F150 vs F250

trock

Tremor Newbie
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Sep 13, 2021
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Location
FL
Scenario: Currently tow a 24ft boat all around Florida. Go to North Carolina multiple times a year, and plan on buying 10+ acres in the near future. So we plan on potentially being there in winter months and several places we've stayed require 4x4 due to steep entrance to property. I usually keep my vehicles for over 10 years.

I currently tow with an 2001 F150 V8, and a 2012 Tahoe. Definitely more of a white knuckle drive and MPG is terrible on both. I have to baby it and keep RPMs down to see any sort of MPGs.


Here are the trucks I'm going between.


F150 Tremor 3.5L
F250 Termor 6.7L PS


I've always liked the diseals and super duty trucks in general, and realize it's probably overkill, however I know that trailering will be a breeze. I see a lot of posts in the F250 super duty groups on the 6.7L and issues if you do not run it for hours a day...so that has me concerned. Is the low yearly mileage a legit concern on the 6.7 (15k avg/yr)?

Any insights on trailering 24-27ft boats, with the F150 tremor? Can you feel it behind you, MPG, etc?

This truck will not be used as a "work" truck. Travel trailers, boats, and who knows what else once I get property in NC.

Looking to treat myself, but not get into a slew of issues like the concerns of people with PS and using them as daily work commute only.

Sorry for the long post, hoping someone has experience and insight that will help.


Thanks again. 👍
 
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It’s a bit of an apples to oranges comparison. To me half tons are not really made for towing like a 3/4-1 ton trucks are. You will be able to tow with the half ton but you will notice the load more than on a 250. The platform is going to be the biggest reason why, half tons are just a lighter trucks. I have a 25’ that I tow with my 7.3 250 and yes I still notice the weight behind me but is much more stable than on a half ton.

As far as the engine goes, the diesel is a nice engine and will tow anything you need. You can read around here, there is plenty of info on the gas and diesel debate. Biggest thing for any engine is maintenance, take care of it and hopefully whatever you chose has little trouble. I have always preferred the superduty trucks and they ride much better now than they did years ago. So for me I knew I wanted the f250 just had to decide which engine when I bought mine.
 
I was in a simliar situation and one of those weird people who were legitimately cross-shopping between the new F150 w/ Tremor package and the 3.5 ecoboost vs the 2022 F250 Tremor w/ 7.3. I was able to test drive both trucks back to back (non-tremor F150) and without a doubt for daily driving the F150 was expectedly more comfortable and arguably the better choice. It was very smooth, that 3.5 had gobs of power, the new interior is very nice, and that mpg rating was very good. I ultimately still decided on the 250 though because I prefer the durability of solid axles and the platform in general, the actual truck capabilites far exceeded the 150's so for my use it'll never break a sweat, the ground clearance was much better (I'm in CO so this is huge) and that 7.3 is designed for long-term durability and ease of maintence. The price difference was only about $4k to move up to the equivalent 250 and really the only downside for me is the lower mpg. Another determining factor for going the 250 route is so I can get a 5th wheel in the next year or so.
 
The only practical benefits of the half ton are the fuel economy, ride quality, and availability of the 5.5 foot bed.

Remember that if you get the same cab/bed config, the 150 and Super Duty are essentially the same size.

Given that, the question is how much those three factors are worth to you. To me it’s a no brainer to go for the Super Duty and not need to worry about capacity. The ride quality is still good, fuel economy I can handle, and I was going to get a 6.5 foot bed no matter what.
 
It’s a bit of an apples to oranges comparison. To me half tons are not really made for towing like a 3/4-1 ton trucks are. You will be able to tow with the half ton but you will notice the load more than on a 250. The platform is going to be the biggest reason why, half tons are just a lighter trucks. I have a 25’ that I tow with my 7.3 250 and yes I still notice the weight behind me but is much more stable than on a half ton.

As far as the engine goes, the diesel is a nice engine and will tow anything you need. You can read around here, there is plenty of info on the gas and diesel debate. Biggest thing for any engine is maintenance, take care of it and hopefully whatever you chose has little trouble. I have always preferred the superduty trucks and they ride much better now than they did years ago. So for me I knew I wanted the f250 just had to decide which engine when I bought mine.
Is the low yearly mileage a legit concern on the 6.7 (15k avg/yr)?
 
I don’t think low mileage is a major concern with the diesel. It is more repeated short trips and high idle time. There is a shelf life with Def and can crystallize on the injector if let sit extremely long times that is easily rectified by cleaning it.

As far as F150 vs F250 my buddies 24’ Malibu pushed the limits of a F150s payload not max towing capacity. That thing was super tongue heavy add full cab of people and he was way over payload. The Superduty extra payload helps there and is much more stable towing. Going Superduty will also aid with bring in larger equipment to maintain your 10 acre property that the F150 just won’t be able to haul well.

Ultimately for towing the toys I prefer the Superduty and don’t daily drive much since I have a company car but don’t find the ride objectionable just not as nice as a F150. Now with a tongue heavy trailer that a equalizer hitch is not practical I think the Superduty rides and handles night and day better than a F150.
 
