F-150 3.5 Eco-Boost HDPP vs f250 drive comfort

[whitlowe]

We are upgrading our tow rig for our Creekside 20FQ (4800 lb dry weight). We've had a 2003 F250 and liked everything except how firm the seats and ride was. We are looking at the f150 because it rides so NICE and is rated to pull our fully loaded 6000-6500 lbs of trailer.

The f150 now comes with the heavy duty payload package which beefs up the springs and whatnot. Does this result in the truck feeling the same as the new f250s in ride quality?

Is anyone using this truck package now (f150 max tow, hdpp)?

Has the ride quality of the f250 improved yet with load?

Thanks for your thoughts.

[tuffr2]

The two most muscular half ton trucks are the F-150 with HDPP and the Nissan Titan XD.

I would consider the 2020 Nissan Titan XD because it has all the safety equipment standard. It drives nice and has a 9 speed transmission. The Nissan is a lot easier to find than the F-150 HDPP.

The F-150 HDPP is no slouch either.

Both trucks have a longer wheelbase and thicker frame.

I have a 2017 F-250 gas truck. I like this truck a lot. It rides ok to me. I had a 2012 F-450 that was still a bit rough around the edges. Each generation of truck are less trucky. I would rate the 2012 refinement as. 7. I would rate my 2017 refinement as a 9.
A gasoline F-250 will have a payload of around 3,200lbs. The Ford F-250 has a new frame in 2017.

If you have a 2003 F-250 you will like any newer truck you test drive.

I will say the new 2020 GM 2500HD trucks ride better than my 2017. The 2020 Ford F-250 also rides better than my 2017.

There are a few members that I hope post to your thread but if they don't they really like the way the F-150 HDPP tows their trailer. That truck can have a wheelbase of 163" while my short bed F-250 has a wheelbase of 160".The 3.5 Eco-Boost is an amazing engine that tows similar to a diesel.

I would test drive a Nissan Titan XD, a F-150 3.5 Eco-Boost (you will not find a HDPP sitting on a dealer lot), a F-250 6.2 or 7.3 gas engine. (Ford retuned the suspension and lightened the steering to make it drive like a big F-150 IMHO.) And I would test drive the 2020 GM 2500HD 6.6 litre gas engine.

The Ford F-150 HDPP will have a payload of 2,400lbs.
The Nissan Titan XD will have a payload of 2,200lbs.
The F-250 gas engine will have a payload of around 3,200lbs.
The 2020 GM 2500 6.6 litre gas engine will have a payload of around 3,200lbs

Actually the 2020 GM 2500HD has a better payload than Ford I think

I would also throw Ram into the mix because they redesigned their truck in 2019. The have a 6.4 litre Hemi gas engine.

If you want a diesel engine you will be blown away with the power and complexity of the exhaust system.

If I had to buy one of the above trucks I would flip a coin. You can not go wrong with any new truck.

[Cumminsfan]

I doubt the F150 HDPP would ride as haesh as an F250. Simply because the spring pack on the F250 is stiffer to begin with. Both have LT tires which would make a normal F150 ride a little harsher. BTDT.

I'd take the HDPP over an F250 if you're looking to never get a larger TT. The empty mpg's will be much better in the F150.

[tuffr2]

I agree that F-150 with Max Tow and HDPP would get a lot better MPG than an F-250. Actually you could get a bigger trailer and still use the F-150 on steroids.

I would guess you could get at least 18 MPG on the muscled F-150 while you would get 13 MPG on the F-250.

[tuffr2]

There are at least two forum members that have a F-150 Max Tow plus HDPP.

Where are they?

[JIMNLIN]

Thanks for your thoughts.

Ford markets several F150 packages ranging from....
#1. 7850 gvwr...4800 rawr....2500 lb in the bed payloads.

#2. 7600 gvwr...4550 rawr... 2200 lb in the bed payloads

#3. 7050 gvwr...4050 rawr... 1800 lb in the bed payloads

#4. 6800 gvwr...3800 rawr...1500 lb in the bed payloads.

