Clueless on what the best truck is

[shlm2umac]

Hello, I bought a used Escape 5.0 almost 8 months ago and didn’t have a truck yet but didn’t need it because my husband wasn’t well. Now I’m back to looking again. Can someone tell me if i’ll have problems with a Toyota Tundra with a 5.5 box. A hitch installer said I would but I’m just not sure.

I’ve seen a lot of people talking about a Ford F-150. A mechanic said I should consider getting an F-250 because I’m hauling my Escape from Bellingham, Wa. to Austin, Tx in the Spring. He said it’ll handle the ride if it’s smooth with no problems but said if I run into an issue on the highway and have to stop suddenly that I might have a problem because that truck doesn’t have the power that the 250 has. Any thoughts?

Thank you,
Marjorie

[Centex]

There's no shortage of both Tundra and F150 owners on this forum with the 5.5ft box reporting very satisfactory experiences towing their 5.0.

FWIW my observation is that the vast majority of 5.0 owners are perfectly satisfied towing with full-sized pickups in the Tundra / F150 / GM 1500 class. Yes there are some who tow with and advocate smaller (e.g. Tacoma / Ranger) and some who advocate larger (e.g. F250 / GM2500), but they are a definite minority (and there's little basis / reason for disagreeing with their personal preferences, IMO).

There are also some who advocate for a longer than 5.5ft box; but the many with the 5.5 box seem to not be in any meaningful way constrained by that, and in fact often mention the benefits of a shorter truck (e.g. parking-ease and residential garage 'fit') all other things (cab configuration) being equal. Obviously a shorter box affords less room for carrying 'stuff' in the box, but that need varies among individual owners.

IMO there is no single answer to "what the best truck is"; the Tundra and F150, as well as other brand similar-class trucks, both 5.5 and longer box, all have loyal followings of happy owners with proven countless miles on their rigs. Perhaps as much as anything that's a reflection of the versatility of the Escape 5.0!

IMO to a very great extent the differences are relatively minor, and the various pros-and-cons come down to personal preferences in regard to feature detail nuances, aesthetics, the economics of timely available deals, brand-loyalty for whatever reason real or imagined, uses of the vehicle for other-than-towing duties, etc, etc.

Trucks are like most things, 'one-size' does not fit everyone's circumstances ideally, choices are good, and at this time there are lots of choices on the market (both new and pre-owned) perfectly suitable for towing an Escape 5.0. The particular truck's gross trailer weight rating and payload rating are the two primary criteria which one should be attentive to; be aware that both can vary substantially depending on a particular truck's equipment even within a given brand and model line.

Your personal preferences and circumstances are what matters within the general arena of the many suitable vehicles. Happy shopping!

[C&G in FL]

I chose the 6.5’ bed over the 5.5’ bed for a couple of reasons, but the main reason is a combination of laziness and forgetfulness. While it does provide a bit more clearance between the cab and the trailer in “jackknife positions, most importantly to me the 6.5’ bed allows space for a cross bed saddle toolbox in front of my hitch. I keep all of my water, propane, and electrical necessities (hoses and cords, etc.) in it as well as a campfire in a can. I do not have to load and unload it every time I take a trip, and I don’t get to a destination and find I’ve forgotten a critical necessity at home. To shorten overall vehicle length, I have the extended cab rather than the crew cab. It makes the back seat more cramped for passengers, but since 2012 I have only had passengers in the back seat twice (to go to a local restaurant with couples we have met while camping). I use a conventional 5th wheel hitch. If I had a 5.5” bed, I would likely use the Andersen hitch with the ball in the rearward position rather than the forward position.
Toyota makes a fine truck, but its fuel mileage doesn’t come close to the F-150. The mechanic is not informed if he thinks you need an F-250. The 5.0 is way under the towing capacity of any F-150. Furthermore, the F-250 suspension is stiffer (read rougher ride) than the F-150 when not towing, and its cargo bed is higher, possibly requiring a height adjustment to the pin box on the trailer or a high-rise mod to the trailer’s axles. The 2.7 liter EcoBoost F-150 will probably provide you with an average fuel mileage of 12-14.5 mpg towing (unless fighting strong headwinds) and up to 25 or 26 mpg on the highway (based on my experience). The 2.7 EcoBoost is more than capable of meeting your needs. Someone else will have to relate the virtues of GM and Ram trucks. But whatever you choose, make sure you are comfortable driving it.

[WillyB]

When we were originally considering an Escape the 5.0 was on the list. Since I had a 5.5 ft bed F150 I did some digging and found these photos of Escape's TV.

We ended up with a bumper pull 21C.

