F-150 Crew w/ 3.5NA motor and 355 rearend, towing?

I have a 2016 f150 with the 5L and a 2017 explorer with the 3.5 n/a. not a chance would I want that screaming banchee in my truck. My explorer is a dog and gets worse milage than my coyote powered f150.

any chance to trade into a better tow vehicle? if not id be looking at popups.

for what its worth, it will likely do it but I wouldn't think it would be a pleasant experience.

Thanks for the real life towing reports using the 3.5NA. I have towed things for 30 years. Yes bigger motor is better, who would have figured that? Thanks for the insite. . My wife has a Ram Crew w/ 5.7, Hemi. so I have what need to tow anything I wish to buy, but enjoy driving the f-150 more. I have been to the f-150 forum, they are just as opinionated, with little real life reports. Maybe someone will come along with real life review. Thanks for your thoughts.

I had a 2003 Chevy with the 4.8L V8. Just a hair more power than you have in your 3.5NA. It towed our boat fine. Got a #3500 hard sided TT and it was a different story. We fooled ourselves that it did the job for about 6 months and then bought our current F150 with 3.5EB.

Moral of my story. Don't do it without knowledge that you will likely upgrade truck in the near future.

Go to F150.com
They have a towing section there and I've seen a couple with that engine, post there.
Just not many out there, with that engine. Especially for towing.
Most will get the 2.7 Ecoboost instead.

It probably won't be fun, but considering trucks when I was a kid only had 200 horsepower/300 ft lbs for a small block V8, it will probably just be slow. But if you're on the east side of the USA where the crazy mountain passes don't exist, you'll probably be fine.

My stepmom regularly tows a 6x12 high profile enclosed trailer loaded to about 3K from the Pacific Northwest to western Montana with an Explorer equipped with that engine and has no issues maintaining speed over the passes.

Five thousand pound limit is why I’m not in a Traverse, Explorer or this model F150.

I already tow a 3000# bass boat, it tows great. Dealer told me this truck tows 7000#, but he was not counting on the 355 gear. 7000# with the 372 gear. Looking at small hybrids 2500#, but wish a real world report? I know I could just hook up to a 3000# TT, but rv dealers are not into loaning TVs to make sure one tows safely. Thanks for real world small motor reports. I will be adding a transition coolier. I have towing experience, just not with a 3.5 NA.

I don’t have the hybrid any longer, though wish to get back into TT.

I don't know of anyone here who tows with one. At 283 horsepower and 255lb-ft of torque, it would be OK for a small TT. I towed my 17' hybrid (weight 3500#) with a 2006 Pontiac Torrent with a 3.4L V6 with 185 hp and 210tq and a 5 speed auto. It did OK. I'd call it adequate, but barely. The temp gauge did climb on any steep grade longer than a 1/4 mile, and it needed high RPM to climb grades.

If you're looking at towing 5000# with that F150, I'd suspect it would be a similar experience, but with more stability and better cooling.

For short distance towing in flat terrain, and on days where there isn't much wind, it'll be fine. Introduce hills, more weight, or a stiff breeze, and I think you'll regret it.