I am looking at a HTT 21-25 ft,and tow vehicle. Looks like avrg. dry weight is around 3500-4200lbs. and when max loaded 5500-6200 lbs. Now this is where you with the experience come in. If the above assuptions being true I am planning to buy a 1/2 ton pu would you recommend the small V-8 4.6 or the large V-8 5.4 litre. Towing capacities are very close, but I would assume the real difference would be on a steep grade that I would appreciate the addtl. HP. Some insight would be appreciated.
Also talk a little about the WDH or sway bars. Do I need one or the other or both?
If you have steeps grades and you desire to keep your speed up, then the larger V-8 would be better.
I would recommend that you look into two other important factors. One, be sure the TV has the towing package (adds tranny cooler, heavier duty alternator etc.). Second, pay attention to your gear ratio. I'd recommend either 3.73 or 4.10 or equivalents. Numbers smaller than the 3.73 will give you better gas mileage when you're not towing, but the pulling power will be less.
I tow with a good WDH and no sway and have yet to ever feel like I need them. There are folks here that swear by the Equalizer or at least having sway bars. Our Ant is 25'-ish from hitch to bumper, and it is very stable in winds, rough roads, and with semi-trucks zooming by. I don't think you can get by without at least a good WDH however. Most HTT have fairly heavy tongue weights.
Curtis, assume you are talking about a Ford F150. A 4.6 V8 will pull the trailer, but you'll never regret getting a 5.4 especially if there are hills around. Axle ratios between 3:70 and 4:10 would be recommended, as would a factory HD towing package.
If you don't have one, and have to buy a new WD hitch, do yourself a favor and get either a Reese Strait-Line WD hitch, which includes the new Dual-Cam HP sway control in the box, or the Equal-I-Zer brand hitch, which will also include the sway control with the hitch. Once initially adjusted for your tow vehicle and trailer, no adjustment is needed again, unless you change tow vehicles or trailers. When you hook up your WD bars, you hook up your sway control automatically. You won't have to get out and remove or loosen friction sway bars to back into a site, and you won't have to tighten the friction sway control before getting on the highway, or loosen it to turn corners in town without everyone looking to see where all the noise is coming from. And sway will not be a problem with either hitch.
You may tow for a long time without a sway control and not feel you need one. But if you ever get into a situation where you do, it will be too late to think about it then. You will just have to hang on, do the best you can to regain control, and hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. Hope to see you soon at a Texas campground! We're regulars at Lake Whitney.
2003 GMC Sierra Crew HD; 6.0L; Prodigy
2006 Thor Tundra 30RL-DSL; Reese Strait-Line & Dual-cam HP
2001 Honda Elite Scooter
Jim & Gayle Bryant
Murphy's Law: "Anything that CAN happen, WILL."
Bryant's Law: "31 years of RVing? Probably already HAS."
from what i've heard, the 4.6 is notorious for being underpowered for pulling a trailer, especially thru mountains.
go for the 5.4. i have a 5.3 Chevy and it allows me not to be limited on hybrid length.
a 4.6 will limit you to under 21'.
Dan- Firefighter, Shawn- Musician/Entrepreneur, Zoe- Faithful Golden Retriever, 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche LS, 2007 Rockwood Roo 23SS w/Equalizer and Prodigy, and 5 Mtn. bikes and 2 Road bikes
Another vote for the larger engine, and definitely get the tow package! I also vote for WDH & sway control - personally, I wouldn't tow a full-height trailer without them. (And yes, we do have a 1/2 ton with larger V8 & tow package. It towed our 23' HTT wonderfully, no problems & plenty of power.
We have the 5.4 in our Expy...fantastic engine. You'll probably get better gas mileage both towing and not towing with the bigger engine since it won't work quite as hard. We get better with the Ford than we did with the 6 cyl. GMC Envoy.
Me~Jim, 44
DW~Patty, no comment
DS~Dave,19
DD~Megan,17
DD~Emily,11
200lb. English Mastiff~Gulliver,8
2005 Expedition Eddie Bauer
2002 Palomino Stampede 235 SL
My informal testing indicates pretty much the same fuel use with my 4.0 Explorer and 5.4 Expedition. (Hard to say fuel economy!)
When I took my daughter back to college in late August we both fueled to full before departing and after 300 miles. I think I used at most 1/2 gallon more fuel and I was fully loaded with her bicycle on the back. She was getting roughly 20 mpg in what's now her Explorer 4.0 V6 and I was getting 19.5 in the Expedition 5.4 V8.
Towing fuel use is the same for sure as the 6-speed transmission in my Expedition runs 1800 rpm at 65mph while the Explorer would rather run in 4th at about 2700 rpm. Big torque difference between the two engines.
As noted the 5.4 Triton is loafing most of the time. We have the 9000 pound HD towing package (up from 6000 for about $350). I passed on the idea of an V8 Explorer when I bought the Expedition -- love the truck.
-- Chuck
'06 Roo 23SS behind '07 Expedition out of Cleveland Our Photo pages
Great, thanks for all the input. My thoughts are also the 5.4 or at least the large V8 depending on if I go GM or Ford. Always been a Ford guy, but just like HTT's I am always open to ideas and considerations.
My yard neighbor just got a Chevy Silverado rated about 10,000 pounds with a 6.0 V8 and 4.10 axles (from what I can tell). Built in electric brake controller like the F250 has. Looks like a wonderful truck, even to this Ford guy! Oh, yeah, he's towing a Jayco 23B and is just waiting for the guys to say he really should have bought the 2500..
Overkill always works. And provides an upgrade path. I never planned to progress bigger than my 3450 pound Bayside popup so I bought a 5500 pound rated Explorer (V6 with HD tow). I was able to pull the Roo 23SS with it for two seasons, but was never happy and the ole girl was working very hard thru the eastern mountains.
I had a ford exp 4.0 pulling a 23' hybrid right at 5500 LBS. Moved to a 2500 burb, 6.0L, with 4.10 rear end. on the 2500 you also get a upgraded HD trans/rear end. I am also running a WD hitch.
It's nice to have the power when you need, vs wish it was there.
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, Shawn- Musician/Entrepreneur
, Zoe- Faithful Golden Retriever
, 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche LS, 2007 Rockwood Roo 23SS w/Equalizer and Prodigy, and 5 Mtn. bikes and 2 Road bikes
