# Downsizing from F250 to F150



## bcoastal (Aug 8, 2012)

I pull a 25' Boston Whaler outrage with my 2011 F250. Great truck but seems a little overkill for my needs. What do y'all think about a f150 from 2017-2019 with the 5.3? Anything I should be concerned about or look for when selecting the new truck?


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## Sgrem (Oct 5, 2005)

You expect significant power difference. The Eco Boost would be a much better option for dedicated tow vehicle.


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## Davidsel47 (Apr 10, 2019)

Can't go wrong with the 2.7 or 3.5 for what your towing. I don't think those years had a 5.3, there is a 5.0, 2.7 & 3.5. the 2.7 & 3.5 are 6 cylinder turbo motors that are very capable. I had a 2019 and a 2022 3.5, they were a beast but the 2.7 is a nice moter as well.


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## bcoastal (Aug 8, 2012)

I meant to say 3.5 eco boost. Not 5.3. Any thing else I should look at? Thanks.


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## c hook (Jul 6, 2016)

I'd agree on downsizing to a F150/1500, but i'd be leery of the smaller motors. they just sound cheesy and weak. but it's all about what gets the job done. i'd hook up and tow one before i jumped in full throttle.


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## Gofish2day (May 9, 2006)

I have a 2019 Ford 3.5 Ecoboost. Very fast and fuel mileage is great. I pull a 20ft Kenner like its not there.
On hwy I get 22-23 with bed cover. Used to get 24 on hwy with 18" tires. I get 14 mph pulling the boat. My chevy would get 8 mph a gal pulling the boat.
Great truck super fast but - A WHOLE LOT TO BREAK. Must take to the dealer to fix. 25 water hoses just to get the the belts. Water pump is in the engine. Burn good fuel as its a twin turbo engine or you will be sorry.
WOW - $4.49 this morning. I live in the woodlands and pull good distances when I fish.


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## photofishin (Aug 7, 2009)

I pull my 27 Gamefish with a 2019 F150 4x4 ECO Boost and it pulls it like a beast! Mine is rated to tow 13k lbs.


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## Gofish2day (May 9, 2006)

photofishing - check the latest service bulletin on AC water from evap leaking into the driver side floor board. My friend with 2018 picked up is floor mat and it was white with mold. Sure enough, I checked mine after extended driving and was wet. There is a fix to add a 90 elbow in the wheel well of driver side to fix.


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## civilfisher (Sep 8, 2021)

I've got my eye on the F150 Hybrid. Hoping to purchase in a few months. Basically has the Eco boost 3.5 motor with a supplemental electric motor for more power, efficiency and towing capacity. Looks like a nice middle ground between a standard F150 and an F250. Also 24 mpg to combat the ridiculous gas prices we are seeing.


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## bwguardian (Aug 30, 2005)

I'd stick with the F250. I had an '84 Whaler Outrage with twin 150 Mercury engines. The boat was originally sold through Meeks Marine in Kemah and went to Katy after a bit of being local. It Ultimately wound up in south Florida...same owner that got transferred...and I flew down to inspect it. At the time...mid 90's...I had a 90 Chebby 1/2 regular cab with the 350 engine. I bought the boat and worked a deal to pick it up and pay for it in Mobile, Alabama. The truck did fine but passed everything but a gas station. I kept that truck for awhile and it would pull the boat from a ramp, but needed the help of the boat power to get it started as the truck was 2wd. I did get it out of the ole Tiki ramp and even the Lake Travis public park ramp, and if you know that ramp is very steep and really long...roasted the tires and took several tries to get it to the top. I was headed down Bay Area Blvd. and the light turned on my faster than I anticipated at El Camino after a light rain. The boat pushed me through that intersection which was purdy scary. I then decided to buy a late 90's F250 extended cab 2wd 7.3L diesel. I never had any issues from that point forward though I did buy an early 00's F350 crew cab 4wd 7.3L diesel, but that was due mostly to a growing family. If you do decide to get the smaller 1/2 ton truck be sure and get 4wd as it will make a difference...and if you don't have brakes on that trailer I would definitely not consider the 1/2 ton truck.


