F 150 will it tow

[LBrown59]

I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree. (I too am a professional driver with more than 1 million incident free miles, log books too prove it). F150's don't have jake brakes and very littlle engine braking no matter what gear you descend a hill with that kind of load, that leaves service brakes the hotter they get the less effective they are. There are just too mant things that can go wrong with electric brakes, blown fuses, chaffed wires, bad brake controllers to name a few. I used to tow with an F150, now use a Dodge diesel.

So are you saying a 1/2 ton is not enough truck?

 

[Duffster]

I used my F-150 to haul a 6500# tractor down to my dealer yesterday. Both of my larger trucks were tied up and it was only a couple of miles on back roads. My stopping distance probably increased X3 with that load. I sure wouldn't do it as a regular thing and I certainly wouldn't venture off the back roads.

I think you need new trailer brakes.

 

[Highbeam]

Don't want to get on anyone here but the highways are littered with pickup trucks and trailers because they have Highbeams attitude. Because he did it and fortunatly never had a problem you should be able to do it as well. I am familiar with area that Highbeam lives in, how many times did you go down the hill from Buckley into Sumner probably wasn't very fast going up or down. I would'nt want to do it in a half ton truck. Just because someone else did it doesn't mean you can

Wow, you do know my area. I've towed the 7000 lb trailer with the 5800 lb truck up and down that very hill hundreds of times as it is en route between my home and my rural property and I must tow the tractor every time I visit. You need to know how to use your equipment and running the vortec 350 at about 3800RPM (well below the redline) and trans in 3rd gear (where it always tows) the truck happily cruised up that hill in the fast lane at 60 which is 5 mph over the limit until I neared the top of the hill where the speed limit drops to 45 and I had to decelerate. The 265 HP/ 33ft-lbs of TQ was plenty of power to get 7000 lbs up that hill. Coming down is a cakewalk, also in 3rd gear the engine had excellent compression braking and no brakes were used at all to keep at 60 or below. I've also towed over Tiger Summit on the way to I-90 in the same manner. You need to use RPM on a modern gas engine, my engine never got hot and my aftermarket trans temp gauge was always in the 175 range during strenuous hills.

You may know my area but you don't know how to tow with my OEM half ton truck.

Oh yes, that truck had 3.73 gears, 265/75 LT tires, and auto 4l60e transmission.

I did upgrade to a ford diesel recently for a crew cab and agree that the one ton running gear is superior, just bigger with a bigger safety margin. I won't stoop to that level where I state that nobody should tow with a half ton as so many "big truck" drivers do. Follow the ratings folks.

 

[gumshu]

My ford dealer tells me that a 2009 F 150 4x4 will have no problem towing my Ck30 with a backhoe attached. What do you think, and how safe would it be ?

The F150 may tow it on a level highway, but if you're going over mountain passes, you'll need heavy duty brakes, the tow package, transmission cooler, etc. I wouldn't do it in an F150. I'd go F250 or F350 Diesel. I have an F250 Gas and now wish I had purchased the diesel. I'm sure you'll have regrets if you go the F150 route. Do it right the first time.

 

[Brahmus]

We continue to see these discussions and those with big trucks say don't do it. Those with smaller trucks say you'll be fine IF you stay within the limits. Sure a bigger truck would do it better, but that doesn't mean the other truck won't do it safely!!! I don't see Ford rating the towing with an astriek stating *Only on flat land!!!!

Simply put, stay within the ratings! Even if it's close, it's still safe! And keep your equipment in check, I always do a walk around before leaving with a load!

It would be nice to know how much you plan to tow with it as I'd be more concerned on abusing the truck. Nice and slow and not so often would be key. And what your actual weights will be.

 

[Mike120]

I think you need new trailer brakes.

Actually the trailer I used doesn't have very good brakes (cheap trailer), that's why I was very aware of my stopping distance. I usually use a F-350 and a gooseneck with electric/hydraulic brakes but that rig had other equipment on it and I just needed to drop the tractor off. It was a quick solution. However, most of the trailers that dealers sell with tractor packages are cheap trailers and usually don't have any more breaking power than is absolutely required by law. A F-150 doesn't have a lot of stopping power. Coupled with a cheap, heavily loaded trailer and it's not a good combination for the highway.

 

[mattman]

Are these mas tow ratings with a weight distributing hitch and sway bars of some kind? Are these max ratings with a bumber pull or a gooseneck/ fifth wheel hitch???

If it where mine I would pull it, but I am don't dumb either. You have to think what your next move is going to be all the time your vehicle is in motion. Don't tail gate other folks leave plenty of stopping distance.. You don't have to run a race to get there,, slow and steady wins the race.

The trailer and load weighs more than the truck so who do you think is in control?? You are guiding the trailer where you want it to go. the trailer can get to swaying and cause you to have an accident in a matter of seconds.


Keep your mind on what you are doing and keep your equipment maintained.

 

[MotorSeven]

It will to it, but it won't do it well. My '05 Chevy(5.3L) 4x4 really didn't like these hills around here when the CK30 was behind it just with FEL/bucket & a 6' bush hog. Sometime it would down shift to 1st gear...made a heck of a noise struggling. There was no way I was going to throw the DK40 behind it, so now I tow with a '03 Duramax 4x4.......can't hardly tell there is a trailer back there now

RD

 

[mattman]

I feel like the manufactures post high tow ratings trying to out do the others.
If you pull loads at max weight rating, you might as well get ready to rebuild a transmission and rear end. More than likley the motor will not suffer as badly as the trans and rear end. You may overheat the motor but not usually in a gas burner.

1/2 ton trucks are just not built heavy enough to handle running at max loads very often. The running gear can not stand up to the abuse. For short trips that don't happen very often, load the wagon and don't worry to much about the mule. If you plan on loading the wagon heavy on more than a few occasions, you better start looking at the mule. The mule will lay down on you if you overwork him.

 

[LBrown59]

I feel like the manufactures post high tow ratings trying to out do the others.
If you pull loads at max weight rating, you might as well get ready to rebuild a transmission and rear end. More than likley the motor will not suffer as badly as the trans and rear end. You may overheat the motor but not usually in a gas burner.

1/2 ton trucks are just not built heavy enough to handle running at max loads very often. The running gear can not stand up to the abuse. For short trips that don't happen very often, load the wagon and don't worry to much about the mule. If you plan on loading the wagon heavy on more than a few occasions, you better start looking at the mule. The mule will lay down on you if you overwork him.

I question how well they would stop such loads.