I Need a Truck F150 versus F250.

So more info.

I checked the mfg weights on the trailers.

As for my driving:

I tow the racecar 6-7 times a year. The longest (twice a year) is 300 miles one way. The others are 10 to 70.

Daily commute is 9 miles each and typically takes 20-25 minutes.

I will be retiring in 4 1/2 years.

A few points of reference that may be helpful:

My F-250 was a fantastic tow vehicle, but absolutely miserable in every other situation. The size/ride/general truckiness of it all just plain sucked if you weren't towing. But it didn't care where you put the car on the trailer, what was in the bed, what the tongue weight was, etc. etc.

My F-150 Lightning is very very happy towing 6000-7000 lbs., but the few times I've towed 10,000 lbs. it handled it, but didn't have that "I've got this covered with one finger on the steering wheel and the cruise control set" vibe that I look for in a tow vehicle. 

Both trucks tow circles around JG's Toyota Tundra, which is a great truck... but seems to hit the bumpstops every single time it's hooked to an enclosed trailer.  It's perfect for his open trailer, though.

In addition to lower available tow ratings, the Tundra payload is considerably lower than the F150/1500 equivalent. Like less than a minivan low for many to most Tundra crew cabs. Perhaps that has something to do with the perceived need for LT tires on them.

Pilling on here. I HATED my F250 when I used it as a daily it was fantastic towing. Like night and day difference. Even better with a yard of gravel in the bed. 

My 2017 V8 5.0 will easily tow 7500lbs all day long but I take a 40% MPG reduction. It rides like a dream compared to the F250 but is a few generations newer. Don;thave much experiance with the turbo ones towing. 

GET THE 4 DOOR. Unless you need the long bed like me get the 4 door. It's a daily and a truck all rolled into one. Even the XLT is nice now but used not much difference in pricing. If they made a 8 foot bed in a F150 with the 4 doors it would be perfect for me. 

Personal opinion reading what you said. 6 speed, 4 door, with the 5.0 would be my choice but I have had some issues with the turbo ones in my friend group when they get to around 90K miles. 

One thing to keep in mind when comparing peoples' experiences with towing is where they live in the country.  Colorado, California, and Florida have different elevations and levels of flatness and will thus impose different requirements.

Coming from a '97 F-250, I can't believe how nicely my '11 F-350 drives. It is stiff, and with the Supercab and 8' bed it's not great for tight spaces, but coming from older trucks I find it amazingly civilized, and I've enjoyed how unfazed it is by a yard of gravel and am looking forward to towing with it.

I'm glad I don't have to use it as a daily, but it makes a great truck. I'm not sure whether the ride is much worse than the Mini, but it's certainly harder to park, and even a tight traffic circle or a drive-through involves paying attention to one's line.

Get the tool that will do the job when everything goes wrong, not the one that will do it when everything is right. 3/4 ton.

In reply to Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) :

We have discussed tow ratings, a few times , and have agreed... I assume you were not feeling well when you started this answer!

Yes, I owned an '11 max tow F150. 
Rated for some 13K lbs. 

NO WAY would it tow 13K safely! 

As a full time proponent of "get at least a bit more truck than ya need", the OP's needs are WELL within the F150 (or Toyota, dodge or chebby) ability!

For his needs, based on towing vs DD, I recommend not getting a "3/4" ton (completely outdated misnomer) or "class 2" truck. 
My personal tow pigs, have ranged from a Buick regal fwd towing a 3500 utility trailer full of gang boxes, to a Class 6 MD truck with a 36' 5th wheel. 
Unless you just WANT the F250, cause ya like 'em (I do) the DD mpg, as well as the towing mpg, unless you predict a larger trailer in the future, will be better with less truck. 
Been there, done that... and still am. 

In reply to Tom1200 :

A Colorado, would probably do that much! A bit light for the towing, but could.

 
I LOVE my bigger trucks. The modern F250 rids smoother than the 1/2 tons, of my youth!  But is way overkill, for your advertised needs, and the folks telling you otherwise, must assume you are planing to tow a much larger trailer, a LOT more than that. 

In reply to Tom Suddard :

Well stated. And great examples. 
I will say, the 04 Tundra 2wd w/ 3.4 V6 way out towed my 99 dodge 318/5.2. Rated for less, towed more, easier and better mpg, empty or loaded!!!

did have helpers on the rear, but then so did the dodge. 

Your requirements are exactly what 1/2 ton trucks are aimed at.

I owned a '19 F250 (bought used) for a year or so thinking I'd like/need it.  Once the novelty wore off I found myself picking my '96 1/2 ton chevy for every task that didn't require a trailer.  Lower bed height, better mpg, rode/drove better, easy to get in/out of etc.  The chevy would pull the car hauler if it had to.  The F250 was a very capable truck but I just didn't need that and it killed me to see that much money just sitting and depreciating.  If I would have bought a '19 F150 instead I bet i'd still have it.

