F150 EB vs 5.0 towing

carringb wrote:
I wonder how long before the forum gets a "NO MORE 5.0 vs EcoBoost THREADS" sticky?

Oh, this isn't anything. You should see how the Eco boys get on the Ford forums. They act as though the engine is blessed and anything said against it, was blasphemy.

goducks10 wrote:
I had an 06 Frontier with a V6 AT and towed a 4050lb TT. Empty the Frontier would get with it pretty good. Hitched up and I had to keep checking to see if the emergency brake was released. The nice thing about my diesel is it always got some grunt.

I had the SUV version of the Frontier, the Pathfinder with it's 4.0L. It had 270 Hp and 291 lbs of torque at 4000 rpms. It was fairly light but it had no low rpm torque. It was a dog off the line so I'd have to disagree as I didn't think it was very good performance wise. It even had decent gearing for being a 5 speed auto with it's axle gearing but this motor was just pathetic down low. It tow ok power wise but I was towing light trailers with it. It's suspension sucked and it handled badly towing.

I replaced it with a more stout Ford, the 2008 Ford Sport Trac V8 which had a 4.6L 3V V8 with 292 HP and 300 lbs of torque at the same 4000 rpms. Only 9 lbs more torque at the same 4000 rpms but what a difference down low. This engine had tons more power down low which the anemic Nissan 4.0L did not. This truck pulled my tall and wide Jay Flight 19BH trailer easily. The Nissan Pathfinder was just OK pulling a low profile Pop Up trailer. I would had thought about a Frontier but even it's Crew Cab rear seat wouldn't fit a larger adult without cramping in. The Sport Trac truck had a full size rear seat.

SO these vehicles clearly perform towing as I would expect by the way they performed while not towing.

I wonder how long before the forum gets a "NO MORE 5.0 vs EcoBoost THREADS" sticky?

I like reading Eco Boost threads. They're always long and entertaining.

I had an 06 Frontier with a V6 AT and towed a 4050lb TT. Empty the Frontier would get with it pretty good. Hitched up and I had to keep checking to see if the emergency brake was released. The nice thing about my diesel is it always got some grunt.

Kevin O. wrote:

Mike Up wrote:

Kevin O. wrote:

I guess Ford made a mistake and should have sold the 5.0 with the Max tow pkg???

Yes they should had. The 4.10 would had gone in nicely without much of a hit on fuel economy.

Kevin O. wrote:
I find it funny that you have been praising your 5.0 all this time about being just as good and even better in some cases than the ecoboost. Then find out you haven't even towed anything with your truck yet???

I haven't been praising, just stating the facts about it.:?

I'm a car/truck guy. I love muscle cars and big torque. Now I honestly can't understand you. You act like you've never driven anything with power. Perhaps not, since many people like their small V6 and 4 cyclinder Toyotas and Hondas.

However I've driven many and can honestly tell you, if you drive enough and enjoy to drive, you can easily find out the vehicles power characteristics. I've driven many vehicles with high horsepower and lower torque output or torque up high in the rpms. I've also driven many vehicles with exceptional low rpm torque and great horsepower.

I've had numerous trucks and towed with them all. I can tell you, that the torque characteristics you feel in daily driving is the characteristic you'll feel towing. If you feel lower torque output at lower rpms, during your daily drive, you'll feel the same towing.

If you drive a truck that has good torque down at the lower rpms during your daily drive, you'll have the same good lower rpm torque when towing.

It very simple, if you start with no power, you'll tow with no power. If you start with good power, you'll have good power towing. Plus there's a lot of testimonials about how good the 5.0L does at the forums, in the truck magazines, and the truck online review sites.

