We owned a Ford SD 250 PSD. It was our first diesel rig. We got it to tow the Montana. A year later we bought the trailer. Actually we were not planning on buying the Montana. We were looking at a lighter rig.
Of course the RV dealership folks all said you have more than enough truck to pull the trailer. Of course they were right. Aren't they always! They were right except for the fact that the nose of the truck stuck up in the air. They were right except for the fact that the rear of the truck went WAY DOWN. If I pulled at night EVERY vehicle I met would flash their headlights at me wanting me to dim my lights. Of course my lights were already on dim!
Did I always stop easily and safely? Well I never hit anyone or anything else so I guess I was safe. Did I feel I had complete and good control all the time? NO! The Montana was simply too much trailer for my truck. Several times when doing a 'quick' stop the "Tail ended up wagging the dog". Like I said I never lost it completely and hit anyone or anything else but it was obvious to me that I did not have the control I felt I needed.
Also I had two transmissions replaced. I'm not going to blame the truck for this since this was my first pulling of a trailer on an ongoing basis. I suspect that between the somewhat overloaded rear axle (actually I think I was within a hundred pounds of being 'legal') and my inexperience played a part in the transmission problems.
Driving on I-5 going from Bakersfield to Mt. Shasta every time I would go up an overpass the tranny would start searching for the proper gear if I was in cruise control. This was in the 7.3 liter engine and the 3.73 rear end.
We were to the point that I felt we needed either to get a smaller trailer or a bigger truck. The DW said we were NOT going to get a smaller trailer. So started looking for a larger truck. At the time the 350s actually had LESS towing capability than the 250. This, of course, has changed. Now the 350s are rated for much more.
We ended up with a Ford SD 450 PSD. Same 7.3 engine and same transmission as the previous 250. We do have a different rear end. We have the 4.88. We have never had the cruise control problem we had in the 250. And "the tail was no longer wagging the dog". When I do a 'quick' stop now I do not have that loss of control feeling I had previously with the 250. Also the truck does not 'squat' like the 250 did. When I load the Monty now the truck bed drops maybe an inch! Carl of Carl and Susan was watching us load the other day and said to me that he could not see the truck bed go down at all. I no longer have the dim lights situation as I did with the 250.
Was it 'overkill' getting the 450? Could be but I now feel much safer. The trucks that most folks pull with now a days are very much better than they were just a few short years ago. I suspect a newer 250 would do much better than the one I had. And the competition comparable trucks are just as or are more capable!
My real objective is to pull with a rig like Big Red that FireTrucker drives. Now that would make we feel really safe!
So I've been at both ends of the "towing" issue. My 250 did not make me feel safe.
Pulling and stopping with the 450 makes me feel much safer. Your experience will be YOUR experience. If you feel safe pulling your Montana with a 150 then go for it. It will be YOUR experience. And any trailer salesman will tell you that you have more than enough truck to pull it with. And if you do pull with a 150 post your time and route so I can avoid that area.
Thanks,
HamRad