Half-ton truck shoppers in Pierce County usually narrow it down to two: the Ford F-150 and the Ram 1500. Both are capable. Only one of them has led the segment in the numbers that decide whether your trailer makes it up the pass.
Let us go straight to those numbers.
The capability gap
| 2026 Ford F-150 | 2026 Ram 1500 | |
|---|---|---|
| Max towing | 13,500 lbs | 11,610 lbs |
| Max payload | 2,440 lbs | Roughly 2,300 lbs |
| Engine choices | Five | Four |
| Full hybrid available | Yes, PowerBoost | No |
| Onboard generator | Up to 7.2 kW Pro Power Onboard | Not offered |
| Starting MSRP | About $39,330 | Higher trim for trim |
That towing figure is the headline. Properly equipped with the 3.5L EcoBoost V6, the F-150 pulls 13,500 pounds. The best a Ram 1500 manages is 11,610 pounds with the 3.0L Hurricane. That is a difference of nearly 1,900 pounds, which is the weight of a second boat trailer.
If you tow a travel trailer over Chinook Pass, haul a loaded equipment trailer, or put a fifth-wheel behind the truck a few weekends a year, that margin is not a spec-sheet argument. It is whether you are towing comfortably or towing at the edge of the rating.
Five engines instead of four
Ford lets you match the powertrain to the job:
- 2.7L EcoBoost V6 (325 hp), the standard engine, strong and efficient for daily driving
- 5.0L V8, the traditional choice for people who want naturally aspirated torque and the sound that goes with it
- 3.5L EcoBoost V6, the towing engine, and the one that unlocks the 13,500-pound rating
- 3.5L PowerBoost Full Hybrid V6, the only full hybrid in the half-ton class
- 5.2L Supercharged V8 in the Raptor R for the people who want the extreme end
Ram counters with the Hurricane inline-six, and credit where it is due, the High Output version makes 540 horsepower. It is a genuinely impressive engine. But horsepower is not what moves a trailer up a grade in the rain, and Ram has no answer at all for the two Ford options that matter most to working owners: the hybrid and the generator.
The feature Ram simply does not have
Pro Power Onboard turns the F-150 into a mobile generator. On PowerBoost hybrid models it delivers up to 7.2 kW of exportable power straight from bed-mounted outlets.
Think about what that means around here. Western Washington loses power in windstorms every winter. A PowerBoost F-150 in the driveway will run your refrigerator, your furnace fan, and your lights. On a job site it runs a compressor and a miter saw without dragging a generator along. At a campsite on Rainier it runs everything you brought.
The Ram 1500 does not offer this. Not as an option, not on any trim.
Where the Ram earns points
We will be straight with you rather than pretend it is a shutout.
The Ram 1500 rides better than most trucks in the class, largely because of its coil-spring rear suspension instead of leaf springs. Unloaded, on rough pavement, it is the smoother truck. Its interior is genuinely well finished, especially in the upper trims.
Ram also added a 10-year, 100,000-mile limited powertrain warranty for the 2026 model year, and that is a real advantage worth knowing about. Read the fine print, though: it covers powertrain components, not the whole vehicle, and it does not change what the truck can tow or carry.
So which truck is right for you?
Choose the F-150 if you tow anything substantial, you need maximum payload, you want hybrid efficiency or an onboard generator, or you want the widest range of engines and configurations to pick from. That covers most truck buyers in Puyallup.
Choose the Ram 1500 if your truck is mostly an unloaded daily driver, ride comfort outranks capability on your list, and the longer powertrain warranty is the deciding factor.
For the way trucks actually get used around Pierce County, hauling to the mountains, pulling a boat to Puget Sound, running a trade, working through wet winters, the F-150 is the one that does more of it, and does it with more margin left over.
Come put one to work
The best way to settle this is with a trailer behind the truck. Browse our current new F-150 inventory, see the full new Ford lineup, or look at our pre-owned trucks if you want more truck for the money.
Get moving before you arrive: apply for financing online, get a KBB Instant Cash Offer on your current truck, and keep it running right with service scheduling.
Korum Ford
100 River Rd., Puyallup, WA 98371
877-631-1209
Contact us to schedule a test drive.
MSRP excludes destination, taxes, title, registration, and dealer fees. Towing and payload figures require proper equipment and vary by cab, bed, engine, and drivetrain. Specifications subject to change.