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## MARK MACALUSO (Sep 29, 2010)

Like bwguardian said, that Whaler is a heavy boat , I have the 3.5 Ecoboost and it will pull it but better have good brakes on that boat trailer..


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## c hook (Jul 6, 2016)

Gofish2day said:


> I have a 2019 Ford 3.5 Ecoboost. Very fast and fuel mileage is great. I pull a 20ft Kenner like its not there.
> On hwy I get 22-23 with bed cover. Used to get 24 on hwy with 18" tires. I get 14 mph pulling the boat. My chevy would get 8 mph a gal pulling the boat.
> Great truck super fast but - A WHOLE LOT TO BREAK. Must take to the dealer to fix. 25 water hoses just to get the the belts. Water pump is in the engine. Burn good fuel as its a twin turbo engine or you will be sorry.
> WOW - $4.49 this morning. I live in the woodlands and pull good distances when I fish.



lmao, I'm getting about 8 r 9mpg (2020 Sierra fully loaded) pulling but i have an extrely heavy foot. if i'm running down the freeway less than 75 r 80 there's a problem, and 85 in tow is the norm. but when we're going fishing get out of the way or you might get run over. 😆 again i'd definitely go with F150/1500, it's all you need. F250/2500 IMHO is overkill and a PITA for city driving/parking. be a different story if you were a cattle rancher or an oil field hot shotter.


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## bcoastal (Aug 8, 2012)

MARK MACALUSO said:


> Like bwguardian said, that Whaler is a heavy boat , I have the 3.5 Ecoboost and it will pull it but better have good brakes on that boat trailer..


Good info. I might have to try a one of my friends 1/2 tons first. I had a tundra with the 5.7 when I got the boat and it squat, sucked gas and was hard on the truck. 

Right now I am going off specs from ford that say the f150 can tow 13k. That is close to what current specs are for my 2011 f250.


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## Jerry713 (Nov 6, 2019)

bcoastal said:


> I pull a 25' Boston Whaler outrage with my 2011 F250. Great truck but seems a little overkill for my needs. What do y'all think about a f150 from 2017-2019 with the 5.3? Anything I should be concerned about or look for when selecting the new truck?


Unless you have a diesel you will not notice a drop in power regardless what gas engine your F-250 has as long as the 3.5 Ecoboost has 3:55 rear axle ratio. I had issues with my 2017 3.5 Ecoboost but that was the first year of a bunch of changes they made that drastically increased the hp and torque. 

I've said before and some don't believe me but my Ram 2500 with the 6.4 Hemi does not have the towing power my 3.5 Ecoboost had. In terms of power you won't be disappointed.


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## bcoastal (Aug 8, 2012)

My current f250 has 6.7 diesel but that is impressive comparison between the ram 2500 6.4 and f150 3.5.


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## Jerry713 (Nov 6, 2019)

bcoastal said:


> My current f250 has 6.7 diesel but that is impressive comparison between the ram 2500 6.4 and f150 3.5.


I was puzzled too until I compared the torque numbers. My 6.4 Hemi (3:73) puts out 429 lb. feet of torque at 4000 rpm. The 3.5 ecoboost I had put out 470 lb. feet of torque at 2500 rpm. The 2021 and newer 3.5 ecoboost have 500 lb. feet of torque at 2500 rpm. A lot more useable torque in the ecoboost.

I pulled a travel trailer that weighed about 7500 lbs with my ecoboost (probably similar in weight to your Whaler) and it did fine. I was following a friend once and he was running 75 for a long stretch and the ecoboost had no issues keeping up pulling that camper.

You might find someone near you that has a 3.5 ecoboost (again 3:55 rear axle is pretty important), offer them a case of beer and see if they'll hook on to your Whaler and go for a spin. It's going to shift a lot more than what you're used to with that powerstroke but your highway fuel mileage when not towing may double or close to it.


