clarkbre

To the OP:

I agree with others that an F250 is likely a better choice.

With a growing family and the want for longer trips towing our 7500 lbs trailer, I faced the same decisions you are. I ultimately sold my '11 EcoB XLT and bought a '16 F250 XLT 6.2.

Interior and size wise they were very similar. However, the noticeable upgrade came when I towed the trailer. The F250 handled it with more confidence and stability on the road. The F150 had 3.55 gearing and the F250 has 3.73. There is some difference in the shifting, but the F250 provides good, even power for towing. And, it actually is getting better mileage than the EcoB got pulling the trailer.

My best advice, on the style of camping and the gear/toys you take, don't hesitate to get the 3/4 ton.

And one more thing....The f150 rode great unloaded but the trailer helped whiten the knuckles....The F250....hook a trailer up to it and it rides smooth with a pretty relaxed drive.

bikendan

Forget the fancy trim levels, like the Lariat, if you want it for towing. all that fancy bling lowers payload capacity.

berniedes

Hi Matt D for towing a 5500 loaded trailer, you will do just fine with the 3.5 eco and you will have power to spare. You could also tow it with the 2.7 eco and it will still be better than your chevy 5.3 .

pilotpip

Just went through this process. My 18 XLT screw is very well equipped (FX4, sport appearance, sliding rear window, etc). The payload is just under 1800lbs. A 250 with similar options will have about 3000lbs payload. I don't know how much you'd lose with a lariat because I don't care for leather seats.

For me, it came down to how often I'll be towing a trailer. Maybe once or twice a month. The F-150 will be more than adequate for the travel trailers we're looking at (under 30', less than 7000lbs) and much better for the 90% of the time it's a daily driver. Another thing was price. Sticker was pretty close between the 150 and 250 (with a 6.2), but the 150 had nearly $10k in incentives and rebates.

If you're considering upgrading your trailer, there's no doubt I'd go with a 250.

marshallr

With that little weight you don't need an F250. Any F150, with either V6 EB engine or the 5.0 V8 will easily pull your current trailer. Unless you have plans to go to a bigger trailer a 1/2 ton is fine and you don't even need to worry about the max tow package.

Payload on all 1/2 ton trucks are all over the place. Look carefully at the sticker on the door. I've seen F150's with as little as 1100 lbs and as much as 2100 lbs. Many F250's have less than 2100 lbs payload so it really depends on the truck. Most 1/2 tons regardless of who makes them are in the 1600-1800 lb range. Your Chevy at 1300 is on the lighter end of the scale.

Pay attention to gear ratios too. Some trucks with 3.15 gears will struggle even with powerful engines. The EB engines, especially with the new 10 speed transmissions can get by with 3.31's but I like 3.55's better. With the 5.0 you need 3.55's or maybe even 3.73's.

Locking out overdrive in your current truck is perfectly normal, and you'll have to do the same at times with either Ford engine. It doesn't hurt a thing, that is why they have more than 1 gear, don't be afraid to use them. With the 6 speeds both 5th and 6th gears are OD so it is common to lock out both and use 4th, or even 3rd gear on inclines when pulling heavier loads. The new 10 speeds have gears 8-10 as OD. I have no personal experience with those, but wouldn't be surprised if it were necessary to lock out everything above 7th at times.

Maury82

The new 10 speeds have gears 8-10 as OD. I have no personal experience with those, but wouldn't be surprised if it were necessary to lock out everything above 7th at times.[/QUOTE]

In tow haul mode at 65 mph on level highway, my truck will pull my trailer in 9th gear. I never locked out any gears because the transmission doesn't hunt around, and tend to drop two gears at a time.

When accelerating, it will drop to 7th, and you would have to floor it, or pulling a long 7% grade at highway speed to get it down to 5th.

This is my first automatic transmission since the early 80s, and I was surprised at how well it behaves.

DarrinT04

this would be my suggestion too. maybe a diesel though if you would rather. either way it will be much easier and less strain on 3/4 ton than a 1/2 ton.

77Ranger460

If I were getting a diesel, it would be a 350....The diesel option reduces payload by about 800 lbs.

smokeywren

My previous tow vehicle was a 2012 F-150 Lariat SuperCrew 4x2 with 3.5L EcoBoost engine and 3.15 e-Locker axle. It had less than 1400 pounds payload, so when loaded for camping with toolbox and jacks and two dogs, I was slightly overloaded when on the road with my TT that has only 650 pounds tongue weight.

So I studied the specs for 2019 F-150s. I wanted the same truck as my wonderful 2012, but with significantly more payload capacity. The answer was F-150 with heavy duty payload package (HDPP). But DW wanted Lariat trim, and for 2019 Ford ceased production of HDPP combined with Lariat trim. The fanciest trim available with HDPP is XLT 301.

So my compromise was to get the Lariat 501 trim for DW, but downsize to the SuperCab with max tow pkg. I now have 1904 pounds payload capacity. More payload capacity than I need for my TT without being oveloaded, so I'm a happy camper. The SuperCab has plenty of room for our two dogs, although it would be a mite bit cramped for two adults. My 2012 with 6-speed tranny was a towing monster, and others have stated that the newer F-150s with 10-speed tranny are even better.

So what would I suggest for you? Assuming you want a SuperCrew 4x4, and would be satisfied with the XLT Mid (301) trim, then order:
2019 F-150 SuperCrew 4x4 with HDPP and 3.5L EcoBoost engine.
With EcoBoost engine HDPP requires Max Trailer Tow Pkg with 36-gallon fuel tank and integrated trailer brake conroller
Includes
3.73 E-locker 9.75" axle

Add: Factory tow mirrors. "Sorry, Charlie", but the fabulous PowerScope tow mirrors with power fold and telescope are not available with XLT trim. The available XLT tow mirrors have power glass, but manual fold and telescope.

Have the dealer print you out a copy of the 2019 F-150 Order Guide. Then go over it with a fine-tooth comb to decide what other options you want.

Don't expect to find your HDPP truck in stock anywhere. Plan on ordering it and waiting at least 6 weeks for Ford to assemble it and ship it to your dealer.

If the above F-150 XLT with HDPP doesn't set your heart aflutter, then your next choice is an F-250. You can have any options and trim level, bed length and drivetrain you want on an F-250, even a fully loaded Platinum, without being overloaded with your RV trailer and bike. And you can probably find it in stock at any big Ford dealer that sells lots of trucks. The only fly in the ointment might be the gas engine. The EcoBoost engines are not available in F-250s, so the 6.2L V8 is the only choice for a gasser. And the PowerStroke diesels are way more popular than the gassers, so if you insist on a gasser, you may have to order it to get the options you want (and are willing to pay for).

Air bags hide the symptoms of overloading a tow vehicle, but they do nothing to increase the GVWR or payload capacity of the tow vehicle. So if you were overloaded without air bags, you'll be even more overloaded with air bags.

DarrinT04

why's that?