We currently have a 21 Titan Pro-4x. We absolutely love the truck. However, we recently upgraded our 32ft camper for a 37ft camper that has a max weight of 10,200. We currently have it around 9,000, and its a 900lb hitch weight. We do have a WD hitch with upgraded spring bars and have added a 2nd sway control. The Titans power and brakes are very good, but as many of you could probably tell, the Titan is no longer fit for the job. We recently took a trip from TX-TN-IA-TX. As yall could imagine, the tail was wagging the dog. It was controllable, but anytime a semi or gust of wind came by, things got hairy. We are looking to upgrade trucks, and I cant decided between a Titan XD or F250. We wont be upgrading campers again anytime soon, so one of those trucks will work. I am fully positive that the F250 will do the job, but we are looking at a Lariat model with the options, and its like $75-80K. A XD Pro-4X with the options is closer to $60-65K. My concern is, will the XD perform that much better over our current Titan? Is is worth buying for my situation over a F250? I dont want to spend the extra money on the F250 if the XD will do the job as we need it. We take the camper out about every other month, but do the long trips about 3-4 times a year. Overall, im looking to improve stability. Thanks yall.
Titan XD or F250? Currently have a Titan
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I have a 2019 XD with the 5.0 Cummins. I love my truck. After having it for almost 3 years, and knowing what I know now, I would have picked a true 3/4 ton. I have nothing bad to say about my truck, but it is what it is, a 1/2 ton truck. If you want a truck to do a HD job you are better off with a 3/4 or 1 ton truck. I am a CDL licensed driver and it is always better to have a bigger truck than to max out your trucks capabilities. My truck does what I need it too but I do not expect anything more than that out of it. I have the Pro-4x rated for 12,000 lbs towing. I wouldn't test it at much more than 10,000 just for my peace of mind. I'm sure others will disagree with me though.
Have you been under your truck?
Like don’t get me wrong, the Titan XD is legally a 1/2 ton and there are a number of valid criticisms in regards to the axles… however, everything else in the XD is at least 3/4 to modest 1 ton equivalent.
The Ford F-550 has a steering gear and drag links. Our triple frame Kenworth had a steering gear, idler box and drag links. The Titan XD has a steering gear, idler box and drag links.
The smallest gooseneck commonly available is 14k. The Titan XD has a factory gooseneck.
I had to panic stop today, the dodge ram 3500 following behind me at a reasonable, but a little too close distance had to swerve to the shoulder. The brakes on the XD are unlike any other truck I’ve driven.
Nissan was aiming for 3/4-1 ton and for some reason we’re unlikely to ever know, got cold feet and sandbagged the XD.
The payload on the Pro-4x cummins is less than 1500 lbs. With the family and the dog in the vehicle that drops my payload to less than 1000 lbs. The gooseneck on my truck is worthless.
Like I said I love my truck. I went from a 2006 Titan SE to the XD pulling the same trailer and this truck makes it feel like there is nothing behind me. The 06 SE pulled it just fine also, it's a comfort thing. I personally would rather have and not need than need and not have.
So to answer OP's question if you are comfortable pulling the trailer with the XD and don't want to spend the extra money on a 3/4 ton buy the XD. They are excellent trucks and I'm sure it will do what you need it to do.
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I have same exact size camper as you and loaded to the same weight. I’ve pulled it from south louisiana to northern Missouri, several 7% grades. I have absolutely nothing negative to say about this truck. The cummins pulls great and going down steep grades in tow mode just tap the brakes and it’ll hold whatever speed you are at. People keep calling it a half ton but I’ve compared this truck sxs to my dads 2014 f250 and the truck is built as a 3/4 ton minus the full floating axle. I wouldn’t hesistate to buy a 2018 or newer cummins xd again.
I guess I should also say that it would be a 23 model XD with the 5.6 Gas since the diesel isnt made anymore. Nissan USA states 2406 as the payload on the Pro 4X XD gas, which is about 1000lbs more than the standard Titan. An F250 is closer to about 3100lbs with the 7.3L 4X4. 2406 is enough for us. We are about 1500-1800lbs payload now without the WD hitch.
