Bordo78

I'm trying to help my dad. I am in the process of purchasing a 2013 F-150. Through the process I've been trying to do some research for a size of truck that suits MY needs. While doing this, I've also talked to my dad who is looking for a new truck to pull his 1931 Model A with. He says his truck might do 55 mph on the freeway, 60 mph on a flat stretch. His his truck too small? Or is it the axle ratio?

He has a 1991 Regular Cab F-150 4x4 with a 302 V8 engine. He's not sure what his axle ratio is and I haven't the slightest clue either.

He wants to pull a 1931 Ford Model A 4-door sedan in a 7x16 V-nose enclosed tandem axle trailer.

Total weight I believe is approximately 5000 pounds being towed (being conservative). He says if feels like he's pulling a parachute.

From what I've read, the F-150 should have no problem pulling 5000 pounds. Am I correct?

Brett_J

I don't think it will be an issue for any model of f-150 to pull that weight. I havn't really looked at many models for towing weight but I can't see it being an issue.

russellsawatsky

I had a 89 F150 4X4 scab 302 and it was not a great tow vehicle, had a old small single axal camper trailer I think it was a little liter than your dad's trailer. The truck had power to pull it but not the suspension . My new truck with max tow pulls our 8500# travel trailer with out issue your new truck should pull his trailer ok.

Bryson

He can get a gear swap, hes probably got a pretty high gear ratio, cuz my 91 302, has pulled a near full 500 gallon water tank and industrial pressure washer and it weighed just a bit over 5k i think and it pulled it Decent enough. We weren't driving 60 tho, we were driving around 50

Bordo78

Interesting. You are all saying what I thought you would say. That his F-150 should have no problems towing 5000 pounds. I wonder if the size of his trailer really is acting as a parachute?! Or he has a high gear ratio.

sdmartin65

I had a f150 about same vintage as your dad and a 5000 lb trailer would have been more than I would have wanted to tow with that truck. Fifty mph with your foot to the floor sounds about right.

Edit. The truck had 3.31 gears and a 5 spd, not a good towing combo.

raisin

I pulled 6K 24' travel trailer with my 89' Bronco 302 4x4 3.55 axle with no problems on the level. I now pull it with 99' 5.4 3.73 axle (much more power).
I'm going to get 2014' F-150 5.0 3.73 which will blow both them away. I've been over 10K and 11K mountain passes at a slow crawl. Looking forward to the 14' 5.0.

uh60mip

Under most conditions, your assessment is correct. There is, however, a little more involved. Here is my recommendation, based on what you described as your intended towing requirements: Go with the V-8, not the EB engine. There are enough issues going on with the EB engine (look at the forum reports, even though Ford denies it) that it could end up being more headache than it's worth. The 5.0 V-8 is a tried and true platform. Get the 3.73 rear. It has better low-end torque for towing under most conditions. The V-front trailer you mentioned is the optimum for the type of towing you plan to do.

One thing you didn't mention is the truck bed. I would strongly recommend getting or adding a cab-high canopy to the truck. Not just for storage capabilities, but for fuel economy, too. Not higher or a bed lid, but cab high. This will make for better airflow overall. I did it with my 2011 FX4 SCREW, configured as above with a 7x14 single axle trailer (Road King, tools, and misc.). I get better performance and mileage than a co-worker (2011 SCREW Lariat, EB, 3.31, 6" higher than the cab) towing a little 4x6 trailer. Being an aviation geek, I looked heavily at the aerodynamics involved. The truck's cab and canopy both sit about two inches higher than the top of the trailer. The airflow is disturbed less than it might be with a lower canopy or lid. The V-front of yours helps, but the flow over the top still has an effect. There are numerous discussions about whether to keep it waxed (I do) or not, in order to further improve airflow (MythBusters did an entire show on it). That'll have to be something for you to try and experiment with.

Oh, if your budget allows, go for quality over price, and stay away from the aluminum shells. Get something that fits your truck well, has a quality finish and a good warranty. I've dealt primarily with Leer and ARE over the years, and never had a problem with any of them.

I hope this is of some help. Let us know how it works out.

Bordo78

I wonder if his has the 3.31 gears. His is a 5 speed manual transmission.

What is the best way to determine the gear ratio that he has?

sportster07

Your dad needs an f250, not an f150. That's quite a bit to tow and regardless of what they tell you an f150 is capable of towing, whatever a 150 can do a 250 can do better. An f250 with a 6.2 will have no problems and it will be much easier on the driveline. 60mph pulling a big trailer? Good luck. I know my f150 has been retired from any hauling after switching to an f250 for a work truck there won't be any going back.

You can change the gears if you want but it's still an old truck with sub-200 hp and it's only a half ton. 4.10's will make a bit of a difference but you're still putting stress on the driveline and suspension. That's not a real light trailer