Ford Pickup Questions

Over the last few months I’ve seen 2000-ish to 2009-ish Ford pickups at auctions going for what seem to be reasonable prices. I could use one as a tow vehicle so I have some Ford pickup questions.

Engines:

Re V6s, do they have enough grunt to pull an open trailer with a 2500lb race car and related equipment up relatively steep hills?

Re V10s, are they reliable, are there any common / terminal problems, do they guzzle inordinate amounts of fuel, is it overkill for my use?

Ford auto transmissions - are they good (reliable / long lasting), any common problems?

Chassis; F150 would it handle the work load, F350 would it be overkill?

Thank you in advance for your input

EDIT: Additional info based on some responses so far.

This tow vehicle will be 2x not 4x, that really isn’t needed for the driving it will be doing. A crew cab would be nice, but not really necessary.

I, most likely, will not go diesel. I have just about zero experience with them and will have enough new stuff (the race car) on my plate as it is.

The track I will be running at mostly would be a bit less than 200 miles round trip. The biggest concern for that trip is a 15 mile pull up a notable hill outside of Phoenix.

My trailer is a Carson tandem 16ft, with electric brakes; I don’t know its weight. It tows and stops very nicely. If need be I can and will add whatever is needed to the truck to make the brakes operate.

In reply to L5wolvesf :

The dividing line is 2015. Prior to that the bodies were steel and well up here in the rust belt they••••• 

After that they were"military grade" aluminum. So far mine doesn't have a lick of rust or corrosion 

Mine gets 22 mpg to and from work. And 24 at the speed limit on the highway.  that's a 4x4 V8.  With flex fuel. (E85 costs me about 2mpg  over regular , but saved me over 60 cents per gallon.  In other words I kept $10 a tank on price but because of lower fuel mileage I only saved $5 per tank. 
My 5 liter V8 pulled 6500 pounds up the mountains to nearly 13,000 feet on cruise control and rarely  downshifted out of high gear. 
I was a loyal Chevy owner for 55 years prior to that. My last one went 371,000+ miles virtually trouble free. Never let me down. So switching to a Ford took a lot. 
 

Trucks prior to 2015 seem to get less than 1/2 that for fuel mileage and have issues like tossing spark plugs or seizing spark plugs.  Some even complain about transmission issues. 
As for handling loads today's 1/2 ton trucks are built more like 3/4 or even 1 ton of a few years ago.  Bigger brakes,  stronger suspension, more powerful and tough, reliable transmissions.  
 

Remember you have a 2500# car plus a 2500# trailer....

You can't say hill and 6cyl in the same sentence without some level of optimism.

More important than pulling is stopping, you need big brakes.

The difference between a F150 and a F350 is huge in many areas.

For me towing any distance I want a diesel F350 dually crew cab.

The diesel for the torque, a 350 for the brakes, a dually for the stability, the long wheelbase to make it go down the road straighter.

Anything less is a compromise, how far are you willing to compromise. If it's not a daily driver there are few reasons to compromise.

I towed a 2 axle 24ft race trailer with a dragster and a golf kart in it with my V8 Dakota 4 door last week. Flat ground and only across town, it did not feel comfortable at 50mph. Even with a long wheelbase it did not feel stable or secure. The trailer pushed the truck around too much. Without electric brakes I never could have stopped it.

I don't think the V10s are a good choice as they seem to have issues and horrible fuel mileage.

If I was going to buy or build one and could not get a diesel I would opt for a 460 and consider adding a stroker kit. A manual trans will provide some measure of mileage improvement but Autos with a good cooler and a lockup convertor will be less work to pilot.

A diesel will get better mileage and pull better. Will need to be chipped, but not turned up stupid parts breaking high. #nosmoke 

A lesser truck 150 or 250 would need a factory tow package (brakes, cooling, Trailer electrics)

I used to have a 2008 F150 - it was 4x4, "super crew" with 4 real doors, and the 5.4L V8, rated for ~8000 lbs.

It towed similar weight cars on open car haulers fine, about 4500-5000 lbs. The 4 speed automatic transmission shifted down out of overdrive on hills, but it got the job done. Fuel economy was in the 10-12 range while towing on the highway. I pulled heavier loads in enclosed trailers and did not enjoy the experience.

Currently, I have a 2015 with the same configuration except the engine is the 5.0L V8 rated for ~11000 lbs. It tows a similar configuration with better economy by 3-5 mpg. I'm not sure how much of that is attributable to the 6 speed transmission or axle gear differences.

