Best Half Ton for Sledding?

[fnDan]

No. Not another sled deck on a 1/2 ton thread.
I'm trying to decide on a "new to me" truck. I don't tow often enough or heavy enough to warrant a diesel and anything with reasonable kilometers is out of my price range.
Most of the time I'll be pulling an 18' - 2 place enclosed.
I'm looking for that balance of towing and fuel economy. Is there such a thing? My budget puts me in the 2008 to 2012 range. I'm not brand loyal. Styling and interior on most newer trucks seem pretty equal.

Obvious choices:
Chev or GM - 5.3l (never heard anything good about the 6.0l)
Dodge Ram - 5.7 hemi
Ford F-150 - Ecoboost
Ford F-150 - 5.0l
Ford F-150 - 5.4l
Ford F-250 - 6.2l (from what I have read fuel economy is pretty bad)


I've heard good and bad about all of these so I'm looking for more info.

 

[rightsideup]

All good choices except for the empty mileage of of the f250. The Dodge will be the least Robust truck as far as towing capacity ie Brakes frame. It comes down to the condition of the vehicle for the price.

 

[Vance Matheson]

Forget the ego boost for long term. Your best best would be the 5.3 gm or the 5.0 ford 2011 &up. One of my friends had the ram 1500 with a 5.7 Hemi and he sold it right after he bought his trailer because it had a hard time handling it and was sickened by the fuel economy.

 

[Bnorth]

F-250 w/ 6.2 is not a mileage truck, the 5.4's were junk imo (poor mileage, crappy timing components), the ecoboost is not a truck I would be comfortable owning off warranty, the chev or GM only comes with a 5.5' box in the crewcab half-ton, the hemi is not great for mileage either.

I am also considering a newer half-ton and keep landing on the F-150 crewcab with 6.5' box and 5.0L.

Personally I'm just going to wait a bit longer and find a Dodge or GM 2500 diesel. I can live with either a gasser or a short box but not willing to give up my diesel and an 8' box just yet.

 

[sirkdev]

F-250 w/ 6.2 is not a mileage truck, the 5.4's were junk imo (poor mileage, crappy timing components), the ecoboost is not a truck I would be comfortable owning off warranty, the chev or GM only comes with a 5.5' box in the crewcab half-ton, the hemi is not great for mileage either.

I am also considering a newer half-ton and keep landing on the F-150 crewcab with 6.5' box and 5.0L.

Personally I'm just going to wait a bit longer and find a Dodge or GM 2500 diesel. I can live with either a gasser or a short box but not willing to give up my diesel and an 8' box just yet.

My thoughts exactly, while I do have a diesel if I was to do it again.... practically..... a 5.0 f-150 is hard to beat.

 

[LID]

My 5.4 ford blew my wife's 5.3 chev away when comparing passing lane performance over Rogers pass pulling 2 icy sleds on a steel two spot trailer.

No problems at all with the 09 ford. Hard km's

 

[sirkdev]

My 5.4 ford blew my wife's 5.3 chev away when comparing passing lane performance over Rogers pass pulling 2 icy sleds on a steel two spot trailer.

No problems at all with the 09 ford. Hard km's

Really? I've never heard of a 5.4 blowing anything away..... I have 2 and they do but thats about it

 

[800HMX]

We just finished a pretty good look back at our fleet. About 1200 trucks (50/50 half ton to 3/4 ton) and north of 20,000,000km/yr. The best overall trucks (operating cost and reliability) were the F150 (5.0l and Ecoboost - same operating cost and reliability) and the GMC/Chev 1500 with 5.3. The worst were the Toyota Tundra (good reliability but brutal fuel economy) and the Ram 1500 5.7 (poor reliability and economy). The GMC/Chev 2500 was the best overall 3/4 ton. Going forward we order GMC 2500 3/4 and Ford F150 Ecoboost F150's.

This is simply a cost/benefit use of our vehicles? We drive the vehicles to 160,000kms with a max 5yrs. Seems to be the best mileage and age for value. No more diesels, as you don't recover the extra cost.

I wouldn't have any problem with either the Ford or Chev half ton with either the 5.0l, Ecoboost, 5.3 or 6.0l. We have put millions of oilfield miles on them all.

 

[Bnorth]

We just finished a pretty good look back at our fleet. About 1200 trucks (50/50 half ton to 3/4 ton) and north of 20,000,000km/yr. The best overall trucks (operating cost and reliability) were the F150 (5.0l and Ecoboost - same operating cost and reliability) and the GMC/Chev 1500 with 5.3. The worst were the Toyota Tundra (good reliability but brutal fuel economy) and the Ram 1500 5.7 (poor reliability and economy). The GMC/Chev 2500 was the best overall 3/4 ton. Going forward we order GMC 2500 3/4 and Ford F150 Ecoboost F150's.