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## dk2429 (Mar 27, 2015)

Boss at my last job hauls a 25 Outrage with twin Yamahas all over the place with his F150 2.7

It does the job! Make sure you get 4x4. You're just gonna notice it being back there a lot more than your current horse


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## Gofish2day (May 9, 2006)

I have owned Chevy 1/2 ton trucks. Purchased 2 of these new. This Ecoboost 3.5 is the fastest truck I have owned.
My chevy's lasted 10yrs and 180K each. We will see about this ecoboost.


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## bigrebar (Oct 31, 2012)

Lots of great info and opinions here. However, in my opinion, get the 3:73 or 4:10 rear end with that 3.5 Ecoboost. Its a great match, will still get 20mpg or better on the highway empty. 


You will probably have to special order it to get a 3:73 rear, most all of these trucks on the lot in crew cab 4x4 have the 3:55 rear end.


I consider the newer F-150 3.5 Ecoboost with the torque in the lower RPM's to be the closest thing to a 5/8 ton truck. Definitely out pull any other 1/2 ton out there, without the mass vehicle weight and poor fuel mileage of a 3/4 ton pickup.

.


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## Jerry713 (Nov 6, 2019)

bigrebar said:


> Lots of great info and opinions here. However, in my opinion, get the 3:73 or 4:10 rear end with that 3.5 Ecoboost. Its a great match, will still get 20mpg or better on the highway empty.
> 
> 
> You will probably have to special order it to get a 3:73 rear, most all of these trucks on the lot in crew cab 4x4 have the 3:55 rear end.
> ...


3:73 in the F-150 ecoboost is rare and I believe only available in a basic configuration. I tried to build one online a while back and it had to be a base model to get 3:73. 4:10 not an available option. 

Like you implied the 3:55 ecoboost have plenty. More towing power than the truck will stop or handle. The one thing I would get if ordering one or even buying used is the max tow package. It adds trans cooler and sway bars that the truck needs pulling longer loads. Typically the max tow package is easy to spot with the factory towing mirrors similar to what the HD Fords have.


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## bigrebar (Oct 31, 2012)

That sounds correct. The 3:73 rear end pickup I drove was an earlier body style truck, not sure the year. But it would flat get it, makes my 5.0 seem pretty weak with a trailer in tow. There is no comparison, not even close.


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## civilfisher (Sep 8, 2021)

I've been considering the Ford F150 Hybrid. Went and test drove one yesterday and noticed the transmission shifting was a bit "jumpy". When decelerating it hard a few hard downshifts. Very surprising for a brand new truck. I've battled with 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 transmission problems since I bought the this and definitely not looking to go through that again with Ford. Any have an F150 Hybrid and experiencing hard shifts with the tranny or other power transfer issues?


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## apatches (May 24, 2005)

bcoastal said:


> I pull a 25' Boston Whaler outrage with my 2011 F250. Great truck but seems a little overkill for my needs. What do y'all think about a f150 from 2017-2019 with the 5.3? Anything I should be concerned about or look for when selecting the new truck?


I have a 2019 F-150 3.0 diesel. Pulls like a champ. Pulled a 32 foot bumper pull rated at 10,400lbs from the hill country to the coast. Got 19.0 mpg. Pulled a trailer with a Jeep Wrangler on it to Georgia a couple of months ago and got 20 mpg. Happy with it.


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## ch52253 (Jan 25, 2019)

I just went from a lifted 2014 F150 3.5 ecoboost to a factory height 2019 F250 6.7 power stroke. I pull a 24 ft skeeter seater console and 30ft bumper pull travel trailer. The 3.5 Eco had every bit of power needed(plus some) but it burned twice the fuel as the 6.7. Another consideration is the F150 got tossed around a lot more when towing and squatted a lot more with the weight.


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## Scubey (Oct 28, 2015)

bcoastal said:


> I pull a 25' Boston Whaler outrage with my 2011 F250. Great truck but seems a little overkill for my needs. What do y'all think about a f150 from 2017-2019 with the 5.3? Anything I should be concerned about or look for when selecting the new truck?