I personally feel like the 2005-2009 trucks were significantly less stable and capable than the 2009+ chassis.  I had a friend with a 2005 4dr, short bed 5.4L V8. I borrowed it to tow my popup camper to an event when my '97 Explorer was off-line. I can honestly say my Explorer towed that little trailer much better than the 2005 pickup. It seemed to wallow, it did poorly on crosswinds, and the power was no better.

My friend towed a 6500 lb travel trailer with it and never got over 6.X mpg, but it had a big front end and I think his max rating was 7500lbs or so. He bought a Miata and a trailer and started doing events 3 hours away and quickly traded up to an F250.

Along the same time he had that I got a brand new 2011 short bed single cab F150 company truck. It was light years ahead in stability, even driving empty. I never towed comparable weight with it but it just felt better put together.

Now I have a 2013 Ecoboost 4dr, short bed that is rated for 9700lbs. This chassis is tough, the truck is stable and tows well. Mileage? eh. I average 14s unloaded and 10 towing my 2500lb boat. 

As mentioned the 2015 was the first year of the aluminum trucks. In general I'd say they are another step up from the 09-14 in towing capability and stability but not the massive difference that the 09s were from the previous generation. I also don't like the way the newer steering feels vs the '13 and I dislike the mirrors, but that's all just personal preference.

I have an 05 F150 with the 4.6.  It is the standard cab with 8' bed and some slightly heavier springs.  I have never had a concern with stability but the 4.6 leaves a lot to be desired for going. I sold my enclosed car trailer because it was too much for it.  It's rated to tow somewhere around 7000 but don't expect much comfort doing that.  If you are towing an hour to the the track with your 5000lb combo it will do fine and be cheap with one of the V8s. Going further afield and frequent trips and I would go for more truck. 

FWIW, a buddy of mine trailered our Challenge car (2100lb) and a steel trailer (no idea, but heavy) down to Florida and back, and never had any power problems with a V6 F150.  Had some stability problems due to the car being too far back, but that was fixed for the drive back home when we caught up with him.

Can't be any worse than doing the same trip with a Ranger V6, which we did many times.  

From Michigan, though the mountains of KY and TN to FL..  

The only think I didn't like about his truck was the lack of an extension on the cab.  

Good luck- hope you find one that fits your needs!

I have a 2000 F150 with the 4.2 V6. Technically its tow capacity is 5400 pounds, but I sure wouldn't want to try it. 

V10 is relatively reliable but yes thirsty. Has the torque for most anything you'd need to tow. 

At minimum get one of the newer trucks with the 6 speed transmission and a v8 or v10.  It makes a world of difference over a 4 speed transmission, especially towing up hills.

I'm a Ford guy but don't like those vintage F150s. Too many problems and the rust...my doG, the rust. None of them outside of the desert or down south have any rocker panels left. The bottom corners of the beds will rot out too. Ejecting or seized spark plugs, cracked exhaust manifolds or warped ones that snap the studs off in the head, coil problems, oil pressure tensioner issues...not a fan.

Normally I'd tell someone to spring for a F250 Super Duty (anything over F150 is the Super Duty with the different body) but they have the same engine issues plus while the cabs hold up better the beds are complete garbage. They all rot over the rear wheels but worse the bed crossmembers rust. By the time you notice it the floor is starting to go too. Ford won't sell you a complete bed, only the pieces to weld one together. Used bed? LOL! There aren't any!

The V6 is that period was not great. The V10 will suck gas like a 460.

I'd go newer or older (the older trucks were actually less rust prone).

In reply to all:

Thank you for your input quantity and quality wise. It will all be taken into consideration. Based on some responses so far I have added to my original post.

In reply to frenchyd :

Unfortunately 2015 would divide too many dollars from ME. Fortunately I most likely won’t have rust to deal with since I’m in AZ.

If I / when get the race car I want; the regular tow distance would be a bit under 200 miles round trip. The biggest concern for that trip is a 15 mile pull up a notable hill out of Phoenix.

It sounds like a more current V8 would give me a reasonable MPG and power.

In reply to bentwrench:

Yeah, the hill in question is a tough one in part because it is just outside Phoenix (a.k.a. hell).

I get the advantage of diesel, and could use it. But I have just about zero experience with diesel and will have enough new stuff on my plate as it is. The V10 is probably not realistic for me either.

This will not be a daily driver truck. I added my trailer’s info to the original post.

Thank you for the info, it is in my pot-o-info for consideration.

