F250 towing w/5.4 engine

Has anyone used an F250 with a 5.4 in it for towing purposes?

I'm curious because I'm looking into a new (used) truck to serve as a work truck and tow vehicle. I want to know if the 3/4 ton is heavy enough to tow a gooseneck enclosed car trailer with a 3500 LB car and a healthy amount of goodies in it, and if the 5.4 has the balls for it.

I've driven my Dad's '93 F150 towing a flatbed car trailer and a 3400 lb car w/track equipment in the bed. The lil' 302/auto chugs it out, so I'm thinking a 5.4 F250 should be adequate for me....

Also, anyone know the 2000-2002 5.4 and V-10 horsepower/torque numbers? Thanks.

Has anyone used an F250 with a 5.4 in it for towing purposes?

I'm curious because I'm looking into a new (used) truck to serve as a work truck and tow vehicle. I want to know if the 3/4 ton is heavy enough to tow a gooseneck enclosed car trailer with a 3500 LB car and a healthy amount of goodies in it, and if the 5.4 has the balls for it.

I've driven my Dad's '93 F150 towing a flatbed car trailer and a 3400 lb car w/track equipment in the bed. The lil' 302/auto chugs it out, so I'm thinking a 5.4 F250 should be adequate for me....

Also, anyone know the 2000-2002 5.4 and V-10 horsepower/torque numbers? Thanks.

well i use an f-150 with the 5.4 with a towing rating of 9500 lbs, she tows no problem, now most people drive the new one and say "it feels slow" dont worry the computer breaks in at around 1,000 miles and she gets opened up, mine not spins the 275-75-17's on a 3.55 traction loc rear end anytime i ask it to !!

I've got to believe that a 250 would tow easy. My 150 :eek7: tows
my C5(3200lbs) on a trailer just fine, and my truck wasn't really
designed for that. 5.4, but S/C. I'm rated at 5000lbs.

:smile:

now, the v10 gets about 1 mpg less than the 5.4 in the f250, about 12 to 13. I would go v-10 and not worry about it. if you do go 5.4, get the 4.10 rear gears or 4.30, i do not remember. Or better yet, powerstroke diesel. I have one of those, could not ask for a better truck, 18 mpg while towing.

I agree with the new ratios for the rear end. I put 4:10's all around (4WD) and the differance from the 3:54's to the 4:10's is remarkable. Depending on the year of the truck, you might need to buy a micro tuner to adjust the speedo for the new ratio.

I on the other hand would disagree with the 4.10 i had that on my last truck and wow mpg down the drain !! however with the 3.55 off the line suffers a little but i get 20+ on the express way !! if you are worried stick to a 3.73 nice middle ground

the diesel is a great option and ford just changed out of the 7.3 to a 6.8 i believe made by them from design they stole .. errr copied from us !! but its a great diesel more power then the 7.3 hp and torque and less fuel consumed and noise has dropped my a ton ! you hardly know it a diesel, down side is oil changes cost a little more, and its a little more of a hit when you buy, but if you drive a vehicle into the ground, the diesel will outlast the truck !!

Actually, the 7.3L diesel V8 was replaced with a 6.0L diesel V8.

DO NOT BUY THE THING WITH A 5.4L ENGINE!

The truck will be absolutely gutless. It's fine for flat towing, but if you have to climb hills with the trailer on it, they're so underpowered. Plus the set-up of a 5.4L V8 in the F250 is only rated to pull about 6000lbs as the engine/chassis combination can't handle much more.

Ford actually rates it higher, but realistically after you take into account the weight of fuel, people, gear, etc. you're pulling about 6000lbs max for the purposes you've described.

Get the F250, but the 6.8L V10 gas engine is about as fuel efficient in that truck as the 5.4L when it comes to F250, and the power is sooo much better. The extra investment is worth the money!

If you really want to have a good investment, go with the diesel engine. Better fuel economy than either of the gas engines and the diesel has superior power. Not to mention their built for the long term, the body will rust off before the diesel quits on you as long you look after the thing 1/2 decent.

