New Tow Vehicle 2017 F350 Thoughts?

[EddieK]

Hey,

What do you guys think about an F350 4x2 6.2L Lariat with an 8 foot bed? Is this a good towing vehicle?

[Bhrava]

It has it's limits in towing capacity, so depend on what you want to tow. Overall the 4x2 and 8' bed make for a great tow truck, as long as it isn't a loaded up Lariat or higher.

You can go here to look at all the capacities and ratings.

For conventional towing, the 6.2 is rated at 12,500 to 15,000 depending on gearing, and for 5th wheel, 12,400 to 15,900. This is for the Crew cab, you didn't mention the cab, so scab or regular can be higher.

[moose074]

I will agree with the above post it will be a good tow vehicle. While you tow capacity will be less than a diesel the payload will be higher, the diesel really eats up payload.
I own a 42’ 5th wheel and my “ dry weight is around 12 and fully loaded almost 14k with a little less than 3k for pin weight. So obviously you will be within the range of MOST trailers or 5th wheels you look at.

On to performance again it doesn’t have the performance of the power stroke. or an exhaust brake. However the towhaul does help going up or down hill ( not as much but very helpful).

I haven’t towed my 5th wheel with a gas engine but towing with both 6.7 my mileage is around 9.5 overall. Low in 7s on windy day high of 11 with help from wind. For most mountain driving I find my mileage to go up. I believe this is because I might get 4 mpg going up but 30 or higher going down.

I just finished the Colorado portion of my trip Pikes Peak and Estes Park. I wasn’t in a hurry. So I turned of the interstate in Pueblo and didn’t get back on it until after Greeley. My 6.7 Cummins worked hard on some of those roads and even when I could get to the posted speed limit the twist and turns never allow you to stay that fast. So I just enjoyed the drive. The gas will work harder but it will get you to the top as well and not that far behind the diesel that isn’t racing.

[Bhrava]

If this is any help, I know an F250, but it is the Gas 6.2, so the only difference is the amount of weight it can tow.

https://www.tfltruck.com/2017/08/can...-review-video/

[EddieK]

This is a super cab and my TT weighs max 8600#. But who knows what i will get in the future. I'm hoping to handle a 5th wheel some day. So it sounds it should be ok for a future upgrade.

[Bhrava]

Originally Posted by EddieK

This is a super cab and my TT weighs max 8600#. But who knows what i will get in the future. I'm hoping to handle a 5th wheel some day. So it sounds it should be ok for a future upgrade.

Sounds like what we did. I have an F150, tows my, well no longer current, just sold it, trailer OPK, but it was right at the limits of the truck, it grossed at 7600#. We had planned to replace it with a somewhat bigger trailer, but still a conventional tow, an Alpha Wolf 26dbh, same GVWR, but has a slide, so would be just a bit heavier.

Then we decided that, with our daughter going to be 15 this year, that a third vehicle was in order, and found a used F350 King Ranch Powerstroke, it came with a 5th wheel already installed.

I put a down payment on an Arctic Wolf 3660SUITE on Saturday, and brought the whole family out to look at it and size it up. Just got off the phone with the sales guy and am negotiating final price with an upgraded pinbox, and trying to work in a cover with the deal.

I do need to be careful on how I load the trailer, my residual payload is just under 2400 pounds, but the trailer starts it 15% as it sits with UVW of 10830 pounds. The truck is a 2012, so doesn't have as much payload as the 18+ models, and especially not like the 2020 with the 7.3 in it. It will still get the job done.

Gas F350's are hard to come by, and Duallies are non existent!

[acadianbob]

You'll have plenty of payload capacity. We tow a 11.5K 5er with our 6.2 with 4.30's. Does a great job. We've been all over the "West" with and through the Eisenhower Tunnel. It gets less powerful over 7K altitude as it is normally aspirated. But we can maintain 50 mph in the worst of circumstances; and those are a very small portion of overall towing mileage.

[Oneiron]

We have a 38 ft. Cedar Creek 35IK Fifth Wheel and have towed it all over the country including our home state of Colorado using our 2017 Ford Lariat 4WD, 6.7L Diesel Crew Cab Short bed with slider hitch. In short, it has been a real workhorse of a truck for us. At sea level or altitude, it pulls well. The "jake brake" is truly a brake savior!! Without the trailer hitched it's a bit stiff of a ride. Also, like so many heavy duty diesel trucks, regardless of manufacturer be aware that you may likely encounter the "death wobble" at some point. Hang on..it is as scary as hell.Ford still has no anser or recall yet. Added a hydraulic stabilizer to the front end of ours and so far...so good!

[Tundra 2014]

X-2 Moose074-great answer!
I really like having the 48 gallon tank on my 2019 F-350 LWB. Great TV and I have lost a few pounds walking in from the far parking lot. I also wanted to keep my toolbox when we switch to 5 th. wheel. I am retired so I do not have to park in a parking lot daily. One of the advantages of the 2017 F-350 is it has the 2 1/2" rear spring risers VS the 4" my truck has. Less side bed rail clearance issues.

[Bhrava]

Originally Posted by Oneiron

We have a 38 ft. Cedar Creek 35IK Fifth Wheel and have towed it all over the country including our home state of Colorado using our 2017 Ford Lariat 4WD, 6.7L Diesel Crew Cab Short bed with slider hitch. In short, it has been a real workhorse of a truck for us. At sea level or altitude, it pulls well. The "jake brake" is truly a brake savior!! Without the trailer hitched it's a bit stiff of a ride. Also, like so many heavy duty diesel trucks, regardless of manufacturer be aware that you may likely encounter the "death wobble" at some point. Hang on..it is as scary as hell.Ford still has no anser or recall yet. Added a hydraulic stabilizer to the front end of ours and so far...so good!

Right on the money about death wobble. It throws the truck all over the road. I replaced a new OEM stabilizer with a Bilstien, and while it's not a cure, it does tame the beast. Going to get 3 degree positive cam bushings and have a good alignment shop give it 3* caster which should solve it once and for all. Steering will stiffen, but there is a lot of feedback that doing this solves it once and for all.

[Tundra 2014]

Original post is asking about a 2 wheel drive truck-different animal. The front suspension is not as strong as 4X4. But it is non-solid axel, no "Death Rattle". Most of the problem was designed out of it in later years 4X4s. The same problem is always going to be there w/ any brand's solid axel. My Jeep and Scout 2 also had it. Even woarse w/ a heavy diesel engine and stiff springs. My 2019 F350 has some, very mild and only over broken pavement or expansion joints. The double Bilstein steering shocks and a +3% caster seems to almost completely eliminated it. Powerstrokehelp.com has an excellent Youtube post on this. He recommends the same thing. I drove a friend's 2015 F250 that had the changes, feels more on center w/ less wandering. I think he had some rod end problems in addition-had 95K miles on it. I think it is worth the $400 to get it done, I just want to put a few more miles on mine before I do it.