I have personally had over 3000lbs in the back of my XD. It was no where near the bump stops.
I just recently traded my 2015 Titan Pro-4X for a 2022 Titan XD Pro-4x. Purpose for trading was the local dealership gave me an insane amount for trade in. I’ll admit that I had my 2015 overloaded, but that truck pulled really well. (Jayco 5th wheel 7500lbs dry, 1450lbs tongue weight) This 2022 XD is IMPRESSIVE. Impressive for a few different reasons; longer wheel base, more power, MUCH better brakes, beefier suspension… payload is right around 2,300lbs according to the door sticker.
My father in law has a 2021 Chevy 1500 with a 6.2L. We were out hunting and he ran into an issue with his truck, and was unable to pull his camper back to town, so he used mine. I think his jaw is still on the ground. He could not believe how well it pulled/handled. He has a Jayco travel trailer (9,800lbs GVRW, 980lbs hitch weight.) Without the equalizer bars, truck squat was about a half inch) Now, I have never owned a Ford nor am I going to claim to know anything about a Ford. But speaking from experience with the XD, it’s impressive.
I also just had my XD in the shop for an oil change and some recall work done. One of those recalls was a reprogram of the engine and transmission control module’s. The purpose for the reprogramming was to overcome a delay in acceleration. I was a little worried that they would introduce some other weird anomaly. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how much better the truck. I was not disappointed in the way I drove previous, but it is definitely noticeable difference from them to now. The acceleration delay is gone and it just seems like the truck overall responds much better When pushing down on the accelerator pedal. I have pulled my camper through the very steep winding hills of the black hills in South Dakota, and never once felt under powered.
Do you do a lot of long distance towing?
The XD tows nicely. However, if your trying to cut corners financially then don't get the XD. Here's why. Your families in the truck and they depend on you to make sure the trips are safe, and not hear the "I should have done differently" when things go wrong and possibly get them hurt or dead! If you have the money for the Ford, buy it. You did your homework and know what is needed.
The Titan XD has a GVWR of 8600 + lbs. This classifies it as a Class 2b light duty pickup truck. The same classification as the F-250, Ram 2500 and Silverado/Sierra 2500. That legally makes it a 3/4 ton pickup in the US. (Only certain provinces in Canada use the same classification system as the US so I am not sure about where NavyCuda lives). I believe the reason Nissan did this is because once a pickup is classified 2b the manufacturer doesn't have to supply fuel economy ratings for that vehicle so it doesn't count against their average fleet fuel economy standards.
As far as classifying pickups by payload(1/2, 3/4 and 1 ton), they quit doing that years ago.
fshn16, i agree 100% that you need to do what you feel you need to do to keep your family safe. However, Looking at the F250, most have a towing capacity of in the 20,000+ lb range with 4,000+ payload capacity. Doesnt that seem overkill? The Titan XD has a max of 11,033 lbs towing and up to 2,408lbs payload. Taco1588 provided the weights of (trailer weight and hitchweight) all of which are in the ratings of the XD truck. Yes i know that you have to take into account people and other gear in the payload, but for my family of 5, and a hitch weight of 1445lbs dry, the payload of my truck is sufficient. I would tend to agree with you if Taco1588 were to be towing regularly through the mountains, but i would be very comfortable towing that camper stated by Taco1588. Heck, some of the F150's are rated at 14,000lbs, and i think that is crazy. They don't look or feel as beefy as the XD... because they are not. They can accomplish the high tow and payload capacity because their F150 are super light.
For what i do, the XD is more than sufficient. The F250 seems to be a lot of truck for that trailer.
thank you. I definitely agree with what your saying, but a F750 would be even better and safer than a F250. Safety is a concern for sure, I’m just trying to see if going 250 is really needed here. I’m trying to add stability, and if an XD can deliver that, then is a F250 worth the price? I didn’t mean as it’s expensive, I mean is paying that much more for a F250 gonna have that much more in stability over an XD?
