F150 Ecoboost towing 2500RL? Or is 3/4 ton better?

[DunnyGDRV22]

We just bought a 2500RL 30' 7500 GVWR Trailer. New to RV'ing. No truck yet. Interested in going cross country to visit all the national parks. Looking for folks suggestions on good truck. What do you all use for this trailer?

The F150 with 3.5L V6 Ecoboost, supercrewcab 6.5 bed, max payload and max tow package is one option we are looking at. It meets the payload and towing capacity requirement. However we are wondering if it will have any issues with climbs and descents in mountains, like Utah and Arizona? We are also looking at F250 with 6.2LV8 with same cab and bed size. Is this better? We don't really want to buy more truck than we need.

Many thanks for your thoughts.

[malbert721]

I towed our 2800BH with an 2016 F150 3.5L Eco Boost 3.55 rear for 3yrs. No problem pulling but switched to load range E tires to help with squishy ride. While it towed fine (for the most part) you are on the edge of towing comfort. F250 with the 6.2L would be my recommendation for the long haul/towing comfort.

We've since moved up to Reflection 295RL and a F250 with 7.3L gas with 4.30 rear. Planning a similar trip in the next 2yrs. Night and day with the 5th wheel regarding towing comfort. What everyone said is true regarding 5th wheel towing vs. TT. I knew 5 minutes after driving off the dealers lot that the 5th will be an easier tow.

[Spartacus]

Welcome to the forum and congrats, like malbert721 said but since you don't have the truck yet I will move to the 2500, in most cases when you get a TT or a 5th wheel you move to something bigger in about two years. Now whether you go with gas or diesel it almost always you want bigger rv.

[sande005]

If you actually get the max payload package, it comes with the bigger "E" tires (and you also have to get the max tow, it's included). But you'll have to order it, as they are never seen "in the wild" on lots.
It is the rarer F-250 that will beat it on payload and pulling. Not saying they are hard to find, just that it handily beats out most that you will commonly see.
I cannot speak to the engine advantages a 250 could have, that may tell the tale.

With my 8,500 lb fifth, we had no issues going over even the highest mountain passes out west, and keeping up with traffic anywhere. Could pass any semi I wanted. The Eco does not suffer from power loss at altitude, at all.

I had to switch to a similar weight travel trailer, and my mpg dropped from 10.5 over 14,000 miles, to 8 over the last 12,000. Acceleration is not as good, either. I blame the swirl of air dropping down over the bed, and then hitting the front of the trailer, plus the longer total length behind, for greatly increasing the drag. And the truck is now 10 yrs old..... Haven't taken it back to Colorado, Utah, California again to retest the really high passes, but I'm confident it will be fine - just not what it was with the fifth.

Mine being an old version, payload was less then you'll see with current new ("only" 2166 lbs for mine!). At the time I had to replace the 5th, all comparables had gained weight and would have put me over. Hence the switch to a travel trailer.

Would I do it now, especially if I needed it to also be a "daily driver"? YES. But know that you are moving toward the highish side of what it can do, so not a lot of room for trading up to a bigger RV in the future....but in that case, you might be looking at a 350, rather than a 250, anyway.

[rmcrowe]

We towed our 2500rl with a 2018 f150 platinum, max tow but not max payload. We were always right on the edge of the payload limit. We upgraded to a 2021 f250 tremor with the 7.3 and its not a worry anymore.

The ecoboost had plenty of power and really the truck didnt perform that badly (a 6.5 ft bed and max payload im sure would have made it better) but the f250 is much more enjoyable towing.

Id suggest if the truck is primarily for towing go with the 250, if you need to use this truck for other things (like commute where mpg is going to matter) perhaps the max payload f150 would be better.

In the end we upgraded because i was tired of worrying about payload - not because the truck was underpowered or felt unsafe.

Good luck,

We just bought a 2500RL 30' 7500 GVWR Trailer. New to RV'ing. No truck yet. Interested in going cross country to visit all the national parks. Looking for folks suggestions on good truck. What do you all use for this trailer?

The F150 with 3.5L V6 Ecoboost, supercrewcab 6.5 bed, max payload and max tow package is one option we are looking at. It meets the payload and towing capacity requirement. However we are wondering if it will have any issues with climbs and descents in mountains, like Utah and Arizona? We are also looking at F250 with 6.2LV8 with same cab and bed size. Is this better? We don't really want to buy more truck than we need.

