Weight police I need help please

[kone]

Please help with my situation. Thanks.

I ordered a new Winnie 2500FL, published @ 5250 dry, 7000 wet, 585 hitch. I am searching for tv to pull it. Have newer F150 2.7 to trade plus enough cash to buy either F150 3.5/3.55 or F250 3.72 gears. Money isn't first priority, luckily.

Traveling will be me, wife, trusty lab Tonka at 400 lbs total. Our plan is to get out and see the US a week to 2 weeks a few times a year. Some of those trips will be out west, we hope. We think we'll go to, let's say Glacier, on the drive out/back we may stop here/there but bulk of the time we think we'll be fairly fixed to a location. We also might do the snowbird thing in the winter, maybe NM or GA tho.

Back to the tv. I really would like to stay in a 150, the '19 F150 Lariat Screw with 3.55s and Max Tow. If that's too close for comfort then '19 F250 XLT Screw with 3.73. Even been thinking if I'm going to the F250 maybe just go step further and get diesel.

Obviously payload and the smaller footprint and weight of the 150. A top wdh and anti-sway will help a lot and will be on my rig. I just read a lot of "stuff" about white-knuckle driving with rigs similar to mine. Some say it's fine, there's are touchy times with any rig. I don't want to reduce the stress as much as possible, I didn't retire from commuting 44 mi each way on the PA Turnpike to do this for "fun".

All help, advice, recommendations, smacks in the head or nyuck-nyuck pokes in the eye , are appreciated.

Thanks!!!

[Normal_Dave]

"Like shooting fish in a barrel..."

If I were a Ford guy (well, I guess I am, since I still have a Club Wagon Chateau in the fleet), I'd drop by Keller Bros, and take a look at this. Gas engine, trailer tower's dream, Look at how this thing is spec'd out, I guess the Silver Spruce color got my attention first but wow! (F-250 XLT Crew 6.2L)
http://www.windowsticker.forddirect....2mK4ACVS8Qo%3D

But, on the other hand, a surprisingly well-equipped, dressed-up work truck in the Ram Tradesman 2500, 6.4L Hemi Crew with the Rambox cargo system and more often seen in the high 30s/low 40s.
Example: Beyer/Morristown NJ
https://www.ramtrucks.com/hostd/wind...UR5CJ2JG377670

Edit: may not be your style, but here's a 2500 Big Horn Crew, with Sport Package, 6.4L, 3.73, Off Road package, Luxury, etc., loaded up. (Savage61 in Reading, Business Link certified dealers are usually pretty decent). Ironic, they have two identical units, sequential serial numbers.
https://www.ramtrucks.com/hostd/wind...UR5DJ6JG415433

Oh, and congrats on the New Winnie, a very good value overall.

[ASTMedic]

Since I use an F250 I'm partial to it. I think it's just going to be the more stable tow of the two but it will be a less smooth daily driver. To me it was night and day going from a half ton to the F250 when towing. It just feels planted to the ground more to put it simply.

I have the same drive train you're looking at in the F250 and it works great so long as you're not going over the rockies. If I was at altitude I'd want the diesel, not that the Sierras don't pose a workout for my truck but it's nothing I think it can't handle.

[JMynes]

I went from a Chevy 1500 to an F-250 and have no regrets. The F-250 rides a bit stiffer, but letting a little air out of the tires when not towing helps tremendously. Much of the time towing something or other is “imminent”, so I just leave the tires alone and don’t worry about it.

[mtofell]

I would definitely got to a 250/2500 but that's not to say you have to. The HD platform is just soooo much more stable when towing it's hard to really explain. You just have to experience it. That being said, some these newer 1/2 tons do have impressive payload #s compared to just a few years ago. If you do go the 1/2 ton route be sure to get the best "tow ready" one you can - gear ratio, towing package, etc.

I'm a Ram guy currently but a friend has a newer F150 that is pretty nice. Although, he has had to tweak his WDH quite a bit to get things just right. I'd probably get air bags just to keep the back from sagging if you do the 1/2 ton route.

[BobChill]

I'm dragging around a similar spec trailer (2455 bhs) with a 1/2 ton Ram. With the truck loaded with 4 passengers and full tank of gas I'm only 100lbs below payload (1500lbs payload on my truck). Trailer is 5300 dry and I went to a Cat scale last weekend. Loaded to camp less food and clothes the tongue weight is 720lbs. Tows excellent. I have no issues with a half ton. No sway or trouble anywhere and I've been up and down some grades and on multiple highways. Zero sway from passing trucks and my truck feels planted. I did upgrade a couple things though. I replaced my rear springs and put on a set of XL load rated tires. I run them at 50psi. Truck is dead level towing.

With that said, this is the biggest trailer I'd tow with a half ton. GVWR of the trailer is 7k lbs and length is just under 28'. It's a good match for my truck but anything bigger and I would upgrade. There's 2 answers to your questions. First answer is that trailer can be easily managed by a well equipped half ton and the other answer is a 250 would give you more wiggle room with weight and tow better as well. You are in the same place as countless others buying a trailer in the same size range.

[2002guy]

I would opt for a 3/4 ton truck, in the future you may buy another trailer and the added wheel base will be safer if the bad thing happens on the road, IMHO the chose of diesel or gas comes down to how the truck will be used at home a diesel truck will not be happy with short around town errand running and such but it will tow better in the hills a gas truck will be happier around town but will work harder in the hills.