Nice truck! We do a mix driving. Most of our camping is done about 2-5 hrs from home in TX. No mountains here. About 2-4 times a year we go places like FL, IA, TN, NC. The current Titan has taken us to TN and IA so far. It’s been good, but a little hairy from time to time. My family is in NC and my wife’s in IA. Sometimes we meet in TN, hence the reason for a bigger camper. The Titan towed our 7500lb 32ft camper with ease, but not the same for our 37ft.
How does your setup feel? How is it in the wind? How about semis going by you? Just trying to get a feel. I started with a 15 Tacoma, now have the 21 Titan. I’ve never owned a camper or truck bigger than what we have, and just trying to make the right choice here. Thanks
I completely understand. You have to make the right choice. Ask away!
I am located in the Northern Plains, where wind is normal every single friggen day. haha. We deal with side front wind, full side wind, ETC you name it. If we have a non windy day, that means mother nature is going to blow extra hard the next day. I have been impressed by how the truck handles in the wind. I am not going to sit here and tell you that i dont feel it, because i do feel it, but i have never been in a position where my palms are dripping wet while holding onto the steering wheel. Not to mention that if the wind is that bad, perhaps one should think twice about traveling with a high profile vehicle in the first place. The longer wheel base on the XD vs the non XD does make a difference. If you have a day where wind is a factor, i think everyone regardless of truck type, should just slow down. As far as semis going by, i do (depending on wind) feel when they go by, only because they just now blocked the wind for me. But i have never felt that i was going to get pushed of the road. But, you are going to run into a similar thing when going under an overpass. (Wind suddenly blocked, then introduced on the other side.)
Generally i can do 60-70mph while at 1,800 rpm. I have done close to 80mph as out interstates are 75mph. I have no issues going that speed. I just want to give some percpective. A decent incline on the interstate, the truck will kick down to 3,500rpm or even 4,000-4,500rpm it the wind is going crazy. Its not uncommon at all to for me to tow in 25+mph winds.
One other thing that i noticed is the F250 (depending on trim and other factors, can range between 5,677 to 7,538lbs. The titan XD is around 6,500lbs or a little more depending. To say that you would not feel the wind pulling with the F250 vs the XD.... i would have to see that to believe it.
When i was looking at upgrading to the XD, i test drove one pulling my brother-in-laws travel trailer. (I have a 5th wheel, so i couldnt pull mine yet) His is a Jayco TT with GVWR of around 10,200lbs. Perhaps you could test drive one and hook up to the camper? Not all dealerships may allow that, but it would be cool if they would let you.
The f250 6.2L has less power ratings engine wise, then the XD. If you go with the 7.3L, they are a bit more that the XD. That gas f250's seem to average about 15,000lbs towing whereas the diesel is upwards to 20,000+lbs. Its a lot of truck. (Or can be a lot of truck depending on primary purpose of use..)
Happy to answer any other questions.
Thank you. Yes that helps to answer my questions. I too was thinking about possibly test driving an XD with our TT. I know how the current Titan drives and I feel that if the XD is at least 1.5x better than it's a win in my book. When comparing the 250 to the spec I want, it's only about 500lbs more payload (which is always nice), but really I just need around 2000-2500 (250 around 2900-3100). I dont need a vehicle to tow 14000, just need stability and payload increase. I would be going with the 7.3L and 4.30 gearing on the 250. We really love our Titan, and hate to see it go, but an XD would make that easy. I just don't want to force loving it because I want it, you know? I read all over about the XD being bigger, better, stronger, etc, but I wanted to hear from actual customers who use their Titans to tow, especially in the 9000+ category. The F250 is about $15K more for the options we want over the XD, and im just trying to figure out if that $15K is justifiable for the stability and 500lb payload, and to me it doesn't. Unless it's super stable, and even then I would think a F350 dually would be the stable option here, lol. I don't need anything huge, just something that is better/stable on the hwy going 60-65. Right now we are doing 50-60 because of the tail wag from time to time. I think I want and am going XD, just want to confirm before I make the purchase. I guess it wouldn't be so hard if we didn't already own a Titan, lol. Thank you again!
