Newbie Q: Truck Tow Capabilities.
My wife and I are interested in a '14 Keystone Passport 2650HB Grand Touring for our family of four. We will use this for 4-season camping traversing the Rockies frequently. TT SPECS: Specificatio...
Forum Discussion
Your 12 year old half ton will struggle. With only 6100 pound tow rating, I assume you have the 5.2L or 4.7L or 5.9L with poor axle ratio. You have 3 usable towing gears, two to accelerate and one to cruise. My 2003 F-150 was similar and it performed okay with 6500-ish pounds of TT - on the flat land of Michigan. You want to climb the Rockies?
Towing a high walled RV is hard work. It uses so much of the power to maintain 65mph due to aerodynamics, there is little left to handle hills. And then there is the power loss at higher altitudes of naturally aspirated engines.
I would switch the age of the TV/TT. Upgrade to a newer more capable truck. If it's a 3/4 ton, then you can tow nearly any TT you want. Example your truck is worth $10k and you are budgeting $20k for new TT. Spend $15k on a newer/more capable truck. The remaining $15k gives you a lot of options for a used TT without weight limits. Forced induction is preferred. That means 2011+ Ecoboost F150 or turbo diesel 3/4+ tons.
Towing a high walled RV is hard work. It uses so much of the power to maintain 65mph due to aerodynamics, there is little left to handle hills. And then there is the power loss at higher altitudes of naturally aspirated engines.
I would switch the age of the TV/TT. Upgrade to a newer more capable truck. If it's a 3/4 ton, then you can tow nearly any TT you want. Example your truck is worth $10k and you are budgeting $20k for new TT. Spend $15k on a newer/more capable truck. The remaining $15k gives you a lot of options for a used TT without weight limits. Forced induction is preferred. That means 2011+ Ecoboost F150 or turbo diesel 3/4+ tons.
