Good Tow vehicle ?

[billm_usa1]

I have a 2000 Ford F-150 stretched Cab with the 5.4L triton motor with the trailer towing. It pulls real well but gets about 15mpg puling the boat (18ft)
and about 15 around town.

I'm considering goin to an Explorer SportTrack with the v-6 and traier towing.

Any thoughts ? Would I be making a mistake ?

[21ssExtreme]

Do you have brakes on that trailer, that is a smaller truck?

[CTFSHWHISKER]

no need going smaller it won't help if it is gas your trying to save.i have a 97 f150 with a 4.6 it gets 15 hgwy and 12 at best pulling a boat.the smaller motors works harder thereore you'll use more gas.went to texas with a guy pulling a 21ss stratos with a sportrac,it sucked as much gas as mine and the short wheel base doesn't handle or ride well,it bounces terrible when you hit humps and dips.

[pastorbass]

I have a 2004 Explorer XLT. I have a 16ft javelin bass boat with a 90 horse Johnson - the V6 pulls that little boat just fine, however you can tell its back there on hills and such. It also drinks a lot of gas towing the boat. I think an explorer would pull it just fine, but I don't think you would save very much on gas.

[onemorecast56]

I`m like everybody else,,,I got a Durango with the small 4.7 motor,,,wish I had gotten the 5.6 motor,,cause i sure can`t get any worse milage pulling a boat and have some power too...i get 16 with out the boat and 12 when i pull it.

[F16ENGMGR]

Like hp limits on bass boats, go with the largest you can. GMC ext cab 1/2 ton owner all the way. If you're buying new check the new locking GM rear end available. Rave reviews.

[CTFSHWHISKER]

not trying to start a what's better but i owned nothing but chevy trucks had about 6 different ones then had to get ford.The 5.7 chevy motor,that all of mine had, got way better gas mileage than this ford ever has and has much better pulling power.They were all 4x4's and all got 17 to 20 hghwy or pulling.
heck i had a 96 dually with a 454 that was better than my 4.6 triton.

[worm1]

The Chevy 5.3 is a great engine for pulling, I get 15mpg empty and 13 pulling in my Silverado Z71.

[artcarney_agr]

I have a 2000 Ford F-150 stretched Cab with the 5.4L triton motor with the trailer towing. It pulls real well but gets about 15mpg puling the boat (18ft)
and about 15 around town.

I'm considering goin to an Explorer SportTrack with the v-6 and traier towing.

Any thoughts ? Would I be making a mistake ?

I've got the same truck and motor as you, only it's a 2002. Not sure how you're getting 15 mpg pulling unless you're staying off the interstates. I pulled my boat from Louisville to New York this past June and couldn't get any better mileage than 12 or 13 mph...but I was running around 80 mph most of the time, and I have a K&N air intake for added horsepower (and it DOES make difference!). I'm looking at trading as well, but I'm not going smaller. I'm trying to save enough to get into a F-250 with the Powerstroke...my buddy has one and estimates 20 mpg and very little drop in that when pulling the boat.

Not sure how soon you are looking at trading, but if you can hold out, you would be a lot better off! Right now, Ford is working on the newly redesigned 2009 F-150 and there's talk of a diesel option for it - however that might not be available until spring of 2009 or even 2010...HOWEVER, there's a race going on right now between Ford and Toyota to offer a diesel in that class size pickup...Diesel F-150 vs. Diesel Tundra is next big battle in the pickup market....so be ready! With all the talk of being "environmentally friendly" and increasing production of vehicles with higher mpg, the battle will get intense, probably with Chevy jumping in eventually. The Detroit Auto Show in January will be when all of this is made public...if you don't believe me, do some internet searching yourself and you'll find plenty of talk about this, just none official yet...which will happen in January in Detroit.

[artcarney_agr]

A few links on info about it:

http://jalopnik.com/cars/notag/2009-...150-307988.php

http://www.truckblog.com/story-1410-...ghtduty_trucks

http://www.fordf150.net/2009/

I cannot wait to see what's going to happen and how these new F-150s are going to look! FORD POWER!!!

[chugbug]

I have a 2005 Dodge Ram 2500, with a Cummins Turbo Diesel. I've pulled boats from 14 ft to 26 ft and had a hard time noticing any difference. I read in Diesel Power Mag that in 2009 Cummins is making a diesel for the Durango and 1500 ram. I bought this truck new in June of 06 and so far have been very pleased with my choice. It gets 23 mpg on the interstate not towing. Depending on what I'm pulling, I think the worst I've noticed was about 17-18mpg. Just stay away from Powerjokes and you'll be fine

[CTFSHWHISKER]

I have a 2005 Dodge Ram 2500, with a Cummins Turbo Diesel. I've pulled boats from 14 ft to 26 ft and had a hard time noticing any difference. I read in Diesel Power Mag that in 2009 Cummins is making a diesel for the Durango and 1500 ram. I bought this truck new in June of 06 and so far have been very pleased with my choice. It gets 23 mpg on the interstate not towing. Depending on what I'm pulling, I think the worst I've noticed was about 17-18mpg. Just stay away from Powerjokes and you'll be fine

that's funny everyone who has a powerstroke says stay away from a cummins and you'll be fine.what gives? oh well while you all are strokin and cummins i'll drive by you in a duramax and cause a climax.