All can be had with the same engine/tranny...and Fords F150 "MAX TOW" option.

For a TT that size you won't need the HDPP...unless you just gotta' have one.
#2 and #3 trucks would be a better ride quality choice . Truck #4 runs out of rear axle capacity for a 6k-7k lb trailer plus other necessary junk we carry.

Good huntin'

[tuffr2]

How many wheelbases does Ford have for the F-150 ?

[lamokadave]

Originally Posted by JIMNLIN

Ford markets several F150 packages ranging from....

#1. 7850 gvwr...4800 rawr....2500 lb in the bed payloads.



#2. 7600 gvwr...4550 rawr... 2200 lb in the bed payloads



#3. 7050 gvwr...4050 rawr... 1800 lb in the bed payloads



#4. 6800 gvwr...3800 rawr...1500 lb in the bed payloads.



All can be had with the same engine/tranny...and Fords F150 "MAX TOW" option.



For a TT that size you won't need the HDPP...unless you just gotta' have one.

#2 and #3 trucks would be a better ride quality choice . Truck #4 runs out of rear axle capacity for a 6k-7k lb trailer plus other necessary junk we carry.



Good huntin'

What package would provide the 7600# GVW? I always assumed the HDPP was 7850. Is there a lighter or heavier variant of HDPP or how would you a get a non HDPP to provide 7600

[Cumminsfan]

All you need to know about 2020 F150's.
https://www.ford.com/trucks/f150/models/f150-xlt/
https://www.ford.com/cmslibs/content...F150_Oct15.pdf

[joshuajim]

OK, I own the unicorn. Mine is a 2013 F150 with HDPP. Payload on yellow sticker is 2,560#. The good part with the Ecoboost it’s a pullin fool. It pulls my 8,000# loaded Wildwood with ease here in the western mountains. The brakes are more than adequate as the little 6 doesn’t provide much resistance. It will hold downhill speed on a 6% grade in 4th gear with just occasional braking.

Now the bad part. With heavy duty springs and shocks for the payload and then add in LT tires it rides like a truck. Incidentally, there are no aftermarket shocks available that I have found to soften the ride. There are not enough sold to justify a manufacturer making them. The second issue is the TPMS. The sticker calls for 60 PSI rear and 55 PSI front. I drop that down 10% to 15% before the little yellow warning light comes on. It’s still harsh. I have not driven an F250 to compare so I don’t know the difference.

Finally, I don’t know if it’s the LT tires or diff ratio, but in mixed driving unloaded I never get over 14.5 MPG. Towing is always 8 to 9.

Would I buy it again. I’m not sure.

[kdauto]

Originally Posted by joshuajim

OK, I own the unicorn. Mine is a 2013 F150 with HDPP. Payload on yellow sticker is 2,560#. The good part with the Ecoboost it’s a pullin fool. It pulls my 8,000# loaded Wildwood with ease here in the western mountains. The brakes are more than adequate as the little 6 doesn’t provide much resistance. It will hold downhill speed on a 6% grade in 4th gear with just occasional braking.

Now the bad part. With heavy duty springs and shocks for the payload and then add in LT tires it rides like a truck. Incidentally, there are no aftermarket shocks available that I have found to soften the ride. There are not enough sold to justify a manufacturer making them. The second issue is the TPMS. The sticker calls for 60 PSI rear and 55 PSI front. I drop that down 10% to 15% before the little yellow warning light comes on. It’s still harsh. I have not driven an F250 to compare so I don’t know the difference.

Finally, I don’t know if it’s the LT tires or diff ratio, but in mixed driving unloaded I never get over 14.5 MPG. Towing is always 8 to 9.

Would I buy it again. I’m not sure.

Thank you for your honest unbiased opinion! Your experience mirrors what some contractors tell me. They bought into the fuel economy thing and since they're almost always loaded they make the same fuel mileage as a 3/4 ton, V-8 gasser.