For the purposes you're describing, an F150 with the 5.4L V8 will work if you puchase the light-duty F250 truck (looks like an F150 but has 250 on the side...basically heavier chassis to handle heavier pulling. Comes standard with the gears and everything you need to do what you've described). this is called the 7700 package on the newer F150 and is the 8800 package on the new '04 truck.

Buy the 8 foot box for fifth wheel towing. Trust me, you'll appreciate the clearance you get.

This is my recommendation as a sales representative of Ford. The other posts before mine tell you of things that will work, the set-up i've described will be the best all-round you can hope for. Especially if you really want the F250.

Good luck!

In fact I have towed ~6500# with a '99 F-150 SC LWB 4x2 with the auto trans.

That's a LOT for the 4.6L, but it was OK. Would I use a 4.6L for towing this much often? NO. Once or twice per year? SURE. The new 5.4L is WAY more powerful both in torque and Hp than the old 460s of the late '70s on, so please tell me (us) how a 5.4L could NOT be up to the task of pulling even 9,000#? Because they certainly ARE when PROPERLY equipped.

Most often I find people who are "disappointed" with the towing performance of a vehicle did NOT order or purchase it with towing in mind (no tow package rated for the loads they will pull). Most commonly, I see people getting something with a class II hitch and 4-flat wiring and they really wanted to pull 3500# PLUS, and not 3500# or LESS (class II is 2000# and LOWER). They just over grossed their tow vehicle. Who's to blame? The owner. Just make SURE what you buy is RATED for the LOAD you will use it for, and everything will be ok when properly maintained.

I have towed ~6500# with a '99 F-150 SC LWB 4x2 with the auto trans, 4.6L

I've seen a guy with a 4X4 F150 and the 4.2L V6 supercab pull 10,000lbs. The truck sure isn't rated for it, and i guarantee when he hit a hill the truck wasn't going anywhere. The trucks can do it, they just aren't rated for it.

please tell me (us) how a 5.4L could NOT be up to the task of pulling even 9,000#?

Like i said, he'd be fine on flat ground, but encounter a hill and good luck. The engine can do it, but there is a lack of power for things like passing and hill climbing in a 3/4 tonne truck with the 'small' V8 and 6000lbs on the back and a full tank of gas and 2 people and all the 'work equipment' he'll be taking.

The guy could certainly buy it, but he'd be much happier over all with the 6.8L V10 or the 6.0L V8 diesel in the 3/4 tonne, if he's bent on a 3/4 tonne. I'm suggesting the heavy 1/2 tonne truck, because with a 3500lb gooseneck trailer to pull, his tongue weight is likely going to be in the neighborhood of 500-1000lbs. That being the case, that's to much weight for the bed of a regular 1/2 tonne, it's not rated for that much, so the heavy 1/2 will be better.

Not to mention the 5.4L V8 in the heavy 1/2 will have enough power for everything because there's not as much weight to haul around in the heavy 1/2 as the 3/4 tonne, therefore better performance for all uses.

Just make SURE what you buy is RATED for the LOAD you will use it for, and everything will be ok when properly maintained.

Exactly, that's what i tried to demonstrate in my last post.

Sorry for the double post, again i say if you're buying the F250 then get the V10 or the diesel. If you decide 1/2 tonne truck, then the heavy 1/2 is the way to go.

Of them all, my personal choice is the F250 with the diesel.

i'd agree go with the diesel, however i own an o4 f-150 with the 5.4, live in an area with lots of hills, and even have a 3.55 rear end in my truck, i aloso worked in car/truck sales for 6 years before becoming a design/engineer and design them now, the tow rating is under rated, we do this for legal reasons, i go up north with 4 guys, a 38 ft trailer, a 4 wheeler, and gear and all the goodies, and my 5.4 has never blinked once at the weight, granted the learning computer didnt break in till around 1,000 miles but now she pulls like a son of a .. well you know and she's never shifted down more then out of overdrive, that 5.4 has every bit of oomff you'll need

That long 6500#+ tow I did WAS in hill country, and even the "under powered" 4.6L handled it very well. I was impressed. As I recall, the tow rating for my truck was 6000# ball-hitch, and 7500#? 5th wheel, so I was within the limits but barely.