In reply to ultraclyde:

Good food for thought. I might be able to swing a 09 – 14 depending on how the auction goes. Given the info here so far I’m leaning toward the F250.

In reply to ddavidv:

I’m pretty much in the desert so rust isn’t really an issue here. Deterioration of rubber and fabrics is another story. We have plenty of truck beds in our wrecking yards.

As far as older is concerned what years are you thinking of?

I am one of those souls who owned an early 2000s f150 with a v8 that popped one of its spark plugs with a little over 100k on it. What made this special for me was it happened late night in the middle of Alabama no where.  A memorable evening - at least it was warm out.

Have owned about a half dozen Ford trucks over the years including a 350 diesel. The day we got home from the spitting spark plug trip I got a Tundra. No more Fords for me.

Not suggesting you avoid Fords -  just sharing my experience and there is a probability - very small - that you might pop one. V10 - I dont know - diesels obviously no. Hope your hunt is successful.

It would help to give us an idea of your budget?

I would probably pick a 1990s F250/350 with a 460 over a 00s truck with a 5.4 or V10.  The V10 has the power, but you have to keep the revs up, and they get crap mileage.  Spark plug issues are real, but otherwise they're pretty reliable.

The 90s trucks share lots of parts over millions of F series and Broncos, and are plentiful and cheap.  Gas trucks are pretty cheap these days, and I would think you could pick up a clean 460 truck for what you would pay for an auction truck of later vintage.  Those trucks are pretty bulletproof.

I had a '00 F250 diesel that was an excellent tow rig, but clean 7.3s are $$$ these days.  I had an '03 F150 and '05 F150, both with 5.4s and they were decent trucks, but I never towed with them.  Both were way lighter duty than the '00 F250.

By the mileage/route your talking about, I'm assuming you're in the Prescott area, maybe Verde Valley?  From Prescott you can take the back way through Wickenburg... a bit longer/slower, but a much easier tow than I17.

bentwrench said:

Remember you have a 2500# car plus a 2500# trailer....

You can't say hill and 6cyl in the same sentence without some level of optimism.

More important than pulling is stopping, you need big brakes.

The difference between a F150 and a F350 is huge in many areas.

For me towing any distance I want a diesel F350 dually crew cab.

The diesel for the torque, a 350 for the brakes, a dually for the stability, the long wheelbase to make it go down the road straighter.

Anything less is a compromise, how far are you willing to compromise. If it's not a daily driver there are few reasons to compromise.

I towed a 2 axle 24ft race trailer with a dragster and a golf kart in it with my V8 Dakota 4 door last week. Flat ground and only across town, it did not feel comfortable at 50mph. Even with a long wheelbase it did not feel stable or secure. The trailer pushed the truck around too much. Without electric brakes I never could have stopped it.

I don't think the V10s are a good choice as they seem to have issues and horrible fuel mileage.

If I was going to buy or build one and could not get a diesel I would opt for a 460 and consider adding a stroker kit. A manual trans will provide some measure of mileage improvement but Autos with a good cooler and a lockup convertor will be less work to pilot.

A diesel will get better mileage and pull better. Will need to be chipped, but not turned up stupid parts breaking high. #nosmoke 

A lesser truck 150 or 250 would need a factory tow package (brakes, cooling, Trailer electrics)

If you really think you need a diesel to haul 2500 #'s worth of car up a mountain why not grab  a Peterbuilt or Kenworth. 

Those diesels go a million miles before an overhaul is required I've seen plenty of those for the money you're talking about. Depending on how big the injectors are you can average 9-10 mpg. 

I love the late 90's Ford trucks but I will say that brakes are a major factor. I had a '96 F250 that supposedly had antilock in the rear. Even after rebuild the system was sketchy in the rain. After sliding through a red light in the rain while towing my lightweight boat I decided I wanted something new enough to have 4 wheel disk ABS that actually worked like it should.  The safety of myself and my family made that my only responsible call.

I won't argue that older brake systems can be effective, but at their best they just aren't as good as modern systems. The gap gets even wider if they are not maintained at absolute peak. 

You know, I had a 97 Explorer with 4 wheel disk ABS that was pretty dang good. I only had one instance where I was towing the 2400# camper and the brakes scared me, but I'd been in stop and go traffic and they were already hot. But the 4 wheel ABS disk brakes on the '98 Grand Cherokee didn't feel nearly as good even without a trailer. The '96 F250 still had drums out back and single channel ABS.  The variation in braking ability in three different designs from the same era was huge.

