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I currently have an older F 150 not alot of power, i am looking to buy a 2013 Ford F150 with an engine that has a lot of low end tork and towing capabilities to tow an RV that weighs about 6000 lbs all over the us without any issue can i get some suggestions about what would be the best motor for the job thanks .
The 3.5 Ecoboost or either of the V8s will handle a 6,000 lb. trailer. The 6.2L V8 may be scarce. My 3.5 Ecoboost with 3.55 rear axle tows my 7240 lb. camper without complaint at 10 mpg. Note the 420 lb.-ft. of torque at only 2400 rpm.
Be more concerned with the PAYLOAD. My XLT has a 1607 lb. payload. Higher trim levels have less payload. With 587 lbs. of people and accessories in the truck and 860 lbs. of hitch weight, my truck is loaded to 95% of its GVWR.
Last edited by atwowheelguy; 10-09-2017 at 12:38 AM.
i am looking to buy a 2013 Ford F150 with an engine that has a lot of low end tork and towing capabilities to tow an RV that weighs about 6000 lbs all over the us without any issue can i get some suggestions about what would be the best motor for the job thanks .
As atwowheelguy noted, power and torque is not your problem. Payload capacity is your limiter. My TT grosses only 4,870 pounds with 650 pounds hitch weight when wet and loaded on the road, but my F-150 with 7,100 pounds GVWR is slightly overloaded over the 1,366 pounds payload capacity. So my SuperCrew 4x2 with 6.5' bed can haul
330 me and DW
60 two dogs
650 hitch weight
200 camper shell
40 bedrug
-----
1,280 pounds
which leaves 86 pounds for my toolbox and jacks and jackstands. But my toolbox and jacks and jackstands and other micellaneous stuff weighs 186 pounds, so I'm overloaded by 100 pounds.
My 2012 F-150 Lariat with 3.5L EcoBoost drivetrain is a towing beast. Much better towing machine than the 5.0L antiquated V8, and better MPG than the 6.2L. And the TurboBoost engine doesn't lose power when towing at high altitude, so it's better for towing in mountains than the 6.2L. I would not even think about trying to tow a 6k TT with the standard V6 engine.
With the 3.5L EcoBoost drivetrain, you need not be concerned about the rear axle ratio. My 4x2 with 3.15 axle has no problem towing a 9,000 pound trailer though the Hill Country, but 3.31 or 3.55 would be even better. The ultimate would be the 3.73 axle ratio with the heavy duty payload package (HDPP) and max tow pkg. HDPP is rare, so maybe look for one that has the max tow pkg without HDPP. On a 2013, the max tow pkg adds some GVWR and payload capacity, so you can tow a bit heavier trailer without exceeding the GVWR of the F-150. Don't be afraid of the TurboBoost engine. Ford has been manufacturing turbo engines for many years. My previous towing machine was a '99.5 F-250 PowerStroke turbo diesel. My current 2012 TurboBoost engine has over 63,000 miles on it with no problems at all. I'm constantly amazed at how much power and torque that little engine puts out.
On the driver's door frame there is a sticker that gives payload capacity. For a 6,000 pound TT, I would want payload capacity of at least 1,500 pounds. That probably means no 4WD and no fancy trim pkg. Even my Lariat was overloaded with a TT that weighed less than 5,000 pounds. A Limited or King Ranch or Platinum SuperCrew 4x4 loaded for a normal family camping trip wouldn't have a prayer of towing a 6k TT without exceeding the payload capacity of the F-150.
Is there a reason your limiting your search to a 2013? 2011 thru 2014 are almost identical when equipped with the same trim and options.
Last edited by smokeywren; 10-09-2017 at 05:43 PM.
2014 is a good year. Stick to XLT so you can get the payload you need, and the 3.5 is hands down the tow motor of choice.
I towed a 6300# travel trailer, 28' long with a 14 RWD Screw 5.5 bed, 3.5 EB, 3.15 gearing up and over I-70, 11000 foot altitude with ease. The truck only had 1470# payload, and was maxed too. It was a Lariat 501a, no tow package, 26 gallon tank.
What you want to look for, 36 gallon tank, no moonroof, and tow package, Max tow if you can find it, and in XLT trim. This should give you all you need.
Just make sure you are looking at REAL trailer weight and not the manufacturers dry weight. Manufacturers dry weight figures are always way low compared to real world. If you are buying from an RV dealer, have them run it across a scale, then add 750 pounds or more for your stuff that is likely to be in that trailer. Check out the trailer's GVWR, you could end up closer to that number than the dry weight.
+10 Max tow, big fuel tank, and watch out for low payload which means no loaded up truck. My heavily optioned 2010 2WD Lariat has a puny 1450# payload, pretty low for a truck with 9,800# tow rating.
Last edited by thrifty biil; 10-11-2017 at 08:03 AM.
My 14 501a with 26 gallon tank RWD had only 1470# payload. It had very few options on it as well. Towed very well though, much better than my 16 with a tow package and higher payload.
2014 is a good year. Stick to XLT so you can get the payload you need, and the 3.5 is hands down the tow motor of choice.
I towed a 6300# travel trailer, 28' long with a 14 RWD Screw 5.5 bed, 3.5 EB, 3.15 gearing up and over I-70, 11000 foot altitude with ease. The truck only had 1470# payload, and was maxed too. It was a Lariat 501a, no tow package, 26 gallon tank.
What you want to look for, 36 gallon tank, no moonroof, and tow package, Max tow if you can find it, and in XLT trim. This should give you all you need.
10-09-2017, 12:06 AM
2013 ford f150
