Will it pull or not
#16
04-16-2012, 08:51 AM
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Location: Greensboro, NC
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Whups! I told a lie - I just double-checked, and my '04 5.4 has 3.55 gears, not 3.73. Sorry 'bout that!
Anyway, I do agree with Kraft. It's wind resistance that's the real killer when towing, particularly on flat roads. The fact that I can make almost the same speed going modest uphill grades as when on the flat tells you that. (By the way, I leave the OD turned on most of the time: I only turn it off on serious up-and-down, twisty and windy bits. Otherwise, it's constantly hunting for the proper gear, and never quite finding it.)
As to airbag shocks: I have heavy-duty shocks on the rear of my truck, but not lift-supporting shocks. Just jacking up the rear axle only changes the height of the "fulcrum"; it doesn't actually transfer the weight of the tow. Instead, I use a proper weight-distributing hitch with sway control. This setup transfers tongue weight from the hitch to the frame of the truck, keeping the entire setup level. It has the added benefit of making it a great deal more comfortable driving in crosswinds, particularly in gusty conditions.
I towed a somewhat smaller trailer to the Florida Keys with a 4.2 V6 a couple of years ago. It was not a pleasant tow: the truck absolutely would not do over 60mph, even though acceleration from a sop was remarkably brisk. Wind resistance simply killed highway speed. Also, it just would not maintain speed up hills. I learned some valuable lessons from that trip, to wit: you just can't beat cubic inches!
Ah, but what about the new 3.6 Ecoboost? Yes, i know: on paper it has more horsepower and torque than my 5.4 V8. Yes, it does, but what will it be like after 218,000 miles, like the engine in my truck has? To get that much power out of an engine that size, it is considerably more highly stressed, and that can't help but affect longevity. Time will tell...
Anyway, I do agree with Kraft. It's wind resistance that's the real killer when towing, particularly on flat roads. The fact that I can make almost the same speed going modest uphill grades as when on the flat tells you that. (By the way, I leave the OD turned on most of the time: I only turn it off on serious up-and-down, twisty and windy bits. Otherwise, it's constantly hunting for the proper gear, and never quite finding it.)
As to airbag shocks: I have heavy-duty shocks on the rear of my truck, but not lift-supporting shocks. Just jacking up the rear axle only changes the height of the "fulcrum"; it doesn't actually transfer the weight of the tow. Instead, I use a proper weight-distributing hitch with sway control. This setup transfers tongue weight from the hitch to the frame of the truck, keeping the entire setup level. It has the added benefit of making it a great deal more comfortable driving in crosswinds, particularly in gusty conditions.
I towed a somewhat smaller trailer to the Florida Keys with a 4.2 V6 a couple of years ago. It was not a pleasant tow: the truck absolutely would not do over 60mph, even though acceleration from a sop was remarkably brisk. Wind resistance simply killed highway speed. Also, it just would not maintain speed up hills. I learned some valuable lessons from that trip, to wit: you just can't beat cubic inches!
Ah, but what about the new 3.6 Ecoboost? Yes, i know: on paper it has more horsepower and torque than my 5.4 V8. Yes, it does, but what will it be like after 218,000 miles, like the engine in my truck has? To get that much power out of an engine that size, it is considerably more highly stressed, and that can't help but affect longevity. Time will tell...
#17
06-04-2012, 03:55 AM
I've towed a few times with one of my F150's ('98, 4.6L/auto, reg cab LB) my JD 250 skid steer on a 14ft trailer. Truck has about 189K on it, probly around 8K trailer & skiddy. I took the back roads (gravel), and didn't go over 40mph while doing it. Quite capable, but I wouldn't want to go any large distance doing it. Truck handled it just fine, just the old motor/tranny that I didn't want to work to hard.
Last edited by ryanamy; 08-04-2012 at 08:36 AM.