F150? Nah, go F100.

Oh, you want power steering, brakes, air conditioning and a radio you can hear? Okay, F150 it is then.

I've never felt the need for anything bigger, aside from maybe an extended cab. I've ridden in a few F250s, and the ride is horrible. Plus, all the maintenance parts for brakes, etc are far more expensive. I think for your needs the F150 would be the better choice.

I've owned over 30 trucks, and towed more than a million miles. You absolutely do not need a 3/4 ton truck. 
 

My F250s were the best towing animals I've ever had. But they were beasts the rest of the time. 
 

I've since downed graded to an F150.  I have 2. A 2013 and a 2012.  Both are 4 door 5 1/2' beds.  One has the 5.0L and the other has the Ecoboost.  Although they look identical, the  EB is a significantly better towing machine, and a REALLY comfortable daily driver. It's rated for 11,300.  I've towed more than that without much trouble, but not with the 5.0.

Caveat... the EBs are a bit finicky, and mechanics don't like to work on them. Repair costs are higher, and I would expect that an older EB may not have been as well cared for. The 5.0L is more common and cheaper to maintain. 
 

Don't forget all your maintenance and consumables will be more on the F250.

Your use case isn't anywhere near needing an F250.  An F150 is perfectly capable and an excellent daily driver. 

A well spec-ed, modern-ish F-150 should be adequate for this purpose, although the 250 will certainly be more capable at the expense of everything the others have mentioned. 

One big thing I want to point out is not to over-emphasize trailer weight as the deciding factor of what's ok to pull.  The travel trailer will absolutely be the most challenging load described in the original post (high windage, likely poor weight distribution, less stable, especially if it's a single axle).  A lot of travel trailers have the axles way too far forward as well in search of lower tongue weight, and that means more weight behind the axles to hurt stability.  5000 lbs of car + car trailer (open or enclosed) will almost certainly be an easier load to pull than 5000 lbs of travel trailer. 

For the stuff you want to tow a half ton is fine.  A smaller camper is more aero load than weight load.  Be careful on the size though, even for two a 19 footer is tight.  Means a sideways bed instead of front to back.  Not an issue until someone has to get up in the middle of the night and crawl over the other.  Also the toilet and shower can be challenging for some.  A dinette that convert into a bed is just a pain.  When you start shopping both of you lay on the bed then both try sitting on the toilet and standing in the shower.  We have a 19 footer and layout is critical.  We prefer extended cab doors to 4 door, the 2 doors opening opposite makes for a nice place when changing from biking to kayak clothes with some privacy.  

Back to towing, I said this before and will say it again. Put BIG rear springs on the back.  Not air bags, not over riders.  I went 1000 pounds over stock and the difference towing is amazing.  Sway and bounce are barely noticeable and the WDH bars, which are a pain, stay in the shed now.  Yes it is pretty bad empty around town, but so is the MPG.  

One, OK 2 last comments.  We tried the 05-09 ford and hated them.  No power was weak.  Not to say the 4.8 LS is a screamer but it was no contest with the ford stuff.  And no one tows a camper filled with water so do not include that in the numbers.  If you are camping without hookups throw enough in to cover the stay a few miles before getting there.

I'm usually in the camp of "use way more truck than you need" but I don't think you need a 250.

My '96 F-150 with a 300 and a 5-speed handled our towing duties for years with no issues but we were never over the 7000lb mark.

As my trailers got bigger, we stepped up to a Superduty F-250, an F-250HD and a K2500 Suburban. All great tow pigs but kind of rough when they weren't working.

The new tow pig is a 2019 Silverado 1500 6.2 with the Max Tow package. It's supposed to be able to handle 13,000lb or something like that. I've had 8,000 behind it with no problems and not even a load distribution hitch. I don't think I'd want to pull more than 10,000 with it.

Modern half-tons are pretty incredible.

I don't have too much to add, but I would also consider:

1) Are you looking at a gas or diesel F250? Keep in mind the extra maintenance you'd need with a diesel like DEF and anything else diesel people have to do. 
 

2) Stabilizer bars could make a world of difference when towing heavier 

3) if you have a commercial rental enterprise, you can always budget to rent an f250 for long/heavy tows and daily the 150. 

I rented an F250 4wd crew cab from Enterprise to tow to the 2017 Challenge from Michigan. Trailer and car would have been under 4000lb. It was absolutely effortless.....BUT, I was 65 years old and my buddy a decade older. The floor of the truck was 31" above the road.!! What a PITA to climb in and out of for a couple of older guys. It would tow at 90 MPH ,too. I have since purchased a GMC Canyon with the 140" wheelbase, and it tows the same rig just fine. I say get yourself an F150.

03Panther said:

I LOVE my bigger trucks. The modern F250 rids smoother than the 1/2 tons, of my youth!  But is way overkill, for your advertised needs, and the folks telling you otherwise, must assume you are planing to tow a much larger trailer, a LOT more than that. 