From my 2015 Titan Pro-4X, which i believe had close to the same specs as your current Titan, towing and payload wise. I fell that this XD is 2x better. If you have not yet drove an XD, you really need to, to understand what i am talking about. The rear diff is massive, the extra length (Wheel base and box) is nice, and the truck really just rides like a HD truck. ETC, ETC.. The 900 lbs hitch weight of your trailer is nothing really when you think about it.
The specs you are stating on the F250, and not as impressive as i was thinking. One thing i do not like about the "Big Brands" is they advertise max towing capacity as being "X", and max payload as "Y". BUT, you need to look at the sticker in the driver door as those numbers can differ by a lot. Case in point, my father in law bought is 2020 Silverado 1500 6.2L, as chevy advertised towing up to almost 14,000 lbs, and payload as much as 2,600lbs. However, when you look at the sticker in his door, towing is about 10,800lbs and payload is only around 1,500lbs. That's disappointing, and misleading quite frankly. He also needed to add air bags to keep his back end from dragging on the ground as if it were a dog scooting across the carpet. The XD, no mods needed, but just for fun i added a set of the "RoadAction Suspension Custom Leaf Spring Enhancement kit - Heavy Duty." These are highly rated and do not affect the "non towing" ride of the truck. Again, they are not needed though. For the Titan XD's, its 11,033 no matter trim, but the payload can vary a little bit. Its just important to look at the sticker in each truck.
Below is a youtube video that i watched that shows how the truck performed max loaded, going up an 8% (or 7%, i cannot remember) grade for a few miles, at a high elevation. Yes, the truck is screaming, but based off of what you are saying, you will never be in this towing situation. Keep in mind, the truck in the video is a 7 speed. The video shows up and down hill performance. Its compared to the XD diesel, which is no longer made. Now they are 9 speed, as the 7 didnt "perform" as well as they thought, so you can image how much better the 9 speed is. I suggest fast forwarding to the "Uphill" portion of the video. I think the guys in this video were fairly impressed too. If this truck handles this situation (like in the video) as well as it does, I would be willing to bet that it will fit your case, for nearly 100% of your towing situations.
Please keep my posted with what you decide, or if you have any other questions.
Titan XD vs. Ike Gauntlet:
Thank you so much.
I say you did your homework prior to the question and already knew what your going to do. Like others you came here for a slight nudge toward the XD and they would make your mind up for you. Me, I don't tow houses around locally or the US, but when I tow my boat compared to the Silverado or F-150...it feels as though nothings back there. Doesn't matter if I tow from here to the Keys or around the block to launch the boat. No need for me to worry about windy days or semi's blowing the trk around. I set the speed and cruise. Because people with me are my responsibility, l make sure everyone's safe till they get back home. Not much to expect when hanging with me doing my thing
I mentioned what is important to me. Safety and dependability. Again, I will always say get what can be afforded to do the job w/o worry and get nothing less. If the F-250 does the job hands down for 10 years while the XD won't last as long doing same is another variable.
What do the Ford F-250 owners say?
Thank you. The F250 owners obviously said it would work, but there is alot of diesel guys, but Im not getting a diesel. The 7.3 with 4.30 will do just fine. So the wife and I talked about it last night, and we have made a decision. So after more research, I have found that the new F250 and F350 do not have a ride difference as I thought they would, and the 8ft bed gives you the 48 gallon tank. I also found out that according to Nissan the Titan has a 1600lb payload. I looked on my sticker and its 1106!! Thats like 500lb difference! So my fear is that since Nissan says the XD is rated for 2400lbs, it may really only be 1800/1900lbs, and thats not good enough for us. I also found out a F250 is a 3/4 and the F350 is a 1 Ton truck. So bottom line/conclusion? Im not willing to chance that the XD will have 2400lbs of payload, so we will be going with a 2023 F350 King Ranch SRW with the 7.3L with 4.30 gears and 8ft bed. That configuration gives us about 4200lbs of payload, and it might be over kill, but it will be nice to know we will probably never max it out. With the F350 only being about a $800 more, it just makes sense to gain about 1400lbs more over the F250. Even if the F350 loses 500lbs of payload, its still 3700lbs. I really do appreciate everyone's input and help, and I hate to see the Titan leave, but we gotta do what's best for our family. Thank you all very much.
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