For 2014 the F-450 Super Duty is the top of Ford’s line for recreational towing. It’s rated to tow up to 24,700 pounds with a fifth-wheel hitch and 18,500 pounds with a conventional hitch. Plus there’s 5,880 pounds of payload capacity, for hauling big campers.
The F-450 is sold in just one body style, a four-door crew cab with an 8-foot bed. You can also have any drivetrain you want, as long as it’s a turbocharged 6.7-liter Power Stroke V-8 diesel with a six-speed automatic, dually rear wheels and four-wheel drive. The engine is rated at 400 horsepower and 800 pound-feet of torque and has engine exhaust braking to help control downhill speeds, especially when towing. The F-450 comes standard with ABS, trailer sway control and hill start assist.
Choose from five trim levels: XL, XLT, Lariat, King Ranch and Platinum. Standard base-model XLs come with 17-inch alloy rims, manual trailer-tow mirrors, air-conditioning and split folding seats. The XLT adds a chrome grille and bumpers; heated outside mirrors; an integrated trailer-brake controller; cruise control and Sync voice activation system, with CD player. Buy Lariat trim and you get foglights, power towing mirrors, rear parking sensors, leather and power seats, power outlet, plus a nine-speaker audio system with satellite radio. King Ranch adds two-tone paint, remote start, heated and ventilated front seats, and a GPS system. Line-topping Platinum trim brings more special trim, a tailgate-assist step, and heated steering wheel. Other options include a stowable bed extender, various axle ratios, fifth-wheel mounting points compatible with Reese hitches and bedliners.