This is simply a cost/benefit use of our vehicles? We drive the vehicles to 160,000kms with a max 5yrs. Seems to be the best mileage and age for value. No more diesels, as you don't recover the extra cost.

I wouldn't have any problem with either the Ford or Chev half ton with either the 5.0l, Ecoboost, 5.3 or 6.0l. We have put millions of oilfield miles on them all.

Thanks for the insight. Do you have many ecoboosts that are in the 160k range?

 

[800HMX]

I think they came out in 2011. A lot of our Operators put on 40,000km/yr so there would be quite a few (few hundred) that would be in 120,000 km or more range. We really don't see many engine of driveline issues with our trucks (we do require regular maintenance). There would be nothing different in reliability with the Ecoboost trucks. We moved to the Ecoboost in the half ton trucks because they are reliable and overalll the most cost effective trucks to use (considering purchase price, operating cost, down time and residual value).

The diesels (Ford, Chev or Dodge) and the Yukon, Surburban, Expedition's were by far the most expensive vehicles in the fleet to operate - we don't allow anyone to order them anymore (even tried stretching out the mileage). The high initial price could never be recovered and the residual wasn't relatively any better that the gas trucks.

 

[Hefe04]

Recently pulled a pretty 22FT river boat so has some weight, with a 13 F150 5.0L, didnt pay attention to fuel mileage, but it pulled alot better than a 13 Dodge 1/2 ton that I have pulled the same river boat with. Did not sag out the rear, and just seemed to shift and have lots of power still on the hills. I dont own either so a bit of an unbias opinion.

 

[LID]

Really? I've never heard of a 5.4 blowing anything away..... I have 2 and they do but thats about it

The ford could pass easily in the mountains. My wife's chev and my buddy's, both 5.3 one 12 one 13, couldn't easily pass pulling the sled trailer.
SAme trailer same sleds

 

[LID]

Oh, and no mechanical problems with the 09 ford or the 12 or 13 chev

 

[brian h]

before i went deisel ran a gm,5.3l engine and had no issues with truck and no complaints on pulling we had a open aluminum trailer,2 sleds on trailer,sled deck with one,always hauled 3 sleds

 

[LUCKY 7]

I have a 08 Tundra and I think it's great. It is not the best on gas but that doesn't bother me at all. I bought the truck for the reliablity, not for the fuel economy. I spend lots on the premium fuel for my sleds so I don't really concern myself if my truck fuel costs me a bit more per season to drive. My truck has saved me lots on not breaking down.

 

[j335]

5.0L F-150 would be my choice, good platform and has good mileage when pulling. I've owned 2 hemi's, fuel mileage isn't good when pulling and the chassis isn't exactly designed for that.

 

[youngpolarisguy]

If your looking for a half ton the 5.0l ford would be my choice, being a ford tech i have swapped out countless 5.4's but I have only seen one 5.0l failure since the came out and that was a fleet who didn't like changing oil and it still made it to 180000km. The eco's aren't horrible but i just don't like working on them. IMO the 5.0l and 6.2l have been pretty well bulletproof.

 

[lbartels]

I recently was dragging a 31' holiday trailer, weighed 7005lbs. With a 2014 ram 1500 crew cab 6' box 4x4. It was brutal. with a 8 speed trans, with or without the tow/haul mod @ 110 k/ph the truck did not shift beyond 5th gear on the hiway. Shifted all the way down to 2nd gear trying to not drop below 80 k/ph. With the 120L fuel tank it went from 650kms/tank city driving 800 hiway. Brought it all the way doen to 450 on the hiway. I'd advise against the dodge.

 

[Bnorth]

I recently was dragging a 31' holiday trailer, weighed 7005lbs. With a 2014 ram 1500 crew cab 6' box 4x4. It was brutal. with a 8 speed trans, with or without the tow/haul mod @ 110 k/ph the truck did not shift beyond 5th gear on the hiway. Shifted all the way down to 2nd gear trying to not drop below 80 k/ph. With the 120L fuel tank it went from 650kms/tank city driving 800 hiway. Brought it all the way doen to 450 on the hiway. I'd advise against the dodge.

You ever consider that a 7000# 31' trailer might be a bit much for a half ton? Not something I would do on the regular.

 

[rsaruk]

The truck is probably rated to tow 10000 lbs. Why would 7000 be too much? Just an honest question as a guy who tows a 7000 lb trailer with a half ton as well.