Trailer pulling ability surprises me!
#1
07-26-2000, 05:22 PM
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Sudbury On Can
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Trailer pulling ability surprises me!
During my holidays used my truck to pull 18' 5th wheel trailer which weighed around 3600# loaded. It handled it better than I thought and cruised at or above posted speeds, normally 10-15 kph above posted speeds. It was noticeable on hills or long grades but considering the weight I was happy and the mileage was midteens 14-17 mpg. Traded up to a 25' 5th wheel which weighs 6000# and pulled it 100 miles to campsite. Once again no problems even with that weight I never shifted lower than 4th to get up some fair hills. I know I was over max weight but for a one time pull it did what it was asked and more. I'm not suggesting to anyone they should buy a V6 for pulling but if you own one its pulling power may surprise you.
98 Ford 150XL 4.2 V6 Reg. cab long box
5 spd. manual 3.86 gear ratio
Toreador red
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[This message has been edited by George Eh (edited 07-26-2000).]
98 Ford 150XL 4.2 V6 Reg. cab long box
5 spd. manual 3.86 gear ratio
Toreador red
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[This message has been edited by George Eh (edited 07-26-2000).]
#2
07-26-2000, 05:48 PM
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I think the pully power has a lot to do with the axle ratio. My 2000 4x4 with the 4.2 v-6 has the 3.55 rear end and I wouldn't even dream of pulling a fifth wheel with it.I did take it camping (about two hours away from home& an elavation climb of 7,200 feet) and it was a dog on the steep grades.I wish I had the 4.10 rear end. Steeper gearing helps
alot.
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pioneer cd,cadence ultradrive amps,eclipse mids,tweets&subs,rest is stock for now 2000 black F150 4x4 sport v-6
alot.
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pioneer cd,cadence ultradrive amps,eclipse mids,tweets&subs,rest is stock for now 2000 black F150 4x4 sport v-6
#3
07-26-2000, 11:37 PM
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You can literally pull trees if you have the correct gearing (and patience).
In the not-so-distand past, 6-cyllinder pickups were available with 4.56 and even greater axle ratios. In fact, during my college years, I ran wreckers for AAA Michigan -- and we used Chevy 1/2 ton trucks with special-order rear axles (4.56 and 4.88 - full-floating) since we often needed to wedge between houses and back to garages to do jump-starts. We would tow cars (many many) with those things -- and the 4-sp granny-low transmissions would be nearly at red-line at 70 MPH -- but they were gangbuster tow vehicles at anything legal in the City of Detroit including the 'ditches' (freeways).
The boss always bought 292 CI in-line six's -- which were good for a valve job at around 75,000 miles - and bearings & camshafts around 100K.
This was the late 1960's -- and we drove the pi$$ out of them at WOT everywhere we went (time was money -- and kids were hot-doggers -- a dangerous combination).
So -- since valve-jobs are almost unheard of -- and oil has improved such that nobody wears out rings -- if you wanted a kick *** tow vehicle, you'd go with an in-line 6 that had max torque at below 2,000 RPM -- like the ford 300I six that came in some one-ton trucks made for serious towing just 10 or 15 years ago (remember -- the 5.4 is a mere 10% bigger engine).
If you take your 6 and spin it up a bit -- you will find that you have more HP available to you than someone with a 5.4 does at the same speed.
Forget peak torque and peak HP. The torque bands are F.L.A.T. on these things nowadays -- so all you need to do is get the RPM up to where it makes some HP and go.
In fact, the engine will thank you, since it will be replacing those big long power bangs with many smaller and shorter ones.
The caviat is heat management -- when you start using HP -- you must be able to manage the resultant heat -- and that's where non-H.D.-Towing-package vehicles suffer.
I'm prejudiced and come from a 'gear-it' industry -- but that's my 10-Cents.
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Y2K™ Jim Gorka
Toreador Red, Keyless XLT SC SB 5.4L E4x4 4wDisc/ABS, 3.73LS, Skid, HD 7700# Towing, LT-245's on Chrome, Tube-Steps, Captain's, 6CD, Tonneau, named: "Nick"
In the not-so-distand past, 6-cyllinder pickups were available with 4.56 and even greater axle ratios. In fact, during my college years, I ran wreckers for AAA Michigan -- and we used Chevy 1/2 ton trucks with special-order rear axles (4.56 and 4.88 - full-floating) since we often needed to wedge between houses and back to garages to do jump-starts. We would tow cars (many many) with those things -- and the 4-sp granny-low transmissions would be nearly at red-line at 70 MPH -- but they were gangbuster tow vehicles at anything legal in the City of Detroit including the 'ditches' (freeways).
The boss always bought 292 CI in-line six's -- which were good for a valve job at around 75,000 miles - and bearings & camshafts around 100K.
This was the late 1960's -- and we drove the pi$$ out of them at WOT everywhere we went (time was money -- and kids were hot-doggers -- a dangerous combination).
So -- since valve-jobs are almost unheard of -- and oil has improved such that nobody wears out rings -- if you wanted a kick *** tow vehicle, you'd go with an in-line 6 that had max torque at below 2,000 RPM -- like the ford 300I six that came in some one-ton trucks made for serious towing just 10 or 15 years ago (remember -- the 5.4 is a mere 10% bigger engine).
If you take your 6 and spin it up a bit -- you will find that you have more HP available to you than someone with a 5.4 does at the same speed.
Forget peak torque and peak HP. The torque bands are F.L.A.T. on these things nowadays -- so all you need to do is get the RPM up to where it makes some HP and go.
In fact, the engine will thank you, since it will be replacing those big long power bangs with many smaller and shorter ones.
The caviat is heat management -- when you start using HP -- you must be able to manage the resultant heat -- and that's where non-H.D.-Towing-package vehicles suffer.
I'm prejudiced and come from a 'gear-it' industry -- but that's my 10-Cents.
------------------
Y2K™ Jim Gorka
Toreador Red, Keyless XLT SC SB 5.4L E4x4 4wDisc/ABS, 3.73LS, Skid, HD 7700# Towing, LT-245's on Chrome, Tube-Steps, Captain's, 6CD, Tonneau, named: "Nick"