Help!I don't understand what type of towing vehicle i need for a 2 horse trailer!

[PoohLP]

My Chevy 1/2 ton has the 4:10 ratio, the enhanced suspension, the extra radiator and the bigger alternator. It is rated for 10,500 lbs. Manufacturers recommend you stay 25% below your maximum towing capacity. It pulls my 2 horse aluminum gooseneck, which is about 7000 -7500 fully loaded fine, and usually I"m under that since I often haul with only one horse. But it does have to work and I prefer towing on the highway to the interstate, which I can get away with most of the time.

If I hauled every weekend or did lots of long distance hauling or mountains/hills, I’d want a 2500. My next truck will be a 2500, but I was working on a budget since I wanted to afford both the truck and the trailer.

[monstrpony]

I traded my 1997 F250 last year on a 2012 F150 with the 5.0L engine, 3.73 rear axle. It tows my Hawk 2h BP/DR trailer every bit as well as the F250 did. In fact, I consider it to be the best towing experience I’ve ever had, and I’ve been towing 2h BP trailers with 1/2 ton and 3/4 ton trucks since 1969.

The Ecoboost 6-cylinder engine is made for towing and is completely adequate for your purposes. The turbo engine (the 3.5L 6 cylinder) is a little more mechanically complicated, and some of us olde phartes prefer the (relative) simplicity of an old reliable, but technologically refurbished V-8 (the 5.0L), but either is totally adequate for your needs. The Ecoboost can actually have a higher towing rating.

I cannot begin to describe what a good job Ford has done with the F150 in meeting the market need for “lower-end” towing (meaning 2h trailer size). The thing has stability controls up one side and down the other. It’s the smallest V-8 I’ve ever towed with, but the transmission that it is mated with uses the whole range of gears smoothly and efficiently.

I found this review when I was considering this truck:
http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2011/02/road-test-review-2011-ford-f-150-xlt-50-liter-v-8.html

and I feel it’s a very accurate review of how the truck performs.

Oh, and about the flat vs mountain issue–I live in western North Carolina. When I leave my farm, I have a 5 mile climb in order to get anywhere, and the truck handles it just fine. Tow-haul mode gets me safely back down on the way home. Of course, I would not haul without trailer brakes, but I drive very sensibly and feel that the truck would handle many emergencies adequately.

I don’t have experience with what the Ram and GMC brands have done, but I would expect that their recent model 1/2 ton trucks are similarly capable. It’s a new day from the situation of five and more years ago when the 3/4 ton diesels became all the rage for any towing and the 1/2 tons got neglected. Today’s 1/2 tons can do the job with basic 2h trailers.

[TSWJB]

[QUOTE=IFG;7965534]
I also have an older F250. For now, I am just repairing it. Is that an option?[/QUOTE]
yes i can keep repairing it. It is running nicely right now. But my mechanic the one who does the work, said he would get rid of it. I am now suddenly worried. The owner of the shop said it was okay to keep it going. When my car developed a big problem, he said he would not put the money into it. So I trust him. I spend approx 1500 a year keeping it going. every problem seems to be about 1,000 plus which is better than 20K plus.
I really love my truck and do not want to get rid of it. But I am worried maybe I am being stupid about not replacing it. I saw a nice used one for sale on the Ford site but its white! Ughh! I love my pretty blue truck!

[TSWJB]

[QUOTE=Obsidian Fire;7967981]
One thing I didn’t see anyone mention is your transmission ratio.

If you are going to haul anywhere near your vehicles rated max, you best have the right tranny gears. Most half tons come with a 3:15 rear end (Ford website says theirs is a 3:31), you need a 3:73 or a 4:10 (which you likely will only find in a full size), especially if you plan to haul more than one horse.

.[/QUOTE]
this is something I definitely do not understand!!!

[TSWJB]

[QUOTE=monstrpony;7968917]
I traded my 1997 F250 last year on a 2012 F150 with the 5.0L engine, 3.73 rear axle.
.

II found this review when I was considering this truck:
http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2011/02/road-test-review-2011-ford-f-150-xlt-50-liter-v-8.html

and I feel it’s a very accurate review of how the truck performs.
.[/QUOTE]

i have the exact truck. its the Ford F250 that looks like a Ford expedition with a truck back! Its much smaller than the next year models. More like an f150. but it definitely is an F250! I love my truck and I dont want to sell it or get rid of it but it is getting older! I am so torn. So I have decided I better start researching what i am going to get, rather than just worrying about what to do!

[hosspuller]

Originally Posted by Obsidian Fire

One thing I didn’t see anyone mention is your transmission ratio.

If you are going to haul anywhere near your vehicles rated max, you best have the right tranny gears. Most half tons come with a 3:15 rear end (Ford website says theirs is a 3:31), you need a 3:73 or a 4:10 (which you likely will only find in a full size), especially if you plan to haul more than one horse.

[QUOTE=TSWJB;7971639]
this is something I definitely do not understand!!![/QUOTE]

Trucks unlike cars are available with three choices…
Engine, transmission and rear axle ratio. The engine turns the transmission, that turns the drive shaft that turns the rear axle that turns the wheels.

This post is speaking about the rear axle ratio sometimes called “rear end”

A higher ratio ie 4:10 means the transmission will turn the drive shaft 4.1 times to = one wheel rotation. A 3.15 means similar … turn the drive shaft 3.15 times for a single wheel rotation.

Real world … A 4:10 is a lower gear. It allows the engine to pull more at the expense of lower fuel mileage and more engine noise. It also makes towing easier on the transmission. Lower numbers 3.15 …3.72…etc. are opposite in result.