I am in a very similar situation to yours. I currently have a 2017 F-150 with the 3.5 and the 10 speed. It has unbelievable power for towing my 20' Duckworth, which is a heavy boat for it's size due to the 1/4" aluminum hull.

I tow to Washington and Montana a couple times a year for Salmon and other fishing trips. The 150 certainly has the power to do it, but a couple of frustrations:
  • Gas mileage is pretty brutal, especially if there's any wind
  • The 150 doesn't weigh enough. Semi's passing you want to blow you out of your lane.
  • The brakes are not up to the job. My boat trailer does not have brakes (frankly, it probably should), and a few tows warped my rotors.
So I ordered a 350, which will solve all of the problems except for MPG. I'd rather deal with bad MPG on the 7.3 than have to deal with all of the maintenance and hoops of a modern diesel. I would especially reconsider the diesel if you're going to keep it 10 years, I would bet your DEF system or DPF is going to give you issues on the diesel in 10 years, and it's not going to be cheap to fix.
 
I don’t think low mileage is a major concern with the diesel. It is more repeated short trips and high idle time. There is a shelf life with Def and can crystallize on the injector if let sit extremely long times that is easily rectified by cleaning it.

As far as F150 vs F250 my buddies 24’ Malibu pushed the limits of a F150s payload not max towing capacity. That thing was super tongue heavy add full cab of people and he was way over payload. The Superduty extra payload helps there and is much more stable towing. Going Superduty will also aid with bring in larger equipment to maintain your 10 acre property that the F150 just won’t be able to haul well.

Ultimately for towing the toys I prefer the Superduty and don’t daily drive much since I have a company car but don’t find the ride objectionable just not as nice as a F150. Now with a tongue heavy trailer that a equalizer hitch is not practical I think the Superduty rides and handles night and day better than a F150.
This is great information. What would be considered repeated short trips? I work roughly 8 miles from home. It usually takes 20 mins in morning and 35 mins in afternoon. Live in Ft. Lauderdale so most everything is close. Always wanted an F250 PSD, but started running across all the negative stuff about them....
 
This is great information. What would be considered repeated short trips? I work roughly 8 miles from home. It usually takes 20 mins in morning and 35 mins in afternoon. Live in Ft. Lauderdale so most everything is close. Always wanted an F250 PSD, but started running across all the negative stuff about them....
I was in a similar comute distance to the boat ramp but in a northern tear climate where the diesel has issues reaching operating temperature before idling launching and loading for cooler weather fishing. Ultimately 6.7L is not for me but I commonly run 3 to 4 months consecutively where won’t see more than 15miles to a destination but usually have a trailer in tow.

Quite frankly in my opinion from the 6.7Ls at work 8 miles is not enough time to reach operating temperature and keep the emissions system operating correctly without a weekly longer run trip to let the DPF do its thing. Initially you will likely not have issues with continual short trips without a periodic long distance full temperature runs but in my experience you are going to cause early service issues with the emissions equipment. It sounds like you may have the longer tow trip that would break up the short trips and keep from causing major emissions issues and could be Ok. I will refer to others on here that will have better experience on how it does in a combination driving situation since I have no first hand experience with that combined style in a 6.7L.
 
Is the low yearly mileage a legit concern on the 6.7 (15k avg/yr)?
I think you have legit concerns and being smart to weigh your choices. To me its almost not so much a question of mileage as it is a question of work. Newer diesel engines operate best when working, when up to temp and working they are running at most efficiency. As mentioned short trips and prolonged idle is what really hurts the modern emission systems, extended idle is considered severe operation for the 6.7 in the owners manual. When I was deciding on the engine I was not worried about the upfront cost of the diesel, I looked at it more from the stand point of do I have the work for a diesel? I did not, so to spend $8k for it just didn't make sense in my situation. I went for the 7.3 for longevity and simplicity and so far it has done well with everything I have used it for so far. Any engine will last for as long as you want, if you can continue to maintain it as the miles rack up, but I am pretty confident that the 6.7 will cost more than the 7.3 if you tried to take each to 500K miles (just my opinion not trying to start a debate). I own and operate heavy ag/const equipment so I am familiar with old and modern diesel engines. It is amazing what these new engines can do but it does come at a cost you just need to decide if that cost is worth it to you. I am not trying to talk you out of the 6.7 at all it is a cool engine with loads of power, it just wasn't the engine for me. You just need to take in all the information out there and decide what is best for your situation, at the end of the day its your time and money.
 
Scenario: Currently tow a 24ft boat all around Florida. Go to North Carolina multiple times a year, and plan on buying 10+ acres in the near future. So we plan on potentially being there in winter months and several places we've stayed require 4x4 due to steep entrance to property. I usually keep my vehicles for over 10 years.

I currently tow with an 2001 F150 V8, and a 2012 Tahoe. Definitely more of a white knuckle drive and MPG is terrible on both. I have to baby it and keep RPMs down to see any sort of MPGs.


Here are the trucks I'm going between.


