I pulled my Jeep Wrangler with 35" tires on it, on a 18 foot all steel floor car trailer loaded with camping gear from Indiana to Colorado with a Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.7 Make sure you have a trailer with brakes and a good brake controller.

I really don't get how someone thinks the road will be flat between CA and WV. A big stretch of it will be flat... but super windy through there.

What time of year are you planning to make this trip?

 

Driving the car will be cheaper on gas than towing it, it may also save wear/tear on your truck as an added bonus. MPG's really take a dump when you start towing. Also think about everywhere you stop, you have to park in places where you can "pull through" or it's easy to back up. Can be a PITA in town. I40 through Oklahoma is relatively flat once except for a few hills in the east part of the state.

$8,500 isn't too bad for an 06 depending on miles/condition, very good price if you bought from a dealership. I just bought an 06 XLT Screw on Craigslist for $7,000 but it had 197k miles.

 

I have done the Phoenix to Richmond, VA 3 times and with the 17 to Flag the 40 across it was pretty damn flat until I hit Eastern Tennessee. Not sure how the 40 is between Cal and Flag but if you need something flatter then take the 10 into Phoenix then go north so hills as you move towards flagstaff but then it levels back out. I did the thing in an S-10 with trailer fully loaded and a slow *** Uhaul truck and I am sure the 4.6 would of been better then both.

 

Congratulations on escaping California before the entire cesspool that is that state collapses on itself and plunges into the ocean.....

 

You'll be fine and I'm sure your purchase will serve you well many times after the move. Just be smart and watch the gauges. I towed my old Chevy home which combined with the Chevy weighed around 8k and had no issues, in the middle of the great Northeastern winter. It's just not a hot rod and you have to watch your gauges, speed, and braking.

Honestly, I've never seen so many folks against a particular motor until I bought my F150. I'll give it to the Chevy guys, they don't give a d**n what motor you've got, they support each other. On here it's like a war against anything non-5.4

 

you'll be fine. The 4.6 is a work horse. Just don't be upset when it downshifts. When the trip is over, let us know how it went

 

It's got 96k and it's from a private seller. He's been the only driver and has done most of the maintenance himself. Can't beat this price.

Yes, that seems to be the case. I'm not trying to impress anybody, so maybe having the 4.6 will save me from some of the vanity that comes with a 5.4.

 

ahahahhahahahah, so true.

 

OP,

Does the truck you bought have the "trailor/towing package"? Specifically, does it have a transmission cooler (separate mini-radiator between the grill and the primary radiator)? If not, you might want to have one installed either at a shop or do it yourself. That would be the only serious concern about towing I see, regardless of the engine. If the truck does exhibit frequent up/down shifts between 3 and 4 while towing, turn off the overdrive. Moving is always an adventure.

 

I'm glad to have my 4.6 in my truck. It's like a poster elsewhere said, "Like the old 4.9, the 4.6 is practically bulletproof." After putting almost 93K on my truck in 3 1/2 years towing, pulling and using as my daily race commuter, I have to say I've no complaints.

The K&N air filter, exhaust setup and Gott's mod I put on it about a year ago really opened her up, and I'm sure a tuner would bring even more power out.

2v 4.6, 3.55 Open Diff.

 

I have an '06 w/ the 4.6 and towed a Mark VIII on a u-haul trailer from Los Angeles to Sacramento. There were spots on the Grapevine where I couldn't go any faster than 30 mph and the truck wasn't loaded. Would I do it again? Only if I reeeeeeeallly had to.

 

This is more a general question, but I'm curious what could go wrong with an F150 at around 100k miles? The owner is still preparing the vehicle for us. He changed the belt, machined the rotors, changed the pads, changed the thermostat and it just passed a smog test. I'm planning to take it to a AAA authorized service center for their 85 point inspection, but I'm curious if this is really necessary? What could go wrong that I might want to be on alert for? It's $89 for the inspection, or I could opt for a cheaper 32 point inspection for $35.


How much did the car and trailer weigh? I'm looking at about 3000 lbs car + trailer.

 

100k is about the time the plugs need to be replaced and usually a good idea to do COP's at the same time but they could also go a lot longer. I would also get the diff oils changed before making such a big trip and towing the whole way. May not be needed but wouldn't be a bad idea. The other usually stuff that has hopefully been done but check and maybe go ahead and change tranny fluid and filter, fuel filter, and the coolant system you may want to flush it before the trip.

 

$8,500 is great for 96K miles on a one owner!! FWIW mine was a one owner also (I saw the original title), hard to belive he did all 197k...

 

I don't know what all you guys hating on the 4.6 are talking about.

I towed a car from Milwaukee, WI to St. Louis, MO without a problem. I used a U-Haul car hauler trailer instead of the dolly. Just my personal preference.

I was doing 65-70 the whole way and still managed to pull off 14-15mpg. I normally get 11-12MPG using it as a daily driver around town, but I have a heavy right foot.

As long you are taking flat roads you'll be fine. Hills will cause it to downshift, but that's fine, it's what the truck was designed to do.

Truck: 2008 F-150 STX, SCAB, 6.5' Bed, 3.55 gears, 34" GoodYear Duratracs

Car: 2003 Ford Excort ZX2

Just out of Curiosity I decided to weigh it all up. All weights are with me and a full tank of fuel.

Weights:

Truck only:

Front: 3340 LBs
Rear: 2500 LBs
Trailer: 0 LBs
Gross: 5840 LBs

Truck with Empty Trailer:

Front: 3220 LBs
Rear: 2780 LBs
Trailer: 1920 LBs
Gross: 7920 LBs

Truck with Trailer and Car:

Front: 3000 LBs
Rear: 3660 LBs
Trailer: 4100 LBs
Gross: 10760 LBs