If you can't tell by driving a truck, if it will tow good, then you better stick to cars and tents. ;)

Listen Mike, I never said the 5.0 wasn't a stellar engine and i don't doubt it tows well. All I'm saying is it doesn't compare to the Ecoboost towing especially at higher elevations. As far as you being able to tell how a small V8 naturally aspirated engine will tow a heavy trailer just from driving it around empty is ridiculous!!!!!
I too have a passionate love for muscle cars and high horsepower and have owned many fun and crazy cars and trucks over the years. My latest toys are an all original 1970 Nova 396 375hp w/ 4spd and a 03'Cobra Whipple supercharged that makes 614hp to the wheels. After hearing you say that your truck has and i quote: INSTANTANEOUS NECK SNAPPING POWERI really don't think you have any idea what real horsepower and torque feels like. If you want to come take a ride in my Cobra I will show you what real neck snapping power feels like unless your afraid you might soil yourself???? :B

You can not tell how a truck will tow by driving it around empty. There are a lot of trucks that run like hell untill you dump some weight behind them.
My buddy's 6.0 Denalli would spank my 8.1 when empty BUT when he had 7,000 lbs behind him and I had 10,000 lbs I would leave him in the dust. I don't see any way you can rate how your truck tows with out ever towing.

There's areason the 3.5 has a higher tow rating than the 5.0. Same truck, same suspension, etc and the 3.5 has the higher tow rating. That to me says it's better adapted to towing.

I had good luck with my 2002 5.4 and didn't seriously consider the eco when I bought my 2011 5.0. I wouldn't object to the eco, but I wouldn't pay extra for it. I sort of think if you need the extra torque of the eco enough that it offsets the additional complication and expense, maybe you should look at larger than half ton trucks. I would get 3.73 rear end if you can find it. I think my older truck with 3.73 was more responsive than the new one with 3.55. The new transmission with tow/haul is very nice, though. Check the door sticker for cargo weight, they seem to vary a lot.

Mike Up wrote:

Kevin O. wrote:

I guess Ford made a mistake and should have sold the 5.0 with the Max tow pkg???

Yes they should had. The 4.10 would had gone in nicely without much of a hit on fuel economy.

Kevin O. wrote:
I find it funny that you have been praising your 5.0 all this time about being just as good and even better in some cases than the ecoboost. Then find out you haven't even towed anything with your truck yet???

I haven't been praising, just stating the facts about it.:?

I'm a car/truck guy. I love muscle cars and big torque. Now I honestly can't understand you. You act like you've never driven anything with power. Perhaps not, since many people like their small V6 and 4 cyclinder Toyotas and Hondas.

However I've driven many and can honestly tell you, if you drive enough and enjoy to drive, you can easily find out the vehicles power characteristics. I've driven many vehicles with high horsepower and lower torque output or torque up high in the rpms. I've also driven many vehicles with exceptional low rpm torque and great horsepower.

I've had numerous trucks and towed with them all. I can tell you, that the torque characteristics you feel in daily driving is the characteristic you'll feel towing. If you feel lower torque output at lower rpms, during your daily drive, you'll feel the same towing.

If you drive a truck that has good torque down at the lower rpms during your daily drive, you'll have the same good lower rpm torque when towing.

It very simple, if you start with no power, you'll tow with no power. If you start with good power, you'll have good power towing. Plus there's a lot of testimonials about how good the 5.0L does at the forums, in the truck magazines, and the truck online review sites.

If you can't tell by driving a truck, if it will tow good, then you better stick to cars and tents. ;)

Listen Mike, I never said the 5.0 wasn't a stellar engine and i don't doubt it tows well. All I'm saying is it doesn't compare to the Ecoboost towing especially at higher elevations. As far as you being able to tell how a small V8 naturally aspirated engine will tow a heavy trailer just from driving it around empty is ridiculous!!!!!
I too have a passionate love for muscle cars and high horsepower and have owned many fun and crazy cars and trucks over the years. My latest toys are an all original 1970 Nova 396 375hp w/ 4spd and a 03'Cobra Whipple supercharged that makes 614hp to the wheels. After hearing you say that your truck has and i quote: INSTANTANEOUS NECK SNAPPING POWERI really don't think you have any idea what real horsepower and torque feels like. If you want to come take a ride in my Cobra I will show you what real neck snapping power feels like unless your afraid you might soil yourself???? :B

If you are going to tow in the mountains a turbocharger will give some advantages over a naturally aspirated engine.