[iamunique127]

Originally Posted by Centex

There's no shortage of both Tundra and F150 owners on this forum with the 5.5ft box reporting very satisfactory experiences towing their 5.0.

FWIW my observation is that the vast majority of 5.0 owners are perfectly satisfied towing with full-sized pickups in the Tundra / F150 / GM 1500 class. Yes there are some who tow with and advocate smaller (e.g. Tacoma / Ranger) and some who advocate larger (e.g. F250 / GM2500), but they are a definite minority (and there's little basis / reason for disagreeing with their personal preferences, IMO).

There are also some who advocate for a longer than 5.5ft box; but the many with the 5.5 box seem to not be in any meaningful way constrained by that, and in fact often mention the benefits of a shorter truck (e.g. parking-ease and residential garage 'fit') all other things (cab configuration) being equal. Obviously a shorter box affords less room for carrying 'stuff' in the box, but that need varies among individual owners.

IMO there is no single answer to "what the best truck is"; the Tundra and F150, as well as other brand similar-class trucks, both 5.5 and longer box, all have loyal followings of happy owners with proven countless miles on their rigs. Perhaps as much as anything that's a reflection of the versatility of the Escape 5.0!

IMO to a very great extent the differences are relatively minor, and the various pros-and-cons come down to personal preferences in regard to feature detail nuances, aesthetics, the economics of timely available deals, brand-loyalty for whatever reason real or imagined, uses of the vehicle for other-than-towing duties, etc, etc.

Trucks are like most things, 'one-size' does not fit everyone's circumstances ideally, choices are good, and at this time there are lots of choices on the market (both new and pre-owned) perfectly suitable for towing an Escape 5.0. The particular truck's gross trailer weight rating and payload rating are the two primary criteria which one should be attentive to; be aware that both can vary substantially depending on a particular truck's equipment even within a given brand and model line.

Your personal preferences and circumstances are what matters within the general arena of the many suitable vehicles. Happy shopping!

Alan's is a very balanced and unbiased answer and I concur fully. Any 1/2 ton will tow a 5.0TA well. It all comes down to personal preference.

A 5.5' box is perfectly fine. I've been towing with mine since the trailer was new in 2015 without a single hiccup.

[CharlesinGA]

Originally Posted by shlm2umac

Hello, I bought a used Escape 5.0 almost 8 months ago and didn’t have a truck yet but didn’t need it because my husband wasn’t well. Now I’m back to looking again. Can someone tell me if i’ll have problems with a Toyota Tundra with a 5.5 box. A hitch installer said I would but I’m just not sure.

I’ve seen a lot of people talking about a Ford F-150. A mechanic said I should consider getting an F-250 because I’m hauling my Escape from Bellingham, Wa. to Austin, Tx in the Spring. He said it’ll handle the ride if it’s smooth with no problems but said if I run into an issue on the highway and have to stop suddenly that I might have a problem because that truck doesn’t have the power that the 250 has. Any thoughts?

Thank you,
Marjorie

The people you talked are thinking "5th wheel" as in a big 10000 to 15000 lb trailer. They don't have a concept of a fifth wheel type trailer no larger or heavier than a modest bumper pull model. Listen to the people who own 5.0 models and what they tow with. A basic half ton pickup, so long as it is not so high as to present a problem hitching and towing level, will be a good match. A F150 with the 3.5 eco boost has more than enough towing and stopping power and will perform well in the mountains too, due to being turbo charged.

I HIGHLY recommend you download the Escape 5.0 Towing Compatibility Guidelines brochure, which is 10 pages of information and drawings showing the dimensions you need to know and check for on a truck to select a tow vehicle that is a good fit. Does your 5.0 have the standard axle height or the factory installed "lift kit" that raises the trailer 2-5/8 inches? Newer pickups have become "stupid" tall and this presents a problem in selecting a tow vehicle, even with full size 5th wheel trailers. Standard two wheel drive trucks tend to be lower, lighter, and cheaper than 4x4 trucks and are not necessary in most cases unless you intend on operating extensively off pavement or in wet/slick areas. Four wheel drive is nice to have, I recently had to pull a truck out of my neighbors yard (with my tractor) because the truck had backed into a slick grass, soft ground area and was just spinning its rear wheels. However four wheel drive is expensive, and adds a lot of weight to a truck to simply carry around hoping to use someday.

Carry a tape measure and the Escape brochure on truck compatibility with you when looking at trucks and DO NOT listen to the salesman.

Charles

[splitting_lanes]

We tow with a GMC Canyon ( a little smaller than a half ton) with a 6’2” bed.

I wouldn’t recommend anything larger than a half ton, as you’ll be throwing extra money into fuel and maintenance and a half ton is plenty. If you’re planning to tow lots of miles, you should consider a small diesel engine, our 2.8 liter diesel has done us really well going across the country and back.

