Towing with a 4.9L straight six engine

I own an older 3023 Trailmanor.  I use to pull it with a Dodge Dakota truck with a 4.5L V8 engine with no problems.  I am thinking of replacing the truck with a 1996 FORD F150 4X4 truck that has a 5 speed manual transmission and a 4.9L straight six engine.  The Ford truck seems to have alot of power.

Does anyone have any experience with a Ford straight six engine?  

Looking forward to summer.

[Larry_Loo]

Richard,
I tow a 3124KS with my 1993 Ford F-150, equipped with a 4.9 liter, straight 6 engine and automatic transmission. My truck has a rear axle ratio of 3.08. If I had to purchase another one, I'd go for one with a higher ratio rear axle, such as 3.55, with a higher towing capacity.

Nevertheless, my F-150 pulls the 3124KS almost effortlessly on flat highways - if I'm not careful, my speed will creep up to 70+. In the mountains and on long grades (such as our "Grapevine," leading up to a 4000 foot pass between Bakersfield and Los Angeles) I can easily maintain 45 to 50 MPH while the heavy haulers are going 20 to 25 MPH. On all except the flattest roads I usually disengage the overdrive. I tow with a Reese load-leveler hitch and have experienced no swaying at all. Our low-slung, 24 foot TM is a delight to tow - compared to smaller and shorter conventional trailers I've pulled in the past.

My truck's manual shows that manual transmission F-150s have a LOWER towing capacity than automatic transmission ones - 2,500 lb. less with manual transmission (3.08 rear axle ratio). Therefore, you should probably be looking around for an F-150 with an automatic transmission. Someone who is more knowledgeable about vehicle drive trains may be able to explain why this is so. :-*

You may want to discuss towing packages with the dealer of whatever vehicle you decide on. There is more to towing than just engine size....perhaps you already know all of this. If you do, then this message is for those who don't.

Dick_B