has anyone towed with a 5.4 f-250?

sparkn89

sparkn89

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 12, 2006
Location
Canton N.C.
has anyone towed with a 5.4 f-250? and what do you think. my dad is looking to buy one. I'm trying to talk him into a diesel but he wants somthing he can work on.
 
I owned a 2005 F350 with the 5.4L V8, and towed with it nearly everyday. I put over 130,000 miles on it in 4.5 years, and NEVER had an issue with it. I towed a 7500lb trailer, a 5400lb trailer, and a 2000lb trailer on a regular basis for my construction company. All I did was keep up with the regular maintance and the truck treated me very well.

Now in all fairness, I did have a 8.5" Lift, 38" tires, 4.88 gears, and a computer program on it. Gas milage towing wasnt anything to rave about (8-10mpg towing) but it got the job done, and did it with out being in the shop like my Dads 06 6.0L Deisel was repeatedly.

I would look for a good as low milage as you could, with a good maintance history. Do at least the 05 trucks, since those 5.4L were a 3valve and were more reliable than the 04 and older trucks.
 
my dodge durango broke down at the top of black mountain. Had a friend with a single cab 5.4 useing a u-haul trailer tow that heavy pig all the way back to charlotte no big deal. It downed on hills but i was impressed.
 
tried to....it spitt plugs...it ate COP wires...and generally sucked.
It was an 04...
 
Pulled an enclosed trailer all across the southeast with an 02 F150 Supercrew w/5.4. Mostly interstate, gas mileage was 7-9mpg, power was mediocre. It liked to find 2nd gear at 65-70mph. Trailer was probably 3500-4000lbs, 7x12. My biggest complaint was that it was constantly shifting if you applied any throttle, when it would have pulled in the gear it was in. You could be going along at reasonable RPM's in top gear, and roll on a little throttle it would downshift and jump to 3000RPM's, but wouldn't accelerate unless you drastically increased throttle. And it would hover like that for about 20 seconds, even if you let off the throttle.

I did pull my jeep with it once, up to Boone from Charlotte. Max speed going up the mountain was 37mph, right at redline in 1st gear. Had no problems going down.
 
I had a 2000 F250 Crew cab with the 5.4 that I towed a 25' travel trailer from Alaska to NC with, put on about 10000 miles on that trip in about a month, 98% of it with the trailer. Never had any problems, was down to about 25mph crossing vail pass in CO at like 12000', but it never missed a beat or complained once. I really wish i still had that truck.
 
We have a 03 5.4 Expedition that tows ok. Does not pull like the cummins trucks I've had, but not bad for a gasser. I pulled our 32 ft travel trailer with it weighing about 9k. I would not want to pull that much every day though.
 
I got a 99 F250SD regular cab long bed 4x4. Tow up to right at 10K all over NC and other SE states.

It likes to run at about 3000-3200...whatever speed you make at that....more and you just kill gas mileage. Average about 9-10 towing. Slow uphills, like up Black Mtn on 40, usually make about 40-45 with 7500 or so on the trailer. Of course, pushing RPMs up for that. Level ground or rolling terrain, makes 65-70 easy.

Got 220k on it now and needs a refresh, but wouldn't hesitate to take off in it tomorrow headed anywhere with a load.

My next will be a V10.

edit...btw mine is 4.10

edit 2: only had to replace 2 COPs and a/c compressor in 220k miles. Plus turned rotors and new pads a couple of times. Did plugs at 105k, and again about 180k. Least maintenance/repair I've ever had an a vehicle.
 
My brother has a 05 single cab long bed 4x4 with the 5.4. truck pulls fine but it has stated multiple times after pulling that he should have gotten a diesel.
 
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