They're also the thing that you can't make a heavy duty truck that'll ride like a 3000 lb limo. You can't have it all.

The one advantage the Ecoboost has here is there is no supplement for annual registration under 4.0l displacement. As an example, my 6.0l costs an additional 260$ or so each year.

[whitlowe]

Originally Posted by joshuajim

OK, I own the unicorn. Mine is a 2013 F150 with HDPP. Payload on yellow sticker is 2,560#. The good part with the Ecoboost it’s a pullin fool. It pulls my 8,000# loaded Wildwood with ease here in the western mountains. The brakes are more than adequate as the little 6 doesn’t provide much resistance. It will hold downhill speed on a 6% grade in 4th gear with just occasional braking.

Now the bad part. With heavy duty springs and shocks for the payload and then add in LT tires it rides like a truck. Incidentally, there are no aftermarket shocks available that I have found to soften the ride. There are not enough sold to justify a manufacturer making them. The second issue is the TPMS. The sticker calls for 60 PSI rear and 55 PSI front. I drop that down 10% to 15% before the little yellow warning light comes on. It’s still harsh. I have not driven an F250 to compare so I don’t know the difference.

Finally, I don’t know if it’s the LT tires or diff ratio, but in mixed driving unloaded I never get over 14.5 MPG. Towing is always 8 to 9.

Would I buy it again. I’m not sure.

Thanks for this...it is truly helpful. I was guessing that by the time one loaded up the vehicle with the additional suspension features, it would take away that cush ride of the 150. Since we will rarely use the truck for general driving, we are leaning to the 250.

If we did not also have the camper, we would just go 150 for the TT since is maxes out at under 6000#.

[mistercee]

Originally Posted by whit2020

We are upgrading our tow rig for our Creekside 20FQ (4800 lb dry weight). We've had a 2003 F250 and liked everything except how firm the seats and ride was. We are looking at the f150 because it rides so NICE and is rated to pull our fully loaded 6000-6500 lbs of trailer.

The f150 now comes with the heavy duty payload package which beefs up the springs and whatnot. Does this result in the truck feeling the same as the new f250s in ride quality?

Is anyone using this truck package now (f150 max tow, hdpp)?

Has the ride quality of the f250 improved yet with load?

Thanks for your thoughts.

If you are interested in hearing/getting a lot more HDPP info, I suggest a visit to the Towing/Hauling section of F150forum.com


There a many HDPP owners there that pull RVs.

[morleyz]

I've rented a late model F-150 but never towed. I have owned a 2017 F-250 6.2 and now own a 2020 F-350 6.7. A few things to think about. If you'll never want to tow a larger trailer, anything is a good option. You'll get better mileage on the F-150 and it will certainly be more cushy. The 2021s have some pretty cool new features too, depending on your urgency to purchase.

My 2017 F-250 was a little bouncy when empty. It wasn't too bad when it had a load on it. Seats were comfortable enough with the 8-way power driver's seat. My wife wasn't always happy with the non-power passenger seat. Payload was 3,300 lbs on a super cab long bed. The 2020s are available with a slightly higher GVWR and payload if you don't have a registration issue.

The 2020 F-350 is a whole new ball-game. This is the most comfortable big truck I've ever driven. Only have about 10K miles on it, but unloaded or loaded it is very comfortable. I did move up trim levels to a Lariat for the heated/cooled seats, dual power and dual climate for the wife. My trailer weighs in at 10,500lbs, so we couldn't have gotten away with a 1/2 ton under any circumstance. We get 12+ mpg towing and 20+ empty on the highway. I know what Tuffr2 meant when he said the 3.5 ecoboost tows like a diesel, but if you see a 5th wheel or a heavy trailer in your future, nothing tows like the diesel 3/4+ ton trucks. Payload on my truck is 4,500 lbs. A F-350 with a 6.2 would push 5,000 on a 12,400 GVWR.

Lots of choices, but if comfort is the big factor here, I wouldn't shy away from the 2020 Super Dutys.