Newbie needs help with tow ability

You also need to look beyond the two little fly-by-night dealerships in your little town for trucks. Don't be afraid to drive a few hours.

The 3.31 gear sounds bad until you realize it's got a six speed transmission. It'll work fine.

MFL wrote:

camp-n-family wrote:
3.31 axle gearing is a poor choice for towing. It will not be fun.

I agree, not the right gear choice for towing. The 13 truck with 5.0, would be a good improvement with 3.73 gears, due to more hp, and much better 6-speed transmission.

Jerry

The difference between 3.73 gears and 3.31 is only 12%. Just lock out high gear and you will effectively 3.73 gears with a five speed transmission. It wasn't that many years ago we towed with a 3 speed transmission and 3.27 gears. Also, 3.73 gears are nearly impossible to find and Max Tow package gives you 3.55 gears which are sufficient for maximum towing towing capacity. Difference between 3.55 and 3.13 is only 13%. I doubt that most people would notice that. I have to wonder if the tow rating for 3.13 is reduced for reasons that the driver won't notice, such as strength of the rear end. Regardless, if you are within factory ratings I would not worry about. If you are getting beyond factory ratings you should be thinking about it. Ford does recommend using synthetic oil in the differential if you tow frequently near rated capacity. A heat dissipating cover might help too.

The 2013 F150 Tow Guide says 8100 for standard wheelbase and 7900 for long wheel base.

My interpretation of that chart is that you do not have the Heavy Duty Trailer Towing Package which included a HD radiator, auxiliary transmission cooler, 7 pin trailer connector in the rear and wiring for an electric brake controller under the dash, plus a higher rear axle ratio (3.73).

I would highly recommend that you upgrade all these !

To the OP, a similar equipped gas 3/4 ton does not cost much more than a 1/2 ton, at all. Your 20k number is probably zoomed up diesel vs base half ton.

Yes 3.31 is not the best towing gears, but depends on your use and duty cycle. Low alt and no mountains is 100% differnet than towing at 10kft thru CO.

donn0128 wrote:
Very likely the old vs newer truck are going to have nearly identical specs, so why swap? I just dont see it. The really long trailer coupled with the really soft suspension and tires is not going to make for a very happy towing experience.
Dry or shipping weights are really useless. What ia the trailers GVWR?

They don't have the same specs, not even close. The 6 speed and Fox motor will run an old 5.4/4speed into the dirt. Chassis is similar though, it's nicer and a bit more capable.

Twenty k more for a 250? Not accurate.

camp-n-family wrote:
3.31 axle gearing is a poor choice for towing. It will not be fun.

I agree, not the right gear choice for towing. The 13 truck with 5.0, would be a good improvement with 3.73 gears, due to more hp, and much better 6-speed transmission. If you cant find a 250/2500, in your area, at a price you can afford, at least look for a 1/2 ton with better towing ability. The 150 with max tow would be a better choice, having lower gear ratio, higher GVWR, and higher RAWR.

Jerry

Going from a 2006 vintage half ton to a 2013 vintage will be significantly better with respect to power and acceleration. Payload and handling will be very similar, so if you are comfortable now with handling you should still be with the proposed 2013. The 6-spd trans will make much better use of the V8 engine's power. 3.31 axle with 6-spd trans is much better than your current truck even if it had 4.56 axle ratio.