First off, are you pulling that big boat around town, or are you pulling it from somewhere like Austin to Port A? If it's the latter of the two, and you're doing it with any kind of frequency, I would stick with the F250. Pulling that much boat for that kind of distance with an Eco-boost is using most of it's capability, while that wouldn't be 60% of a Powerstroke's. I've owned half tons and I've owned 3/4 tons, and making that drive pulling a big boat is a hell of a lot easier in a 3/4 ton, hands down. I've been doing it for 30 years, 6 trucks, and 3 boats. I'm sure the Eco-boost is a capable motor, but the shear torque of the Powerstroke's turbo diesel makes it vastly superior for towing, esp long distances. The wear-n-tear on an Eco-boost is really going to add up over time.

But if you're just pulling the boat to your local boat ramp? Yeah, the F150's a fine choice for that. Let me recommend borrowing a friend's first though, and giving it a try with that big Outrage. The difference will be pronounced. Just my 2 cents.

Good luck!


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## Sgrem (Oct 5, 2005)

Ppppffffttttt
I pull a 26ft Southshore weighs in at 6800 pounds with a BMW x5. I pull it a lot as i am a full time guide. I have 148k miles on it and no issues at all. Will replace it with the same.

If that truck struggles I will pull it for you.

Also 2 horse trailer weighs 7500 loaded.
And flatbed with tractor. 
All! Over! Everywhere! Have hauled boats all over the country for a lot of 2coolers.

Used to tow heavy with dually and F550s over 100k miles a year. Plenty of experience towing. 

Any modern day half ton will handle any bay boat made easily.


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## Davidsel47 (Apr 10, 2019)

the 2.7 max tow is 10,100 lbs and the 3.5 is 14000 lbs & they both have lots as torque as well, its gonna take a lot of boat to push it to its limits


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## Jacques1 (12 mo ago)

Ive got a 21 f150 with the ecoboost and it pulls 21’ haynie like a champ, gas milage on the dash goes from 21 down to 13 when hauling it around, if i was pulling a 25 magnum or a dargel 250, I would prefer a powerstroke f250


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## tiedup (Feb 23, 2006)

We have around 130 Ford pickups at work, some considerations based on our experience.... The move from steel to aluminum bodies gave Ford the ability to shave on average 700lbs off the F-150. Ford in turn lightened up the suspension to make the ride smoother (and succeeded). However we immediately noticed that when carrying loads (every day) the aluminum trucks squatted much more than the steel ones did for a given load. We started getting complaints about people flashing headlights at night thinking our high beams were on. We took 2 steel and 2 aluminum trucks and put the same load in them and measured the distance the rear bumper dropped and the front bumper rose. The aluminum trucks bumpers dropped 2" more than the steel ones did, the aluminum front bumpers also rose a little more than the steel ones. We have had a few guys get pulled over because they "failed to dim their lights" because of this behavior. *Bottom line, tongue weight matters with the newer F-150's. *

Any of the F-150 engines will *pull *the boat but fuel mileage will go down substantially depending on what engine you get. We bought 2 F-150 eco-boost's and abandoned them for any type of pulling as they drink fuel. As some have mentioned stopping can be an issue with the aluminum F-150. We have had guys complain that the aluminum F-150's when stopping with a trailer can get squirrely because the truck is so light, this makes stopping in an emergency an unstable situation. Bed length also affects this behavior. 

At the end of the day we elected to move to the F-250 and are slowly getting rid of the F-150's for these reasons. We have F-250 gas and diesels (depending on the specific role of the vehicle). If you are driving short distances in rual areas then you could probably get by with the F-150. If you are driving long distances through multiple stop lights or in cities with traffic I would go with an F-250 because it can stop faster and with more control. I would try to borrow an aluminum F-150 and F-250 and pull with both based on your driving conditions and see how your specific boat pulls (and stops).


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## fullottoman (7 mo ago)

Just get teh F150 V8. The motor wont have to work as hard to develop that HP and torque.
I pull a 8.5 x 25 foor cargo with a RZR 1000 and two dirt bikes over 8500# no issues.
Also pull an 24 foot Cuddy Cabin boat that weighs about 7000# no problems. 

I do use a Husky load distribution and anti-sway hitch.


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