[BobUnkefer]

Aw cmon Jeff, it's cold and rainy in Louisiana, what else you gotta do? Fix another apple martini and pull up the keyboard. I've never known you to throw in the towel so darn easy.

I must say it's been an interesting thread :-)

Why it even got ol' Gary Emmons to comment, and he's like a ghost on here most of the time.
I knew the "old guard" wouldn't think highly of the idea, heck I've got some serious reservations. At 9-10 mpg my diesel pulls it just fine.....
BUT,
If diesel skies to 5.00 gallon, probably won't be pulling too much, but then I (we all?) will own an albatross's that'll make lovely driveway ornaments.
Would the gas V6 Turbo'd F150 be a viable alternative? That was and still is my question.
Research shows that the 2011 F150 doesn't compare to a 1/2T from 2-3-5 years ago, hell I hated pulling my flatbed trailer with my 2000 1500 GMC, and it had the "tow"package with all the stuff needed to tow a trailer. Brake and sway control come from the FACTORY, computers, for the most part, monitor all the stuff we used to have to worry about when towing
Like Ken pointed out, frames are tougher, brakes are bigger (the brakes on the 2011 F150 are 1" in diameter smaller than whats on my F250 right now), ABS brakes stop way-mo betta than their predecessor. IS IT a truck that I want to tow from KC to Dallas with? I don't know. that's why I'm studying and asking questions.
Fords videos are impressive, but they are Fords. Like Jeff said, they do tow tests with weighted flat bed trailers..... most of the time. This time they actually pulled a 10,000lb BOX trailer up a 3 mile grade, with impressive results.
Ford's got limited production of EcoBoost trucks this year, and my nephew could literally walk one down the production line for me here in Kansas City.
If gas & diesel skyrocket it could be a move that saves some serious money in the long run. If it doesn't, it could still be a good move.
Unfortunately there aren't any around that I can "borrow" and hook the trailer to for a real world road test. Production begins this month.

It's an interesting conumdrum...... anyone else got their .02 to throw in? Besides, what else ya got to do right now...... too cold to be in the shop and 8" of fresh snow isn't helping matters here in KC either.

Unk