F250 Question

[Andymon]

I am looking at a 2002 F250 HD Crew cab. I found this info:
Gross Axle Wt Rating - Rear (lbs) 6084
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating Cap (lbs) 8800
Curb Weight - Front (lbs) 3266
Gross Axle Wt Rating - Front (lbs) 3800
Gross Combined Wt Rating (lbs) 13,500

My TT empty is about 6100 lbs and with gear no more that about 7600 lbs. I know a F150 isn't enough.

I also found this statement on a diesel truck website in regards to the F250.

"The factory receiver will safely handle up to a 12,500 pounds tag trailer if you limit the hitch weight to 10 percent and hook it all up with a weight-distributing hitch. But 12 percent is much better, so that's a max trailer weight of about 11,100 pounds with a max hitch weight of 1,250 pounds."

This truck has the 5.4 motor (gas) and pretty sure the 3.73 gears. the price is in my budget.

What do you think...good enough?

Thanks!!

[RedOne]

Camper specs...

WeightStandard
Dry Weight (kg)2828.2
Dry Weight (lbs)6235
Hitch Weight (kgs)335.7
Hitch Weight (lbs)740
Payload Capacity (kgs)682.7
Payload Capacity (lbs)1505

From what I found any late model F150 with trailer tow package or better should handle it and long as you don't have to haul 6 full size adults in your truck too. Mine has over 1800# payload and can tow 11,300#.

[Andymon]

Thanks RedOne but I can't afford a late model. Only have about $10K or so. I've read that the 5.4 motor can be a real gas guzzler but I might be able to live with that. Most of the F150 late models in my area are twice what I can afford. Dodges are even higher.

[Brantlaker]

My last TV was a 2004 F250, 3.73 rear towing a 05 TT that weighed in at 7450 lb while it pulled ok on the flats with any steep hills like the Rockies (Jackson,WY to Idaho Falls) on the Teton Pass Hwy. would not pull it Had to stop and turn around 1/3 of the way and go around. I also had problems pulling through Vermont by Killington. My feeling is the 5.4 engine in a F250 is short on power for hills.

[Ken / Claudia]

If I was looking at a gasser f250 or 350 to pull a large trailer I would get the V10. That is what that engine /truck is made for. The 09 I had (state owned) would pull 8000 boat at any speed I needed. It got about 8/9 mpg. When driven code 3 which is as fast as possible on river rescues to the launch site it would be around 6 mpg.

[Bob Landry]

Ford's 5.4L never was known as a stump puller. I don't know how it would have done with a 4:10 or 4:30, but I'm guessing it still wouldn't be great. If I wee looking at a truck in that age rage, I think I would just go for a V10 or a diesel, as long as it wasn't a 6.0L, and just suck it up on MPG. Besides, you don't buy a truck for economy, you buy it to tow.

[fla-gypsy]

The 5.4L was a proven dependable power plant. That year of the 5.4L is only rated at 260 HP and 350 ft lbs of torque. It does deliver most of that torque very early in the RPM band. I pulled a 7500GVWR trailer with a 2003 F-250 SuperDuty with the 5.4L and a 3.73 rear gear very successfully. It was a very stable set up. I think you will be fine with it.

[Ken / Claudia]

Can you spend afew hours with the truck, offer to gas it and test tow your trailer up/down I-5. Go south afew miles and you will know what it can do on those hills. Thats the test, does it go at 35mph or 50/55. I know that the v-10 would maintain highway speeds. The 5.4, I have not towed with one but, I think you will be in the 35mph lane stuck behind the 18 wheelers.

[Andymon]

Well...now I'm looking at early 2000's (02, 03) F250 7.3 diesel. This whole TV let alone when it comes to WDH and anti sway is all greek to this newbie!!

[Ken / Claudia]

That would do the job. I thought that I would have upgraded by now but, at 154000 miles it still is agood truck. Only things broke were AC radator leaked, pass heated seat quit, and replaced 2 back up sensors. The auto trans is the leak link. I blew up the factory one due to a power chip. I had a ford new tranny $2800, that one last about 2 years and blew out the front seal. Aftermarket tranny $5400 has lasted 80,000 miles without issuse. The factory tranny cooler in my opinion is to small and should be relocated higher to get more air. Acouple hundred will fix that. I never power chipped after that, the tranny builder said it would not fail if I did. Stock power is good enough for me and my pocket book.

[GaryWT]

I tow with a F150 with a 5.4l, it does fine by me. The hills that I have been on are only New England, NY and PENN but never a problem. Not sure how different a 10 year old truck would be but with the 250 you have a bigger payload.

[Andymon]

I wonder how the F250 with the V10 would be? Pretty sure the truck can handle the weight of the TT but do you think the V10 would struggle like a 5.4?

thanks!

[Ken / Claudia]

You did not say if you have pulled the trailer at all, if so, what did you use and how did it work. I pulled out my ford booket, this is what it printed in 2001. For GCWR. All list 10,000 trailer wt. (Due to hitch, maybe)
5.4 engine w/ 3.73 rear end 13500lb. 5.4 w/4.10 15000lbs
6.8 engine w 3.73 16500 lbs 6.8 w/ 4.30 18000lbs
7.3 engine w 3.73 or 4.10 20000lbs
With that it shows what ford made to tow big stuff. Look up horespower rating and Torque, I don't have any. Torque is just as inportant as horespower when pulling a trailer. Again they will all pull a trailer but, at what speed up to Crater Lake etc.