2017 Ford F-250 Super Duty: Towing Road Test

2017 Ford F 250 Diesel 4WD Crew Cab Platinum with Airstream ・ Photo by Charlie Schiavone

When you're in the market for a family hauler that can tow, narrowing down the shopping list is a challenge. SUVs are popular, but can a truck meet your lifestyle needs in addition to pulling beyond a typical SUVs towing 3,500 to 5,000 lbs? Of course, there are the SUVs that have a body-on-frame platform like the Ford Expedition, GMC Yukon and Chevrolet Suburban that can easily tow north of 8,000lbs, but what do you gain besides pulling capability?

As an Airstream owner, I certainly require a capable tow vehicle as my family hauler, but I also put a very high demand on luxury. Full disclosure - I own a Cadillac Escalade. However, I see a lot of “Airstreamers” using a pickup truck as their tow vehicle. So, I decided to put one of Ford’s finest to the test. . . A Ford F-250 Super Duty Crew Cab 4WD Platinum with a 6.7L Power Stroke V8 Turbo Diesel engine topping out with an MSRP of $78,115. After having the chance to spend a week in the F-250, towing our Airstream along the coast of California, I now see the appeal of a Pick-Up Truck.

Towing is easy in a Ford Super Duty.

When it comes to towing, nothing is more purpose-built than a pickup truck and thanks to the popularity of toy haulers and large RV trailers, they have increased in demand for recreational use and luxury cues. This means that you and your family don’t have to forego appointments and features found in most luxury sedans and SUVs today. The Ford F-250 weighs in at 8,300lbs and can tow a massive 15,000 lbs. which made towing my 6,000 lbs., 23 ft. Airstream trailer equivalent to a Ford Fiesta towing a tin can on a string. Max tow rating aside, once you’re pulling anything that weighs a few thousand pounds, you’re going to feel it when you accelerate off the line or while accelerating at speed. Well, not so much with Ford’s 6.7L Power Stroke V8 Turbo Diesel engine. This engine is a beast with its 440HP and monstrous 925 lb-ft of torque. For comparison, my 4WD Cadillac Escalade is powered by a 6.2L V8 with 420Hp and 460 lb-ft of torque and max towing capacity of 8,100 lbs. The Slade is no slouch when it comes to towing, but when compared to a heavy-duty pickup truck sporting a diesel engine with crazy torque and all sorts of towing assistance features, there is just no comparison.

Photo by Charlie Schiavone

Large and extending mirrors make towing a cinch.

The Ford F-250 Super Duty dual-image mirrors are optimized for towing and are a welcome necessity once your trailer is hooked-up. They also increase your family's safety, because you see other cars and objects when backing-up or changing lanes that you otherwise might not see with regular side view mirrors. The size and multi-view that towing mirrors afford you is one thing, but the power-extending (telescoping) feature brings it to an entirely new level. It allows you to see beyond the width of your trailer. I can’t say enough about the F-250's towing mirrors. Within minutes of driving, I was able to merge onto the freeway easily and felt more confident changing lanes and passing compared to towing with a vehicle equipped with standard mirrors. No doubt, the 925 lb-ft of torque contributed to all this newfound confidence, but experiencing everything together is what made towing thousands of pounds quite effortless. Now make no mistake, these mirrors are BIG, especially when extended. But thankfully my Ford F-250 test vehicle was the loaded Platinum Trim, and I was able to slide the mirrors in, with a touch of a button, when I was not towing. This reduced the width of the truck. When parked, the additional power-fold feature is a must allowing the Super Duty to squeeze into regular parking accommodations.

Photo by Charlie Schiavone

How did anyone back up a trailer before backup cameras?

I've always wondered how we used to live without cell phones and now I wonder how anyone ever backed up a trailer without backup cameras. Sitting in the driver’s seat of the F-250 feels like mission control - only with more cameras and views. Every angle is covered: A traditional rear-view backup camera, a center mounted rear brake light camera, and what Ford calls their “Ultimate Trailer Tow Camera System” which includes a 360-degree view camera. This view is essential when parking or backing up a 20.8 ft long Ford F-250 Crew Cab (22.2 ft in the Crew Cab Long Wheelbase configuration). But where these cameras really shine is when you’re towing. Side view cameras are mounted on the towing mirrors providing an amazing 180-degree rear view. There's also a view of the bed which allows you to check on cargo or line-up your Gooseneck or Fifth Wheel Trailer when hitching-up. There is also a camera mounted on the tailgate that gives you a close-up and perfect view of the front of your trailer making lining up your hitch really easy. Finally, there is the trailer backup camera feature that allows you to pair a wireless camera on the back of your trailer so you can see behind it when backing up, arguably offering more safety than convenience.

Photo by Charlie Schiavone

The Ford Super Duty gauges make the truck and trailer one vehicle.

Ford thought of everything a towing person would need and placed all of it into the F-250's large gauge cluster. The information makes it possible to never leave the driver seat. For example, you can confirm the trailer lights are working or even monitor the trailer’s tire pressure (if the trailer is equipped). While underway, there is a nice Towing Status screen where I found the trailer braking gain readout most convenient. The other features and views are commonly found in luxury sedans and SUVs allowing you to configure the numerous features the F-250 offers, everything from showing a large digital speedometer to configuring your lane keep to everything in between. My test vehicle was configured with four-wheel drive, so another cool feature in the gauge cluster is the off-road status screen, which I used when doing some light off-roading on the beach near the Pacific Dunes. Given the Super Duty’s massive size, trailblazing is not recommended, but when off-roading in the open or in large areas, the Ford F-250 Super Duty 4X4 holds its own and then some. Just keep it out of the deep sand and remember to manually lock your front hubs -- not that I ever got stuck in (deep) sand.

