5.0TA puller: F150 3.5 vs F250 7.3 gas

[WannaBeEscaped]

Originally Posted by Colorado Kirk

Oh, forgot to mention. If you do decide to get the 3/4 ton, make sure you get the trailer with the lift package. Ours has the lift and the 3/4 ton Chevy is a stock 4x4. The max tailgate height is 58” even with the 5.0 lift option. Ours rides right at 58” when hitched up.

We have a 2020 F-150 XLT 4x4 with the 3.5L EcoBoost to pull our 2021 5.0. It has the 6.5’ bed and a super crew cab. Pulls the trailer beautifully! What we are left wanting is more capacity on the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating GVWR. Ours is 7,050 lbs, and we’re at 7,200 lbs with the two of us, bed toolbox, generator, gooseneck/Anderson Ultimate hitch, roof rack & Thule XL box with two fold-up kayaks, and all our year-round clothes and supplies. I need to replace the tires, and the Michelin LT tires are each about 15 lbs more per tire than the OEM tires; another 75 lbs!
So we are looking at a 2021 F250 FX4 with the 7.3 v8 and a 6.7’ bed, but it has a tailgate height of 58-3/8ths inches, just over the 58” max! Our pin weight was 860 lbs last time. Does anyone know if this would compress the rear enough that we’d be under the 58” max for our lifted trailer?

Thanks!
Duane

[robjones101@gmail.com]

We have the 2021 F250 and the 5.0 with the lifted axles and it works great for us. Rob.

[Paul B]

Originally Posted by WannaBeEscaped

We have a 2020 F-150 XLT 4x4 with the 3.5L EcoBoost to pull our 2021 5.0. It has the 6.5’ bed and a super crew cab. Pulls the trailer beautifully! What we are left wanting is more capacity on the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating GVWR. Ours is 7,050 lbs, and we’re at 7,200 lbs with the two of us, bed toolbox, generator, gooseneck/Anderson Ultimate hitch, roof rack & Thule XL box with two fold-up kayaks, and all our year-round clothes and supplies. I need to replace the tires, and the Michelin LT tires are each about 15 lbs more per tire than the OEM tires; another 75 lbs!
So we are looking at a 2021 F250 FX4 with the 7.3 v8 and a 6.7’ bed, but it has a tailgate height of 58-3/8ths inches, just over the 58” max! Our pin weight was 860 lbs last time. Does anyone know if this would compress the rear enough that we’d be under the 58” max for our lifted trailer?

Thanks!
Duane

We have a 2021 F250 Crew Tremor (~60.5") and a 1000lbs has a little drop, maybe an inch. We decided to get a 21ne after seeing how close the over hang was going to be to the bed rails. I didn't want to risk a hump at a driveway/sidewalk hitting the bed rails. And, I don't want to lower my truck. Hope it helps.

[WannaBeEscaped]

Originally Posted by robjones101@gmail.com

We have the 2021 F250 and the 5.0 with the lifted axles and it works great for us. Rob.

Thanks Rob. Do you have the FX4 package, which I think has higher springs? Also, have you had any mechanical issues with your 250? Consumer Reports does not recommend the 2021 used, but I don’t know how much to rely on that.

And thanks Paul B.

Duane

[WannaBeEscaped]

Originally Posted by robjones101@gmail.com

We have the 2021 F250 and the 5.0 with the lifted axles and it works great for us. Rob.

To be more specific: all of the 2021-2023 F250s, Rams and Silverados I’ve looked at have tailgate heights greater than ETI’s stated 58” maximum. Has anyone with a 3/4 ton had any instances of the tailgate/rails hitting the trailer or frame navigating uneven ground? Thanks!

[TahoeRob]

We have the FX4 package and haven’t had a problem with the bedrail height to trailer clearance - I would say we have approx 8” clearance. I don't think it’s ever come to close to hitting. But, if you use the Anderson Ultimate Trailer hitch the front trailer jacks are just barely long/high enough to hookup the trailer since you have to lift the trailer over the Anderson ball hitch in the bed of the truck. You will probably be using trailer jack blocks anyway - not an issue then - but when ours was delivered it was a close call to get hooked up. Now we use a standard 5th wheel hitch (B&W Companion) and like it better for a few reasons one of them being you don’t have to raise the trailer so high to hitch and unhitch.

[Perry Butler]

Originally Posted by TahoeRob

Now we use a standard 5th wheel hitch (B&W Companion) and like it better for a few reasons one of them being you don’t have to raise the trailer so high to hitch and unhitch.

The trailer only has to go perhaps 2" higher for the Andersen hitch. Just about everyone I've ever met uses blocks so the legs don't have to extend so much, plus the more the legs extend the more wobbly the trailer is. So keep your extended legs as short as possible.

We built our legs 9" tall, using a 2 x 10 cut into squares, and then I screwed the six squares together using 4 deck screws, pre-drilled in each. Each were perhaps a pound heavier than our red Andersen jack stand.

Food for thought,

Perry