My dilemma
07-27-2015, 10:34 AM
#1
My dilemma
So I want to say this is my 3rd 09+ f150. They've always been reliable and never let me down. This one is no exception to that.
I currently have a 13 screw fx4 with a 5.0 and 3.55 rear. I tow cars on an 18 ft flat bed frequently. No issues other than past 70mph it doesn't feel all that stable (has trailer wiggle) regardless of how a car is loaded weight distribution wise. Plenty of power. Plenty of stopping power. On flat lands.
The wife and I are looking at making a once or twice a year trip to Colorado and ut with family and a rented travel trailer. My issue is I can rent small fester lite trailer and take the southern routes to avoid most of be hills but we don't want to be cramped in a smaller trailer for 10 days due to weight restrictions of my current truck.
Should I just install air bags, upgrade the brakes, and forget about it or make the jump to the f250 I wish I would have bought the first Time? I've got 27k on the truck (bought with 11k) and roughly 8k of the miles I've driven have had a trailer attached. I use my truck for a truck on the weekends but it's also my daily driver (I also have a fox body coupe but it only sees sunshine).
Make the jump or upgrade the current f150 and hope it's enough?
I currently have a 13 screw fx4 with a 5.0 and 3.55 rear. I tow cars on an 18 ft flat bed frequently. No issues other than past 70mph it doesn't feel all that stable (has trailer wiggle) regardless of how a car is loaded weight distribution wise. Plenty of power. Plenty of stopping power. On flat lands.
The wife and I are looking at making a once or twice a year trip to Colorado and ut with family and a rented travel trailer. My issue is I can rent small fester lite trailer and take the southern routes to avoid most of be hills but we don't want to be cramped in a smaller trailer for 10 days due to weight restrictions of my current truck.
Should I just install air bags, upgrade the brakes, and forget about it or make the jump to the f250 I wish I would have bought the first Time? I've got 27k on the truck (bought with 11k) and roughly 8k of the miles I've driven have had a trailer attached. I use my truck for a truck on the weekends but it's also my daily driver (I also have a fox body coupe but it only sees sunshine).
Make the jump or upgrade the current f150 and hope it's enough?
07-27-2015, 10:37 AM
#2
Senior Member
No matter what you do, you can not change the tow rating of the truck. You can find nice 6.7 f350s for a good price. I'd go that route if i were in your shoes. Especially if you live in a state that doesn't do emissions testing and delete the dpf system. Do darn good on fuel after.
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squeak93 (07-27-2015)
07-27-2015, 11:20 AM
#3
Senior Member
Are you towing with a weight distribution hitch? If not that could be a big part of it. Are you running LT tires, if not that could be a big part of it.
07-27-2015, 11:53 AM
#5
No on weight dist hitch. I am on the stock tires and have tossed Around the idea of swapping. Doing the hitch, tires, brakes, etc will run a few grand. But as mentioned still only have a 7k tow rating (close to that can't remember exactly). The trailer I use has tires capable of 70+ and I've tugged it with a hd Chevy with no issues over that. The f150s never like it above 70. Tires and truck overall wheel base and weight obviously play a big role in that.
Really wanting to see if anyone else went though a similar scenario and what direction they went.
Really wanting to see if anyone else went though a similar scenario and what direction they went.