start looking at the Super Duty trucks. Over 13K a F-350 preferably DRW would be better. The gap from 8K to 12K a SRW F-250 or 350 could handle. Conventional towing and towing a 5th wheel are two different games...payload capacity has way more bearing on pulling fifth wheels where pin or hitch weight play a big part.

When you get up to 15k, and a 5ver, you should plan on a dually. The stability differences between SRW and DRW huge. The DRW trucks and yes I drive one every day are not any harder to drive than a lwb srw truck.

This discussion is for 5 years from now?

It could be. But every so often, I find myself noticing something on a dealer lot at maybe a good deal. So my real question, which I probably wasn't clear about is like this. In the old days (before a year ago before I did any kind of research on the half ton trucks), I would see these teaser ads for F-150s and Chevy and Dodge trucks and think, wow, that's a great deal. But the teaser ads aren't likely to have all the towing accessories you really want. I want to know if the 250 is the same way. If I find a 250 with the diesel, can I feel confident that it's the best towing 250, or are there packages I want to be sure about?
Thanks,
Mike

The 350 comes with helper springs in the rear where as on the 250 it's an option included in the camper package. Any standard diesel 350 should have all you need except maybe the 5th wheel package.

An F250 can handle a 15k load, granted 15k is right up there at the top of what the truck is rated for. 15k is a whole lot of camper too. It's all about tongue weights. My F250 came with the camper package, which basically means the back half of the truck is an F350, the camper package includes the overload springs and rear sway bar.

Upper part of the bumper pull trailers...5th wheel may be over on the pin weight due to exceeding payload. Conventional towing and 5th wheel towing have different weight restrictions.