Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Ford F350 460 or F150 5.4????

Cheese on rice ...............

Seriously - it's a joke for all those who believe that if you so much as put a bag of groceries in the bed of a 1/2 ton - you're going to die.

There are 1/2 tons with better numbers in both categories.



I'd stick it out for the 3 years and buy a new 150

6K isn't much.

Going to a 20 year old 460 gas hog seems like wiping before you poop, you can do it but it doesn't make sense.

I've had several 460s.. The last one was a '96 F=350 SC DRW 4X2, 460, stick.. It was a 'minimum' GVW F-350 which meant a 10K max..

But that 460 would pull like no tomorrow.. At the same time, pulling that camper you can still expect 7-9 mpg, tops..

I don't see what the truck in that pic has anything to do with that fire..

Well, take it for a drive and see what it feels like.. I'm also betting it has a better rear end ratio for pulling than the truck you have now. Will they let you hook up your camper and take THAT for a test??

Unless I missed it - you didn't mention whether your camper is a TT or a 5er. The former, hooked up to your truck, will make you definitely feel crosswinds and cause 'tail switch'.. I hope (if it's a TT) that you have a good weight-distributing hitch w/anti-sway capability.. If not - get one..

You would love that 5-speed though, for pulling. Lots more flexibility there.. Unless the previous owner didn't do timely maintenance, that 460 should be a rock and last you a LONG time..

I had a Dodge Ram 1500 with the 4.7 that I was using to tow my sleds and wheelers around in an enclosed trailer and it was seriously underpowered for that task. I got tired of the terrible gas mileage and poor performance while towing up hills so I bought a 97 F250 HD with the 460.

Granted that engine loves to drink the gas but you simply cannot beat the power in a gas engine. I get 12-13 when empty and around 10 when towing the toys and am fine with the gas mileage simply because I have the power I need to go wherever I want with my toys.

I've got a buddy that just bought an 05 F250 with the 5.4 and he's not a big fan of that setup, his gas mileage is actually worse than my 460. He use to own a 96 with the 7.3 Powerstroke but after putting 310,000 miles on it he decided it was time to get something newer.

My dream truck would be a 96 F250 CC shortbed with the 460 but for now, i'll have to settle with my extended cab shortbed.

Not to mention that the bumper of that truck would be on the ground if it were a half ton with that trailer.

Exactly..

Was at a large MN RV dealership about 2 years ago looking at used campers just for S&G. Salesman showed me a 39 footer with 3 axles and a gvw of 20K on the tag.. Said the guy traded in the camper AND his truck....an '06 F-250 !!!!

I mentioned that that camper, on that truck, is overloading it and very dangerous on the road. He replies, "but it was a diesel..."! As if that was all that mattered.. I just looked at him, shook my head and drove away. What a moron...

I bet I know damn well why that owner traded the truck in with the camper..

Towing with a gas rig , I've got an 08 2500 dodge with 5.7 hemi (345hp) and 4:10 rear end . Don't tell it that a Cummings pulls better cause it don't seem to know that

Well I went and test drove it. Took it for 3 hours almost. The 460 5 speed is a nice combo. Tons of power. I still like the 7.3 but this is nice. Trick is very clean. The only real problem I found with it is it has a broken leaf in one of the rear leaf packs.

He didn't know about it. Trick drove very straight though. All the ball joints in the font end are new and all the shocks are new.

I Toni l think I'm going to try and get it if he will work a little on the price for the springs. It had airbags so I'm sure he didn't notice it.

With the 460, you are gaining 50ft-lb of torque and losing 15hp over the 5.4. A set of gears in the rear axle, airbags, and a sway control hitch...and the half ton will tow that load just fine.

I have had several of each generation Ford, and no way I would trade the 02 for a 95..even a bigger one. If you decide you need a bigger truck, hold out for a Super Duty.

Well what do you expect. I does say 'Inferno' right on the side.

Get the 460 if you can't get a diesel. Fuel mileage will be errr... poor.

I looked atone to compare prices and had a hard time finding crew cabs with the 5 speed. I'm sure that adds some extra due to that. With 150000 so miles on it I'm sure it would lay limey them I need only driving 6000 to 8000 a year.
Plus I don't think I will see the added gains of a diesel with what I pull and the miles I plan to drive it for now. I in the short term it would cost me more probably.

I haven't pulled the numbers, but more importantly you have to look where the tq & hp are in the rpm range. You can have tons of either, but if they're at 4000-5000 rpms's it ain't going to do you much good.

And as mentioned a 1001 times, there's a LOT of difference in towing & capability of a 3/4 or 1 ton vs a 1/2 that goes far beyond the engines capabilities.

If you look at the numbers, they really arent that far apart in the rev range. Both make peak torque well below 3000rpm.

I dont disagree with you at all on the 3/4 vs 1/2 ton towing difference. That being said, the gap has narrowed significantly in the last 15 yrs or so. The load the original poster is describing really isnt extreme, nor outside of the capabilities of a 1/2 for occasional use.

If you tow a heavy load a lot, then you need a 3/4 ton, preferably a diesel. Even when pushing things close to the limits a few times a year you aren't going to significantly hurt the 1/2 ton.

Every time I took shortcuts and thought short term it ended up costing more in the long run.

Here's mine: '97 250 460 5spd 4.10s, 78k miles.

It isn't a daily driver for me, so I really don't worry about the fuel mileage. But it gets around 9mpg with that trailer with horses in it, or our little 5er camper.

It doesn't roar at 60mph.

They are pretty nice trucks/motors. Mine pulls all the big passes in Wyoming with our camper no problem. It doesn't tow like a modern diesel, but it's simple, dependable, looks like a truck, and cheap compared to new trucks.

I've never owned a 150 so can't really compare.



Dead Indian pass in NW Wyoming, I think around 8k feet

Check out how low the Eco starts putting up numbers and get back to me.

If your trailer is under 10,000 check out the f-150 Eco Boost. I was hesitant myself, for recommends this motor over the V8. It has 365 hp and torque like a diesel, the rpm for most torque is about 2500 rpm.

Don't laugh until you do a test drive, I love my 2013 King Ranch.

Here is the set up now. Not huge. Know that my trick can pull stuff. I once went across the scales at 26000 pounds with gravel. It didn't like it and only had to go 12 miles. After the fish run of gravel i gave up. Went home and borrowed the ranch f250 with a 7.3 stoke.

My trick got the load moving and with the air bags at 95 psi it towed it. But it wouldn't stop it. .... I Took back roads all the way except2 miles of highway I couldn't avoid and it was screaming to get to 55. And as soon as i did I had to start slowing diem to be able to stop.

I know that was way beyond its limits. Pulling the camper isn't even close to that. But at 75 I feel every bump and the wind starts to get it rocking. I'm confident that the f350 will eliminate all of this.

This I'd more then likely the route I will go in 3 to 4 years. But as stated I can't afford it now and those trucks are still over 30k....