Posted 2011-08-05 5:30 PM (#136494) Subject: V6 truck and pulling
Regular
Posts: 81
My mom is driving me nuts about her getting a little steel 2 horse bp trailer for herself. But she only has a single cab short bed Dodge with a V6. I told her I'm just not sure her truck could pull a trailer very well.
Can it?? LOL Will it put too much strain on her transmission or anything like that? We live in the flat lands of Tx so no hills or mountains LOL Just over passes
Posted 2011-08-07 12:33 PM (#136521 - in reply to #136494) Subject: RE: V6 truck and pulling
Expert
Posts: 5870 Location: western PA
We have a friend who for years had a v6 Ford Ranger 4 Dr "Sport". She pulled a 2H BP trailer. Another friend of ours has a newer Nissan truck, very much an equivalant to the Ford, also with a V6. Living in Western PA, they encounter many hills whilst pulling. They both have made every event with no mechanical issues. They may not be the first to arrive, but they are always present when the activities start. The Ford owner has recently upgraded to a larger English V8 SUV, but did so more for comfort and not strictly a difference in towing abilities.
These two are daily drivers when not towing, and serve to transport families as well as pets. They seem to be quite sufficient when pressed for short hauls and running around. Personally they aren't what I would use, but our needs of service differ from theirs.
Ford now advertises a new V6 for their full sized trucks. It has a bit of power and compares well to the older V8 gas motors. Milage is suposed to be improved over the 8 cyl motors it replaces.
Posted 2011-08-08 6:11 PM (#136565 - in reply to #136494) Subject: RE: V6 truck and pulling
Member
Posts: 37
Way back in my uneducated days, I used to pull a 16 foot goosneck stock trailer with a 1988 Chevy pickup with a V-6 engine. I regularly hauled 2 horses and sometimes 3. I live in East Tennessee and pulled regularly through the Great Smoky Mountains and through the river gorge at Big South Fork. No one told me I couldn't do it with my truck, so I was blissfully ignorant. Yes, I was always the last to arrive at the destination, and sometimes I had to put it in 4 wheel drive low to pull steep grades, but I never failed to make it. I probably pulled 40,000 miles over a 10 year period without a problem.
Knowing what I know now, I would NEVER do that again. As I like to tell people, if you have the right hitch, and you were careful, you can get a 16 foot goosneck rolling with a motorcycle. The big question is, can you STOP it???
Posted 2011-08-28 6:54 PM (#137074 - in reply to #136494) Subject: RE: V6 truck and pulling
Member
Posts: 32 Location: TX
Gard, I just replaced my 2010 F150 with a V8, for the new 2011 F150 with the Ecoboost engine. I LOVE IT!!!! Pulled my 2 horse Sundowner gooseneck up in OK two weeks ago, thru the mountains. Could not tell that trailer was behind me! And I am getting better fuel economy, even pulling the trailer. When I am not pulling the trailer, I am getting 23 mpg on the highway. Ecoboost is rated at 365hp and 420 ft/lbs of torque, towing capacity 11,300 lbs. I used to own a Ford Ranger which I used to pull a 2 horse bumper pull steel trailer. Never had a problem, although trailer brakes are a good idea if you can get them. :-)
Posted 2011-08-29 7:38 AM (#137087 - in reply to #136494) Subject: RE: V6 truck and pulling
Expert
Posts: 2453 Location: Northern Utah
I frequently run up for an early morning trail ride before church on sunday morning. Every Sunday, I see the same ranger pickup pulling a stock trailer at a local trail head. He usually has 1 maybe 2 horses and a couple of dogs in that trailer. he seems to do just fine with that rig for the type of towing/hauling he does. I've never seen him up the canyon or over the mountain. So he seems to know what the limitation of his rig are tows where he is safe.
V6 truck and pulling
