F150 vs 250

Lowest class curb weight will be less than higher class curb weight...think of
a pro boxer and their weight classes

You are comparing a light weight with a heavy weight and wondering why one weighs
more than the other?

AKA...comparing a cantaloupe to a water melon...a 10lb sledge to a 16lb...

Most pickups use the same body/sheetmetal between the the lower class 'half ton' and
hither class '3/4 ton' and '1 ton'...so they 'look' the same/similar to the
uninformed

The real difference is below the sheetmetal bodies and is in the frame, drive
train, suspension and other components...even the software(s) are different

Bigger/heavier to manhandle larger trailers during the bad day out there when
Mr Murphy crosses your path...either you have the right sized or not spot on...no
time to go back to the store for bigger/better...nor time to re-setup

On the good days, just about anything can tow anything...

Yes experience...been there...done that...notice all my trucks in my sig have
gotten bigger as I've gotten older and wiser...AKA lucky to be alive...

Our original TV was a 2013 F150. Our camper is probably 7500-8000lbs loaded up, closer to 10 if we put the RZR in there. So, within the capacities of the F150. But, it was a nightmare to tow. We live in a windy area, and most of the places we go are windy as well. We had some very scary experiences, the worst of which being when a tour bus and then a semi truck passed us in succession on a 2 lane highway (this was on highway 191 in Wyoming between Rock Springs and Pinedale if anybody is familiar). We had a WD hitch, Equalizer, airbags on the back of the truck... pretty much everything that's recommended to optimize towing. That truck was just too light. (ETA: we also got new tires appropriate for towing, even though the original ones only had 4000 miles on them, still didn't help)

We upgraded to an F250 and the difference was like night and day. I honestly don't see why anybody would buy an F150 to tow even an average sized trailer if an F250 is an option.

Side note, I also sometimes drove the F250 to work, 40 miles round trip, when he needed my SUV to park at the airport or go to downtown Denver for work, and it was fine for me to drive and park, even in rush hour traffic. Now we have an F350 DRW and it is not really good as a daily driver. The F250 also held it's value very well, they gave hubs more than he owed on it when he traded it in after a year (we're planning ahead for a 5er).

150= p metric tires, semi floating axles, weaker frame, weaker wheels, smaller brakes. 250= LT tires, full floating axles, stronger frame, bigger brakes, stronger wheels. You choose

What percentage of time do you tow. 250 will tow better. And suck fuel.

The interesting thing is that the tow rating for the max payload 150 and the Yukon is the same, but the F150 has significantly higher payload. The real difference is the inherent weight of the TV. I wouldn't consider standard f150 for what I am hauling don't worry. Waiting for 2 max payload versions to come in so I can crawl around and really see the differences.
Should say over 90% of the mileage will be unloaded. Tow 4-5 trips per year and usually less than 2 hour trips.

Ductape wrote:
What percentage of time do you tow. 250 will tow better. And suck fuel.

We got better gas mileage towing the camper with the F250 than we did with the 150.

Now non-towing, yes, the F150 was better gas mileage-wise. But not so much that it was a huge difference to the wallet. We wasted more money trying to make the F150 tow better than the difference between the fuel costs.

have driven both and when I went to the 3/4 ton it was like night and day better towing. sure you loose gas milage but if you tow you will love the bigger truck for it's ability

If you get a diesel in the super duty you can have your cake and eat it too as it relates to both towing ability and fuel economy. If you can live with a lower trim level it probably wouldn't cost any more or even as much as the gasser Lariat. Just food for thought.

donn0128 wrote:
150= p metric tires, semi floating axles, weaker frame, weaker wheels, smaller brakes. 250= LT tires, full floating axles, stronger frame, bigger brakes, stronger wheels. You choose

Partly true. max payload gets LT E tires, and heavy duty rims. Yes, still the same 1/2 ton frame (edit: wrong, actually thicker frame members than standard)
used to get axle upgrade per some, but can't confirm for the 15+ models. (edit, yes 9.75 ring gear) Stiffer springs .
No debate that 3/4 will be more capable: 1 ton would be more capable still but not necessary. Ford says the 150 is rated higher that what I currently tow with,and I would be at about 75% of capacity which I am comfortable with. My question began with and still is whether less weight up front is an issue. Remeber too that much of the heavier components on the 250 are necessary just to accomodate the extra ton of weight it is carrying dry.
As an aside, it would be interesting to compare the brakes on my current XL, 250 and the max payload.

I can't speak on an F150, but I recently went from an 03 2500 Burb to a '11 Yukon Denali XL. The 2500 Burb was a much more pleasant towing experience.

As little as you are towing, you might be ok with an F150. But I wouldn't expect it to tow as stable as the old Burb did.