Given that the new 5.4Ls make over 300 HP (over 50% more than my 4.6), and the Tq difference is similar, I can't see a v-10 being that big of an improvement if any (and I do drive them both, we own over 100 Ford trucks and vans).

Unless you tow a LOT, or drive over 30,000/year, I would not even consider a diesel. But for me all that counts is the TOTAL cost of ownership, and getting the job done.

Again, i stick by my analysis of the 5.4L V8 in the 3/34 tonne truck as being a poor set-up for what is being described to me here. As far as the new 3 valve 5.4L V8 that has been put in the new 1/2 tonne, this fellow mentioned a USED vehicle.

The new F150 with the heavy payload package is plenty good for what he wants to do. I talk about all the things i talk about regarding the 3/4 tonne truck because that's what the guy originally inquired about.

The new 5.4L V8 is plenty for what he wants to do, again, but the original inquiry is for a 3/4 tonne... that has to be because of payload limitations in the 1/2 tonne, the wanting for a tougher/heavier truck, or a preference to the look of the truck.

That long 6500#+ tow I did WAS in hill country

I don't know what ya'll consider hill country, but the hills in Alberta are NOT like the hills in many places. Attempt your feat in Roger's Pass, it ain't gonna happend i'm sorry.

I'm not trying to tell you you're lying, i believe you did it, you'll notice the blurb about the guy i know with the 6 cylinder F150. The trucks can do it. But wouldn't it be good to know you have the ability to drive on any highway anywhere in North America without having to worry about powering up hills or passing on steep grades?

That's the whole point.

The new 5.4L in the 3/4 tonne is STILL weak compared to the V10 and the diesel. Having the V10 or the diesel is gonna make for a much happier owner over time as the engine fatigue and wear and tear will not be as extreme.

Isn't it better to come prepared then not?

The most important thing no one has mentioned is that the 2005 f250 with a 5.4 or v-10 can be had with the 5 speed auto that previously was only offered with the 6.0 diesel engine. Talk about a world of difference! It also offers an integrated trailer brake controller that communicates with the anti-lock brake system on the truck.

playtechnical

You make a good point, but the 5.4L V8 is still not a gutsy enough engine for the 3/4 tonne application in my opinion.

you are correct he did say used and where as the 5.4 in the f-150 (and the new 3 valve with the computer controlled timing) is sweet in f-250 and up its the smallest engine so why not go big !! i just say the diesel over the v-10 because of gas and well i trust diesels a lot more, but yes i agree used go with the v-10 or the power stroke

Diesel over V10 anyday!

Just curious. If a person bought a 2000 to 2003 V-10, F-250, used it for everyday driving and pulling a boat (5,000lbs) about five times per year on a 1000 mile roundtrip; and another person bought a similar truck but with a diesel, what would be the average cost per mile when both vehicles had 200,000 miles on them (service costs, fuel costs, insurance, etc.)? Good, sensible driving as opposed to always 'having their foot in it' and assuming both vehicles were properly maintained for the first 50,000 and the subsequent 150,000 miles. By the way, I'm describing me because I am about to get one and in a quandry as which way to go. I've owned a V-10 in an Excursion and was very pleased with its performance. Never owned a diesel.

You make a good point, but the 5.4L V8 is still not a gutsy enough engine for the 3/4 tonne application in my opinion.

I'm definately NOT trying to start an arguement, but to me, that just does not make sense.

The new 5.4Ls make MORE power and MORE Tq than the old 460s ever did, and no one would hesitate to tow 12,000# with a 460. You see 6 place horse trailers all over this country, every day, with 460 power and they don't complain about being underpowered.

I do agree that if you are towing often, then the diesel is a MUCH better choice. But for the average folks who really only tow moderate loads a few times per year, the 5.4L is more than adequate.