Many thanks for your thoughts.

[Scott'n'Wendy]

The F250 will have you feeling more stable and secure while towing.
For daily driving remember the F250 is physically the same size as the F150 so there really isn't any difference there except for mileage.
Depending on your work commute maybe mileage is an important factor, I don't know.
I daily drive a 1 ton diesel and prefer it over the car. Except for the mileage.

[jmbopp]

I've towed our 2650 with both a steel-body 3.5 F150 and a 6.2 F250.
Payload on the F150 was 1486# and I was overweight on the gross and rear axle. The new aluminum bodies have payloads pushing 2000# and would be fine. I can't see a max payload F150 unless you want the extra payload and 3.5 engine.
Even after switching to "E" tires (which helped) I never felt in full control with the F150. Power wasn't an issue but the handling and braking weren't there. Loved the engine though.
There's no comparison with the F250 for trailering though. It's a much more stable platform and the bigger brakes and tires help a lot. It's a harder ride unloaded and the around-town mileage sucks, but I'm retired so it's not a daily driver anymore. To do over I'd opt for the 7.3 engine. For the amount of towing I do I couldn't justify a Diesel.
We did pull over an 11,000 ft pass west of Denver. I was down 30% on power and was definitely in the slow lane. I'd have liked to try it with the boosted 3.5 to compare the power loss.

[tamrick]

We just bought a 2500RL 30' 7500 GVWR Trailer. New to RV'ing. No truck yet. Interested in going cross country to visit all the national parks. Looking for folks suggestions on good truck. What do you all use for this trailer?

The F150 with 3.5L V6 Ecoboost, supercrewcab 6.5 bed, max payload and max tow package is one option we are looking at. It meets the payload and towing capacity requirement. However we are wondering if it will have any issues with climbs and descents in mountains, like Utah and Arizona? We are also looking at F250 with 6.2LV8 with same cab and bed size. Is this better? We don't really want to buy more truck than we need.

Many thanks for your thoughts.

I used to tow with a 2013 f150 ecoboost and the new models will tow the 2500RL with no issues in the mountains. The max payload package will help to keep you below your max payload but that also depends on which model you opt for, xlt, lariat or higher. You'll lose about 200lbs in payload with all the extras added to the truck.
Now, if you will be doing alot of pulling around the country, the F250 will definitely make the long trips more relaxing. The 250 with a gas engine has tons of payload and the overall added weight of the truck provides more stability while towing. The brakes are larger too. I'd lean to the 7.3 gas over the 6.2; you get the 10spd with the 7.3.
When I bumper pulled, I eventually ended up with a ProPride hitch. It eliminates the sway. It is well worth the money. Safe travels

[goducks14]

Pulling wise the 3.5 will out tow the 6.2 due to the fact that it has more HP/TQ and is turbo charged. In the high EL you'll notice the power drop of. Not so with the 3.5 turbo.
Non towing MPG's are terrible in the F250 6.2. You'll get better but no great mpg's with the 3.5 HDPP
Handling with the F250 when towing will be better but not night and day better if you have the HDPP on the F150.
Cost wise is a wash. Other than mpg's there's no reason to get the F150 vs the F250.
As mentioned I'd jump straight to the 7.3 gas. It won't rev out as much as the 6.2 but still more than the 3.5 EB. Gobs of power and built to work hard.
If you're planning on traveling across country then you'll want the most stable towing vehicle you can get. I'd opt for the F250 7.3 in the same configuration. I wouldn't cheap out on the 6.2. Even though the 6.2 is a great reliable motor you're also adding the extra weight to the F250 vs the F150 and losing more power with the 6.2 vs the 7.3 and 3.5. It won't feel as strong as the 3.5 or 7.3 when in the mtns or steeper rolling hills or headwinds.
BTW you can never have too much truck. How often do you read about someone trading in for a lesser truck because they don't like towing with too much truck?
I tow a 31' 9600lb TT with a 3500 CTD CC LB. Overkill? Yes. But I never have to worry about payload, handling or power and braking is top notch with the exhaust brake.

[Groover]

I have an Expedition which has the same engine, transmission, chassis and HD tow as the F-150. Yesterday I pulled my new (to me) 2500RL through Arizona including crossing the Salt River Canyon. No issues at all! Love the twin-turbo 3.5L Ecoboost. Averaged 10MPG. Using an Equal-i-zer hitch.

https://www.google.com/maps/@33.7933...10.5019053,15z