Here’s us at Otter Lake in PA.

[sofmerc]

Originally Posted by splitting_lanes

We tow with a GMC Canyon ( a little smaller than a half ton) with a 6’2” bed.

I wouldn’t recommend anything larger than a half ton, as you’ll be throwing extra money into fuel and maintenance and a half ton is plenty. If you’re planning to tow lots of miles, you should consider a small diesel engine, our 2.8 liter diesel has done us really well going across the country and back.

Here’s us at Otter Lake in PA.

totally agree... Thats one of the benefits of these light weight trailers... They don't require big horsepower, 3/4 ton pull vehicles...

[John in Santa Cruz]

Very happy with our 2019 Ford Expedition, EB 3.5 and 10 speed.

[shlm2umac]

[QUOTE=iamunique127;462184]Alan's is a very balanced and unbiased answer and I concur fully. Any 1/2 ton will tow a 5.0TA well. It all comes down to personal preference.

A 5.5' box is perfectly fine. I've been towing with mine since the trailer was new in 2015 without a single hiccup.

[/

I think I might go with the Toyota Tundra. I’m going to do measurements because this Tundra is pretty big. It’s the TRD SR5 Crew Max. A 2014. The height in the back is good. And looking at the pics that someone on this forum sent from Escape with the Ford 150 with a 5.5 bed looked as though it doesn’t touch, but it is a different vehicle. I’m still debating an F-150 Super Crew Cab CL for the better gas mileage and it’s less for a 2013. Decisions, decisions. 😞

[iamunique127]

Originally Posted by shlm2umac

I think I might go with the Toyota Tundra. I’m going to do measurements because this Tundra is pretty big. It’s the TRD SR5 Crew Max. A 2014. The height in the back is good. And looking at the pics that someone on this forum sent from Escape with the Ford 150 with a 5.5 bed looked as though it doesn’t touch, but it is a different vehicle. I’m still debating an F-150 Super Crew Cab CL for the better gas mileage and it’s less for a 2013. Decisions, decisions. 😞

Hi Marjorie

My CrewMax is a 2013. I bought it used and it came slightly lifted: 2.5" in the front front and 1" in the back. The 5.0TA was not riding level behind this truck so I raised the trailer and now it rides fine. I don't have any issues/contact when turning but the trailer gets close when I turn silly amounts. That only happens when testing- I've never found a real-world need to turn that sharply.

My original tow vehicle was a 2010 CrewMax with standard height suspension and ETI set up the trailer and hitch so it rode level with no lift kit. A lift kit for your trailer is readily available and you can do it yourself or easily have a shop do it for you if you find you need it to level the trailer.

I bought a standard fifth wheel hitch with the trailer from ETI and am perfectly happy with how it works and tows the trailer. Someone earlier suggested an Anderson hitch so you can mount the ball a little rearward of the axle if you want more clearance between the trailer and the cab of the truck. There are several options for hitches and many discussions about them here on the forum. I couldn't tell from the photos what hitch was being used on that Escape F-150. Someone may know.

It's an adventure getting it all figured out, isn't it? It will all be worth it once you get camping.

[Jeremy Kessenich]

I absolutely have to thank folks on this forum for helping us make a decision on what vehicle was best for us. One issue that has been touched on has been payload. All 1/2 ton trucks will be able to tow the 5.0 but they very a lot on what their payload is. Payload is the amount of weight the truck can carry rather than the amount it can pull. It doesn't include fuel in the fuel tank, but anything else you put inside the truck including passengers and gear counts towards payload. If you added running boards or a tonneau cover it subtracts from the payload. The hitch and what the hitch mounts to also subtracts from the payload #. My wife and I and our dog and our gear (camp chairs and screen room for example) easily range between 500-600 lbs. The weight of the hitch and what the hitch mounts to could be pushing 200 lbs. The pin weight of the trailer is listed at about 650 lbs when dry, meaning no liquids in the 3 tanks and no gear or supplies in the trailer. (I'm not clear if it also means the propane tanks are empty) So for us we are quickly about 1,450 lbs. That's again with an empty trailer. We really wanted to keep our GMC Canyon Diesel truck but it's payload was only 1,254 lbs. Our current truck has a payload of 1,724 lbs. To find the payload of for a specific truck open the drivers door and look at the sticker that is on the column/pillar where the door latches. It shows the pressures the tires should be inflated to as well as the payload. The picture is not from my truck, it's just an example. ETI does not state what your minimum payload should be. The only way to know for sure what the payload of a truck is is to look at that sticker. Good luck in your search.