[ohmissbrittany]

I bought a Ram Ecodiesel and am very happy with it. I get 27 mpg highway, and 17 mpg hauling the trailer. It’s only gotten better since I bought a year ago. It’s a smaller truck at only half-ton (first half ton diesel on the market), but with electronic trailer brakes I’ve not had any issues hauling long distances or stopping short ones as Houston traffic can sometimes necessitate! I look forward to the engine lasting a long time, as diesels do. I haul my big horse, sometimes my friend’s even bigger horse, and have a heavy steel/aluminum Sundowner 2horse with tack room.

[TSWJB]

Thank you to everyone who gave me advice on buying a new truck! I just bought a brand new one on Monday and couldn’t be happier! I got the best deal. It’s a Toyota Tundra 5.7L v8 4wd! It can pull 10,500 pounds and my mechanic says it has 13 inch rotors and my old truck has 10 inch. It has such braking capacity! Heavy duty truck! People are singing praises to the tundra! Definitely fully capable of towing! And to the poster that told me about Diff ratio which I didn’t even know about, I made sure I was above a 4. it’s a 4.3 diff ratio! Not sure I still understand what this is, but I got it per your advice!
Really Happy! The people that have them say they are great for towing and the mechanics are singing praises for them!
Thanks again!

[Libby2563]

[QUOTE=TSWJB;7965340]
My friend is pushing me to look at the Toyota Tundras. Are these big enough with an 8 cylinder engine?[/QUOTE]

Okay, I wrote a whole ton of advice then saw your last post. That’ll teach me to read to the end of the thread! Congrats on your Tundra!!! I have a 2015 V8 and it is the most powerful and smoothest tow vehicle I have ever owned. It is my fourth Toyota and I couldn’t be happier with them. Welcome to the club.

[TSWJB]

[QUOTE=Libby2563;8063981]
Okay, I wrote a whole ton of advice then saw your last post. That’ll teach me to read to the end of the thread! Congrats on your Tundra!!! I have a 2015 V8 and it is the most powerful and smoothest tow vehicle I have ever owned. It is my fourth Toyota and I couldn’t be happier with them. Welcome to the club.[/QUOTE]
Soo glad to hear that you love your Tundra!
I am sooo excited! Now that I bought one, people are saying what great towing vehicles they are. This deal got emailed to me late Saturday and I had to make a quick decision on Monday knowing that if I waited, the truck would be gone. This is what is happening to any good deal truck.
I talked to a trainer that regularly hauls horses back and forth to WEF and he said he loved Fords. That I would be at my maximum towing capacity if I got a Tundra.
I talked to my friend who did professional shipping and she said she didn’t know much but thought it would not be enough towing capacity.
I talked to my barn owner and she said if you get one, don’t try to haul any other horses other than your own because its not big enough!
I was really worried! But when I saw the truck I knew it was big enough! It’s a big truck and it drives like a Cadillac!
Now that I bought it, I have everyone telling me that this is a fantastic hauling vehicle and Toyotas last forever and are so reliable!
The barn owner’s husband told me he is a Chevy man but he would buy a Tundra! He said you have 13 inch rotors for maximum braking capacity. He said my F250 only has 10 inch brakes.
I collided with a deer in my Nissan and at the estimate the body shop guy told me all people should buy a Toyota or a Honda. He said the Tundra is fabulous!
I am really happy with my decision even though this has been hard to make a decision! I think Toyota needs to break the stereotype that these vehicles are too small!

[Gestalt]

I’ve had three Tundras, love that pickup. Drive like a dream and haul beautifully! Congrats

But… I’m looking at the 1/2 ton Dodge EcoDiesel. The mileage is fantastic.

[TSWJB]

I heard that if you get great mileage you probably will do damage to your tranny and engine because it probably isn’t big enough!

[RedmondDressage]

I looked at Tundras too - great truck! But in the end I wound up with a RAM 1500 5.7L Hemi. LOVE this truck too. I have plenty of power AND better braking than my old '89 F250 (with and without the trailer :)). One thing I will recommend, which my mechanic recommended to me, is not to skimp on your brake controller if you’re going to be hauling regularly. I had the old dial kind on my F250 and when I got this truck I went ahead and bought a Tekonsha P3 digital controller. Holy wow, I had no idea what a difference the controller could make. For someone who hauls 3 - 4 times per week it was worth every last penny.

[TSWJB]

My brake controller works really well in the old truck. Would I need to buy a new one? I am kind of low on funds from buying my new truck! What did you do with your old truck? I didn’t trade mine in. It’s a 97 F250. I am now the owner of two trucks and one Nissan sentra! I need to downsize!

[RedmondDressage]

[QUOTE=TSWJB;8064819]
My brake controller works really well in the old truck. Would I need to buy a new one? I am kind of low on funds from buying my new truck! What did you do with your old truck? I didn’t trade mine in. It’s a 97 F250. I am now the owner of two trucks and one Nissan sentra! I need to downsize![/QUOTE]

You can put the old one in the new truck - although you’ll have to check and see if it’s plug and play or if you have to have it hard wired. My F250 was so ancient that the controller had to be professionally hard wired in. I was happy to discover that new trucks (or mine at least) are plug and play! The plug is down by the brake pedal, just pop in in and go. If your old one is hard wired it’s probably cheaper to just buy a new controller. You can go less fancy than the Tekonsha (which ran about $130 on Amazon) - I saw some others for around $40.

I sold my old beast on Craigslist because I figured no dealer was going to take is as a trade in, even in good shape w/ low miles… It was an '89 and only had 79k original miles on it! At first I listed it locally and got zero interest… Then my dad casually mentioned that he sees old F250’s being used as snow plows all the time by their house in E. WA… I listed it over there and it was sold within a week! I used the cash toward the down payment on my new one.