In shopping at trucks and FW's simultaneously I was deadest on a diesel F250 or 350 (depending on the deal and need). Then I come across a new F250 Xl with the 6.2 V8 and 3.73 ratio. I know very little about the mechanics of trucks and rely on weights etc. I do know that the 3.73 is less favorable than a 4.1 ratio for towing - but how much?The appeal to this truck - link below - is that the price of this new gas is the same price as a 3-5 year old diesel with close to 100k miles. Granted I am sure there is justification for that, but the long walk around the barn to my question is, is this a decent truck to buy for towing an entry level FW (understanding it depend on the FW)? The ad doesn't get into pin weights etc. Or should I just keep shopping for a used 250/350 diesel?link

The 6.2 is a good dependable engine. I have one and pull a 5th wheel with about a 10,000 gvwr but I haven't ever weighed it to see how much it weighs loaded. I have had it in some fairly steep hills in the eastern US but not over the Rockies. I'm sure it would do the job through the Rockies but I'm sure the altitude would pull it down. It will drop down to 3rd gear through the steepest parts and it runs some fairly high rpms but nothing that will hurt it. The only negative I have with it is the fuel mileage unloaded. If you're going to drive it very much unloaded be prepared to spend a lot on fuel. It does not get great mileage loaded but I figure that's to be expected with just about anything.It would really depend on how much you want to tow as to how good it will do. If it were me and I were buying new I'd probably buy a 7.3 F-350 if I wasn't pulling a huge trailer. That's just me and everybody has a somewhat different opinion.Can you get a 10 speed behind a 6.2. If you could that would help.

If you want to tow a 5th wheel skip the F250 and just get an F350 with 4.1 and a 6.2 or 7.3 if you are afraid of diesel. You will top out at about 16k tow capacity. An F350 diesel will tow out at about 30k towing, meaning that towing 16k will be easy.

Seems like a great deal on that F250.

" I know very little about the mechanics of trucks and rely on weights etc. I do know that the 3.73 is less favorable than a 4.1 ratio for towing - but how much?"Just about exactly like the towing numbers show. Chassis - wise, F250s and F350s are very similar, almost the same and save for rear springs, have relatively the same capability across the board.Drivetrains are a different story. The 2 - 6.2 3.73, 6 speed F250s I had got 7-8 mpg towing about anything over about 5000lbs and they were all low profile loads (flatbeds with materials or equipment on them). Empty driving mileage around 13mpg. Bulletproof setups but lacking in power. 2nd and 3rd gear pulls up mountain grades with anything substantial hooked to the back.Most I pulled was 12-14klbs, flatbed with street plates and it would run at normal speeds no probelm, but there was zero wind resistance. Just towing a 5000lb cargo trailer was a similar feat as the heavy trailer sat highway speeds.If you are only towing the 5ver occasionally, then it is ok, IMO. If you're going tp be using it regularly for towing, it'll drink gas like Charlie Sheen and be sucking wind on every grade.There's a reason the price is attractive. It's because the performance is not. It literally has less than half the torque of the diesel.

As you're new to this, do you have any friends or family with large trailers and similar trucks? It would be good to get a feel for how a base model gasser pulls compared to a modern newer diesel.Not something you can discern just with test drives, because the 6.2 will feel very powerful and fast with nothing hooked to it.Or to put it this way, if I was hauling even a small 5ver alot and someone offered to trade me my 13 year old 175k mile diesel pickup that is running about 500hp/1000ft lbs for a 3 year old equivalent 6.2 gasser truck with low miles, it would be a hard pass!

2020 F250XL 6.2 V8 | Good Sam Community

rhagfo
Explorer III
Jun 24, 2020
If you want to tow a 5th wheel skip the F250 and just get an F350 with 4.1 and a 6.2 or 7.3 if you are afraid of diesel. You will top out at about 16k tow capacity. An F350 diesel will tow out at about 30k towing, meaning that towing 16k will be easy.
danrclem
Explorer
Jun 24, 2020
The 6.2 is a good dependable engine. I have one and pull a 5th wheel with about a 10,000 gvwr but I haven't ever weighed it to see how much it weighs loaded. I have had it in some fairly steep hills in the eastern US but not over the Rockies. I'm sure it would do the job through the Rockies but I'm sure the altitude would pull it down. It will drop down to 3rd gear through the steepest parts and it runs some fairly high rpms but nothing that will hurt it.

The only negative I have with it is the fuel mileage unloaded. If you're going to drive it very much unloaded be prepared to spend a lot on fuel. It does not get great mileage loaded but I figure that's to be expected with just about anything.

It would really depend on how much you want to tow as to how good it will do. If it were me and I were buying new I'd probably buy a 7.3 F-350 if I wasn't pulling a huge trailer. That's just me and everybody has a somewhat different opinion.

Can you get a 10 speed behind a 6.2. If you could that would help.

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