Towing with a F150 4.6 3V???

[Jet One]

I own a 08 F150 Fx2 4.6 3V. It has a tow package (trans cooler tow hitch is all I see). As I look towards the future I realize towing is better way forward as I continue to track my 350R. I'm wondering if a light trailer like Futura (or cheaper) would be smarter money at this point than a new tow vehicle and trailer especially if the lighter weight trailer and car will allow my to keep my current truck. My 08 F150 is my DD...any truck I purchase in the future will be my DD and tow vehicle but, if I can get away with my 08 for a few years that would be optimal At least till I pay the R off ). At this point I'm looking at towing within a 300 mile radius of south east Virginia mostly VIR....no mountain trips

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[67GTA]

What rear gearing? At least with a 2wd, pretty simple to re-gear it for better towing if it feels underpowered.

 

[Speedboosted]

It should be okay, just won't be going anywhere quickly. Are the brakes in good condition? Make sure they are solid and other regular maintenance is up to date. Otherwise have at it. Getting an aluminum trailer is great, but most of them I see are like 1100 lbs or so, and my 18' wood deck trailer is only 1500 lbs. I tow with a couple different Super Duty's so weight isn't an issue, but I have a hard time justifying the cost difference for only a few hundred pounds.

 

[TMSBOSS]

As long as you stay with a light open trailer, you should be fine. Enclosed trailers are heavier and push a whole lot of air. My V-6 F-150 was fine with an open trailer. When I went to a enclosed trailer, not so much.

 

[drano38]

I bet you'll be ok.
But verify that by looking in the owners manual for its max tow weight. And the truck might have a decal somewhere saying rear end ratio and max tow weight.
I tow my Boss on a steel open trailer with an '02 Dodge Dakota, 4.7L, "Heavy Duty Accessory Group" which gives it a tranny cooler and the correct gear ratio.
It works great in the midwest where its sorta flat. Nope, don't set any acceleration records, but tows great.
Change all truck fluids based on how often you tow.
Good trailer brakes and an easy to use controller are critical.
And of course a weight distribution hitch. I have a Curtis, but plenty of good ones out there.

 

[Bill Pemberton]

Should be no worry at all with an open trailer , the towing capacity of your truck ( 2 wheel or 4 wheel drive ) should be fine yanking around 5500-6500 lbs. I am sure it will work for a couple of years and most of the newer trucks ( 3.5 Ecoboost , Ram 5.7, Chevy/GMC 6.2 ) will have not trouble pulling many enclosed trailers. I have gone all the way out to the East Coast and back in my 14 Ram ( 5.7 V8 ) with a 26 ft enclosed trailer, as well as a trip to New Orleans. Not counting all the 6- 11 hour trips elsewhere, and no worries.

Years back I used to yank around my Viper with a 4.6 Expedition and I was likely way overloaded pulling an enclosed trailer , but the only issue was I used a ton of fuel ,ha. Now I did get a 5.4 the next time around, ha,ha.

 

[Jet One]

Thanks everyone. I don’t know how to decipher this? I’ll probably climb under to see if there is a tag on the diff housing.

 

[67GTA]

Axle code 19 should be a 3.55 which should be fine. If it feels sluggish, a swap to 3.73 would make a big difference. Probably won’t be an issue with an open trailer though.

 

[Jet One]

Axle code 19 should be a 3.55 which should be fine. If it feels sluggish, a swap to 3.73 would make a big difference. Probably won’t be an issue with an open trailer though.

Thanks!

 

[TMSBOSS]

This may be helpful.

https://www.fleet.ford.com/resources/ford/general/pdf/towingguides/07RVTTguideApr08.pdf

 

[Bill Pemberton]

Good info I was trying to remember off the top of my head but it sure seemed like it was a bit over 6000 lbs back then, but what TMS sent you is even more definitive.

 

[TMSBOSS]

Sorry

I posted a link to the 2007 model year. Here is the 2008.

https://www.fleet.ford.com/resources/ford/general/pdf/towingguides/08RVTTgdeSep08.pdf

 

[Jet One]

Sorry

I posted a link to the 2007 model year. Here is the 2008.

https://www.fleet.ford.com/resources/ford/general/pdf/towingguides/08RVTTgdeSep08.pd

Thanks @TMSBOSS! It looks like I'm good for 6400lbs. I'm guessing I'd be in the 5200-5500lb range. Now to find the right open trailer....

 

[Bill Pemberton]

Great looks like my old memory is not too bad after all, ha!

 

[byronj]

FWIW- I have a 2002 G-wagon with a 5.0 rated 292 bhp @ 5500 rpm. Torque: 336 lb-ft @ 2800 rpm and towing limit of 5000 lbs. I towed my GT350 just fine, with a Uhaul trailer. It takes a little while to get up to speed but once I did I could cruise up to 80 without any issues. Once I went up the Grapevine (PITA mountain pass in CA) and got cut off by a tractor trailer I lost all momentum and was relegated to 20 MPH. If that happens try to find an exit and an onramp with a long entrance and get back up to speed. But otherwise I think you'll be fine for a couple years.