Reinforcing hitch

[Dunner]

I towed my empty 20' enclosed home with my 1500 Dodge Ram 5.9L V8 and it didn't like it. Was gutless and starting to over-heat. I think if you are going up to the mountains, it will overheat no mater what gear or speed.

[LadyFitz...]

Originally Posted by VanDiemen23

.My point is, that going up the the F250 gives you some components rated for much higher capacities, capable of handling the 17000 lb payloads of the F350DRW diesel, rather than being on the other end of the scale with a F150. This sizes of the final products are the virtually the same dimensionally and within a couple of hundred pounds of each other. You may end up actually paying more for the 150, because manufacturers know they are a cash cow and you'll end up buying a lot more options to get the capacity you are looking for. With the same engine and rear-end ratio the gas mileage will be close as well. Not to mention a better hitch.

The differences between the F150 and the F250 are a lot greater than you think. The F250s are noticeably bigger and heavier than the F150s. Fuel mileage is far worse. The hitch is rated only slightly greater than the F150s; I would still have to reinforce or replace the hitch because of Ford's insane idea that hitch weight capacity should be only 10% of the towing capacity. Many options available on the F150 are not available on the F250. I would still have to buy the max tow and max payload options on the F250.

There is little difference in ratings between the F250 and the F350. In fact, unless one goes up to the DRW, the F350 has slightly lower weight and tow ratings than the F250. The last thing I want to be doing is shoehorning duallies into a tight parking space. Going to a diesel is not an option. Fuel is more expensive and not as readily available in town as gasoline. The engines are considerably more expensive to buy and maintain.

It would take me twenty years to rack up 4000 towing miles.

[VanDiemen23]

f150 crew - length 243.9, height 74.6, weight 5345, 6.2L mpg 13/18, tow 11,200
f250 crew - length 246.8, height 77.4, weight 6389, 6.2L mpg 'bout 1 less, tow 12,500, and you can get a 18000 lb class V hitch for it, which will probably cost less than the fabricating and welding on the stock hitches, and you probably won't need the weight distributing system either - I didn't with my K2500HD and my old toyhauler had 1300lb tongue weight.

Don't forget the load range E tires, which you can't get on the F150 which only comes with Cs or Ps, so you'll have to pay the dealer some more to swap.

"nobody want's advice, only corroboration" - John Steinbeck

[LadyFitz...]

Originally Posted by VanDiemen23

f150 crew - length 243.9, height 74.6, weight 5345, 6.2L mpg 13/18, tow 11,200
f250 crew - length 246.8, height 77.4, weight 6389, 6.2L mpg 'bout 1 less, tow 12,500, and you can get a 18000 lb class V hitch for it, which will probably cost less than the fabricating and welding on the stock hitches, and you probably won't need the weight distributing system either - I didn't with my K2500HD and my old toyhauler had 1300lb tongue weight.

Don't forget the load range E tires, which you can't get on the F150 which only comes with Cs or Ps, so you'll have to pay the dealer some more to swap.

"nobody want's advice, only corroboration" - John Steinbeck

The ratings you give for the F150 are for the 4x4 (which are less than the 4x2) which I do not need or want (I don't drive in snow and I wouldn't be living anywhere that gets snow in winter when snow is likely), it doesn't rain all that much in AZ so I can just wait for a dry day to tow, 4x4s cost more to buy and maintain and insurance for 4x4 skyrockets over 4x2). The gas mileage for the F150 with the 6.2L is considerably less than the Ecoboost (and I would have to upgrade from the XLT to the Lariat to get the 6.2). What you propose will make a lousy grocery getter and would cost a fortune to travel in.

The hitch of the F250 with the 6.2L (which gets even worse fuel mileage than the F150 with the 6.2L) will handle only 1250 lb tongue weight. The only way I can the 18000 lb. rating would be to get a diesel F350, which costs more, costs more to drive, and costs more to maintain. I might as well get a Kenworth. The larger dims may not seem like much to you but they suddenly loom larger while parking the behemoth (I'm a large woman so I need more room to get in and out of a vehicle). The extra 1000 lb really knocks a hole in fuel mileage when compared to the F150 with the 6.2L.

The 2012 F150 HD comes with heavier tires (LTs) and wheels.

I'll tell you what. If you want to pay the difference for what a F350 diesel dually will cost me to buy, drive, and maintain it for the next 10 years, then I'll consider it.