Photo by Charlie Schiavone

Towing, hauling, and off-roading like a boss with no sacrifice of luxury.

When it comes to a luxury vehicle, the last thing that comes to most people’s mind is a Pickup Truck. Well, not anymore. The latest generation of pickup trucks from Chevrolet, GMC, Ford, and Ram offer top trims, such as the Platinum trim Ford offers in their F-150 and Ford Super Duty line-up. You just can’t believe all the features, the abundance of leather (even on the dash) and the fit and finish. You almost forget you’re in a pickup truck designed for two things, towing and hauling – period. Given the premium I put on a luxurious cabin with an array of comfort and convenience features, I couldn't have been happier with the F-250 Platinum’s offerings. Beyond that, even my family gave a huge thumb's up. However, my two boys were not happy about the lack of a rear entertainment system. In fact, I had to hear about it for the first part of our trip from Los Angeles to the Pacific Dunes. I did mount an iPad to the back of the passenger side headrest with a $20 iPad headrest mount from Amazon, but the screen tended to bounce around a lot given the F-250’s less than smooth ride quality, especially when towing. All and all, everything you can imagine is available on the F-250, including heated and ventilated massaging driver and passenger seats, Apple Car Play and a panoramic sunroof giving the already spacious cabin an enormous, open feel.

Photo by Charlie Schiavone

The back seat has leg room for days, but no reclining rear seats.

My two boys have grown up riding in the rear seats of a Toyota Sienna Minivan and now a Cadillac Escalade, so they have been spoiled with some nice accommodations. When it comes to road trips, there are two must-haves for our family: a rear seat entertainment system (mentioned earlier) and reclining rear seats. Unfortunately, these are two features the Ford F-250 does not offer. It is not common to find reclining rear seats in a pickup truck like it is in SUVs. In fact, it is only offered by Ram with their Mega Cab. However, that adds more length to your already long truck. One of the reasons the rear bench does not recline is because of the way it folds up and out of the way, creating a large, flat surface on the cabin floor for hauling luggage or other items you may not want out in the open air of your truck’s bed. A very excellent feature, I might add. We found ourselves using that a few times.

Photo by Charlie Schiavone

The bed is what a pickup truck is all about.

One of the most significant features of a pickup truck is the bed, especially when you’re using a vehicle for what it was built to do. There is nothing more convenient for loading, unloading and hauling all of your gear than a truck bed. And utilizing a truck for work increases the stakes. For instance, Ford offers an available tailgate step that makes climbing in and out of the truck bed easy, even when carrying the cargo you’re going to haul. A four-wheel drive Ford F-250 is a very tall truck making the tailgate at just about hip height when open. A deck height that high isn’t exactly the most natural thing to climb on and off of many times throughout the day. The cleverly-engineered step and handle make this effortless and my family and I found this feature to be a real game changer when loading and unloading our outdoor camping gear, including everything from outdoor chairs to a barbecue and fire pit. And we didn’t even make a dent in the F-250’s bed capacity. There was extra space for additional gear which we could see using on some other camping trips in more remote places. Other features that came in handy are the truck bed lighting and power-sliding rear window. Arriving at your destination after sunset happens from time to time and being able to light-up your truck bed to easily see everything is super convenient. And the power-sliding rear window allows you to clearly hear the person that is directing you to line up your hitch or back you into a spot.

Photo by Ford

You can’t have it all, but you can come really close with a Ford F-250.

Everything comes down to trade-offs. There isn’t one utility-focused vehicle that can deliver perfectly on every level. When it comes to being a luxury vehicle that can transport people exceptionally comfortably, tow and haul massive amounts, off-road competently and perform well as a daily driver. However, the Ford F-250 achieves high scores. There is no doubt; the luxury features available on the Ford F-250 rival anything offered in today’s luxury sedans and SUVs. Though the back seat is cavernous and has leg room for days, a bench can become undesirable during long hauls. During our test, we only scratched the surface of the F-250’s towing capability concerning trailer weight and size, so it goes without saying this truck more than shines in the towing category. Though large, wide, heavy trucks are not ideal for off-road adventures on narrow trails, an F-250, whether equipped with a gasoline or diesel engine, is more than capable of tackling any rough terrain you typically encounter during work-related or recreational activities. (Now if off-roading is your form of recreation, consider getting an F-150 Raptor.) Daily driver duty is a little different because in L.A. at least, parking spots are tight and parking garages are not only tight but low. This makes finding parking for the F-250 a challenge sometimes. All things considered, a large Heavy Duty Pickup Truck can do it all, but with some compromises, dealing with its large size being the biggest. And the F-250 is a great example of a class leader that helps you have it all.

Photo by Charlie Schiavone

Towing matters.

At the end of the day, there are a lot of options available today if towing is part of your vehicle needs. It really just depends on the size and weight of your trailer and what you and your family pull. My family puts a premium on comfort and convenience and we like our vehicle’s towing capabilities to exceed the requirements of our trailer for added safety and security. However, after experiencing a pickup truck, my family and I appreciated the ease and convenience it brings to the table when towing, hauling and camping. 

Th reason buyers prefer the Ford F-250, is that these trucks more than rival a large suvs towing capability and provide them with most of the towing assistance found in the Heavy Duties making them a great alternative to an SUV.

Photo by Charlie Schiavone