Yeah, IMHO the complaints about 3/4 being too harsh to drive around unloaded are not true of modern ones (I have a 2021), and the 360 camera helps tremendously with parking.  That said I leave it at home and drive something else if I don't need the truck capabilities.

porschenut said:

Back to towing, I said this before and will say it again. Put BIG rear springs on the back.  Not air bags, not over riders.  I went 1000 pounds over stock and the difference towing is amazing.  Sway and bounce are barely noticeable and the WDH bars, which are a pain, stay in the shed now.

And no one tows a camper filled with water so do not include that in the numbers.

WDH isn't as much about weight added to the rear axle as it is weight removed from the front axle. Stiffening the rear springing, regardless of how it's accomplished, may help the former but does zero for the latter.

MANY experienced RV'ers pull their travel trailers with a full fresh tank. However, it is important to make sure the manufacturer didn't cut corners on tank mounting and support before doing so.

03Panther said:

In reply to Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) :

. I assume you were not feeling well when you started this answer!

Did I say something offensive?

Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) said:

Well, F150s in that year range are rated to tow anywhere from 10k to 13k, so I wouldn't worry about towing 4k.

The only real reason I might lean toward an F250 is because things are just beefier.  Ball joints, tie rod ends, bushings, brakes, shocks, bearings, axles, etc.  My F150 needed maintenance much like a car - brake pads every 16 months or so, chassis and suspension parts every 60k or so.  My F250 I owned from 60k miles until 150k miles, and I did brake pads once.  I never did any chassis parts, although when I sold it one rear shock was leaking a bit.  It looked OEM.

My F150 was as reliable as Taurus.  Drove a bit more like a car, needed replacement parts like a car.  My F250 was as reliable as a chunk of Oak.  I knew that as long as it passed PA inspection, it was a no-brainer.  I could count on it to not need parts for years.

The downside is potentially larger turning radius, stiffer ride (although they're getting so good with this), potentially higher registration cost.  In PA, if I have a dually, I can register it as a Class 1 truck (like a Ranger), but then I'm technically required to stay under a certain GVW despite what the truck's doorjamb says.  Some states, you pay based on the GVWR.

I rarely tow more than 6000 these days, so my Express 1500 is more than enough, but if GM had made a true 2500 Express with AWD, I'd be driving it now.  In truth, GM did make a one-year 2500 AWD, but it was a total sham.  They added a leaf to the rear springs and put a 2500 badge on it.  The front chassis was strictly 1500 parts bin.

Edit to add:  Check with your insurance/state.  Insurance might see an F250 as implied heavy-duty/towing use and it might be more expensive.

Registration in PA seems to vary wildly.  My 1995 2500 Cummins (8800 GVWR) was titled as Class 2. Why? I have no idea... because former farm truck?   All I know is annual registration was $154/year at the time (sold in 2013).  I think it's now around $200/year.   I don't know if that had any affect on insurance.   Vans are different.  It seems most full-size passenger vans get titled as station wagons, regardless of size/weight.  My E350 extended hi-roof weighs every bit as much as the Cummins but annual registration is the same as a passenger car. Go figure.

For trucks, I also lean towards the "bigger is better" rule but I've also never been shy of overkill when it comes to tools.  And a truck is a tool.  One reason I bought the Cummins is for hauling heavy stuff in the bed. Fire wood, mulch, etc.   Three yards of mulch (~3000 lbs) in the bed just made the Cummins ride nice... otherwise it did not care.  Of course, this is also why any truck I buy will have an 8' bed.  Anything shorter is pointless.  Granted, the truck was usually a secondary vehicle and rarely daily driven.  I may have different opinions if I needed to drive it every day.

So most of the F150s I've looked at are V8 with an 11K towing capacity.

The largest travel trailers I've looked are gross 5500 lbs; so exactly half of the trucks tow rating.

Next, I don't tow faster than 65mph with anything. I've seen and heard to many horror stories.

I want something that rides nice and is quiet inside. Part of the reason why we switch up from an RV to a trailer is that once we got where we were going we could go do our exploring. The plan is to pick a centrally located base and then go see sites that are 50-60 miles from that base.

We could end up driving the truck solo as much as we do towing on trips.

In reply to Tom1200 :

For what you describe a half ton is the biggest thing I would get. I would also consider a Taco or a Colorado or a Durango, less tow'y, more car'y but it sounds like that's really what you want. 

We just missed out on connecting on this as I just sold my '17 F150 supercrew with 6.5 ft bed.  3.5 turbo 6 and it would tow anything I asked it to.  And I asked it to tow some substantial things far in excess of what you are describing.  Dont limit yourself to the 5.0, the 3.5 turbo is just as capable if not moreso.    

Only caviat I will add here contrary to some other posters is if you want the 4 door 6.5 ft bed it will NOT be easier to park, their turning radius is garbage.  It was my only real complaint about daily driving that thing, in tight parking lots it was a chore.