F150 Tremor 3.5L
F250 Termor 6.7L PS


I've always liked the diseals and super duty trucks in general, and realize it's probably overkill, however I know that trailering will be a breeze. I see a lot of posts in the F250 super duty groups on the 6.7L and issues if you do not run it for hours a day...so that has me concerned. Is the low yearly mileage a legit concern on the 6.7 (15k avg/yr)?

Any insights on trailering 24-27ft boats, with the F150 tremor? Can you feel it behind you, MPG, etc?

This truck will not be used as a "work" truck. Travel trailers, boats, and who knows what else once I get property in NC.

Looking to treat myself, but not get into a slew of issues like the concerns of people with PS and using them as daily work commute only.

Sorry for the long post, hoping someone has experience and insight that will help.


Thanks again. 👍
I stopped reading at 10+ acres. Get the Diesel!
 
With how close the F150 and the F250 are in price I wouldn't think twice about going for the F250. (Actually after I type this I realize I was thinking gas F150 to gas F250). Towing is so much nicer and you don't have to be as concerned about payload. Throw what ever you want in the bed and hook up the boat and go!
 
With how close the F150 and the F250 are in price I wouldn't think twice about going for the F250. (Actually after I type this I realize I was thinking gas F150 to gas F250). Towing is so much nicer and you don't have to be as concerned about payload. Throw what ever you want in the bed and hook up the boat and go!
I guess I’m just old school…..60k + for a 1/2 ton truck eco boost, makes me 🤢. What joke!
Fact that people pay that is beyond my comprehension.
 
I guess I’m just old school…..60k + for a 1/2 ton truck eco boost, makes me 🤢. What joke!
Fact that people pay that is beyond my comprehension.
The F150 is the guinea pig platform for Ford to test new stuff. The '21s have had lots of teething issues. Ford knows people depend on their Super Duty big time.
 
I guess I’m just old school…..60k + for a 1/2 ton truck eco boost, makes me 🤢. What joke!
Fact that people pay that is beyond my comprehension.
This....I was in similar situation as OP...looked at the 150 for a second then I saw the price for the Tremor package and a winch in the 7.3 250 and was sold....no aftermarket add ons to get what I want, plus it gives me more options for slide in campers.
 
I think one really important thing to think about is the intent or the intended customer base of the two trucks. With the F150, the specs on it are purely a numbers game. They are trying to eek the most they can with the expectation that the average customer will get rid of the truck after 100k miles. The drivetrain was never meant to run at full bore 100% of the time. The truck was never designed to reliably tow so much weight. If you look at the numbers carefully, you can tell many of them are optimistic or only meant as peak numbers to beat out its competitors.

The Super Duties are different animal. The drivetrain is designed to run full bore 100% of the time. It really is capable of towing 15k-20k lbs with the correct tongue weight 100% of the time. It is far more stable than the half tons. And they are built to last hundreds of thousands of miles and run all day everyday. None of the numbers are optimistic. They are just plain hard facts. A truck like that isn't designed to be a grocery getter. So using it as one may not be the best way to maximize the life of the truck. The opposite is true. You can tow a 10k trailer with an F150 all the time, but it's not going to last as long as if you used it solely as a grocery getter.
 
Some thoughts from someone that 10 years ago swore I would only drive sedans....until I bought some land. I was trying to decide between a 150 and a tremor. Was very worried about ride quality. Several close friends urged me to at least get the long bed f-150 because if you’re camping or whatever, you want that extra space. [I validate that decision]. Well now it’s all about ride quality, and honestly, get the tremor.

You’re buying a man truck and it can do whatever you will ask it to do. I frankly have come to enjoy the ride as part of the experience of driving the finest truck on the market.

Go 250 and don’t look back.
 
Scenario: Currently tow a 24ft boat all around Florida. Go to North Carolina multiple times a year, and plan on buying 10+ acres in the near future. So we plan on potentially being there in winter months and several places we've stayed require 4x4 due to steep entrance to property. I usually keep my vehicles for over 10 years.

I currently tow with an 2001 F150 V8, and a 2012 Tahoe. Definitely more of a white knuckle drive and MPG is terrible on both. I have to baby it and keep RPMs down to see any sort of MPGs.


Here are the trucks I'm going between.


F150 Tremor 3.5L
F250 Termor 6.7L PS


I've always liked the diseals and super duty trucks in general, and realize it's probably overkill, however I know that trailering will be a breeze. I see a lot of posts in the F250 super duty groups on the 6.7L and issues if you do not run it for hours a day...so that has me concerned. Is the low yearly mileage a legit concern on the 6.7 (15k avg/yr)?

Any insights on trailering 24-27ft boats, with the F150 tremor? Can you feel it behind you, MPG, etc?

This truck will not be used as a "work" truck. Travel trailers, boats, and who knows what else once I get property in NC.

Looking to treat myself, but not get into a slew of issues like the concerns of people with PS and using them as daily work commute only.

Sorry for the long post, hoping someone has experience and insight that will help.


Thanks again. 👍
You should do what I did. I was pondering this, and then went and test-drove an F-150, F-250, and F-350.

Ford has jacked up the stiffness on the F-150 rides so much it seems to be just a hair under the stiffness of the F-250.

Test-drive it, then do the right thing and get a Tremor :).
 
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