Looking for truck to pull 35 Lightning
 

I'm looking at a 2011 Ford F250 to tow a 35 Lightning. It's a crew cab, 6.2 gas with 8ft bed. I'm towing less than 10 miles on a 35mph road to and from the ramp every weekend so I'm not looking for some mega monster tow rig. I also will be towing from Cumberland to Norris every other year or so and MAYBE in a few years a trip to LOTO. I really don't think the diesel premium would be worth the money in my case, what do you guys think? How do you think this setup would fair on those "once a few years" trips? I'm fine with it taking it easy on those longer trips. Just looking for anyone that has a similar setup and general feedback.

A lot can go wrong in just 10 miles, so make sure your tow vehicle is capable of pulling the weight and even more important can stop it. A properly equipped 3/4 ton should handle a 35 on a aluminum trailer. My 2500 Avalanche has a class V upgraded receiver, solid ball mount, 12K rated ball, and 4.10 rear end and my 35 sits on a aluminum Myco with EOH disks. Does just fine.

If you aren't going to be hauling your boat enough to invest in a decent tow rig, just rent something when you need it.

Truck is rated to tow 12,500 lbs. It has an upgraded 13k lbs hitch with a 14k lbs ball. Trailer is aluminum with disk brakes on all three axels. It has all the right ratings it just isn't diesel or a dually. Everyone that I've ever seen pull a boat this size has a dually diesel. I just thought maybe I'm missing something.

Thanks for the reply.

Is this going to be a DD as well?
Have you actually towed with a modern turbo diesel pickup?

Once you do, you will wonder why it took you so long to get away from gas motors.

That truck should handle it just fine. I see no reason to tie up the $$$ in a big diesel dually for one road trip a year.

I see you are in Indian Lake? We are out in Newark. Where will you be using the boat?

It will be a DD for a few months but then it will be strictly a tow vehicle. I've towed with a friends diesel before and don't get me wrong it was nice, but I'm just having a hard time justifying the cost when all I'm doing is towing less than 10 miles 99% of the time. The other thing is I'm having a hard time with the Ford diesel reliability. Everything I've read says the Ford 6.0L is junk and the 6.4 is worse and the 6.7 is back to being similar to the 6.0. Since the truck will sit for a week at a time in summer and then all winter long, I was just a little nervous about going diesel.

We're keeping it at Lake Cumberland.

6.7 SRW Crew Long bed F350 and use it as a daily. Only issue truck has had in 95,000 miles is leaking turbo coolant lines, covered under warranty. Gas mileage towing 12,000 lbs is 12-13 and best part is at the ramp. 400 Hp and 800 ft lbs torque stock, the truck walks right up the ramp in drive, my 8.1 gas and 7.3 diesel could not do it as well or tow as safely. The Duramax Chevy/GMC is just as good, the new diesels are amazing. 7.3 and 6.7 are very good, 2 different animals More expensive purchase price but also have great resale value. My 7.3 was never in the snow/salt so it sat sometimes for 3 months without being run, kept a battery tender on it and never an issue. Im sold on diesel for towing, if I just ran around town without towing I would consider gas.

You're not missing anything!! ....crew cab dually diesels are WAY cool! Ha!!
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b1...psdbhhccgo.jpg

I tow my 8500 boat with a crew cab diesel. Will never go back to gas. The torque of the diesel is awesome.

The truck you have will be fine, the oil burner nice but more money and higher fuel price.

I will say as for issues with the 6.7, I have read them and people act like all are junk. I have said it before we have I think 6 of them now, always towing at least 12k by young guys that beat everything.

I asked the owner last month when we were in one coming back and he said not one issue on any of the trucks.

Who knows.

Yeah it's been a mixed bag on the 6.7 so far. I've read they still have radiator problems and for some reason tons of AC issues. Then I've read people like you that say no issues. One thing that seems to be common for radiator issues are they're all coming from construction sites where people are driving on uneven surfaces a lot. The flex in the truck is cracking the radiators due to them being shoehorned in and right up against other things. Who knows for sure. I think I'll be alright on my gasser for a least a few years. I might make the switch down the road if the 6.7 proves to be a decent engine long term. I actually just google mapped the trip from my storage to the ramp and it's 3.8 miles, I was thinking it was more than that. I may not look cool putting in and pulling the boat out, but at least I will while on the water. ;)

On my second 6.7. Not one issue and the first was 2011. You will be fine in your 6.2 and I'm a LC guy

You`re fine

I just towed my Cafe 350 miles this past weekend on an aluminum triple axle trailer with my crew cab short bed single rear wheel F-350 6.7 diesel. No issues, no sway, I would feel comfortable towing this thing anywhere with this truck.

Sport chassis nothing else is safe




I'm kidding I towed a 35 fountain on a steel trailer over 400 miles with a 2wd 6.0 gas Chevy, no issue whatsoever.

Out of curiosity, what does the boat weigh on the trailer? Ever had it weighed when set up to travel? (Fuel, gear, etc all in the boat)

I'm in a similar spot to you but I haven't bought my next boat yet - very little towing except 1-2 long road trips a year, and the tow vehicle will be my DD. I valet/dry dock my Pachanga, so I don't have a tow vehicle at all right now.

Just curious, what did the boat weigh on the trailer? I am guessing it was 10k-11k lbs?

I haven't had it weighed. I'm guessing the trailer and boat with fuel in the tanks I'd be pushing close to 10k lbs. Honestly it's a guess and I really have no idea. I just bought a F250 crew cab short bed 6.2 gasser. We'll see how the setup works this weekend. ;)

you should be fine with that truck. The new 6r140 transmissions gearing makes a big difference in the new trucks. The splits with the more gears let the motors stay in the torque curve from what I've seen. We have bucket trucks at work with the 6.2 in them and they have plenty of power even weighing 12000+. I love my 6.0 diesel but the worst thing you can do to any diesel is not use it so the 6.2 will be the best for your limited usage I think.

I disagree - 6.0L did have its issues, fixable but not cheap - 6.4L had issues mainly related to Emissions equipment, easy fix and you have a absolute beast. They jury is out on my 6.7L for me, only 10k miles on it ( > 3,000 towing), but so far in stock form it is the most impressive truck I have owned. History is starting to build with that motor, and so far, apart from a few issues with early 2011 models, it is looking like a winner...

Me, I'd go the diesel route, but that's how I roll...

Don't like the ford get a Tundra and fill the fountain with scanks, still lighter than the shuttle

Mmmmm I do love me some skanks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePcl-ujFwis

i have 6.0 that has been stellar.


you made the correct choice for now. i guess if your needs ever change you can trade up.

if you dont run the ford diesels hard you will have issues.

congrats on the new ride. 12K is a lot to haul on the bumper of a SRW pickup.

:)

Well I ended up buying a brand new 2016 F250 with the 6.2 gasser. Towed all last week and the truck did fine. It for sure doesn't have the same pulling power as a diesel like when driving at 55 and going up a hill but just give it more gas and it keeps rolling. I didn't get the whole rig out on any major highway but they way it towed at 55 on the road with hills I don't foresee any issues with that. Truck doesn't feel like it's being pushed around but I'm sure that brakes on all 6 trailer wheels helps with that. I did a hard stop test and the whole rig stopped pretty well. I'm pretty impressed with my new F250 so far. Not sure if it was because we're in KY but I got more compliments on my truck than the boat, LOL.

http://i.imgur.com/YDu6Xb7.jpg

Nice boat:).