Ideas for a truck to pull 6500lb trailer?
I never had a trailer or a truck. I'm looking to buy a trailer that is about 6500lbs, but I need to buy a truck first. So many options and capacities and reliability issues, I have no idea what I s...
Forum Discussion
I have always used regular gas with this truck (87 octane). Even towing my old #5000 TT. I tried premium (92) with it a couple of times, but really didn't see a difference and it would get 10 mpg towing the #5000 TT and no issues with heat.
First tow with the new #7000 TT, I used regular. Got 8 mpg, found I was having to go into 3rd gear to take the same grades I could take in 4th gear and had to watch the coolant temps real close. (I have a phone app that I can monitor a ton of the trucks other sensors that you can't see on the dash)
Second trip, I decided to try premium gas (even the owners manual suggests using premium when towing heavy)... About a week before my trip, I filled the truck with premium (there was a little less than 1/2 tank of regular). Before the trip I topped off with premium and took off.
Went the same route as the first trip (different destination, but same overall route) and noticed right off that where I was in 3rd on the grades, I could hold 4th AND keep the coolant temps in check. It was all about controlling the boost and rpms and speed.
Found I ended up at around 9 mpg on that second trip.
Now, for the kicker... Running regular, I get around 16 mpg overall on my daily commute to work. Keeping the premium in the tank, that has gone up to 17 mpg and the straight hwy mpgs are now in the 21 mpg range.
There will be the nay sayers of course, but this is just my results, so your MPG may vary! :)
Yes, you need to understand that just because a truck has a "tow rating" of X amount if you get a trailer at X amount, it's going to be maxed out and have no reserve left. Having that reserve amount is what makes the towing performance and experience much better.
That's why folks tend to say "you can't have enough truck" and always say you need to get a 1 ton diesel to tow anything.. That's fine, if that's what you want.. But, I've got 7 months that I'm not going to be towing now, so my F150 fits the bill for me and my TT choice. This will be my LAST TT I get and as big as I will ever need! I had my little #5000 TT for 16 years and traded it in for 1/2 the price I paid for it brand new back in 2002!
Good luck!
Mitch
First tow with the new #7000 TT, I used regular. Got 8 mpg, found I was having to go into 3rd gear to take the same grades I could take in 4th gear and had to watch the coolant temps real close. (I have a phone app that I can monitor a ton of the trucks other sensors that you can't see on the dash)
Second trip, I decided to try premium gas (even the owners manual suggests using premium when towing heavy)... About a week before my trip, I filled the truck with premium (there was a little less than 1/2 tank of regular). Before the trip I topped off with premium and took off.
Went the same route as the first trip (different destination, but same overall route) and noticed right off that where I was in 3rd on the grades, I could hold 4th AND keep the coolant temps in check. It was all about controlling the boost and rpms and speed.
Found I ended up at around 9 mpg on that second trip.
Now, for the kicker... Running regular, I get around 16 mpg overall on my daily commute to work. Keeping the premium in the tank, that has gone up to 17 mpg and the straight hwy mpgs are now in the 21 mpg range.
There will be the nay sayers of course, but this is just my results, so your MPG may vary! :)
Yes, you need to understand that just because a truck has a "tow rating" of X amount if you get a trailer at X amount, it's going to be maxed out and have no reserve left. Having that reserve amount is what makes the towing performance and experience much better.
That's why folks tend to say "you can't have enough truck" and always say you need to get a 1 ton diesel to tow anything.. That's fine, if that's what you want.. But, I've got 7 months that I'm not going to be towing now, so my F150 fits the bill for me and my TT choice. This will be my LAST TT I get and as big as I will ever need! I had my little #5000 TT for 16 years and traded it in for 1/2 the price I paid for it brand new back in 2002!
Good luck!
Mitch
