SIC_HDPP

For what your looking to do I wouldn't go with a snow plow. I would find a used utility atv and throw a plow on the front of that. The atv can take the abuse and it's cheaper to fix and atv then it is a truck. You can always load the atv in the bed of your truck if you ever needed to help anyone out.

Atlee

Why did you move from a 3/4 or 1 ton Duramax diesel to a 1/2 ton F150 Eco Boost? Right now, I'm looking into moving from my current F150 5.4 to either a used diesel or a new ECO Boost.

Engineer Guy

During the inaugural Tow yesterday for my Truck, I used 'Tow/Haul' Mode and Manual Downshifting. I estimate the Truck Bed/Payload of Household Goods to have been 1,200 lbs. The Utility Trailer + Load I'd guesstimate at 2,500 lbs..

Especially when Cruise Control is engaged, Tow/Haul did a fine job of maintaining -/+ the desired speed up/down I-70 Grades at the ~11,000' Eisenhower Tunnel and ~10,600' Vail Pass. Braking req'd was moderate; no possibility over Brake overheating, IMO. All Analog Temp Gauges were unmoved near center.

McClure Pass, shown below through the Windshield of my prior SUV in Winter, has 8% Grades both directions. Here, I did what I've always done to prevent picking up excess speed. I manually shifted into 2nd Gear. I hit just over 50 MPH and 4,800 RPM max on the sweeping South side descent. The Rock Cuts shown below, and the Monsoon Rains of yesterday, made this section a demanding drive, attention-wise.

I'm happy with the 5.0L V-8 thus far since I'll do most future Camp Trailer Towing below our ~6,200' House Elevation.

Two cautionary sights early on were a Dodge Truck 'turtled' off the Road Embankment North of Golden CO, with some sort of very stout Work Trailer overturned behind it. At the bottom of I-70 Eastbound, a Semi had just made it to a stop with Brakes smoking like I'd never seen. This, just ~1 mile past a Truck Runaway Ramp. From all the smoke, I'd guess the Truck Driver was going to shop soon for new Seat Covers.





McClure Pass Looking East Toward Marble CO

Tystevens

Well, kinda long story ...

We bought our trailer back in '08 and weren't happy w/ how our '05 Suburban we owned at the time towed it. So slow, so many RPMs. Only 2 kids at the time, lots of trips out to the PNW to visit my family. So anticipating that would be our future, we bought an '06 Duramax crew cab 2500HD. Fantastic truck, by the way. Kept the Suburban as my wife's daily driver.

By several years later, my siblings had all graduated from college in the PNW and moved to remote locations where they had to fly back to visit. And they started having kids, didn't like to camp too much anymore. So we weren't taking the long trips w/ the trailer. Just 100 mile local trips. Plus, the kicker, we had baby #4 (so 4 kids under age 8 at the time). Oldest was too small to sit in the front middle of the 2500, which only had a lap belt anyway. And 6 in a truck isn't great. So the Duramax was out as the family trip hauler/tower.

So we traded the '05 Suburban in on a '10 Suburban 1500 w/ max tow options and captains chairs in the middle to make it so kids didn't have to climb over the seats anymore. Intention would be that the '10 Sub would be more than adequate for our local trips -- we are close on our ratings, but it does fine. The 6 spd. transmission was a huge upgrade over the 4 spd. And I sold my beloved Duramax (for a lot of money -- a clean LBZ Dmax is a highly sought after truck) and paid cash for a Subaru Outback. I mostly just commute to work, needed something to haul my bikes around and w/ AWD to get me up to the ski slopes, and I thought the Subie would fit the bill.

And after a year driving the Subaru, I hated it. Small, cramped, horrible mpg, and developed leaking headgaskets at 55k miles. Mostly, I just missed having a truck. If I could go back in time, I probably would have just kept the Duramax even though it would have been overkill for my situation. But ...

One drive in an EB F150 sealed the deal and the Subaru was history. I didn't need the capabilities of the 3/4 ton or the diesel, so I didn't want to spend the $$ to go that route. Our probable next RV is a motorhome anyway.

I'd be happy to compare the EB and the diesel if you want to know more.

Atlee

Thanks. It makes sense now. As for comparing the EB to diesel, it's a moot point now. I'm signing the final papers on a '14 Extended Cab, long bed, 4x4, w/ Heavy Duty package. It went from the standard 7200# GVWR to 8200# GVWR. I wanted some wiggle room should I decided to upgrade trailers.

If things go according to plan, I still have a couple of long trips left, including VA to Yellowstone and Monument Valley in UT/AZ plus a trip to the Canadian Maritimes.

And we may make a few winter trips to Florida to escape the Virginia winters.