This body style:

Those things are everywhere. They are like cockroaches. My 1993 Lightning with 173,000 miles on it uses no oil (though it does leak some). The downside is the small blocks are power challenged. Provided you aren't using it as a daily driver the 460 equipped model will absolutely tow pretty much anything without the high repair expense of a diesel. I don't find the brakes to be a problem and a guy living in Arizona isn't going to have a lot of rain/snow to deal with anyway. Pretty sure you couldn't get a 460 in a half ton but you probably want a F250 for towing anyway.

Aside from World's Dumbest Headlamp Attachment and a propensity to rust over the rear wheels they are very sturdy and well built trucks. The right side dash mount is prone to breakage but I fixed mine with a homemade metal bracket. Just about every part of the truck is available aftermarket. On rust belt trucks the spring perches can rot but they are replaceable and still sold by Ford.

I have a 2011 F150 XL Regular Cab Long Bed 3.7L V6 (non-turbo) RWD with 77K miles. I tow 3k lb cars on a dolly with no problem and get between 14 and 16 MPG doing it. Get 19-21 MPG during non-tow use. V8 power would be nice but not needed. Also glad that there is plenty of engine space if/when I need to work on it (nothing but fluid changes so far). I'd look for a 2011 V6 reg cab 2wd as they are less popular and less expensive than ext and crew cab 4x4 V8s. Or an 09-10 V8 reg cab 2wd.

How do we recommend 460 trucks but not modern v10's? Get you a mid 2000's v10 f250 and maintain it. If you're not daily driving it then mileage isn't a big factor. 

I've towed around Phoenix, northern Arizona, and Southern California before even during 105+ deg weather, those inclinesare no joke especially in hotass weather. Make sure you have a decent size transmission cooler. If you're towing uphill and long distance then you'll want something that has the hardware to not struggle. V10 f250's are super cheap and can be found anywhere. Not only that but the engines are in everything and have no problem going hundreds of thousands of miles. 

No matter what you decide on there isn't a no-trade off choice. There's nothing made perfect from the factory with no issues. And used stuff will have issues because that's things are.

What's your budget? I was able to find a 7.3 in southern California and I've driven it all around America, especially the southwest while towing as much as 8k lbs. I didn't pay a lot for it, under $7,000. 

frenchyd said:

If you really think you need a diesel to haul 2500 #'s worth of car up a mountain why not grab  a Peterbuilt or Kenworth. 

No kidding. Talk about overkill!

I say 04-08 F-150 with the 3V 5.4. I've had two, an 04 and an 07. You get 300hp, the 6-speed with tow/haul mode, towing capacity somewhere around 9k pounds, depending on configuration. These aren't the spark plug ejectors, these are the ones that seize up in the heads, but that can be addressed, I did it on my 07. There are special tools and procedures all over the interwebs, and once you do it, you're good for 100k miles. Yes, they rust, but so does everything when it gets older. The mileage isn't that great, but I dare say it's better than a 90s truck with a V8, and with a lot more power and torque, better brakes, better suspension, stability control, etc. And they are everywhere, Ford sold half a million of them a year.

After brief ford diesel ownership, and talking to other ford diesel owners, not worth the hassle. 3/4 Ton V10 trucks are out there en masse and most of them have been fixed by now(at least according to the listings). Yeah, you'll get 10mpg, but if it's a tow pig, then go for it. I'm far from a ford fanboi but the low spec interiors are really nice places to spend time.

frenchyd said:

If you really think you need a diesel to haul 2500 #'s worth of car up a mountain why not grab  a Peterbuilt or Kenworth. 

 

Your definition of 'mountain' is a little different from ours out here in the West.  Not saying everyone needs a diesel big rig to haul 5k lbs, but when the highest point East of the Mississippi is 6600ft you're simply not going to have the same kind of grades we have.  I have two passes higher than that within 15 miles of my house.

I make the same drive to the track the OP is referring to, and it would suck with a 1/2 ton truck.

yupididit said:  How do we recommend 460 trucks but not modern v10's? Get you a mid 2000's v10 f250 and maintain it.

I'd prefer the simplicity of the 90s F250 with a 460 over a 00's V-10, but the newer truck will have a better transmission, heat management and brakes.  And a V10 from that period will likely be cheaper than the 90's truck in equivalent spec and condition, as the values are starting to climb on the clean 90s trucks.  Either way, be prepared to do a lot of 'catch up' maintenance.