trailers, and F150 ??

Pribilof

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What does your door sticker say? That's a much more reliable measure of your trucks capacities because it accounts for all of the trucks options.
 

SID297

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it's a 01 5.4, 4 door, I THOUGHT the max tow was 6600 maybe I am wrong? So when spec'ing the trailer, do you look at GVW or VW ??

Let me stop you here. First, I like that style truck. I think it's one of the best looking F-150s Ford has made. However, I would not tow a loaded enclosed trailer with it at speed any considerable distance. The 4R70 trans is going to suffer, the brakes are going to be stressed, the rear suspension is going to seriously sag, and the trailer will likely push the truck around a bit. It won't be comfortable.

Weight is not the only factor you have to consider here. At speed, wind resistance can play just as big a factor as weight. An example is my F-350 towing my Featherlite gooseneck enclosed trailer. Empty is weighs around 6,000 pounds. When I fully load it out I usually run between 11,000 and 12,000 pounds. At highway speed I get nearly the same mileage whether the trailer is empty or loaded. Once rolling, the drag created by the trailer is a more significant power draw than the weight. In fact, I got worse mileage with that truck pulling an empty 20 foot flat front enclosed trailer (moved it from SC to KY for a friend) than I do with my 36 foot gooseneck.

If I were going to tow with an F-150 I would be looking for a 2009-2014 model. 5.4, 5.0, or 3.5 doesn't really matter; they all have plenty of power. Those year trucks have a good chassis, the 6R80 trans, factory installed trailer brake controller, and decent weight which helps stability.

With your current truck you will be much better off with an open trailer.
 

josephcostello

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4dr SuperCrew Lariat RWD Styleside 5.5 ft. SB, 8500 lbs
this is for 2005 so a little newer

I towed about 6,000 with a 01 expedition with the 5.4 and 3.73s and felt like it was pushing it. Starting feeling really heavy on the truck and the brakes could have definitely felt better. Power was not too much of a concern. This is probably a pretty close set up to your truck


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STAMPEDE3

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Call me crazy but I’m not towing what you want with a half ton more than a few miles down the road. Towing with a half ton at its max= get a bigger truck.
In your case if it is just for a move, rent a u-haul truck and tow the F150.


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L8APEX

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Back in '09 after my sister and bro in law moved to Colorado and a year or so later bought a house in Lakewood I got tasked with hauling their crap because I had a truck (04 Lightning).
Still managed 12-14mpg 550 miles each way. Premium was near > $4 a gallon so it wasn't cheap. But it had everything from a refrigerator, washer and dryer, beds, new furniture... all sorts of stuff. My truck bed had the bed rug and a gaylords speedster cover which made it like a big trunk, but it was full with just her clothes.
Thankfully I was able to keep the trailer fairly neutral balance, but slightly more weight toward the tongue. The 2nd gen Lightning (especially the 03-04) are one of the few 10th gen 150s that really could tow, but with all the super duty parts it seed fitting. Not to mention 8 threads for the plugs vs 4. Adjusted my cal-tracs to counter any sag. She towed great. Gas mileage was about the same empty running empty. Just hard to make bricks aerodynamic.
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lOOKnGO

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I cringe at the thought of pulling anything with a 5.4. I have a f350 dually 4x4 I use for snow removal loaded with sand, spreader, steel flatbed, plow. That pour truck weighing in at 12000 is a total slug. I'm talking 15 mph tops to crest our local small mountain. I also have a 5.4 service truck that is the same way. Please find a way to try (loaded) before you buy.
 

blue 07

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I have had that truck as well and I will say its going to be a struggle for it. I tow either my 07 GT or my 13 Shelby in a 20 foot enclosed trailer at about 6000 lbs combined with trailer and car and it was not fun (and sucked up a lot of gas !). Leased a 2016 F150 with 5.0 motor, much better, but still a little white knuckling when passed by a semi or two. Now have a F250 crew cab with 6.2, way better and no issues at all with towing.
 

01yellercobra

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My Expedition did ok when towing our boat. There's a mountain I have to cross to get to Az that sees about a 6% grade and goes from sea level to 4200ft. It got over the top, but it took some doing. Granted I think when it ate a follower it hurt the engine as towards the end it didn't seem to have the same amount of power. I would have to drop it to second gear to get over the last part of the pass. My boat is about 5k give or take depending on how full the fuel tank is. Oh, and I was running 24" rims. (They came on the vehicle). MPG was abysmal. I think I'd see 10 or 11mpg going out to Az and a solid 9 or 10 coming back. But it was still pretty stable. I didn't really worry about the boat pushing me around. Unloaded I was high teens.

My 250 is a totally different animal. I have a hard time keeping it under 70. Even going over that same pass when locked in 5th gear. I tend to forget I'm towing something. And MPG is around 14-15 with the A/C running.
 

SID297

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I have had that truck as well and I will say its going to be a struggle for it. I tow either my 07 GT or my 13 Shelby in a 20 foot enclosed trailer at about 6000 lbs combined with trailer and car and it was not fun (and sucked up a lot of gas !). Leased a 2016 F150 with 5.0 motor, much better, but still a little white knuckling when passed by a semi or two. Now have a F250 crew cab with 6.2, way better and no issues at all with towing.

Heavier trucks add a lot to towing stability.
 

nxhappy

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some of the trailers only weigh 4-5k lbs . Obviously not ideal but still doable IMO.
 

beau t

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To me stopping is the important factor, here is my story, i had to move a car a state away so i borrowed a buddies all steel tilt trailer he said it weighed about 5500 lbs. this was not a issue because i had a 04 2500 dodge, (as my buddy says those trucks don't stop as good as my ford), the issue was he had messed up the plug so i needed to replace it to hook up the lights and brakes and i told him no problem i will take it home so i can do it right instead of cobbling it together. So I'm hooked up and dragging the trailer home to repair wiring, i go through a detour no big deal, after coming through a sharp turn mind you I'm doing the speed limit there was a stop sign that i pushed through, no cars were coming (in the middle on nowhere) so nobody got hurt (but my pride lol) but from that day forward i have tried to make sure all brake parts are working properly. It dosen't matter how well the tow vehicle will pull a load (to an extent) if you can't stop it your putting yourself in a bad spot.
 

VRYALT3R3D

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some of the trailers only weigh 4-5k lbs . Obviously not ideal but still doable IMO.
You can always get a lightweight trailer like Trailex, which is around 2000# for an 18' enclosed. A lot of guys at the local tracks near me use them. ATC is good as well but heavier.
 

Tylerc

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I tow a 28’ with a weight distribution hitch on my f150. Tows great and no problems stopping or stability. I live near the Rockies and constantly have to tow hills/mountains as well as 40-60 mph cross winds. Honestly wouldn’t buy a bigger truck for such a small load.
 

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