[SmokeyWren]

Originally Posted by kone

I ordered a new Winnie 2500FL, published @ 5250 dry, 7000 wet, 585 hitch. ...Back to the tv. I really would like to stay in a 150, the '19 F150 Lariat Screw with 3.55s and Max Tow. If that's too close for comfort then '19 F250 XLT Screw with 3.73. Even been thinking if I'm going to the F250 maybe just go step further and get diesel.

Almost exactly my situation last fall when I ordered my 2019 F-150. The answer is an F-150 with the heavy duty payload package (HDPP). But the fly in the cream is that Ford no longer offers the F-150 Lariat with HDPP ... The fanciest available with HDPP is XLT trim with 301A trim pkg.

If you and your sweetheart can enjoy XLT 301A trim, then order F-150 with 3.5L Ecoboost engine, HDPP and the max tow pkg. There are other restrictions in ordering HDPP, such as you must order the "long" bed, 6.5' on a SuperCrew or 8' on a SuperCab.

If you order an F-250, there are no restrictions to worry about. You can have almost any configuration you want, long or short bed, any trim level, gas or diesel engine.

After we retired, we bought a new 25' fifth-wheel RV trailer and a new Ford Diesel CrewCab to pull it with. We didn't "full time RV", but we put about 10,000 miles per year on our rig. After 10 years, we downsized to a small TT towed by an F-150 3.5L. That 3.5L EcoBoost engine is an amazing powerplant, so we ordered it again in our 2019.

[tuffr2]

Ford builds 3 different F-150's. The F-150 lite with lighter frame and 2.7 Eco-Boost.

Then they build the meat and potatoes version with the 3.5 Eco-Boost and 5.0 litre coyote engine with a heavier frame.

Then they will build the uni-corn heavy duty F-150 with a thicker frame yet, longer wheelbase, more lug nuts on the wheels, tow mirrors different rear axle, and a bunch of other towing items. This option is the HDPP with the heavy towing package. The only engine is the 3.5 Eco-Boost.

[kone]

Originally Posted by mtofell

I would definitely got to a 250/2500 but that's not to say you have to. The HD platform is just soooo much more stable when towing it's hard to really explain. You just have to experience it. That being said, some these newer 1/2 tons do have impressive payload #s compared to just a few years ago. If you do go the 1/2 ton route be sure to get the best "tow ready" one you can - gear ratio, towing package, etc.

I'm a Ram guy currently but a friend has a newer F150 that is pretty nice. Although, he has had to tweak his WDH quite a bit to get things just right. I'd probably get air bags just to keep the back from sagging if you do the 1/2 ton route.

Normal Dave turned me on to an leftover 18 Ram 2500 Laramie 6.4 in my neighborhood that is looking sweet. Let's see how bad they want an 18 old-style truck off their lot.

[kone]

Originally Posted by SmokeyWren

If you and your sweetheart can enjoy XLT 301A trim, then order F-150 with 3.5L Ecoboost engine, HDPP and the max tow pkg. There are other restrictions in ordering HDPP, such as you must order the "long" bed, 6.5' on a supercrew

Therein lies the rub. The #1 reason I want the 150 is because it will fit in the garage - by 3 inches. If I'm going to a truck that won't fit I might as well go 250 size.

And I don't want to order and lose negotiating leverage.

[kone]

Originally Posted by Normal_Dave

"Like shooting fish in a barrel..."

If I were a Ford guy (well, I guess I am, since I still have a Club Wagon Chateau in the fleet), I'd drop by Keller Bros, and take a look at this. Gas engine, trailer tower's dream, Look at how this thing is spec'd out, I guess the Silver Spruce color got my attention first but wow! (F-250 XLT Crew 6.2L)
http://www.windowsticker.forddirect....2mK4ACVS8Qo%3D

But, on the other hand, a surprisingly well-equipped, dressed-up work truck in the Ram Tradesman 2500, 6.4L Hemi Crew with the Rambox cargo system and more often seen in the high 30s/low 40s.
Example: Beyer/Morristown NJ
https://www.ramtrucks.com/hostd/wind...UR5CJ2JG377670

Edit: may not be your style, but here's a 2500 Big Horn Crew, with Sport Package, 6.4L, 3.73, Off Road package, Luxury, etc., loaded up. (Savage61 in Reading, Business Link certified dealers are usually pretty decent). Ironic, they have two identical units, sequential serial numbers.
https://www.ramtrucks.com/hostd/wind...UR5DJ6JG415433

Oh, and congrats on the New Winnie, a very good value overall.

I am negotiating with Keller Bros already, not sure if it's the same truck though. Good folks there, I bought my current 150 from them, they aren't big discounters usually.

I also know the owner of Savage. Might have to pull that card on a 2500.

[lawjohnson]

Do the 3/4 ton with the diesel and pay more to drive it but drive it FOREEVER!!

[kone]

Originally Posted by lawjohnson

Do the 3/4 ton with the diesel and pay more to drive it but drive it FOREEVER!!

Yeah, gotta get that by The Treasurer

Hard for me to get thru my noggin (spend $) a 3/4 allows for future when a F150 3.5 Max will pull my to-be trailer easily.