i put this here since it would get more views than in towing section i bet. i just got a new 08 f150 and i need to go and pick up my camper finally. truck has 360 miles, should i be worried about a break-in period b4 i tow? camper only weights 3klbs. i have installed my P3 and relay in the fuse panel and i am good to go there. just never towed with a new truck b4. thanks in advance!!!

 

At 360 miles, she's pretty much broken in. Plus at only 3K lbs, it won't be much weight if you have the 5.4. How far you pulling? Just take it easy and you'll be fine. Keep her at a moderate speed and make sure if you are in a hilly area you turn off o/d if it keeps shifting back and forth. For me, I keep o/d on usually unless I ma hauling over 5000 and its hilly or I have a bad headwind.

Enjoy.

 

All that info is in your owners manual.

 

The manual says no towing before 500 miles, but I pulled my 4500lb boat at around 400 miles. It's mainly for the rear differential break in, not the transmission.

 

i have the 5.4 3.73 ls 4x4 lariat and i am only going about 60 miles from the camper place to home. i usually only go about 55 since i have had a lil utility trailer jackknife on me b4. always scared of trailer sway!!!thanks for your help

 

Drive it another 200... do yourself and favor, and go to the next town or a few and show your truck off... or just drive it around... get used to it.

I mean... if someone told me to go drive my truck 300 miles for a good reason, I'd love to do it.

 

You have the 3.73? In that case, your truck will pull even easier. If its only 3K lbs, serioulsy no problems at all. You have 400 +/- miles on the truck by the time you hitch up the camper. You'lll be fine. You don't even have to worry about o/d unless you are heading up huge hills with the 3.73.

 

Go for it. The truck, more importantly the gears, will have around 400 miles when you hook up to it, so you shouldn't have any problems.

Heck when my old man bought his 05 F350 the dealership told him just make sure that he ran it 40-50 miles then let the truck sit and everything cool off, then do it over again. They said that way it would break the gears in and he would be good to go for towing their camper. If I remember right his truck only had about 300 miles on it in Jan of 05 when they went to Texas towing their 34', 14000lb 5th wheel, now at 34000 mile he hasn't had any problems with the gear sets, tranny, T-case, but the injectors on the motor are a different story. DARN 6.0L's..

 

Sounds like my brother in law. Bought a new 6.0 diesel F350 4x4 long box crew and with only 100 miles towed between 15-20K lbs on the hwy for 300 miles. He tows crazy sized loads (has a 24' triple axle ennclosed trailer that weighs like 7K lbs empty). Anyways, he has 150K miles or so on it and it runs perfect. He can get a new work truck but wants to keep this one.... Only damage is a dent in the box from whn they accidentally dropped a crane's wrecking ball in there....

 

if Ford recommends 500, try to stick to that.