Anyone towing with a 4.6L Triton V8 in a Ford? F150, Econoline, Explorer, etc?I have one in my Sport Trac. Does great on the flats, not so bad on the hills. I can pull a 6% grade for several miles dropping only to 65MPH if I start it at 80MPH pulling my ~6000 # Loaded TT. It's the 4,500+ RPM's to climb the hills that concern me. People tell me these motors are made to spin being Overhead Cam, just wondering if they can really handle it. A lot of Motorhomes have the V10's and they do the same RPM wise.Considering a 3.0 Ecodiesel Ram 1500, or an older 6.0L Avalanche if this truck doesn't hold up, bit I really don't want a large truck. Not sure the Chevy 5.3 in a Colorado will do any better even though they are pushrod motors. Give me a Dakota with the 3.0 Ecodiesel, then maybe that is the ticket.I really like this Sport Trac as a daily driver. I just don't want a 3/4 or 1 Ton truck as a daily driver, and I don't want a truck sitting around just to have to tow the trailer either.

If you need to go 65 mph up the 6% grades, it's got to come from something.. ;)I recall pulling around 3500 rpms going 55 mph up the grades with my 97 5.4 F150 in 2nd gear..I could have hauled it up to to 65 mph, but why?? Still got up the hill doing a decent pace and it was comfortable for me...Anyway, you want to go fast but pull lower rpms?? Get an Ecoboost.. :)I now go up the same grades, towing the same trailer with a 3.73 rear gear (The old F150 had 3.55's) and I'm going an easy 60 mph pulling 2700 rpms in 4th gear (6 speed trans)... :)I could go 70 + if I wanted, but again, why?Good luck!Mitch

Hi,The Sport Trac is probably the lightest vehicle that the 4.6L is in, so the Econoline or F-150 would have a heavier curb weight. So in addition to the weight of the trailer, you would have a 2,000 pound heavier van or truck going up the hill, so it might not perform quiet as well.Starting the hill at 80 MPH - that does not sound fuel efficient or very smart. I guess you never found out that ST tires are only rated at 75 MPH?So my question is also why try to go faster than 55 MPH while climbing the hills? You have plenty of time. Well your time might be short if you keep going 80 while towing though. Yes the 3.5L Ecoboost is designed for 11,000 pound trailers and can do the job if you get the right towing package and higher GVWR package. Personally I Would rather have a 5.4L in a F-150 and tow with that at a lower engine RPM.Yes the 4.6L is rated at 4,500 RPM's. So is the 5.4L and the V10 has the same pistons and stroke as the 5.4L with 2 extra cylinders. Fred.

I drive a 5.4 Ford and Id rather have a 3.0 diesel. Not sure about having a Dodge truck around it but the fuel savings when unloaded ought to be pretty good. I've met a few guys that towed the same trailer with both their 4.6 and the 5.4. The MPG was nearly the same and the 5.4 had a small edge in power. FWIW, I hate spinning out an engine above 3K, and I know it's just me. I'd like everything to cruise at 2K-2100.

chr$ wrote:Anyone towing with a 4.6L Triton V8 in a Ford? F150, Econoline, Explorer, etc?I have one in my Sport Trac. Does great on the flats, not so bad on the hills. I can pull a 6% grade for several miles dropping only to 65MPH if I start it at 80MPH pulling my ~6000 # Loaded TT. It's the 4,500+ RPM's to climb the hills that concern me. People tell me these motors are made to spin being Overhead Cam, just wondering if they can really handle it. A lot of Motorhomes have the V10's and they do the same RPM wise.Considering a 3.0 Ecodiesel Ram 1500, or an older 6.0L Avalanche if this truck doesn't hold up, bit I really don't want a large truck. Not sure the Chevy 5.3 in a Colorado will do any better even though they are pushrod motors. Give me a Dakota with the 3.0 Ecodiesel, then maybe that is the ticket.I really like this Sport Trac as a daily driver. I just don't want a 3/4 or 1 Ton truck as a daily driver, and I don't want a truck sitting around just to have to tow the trailer either.What's the rush?I got rid of my 5.4L Ford in favor of a 6.7L Ram, because it drove me nuts dropping drow to 50 in the Rockies. Last year on our cross country trip to Newfoundland I found that I didn't want to get over 50 in the Rockies.If you really feel the need to travel that fast towing, please let me know when and where you will be driving, so I came stay off the road.By the way ST tires are rated at 65MPH.

I don't really want to go that fast, but if I don't at least try to keep up with traffic, it seems that the truck just lugs if I get down to the 45-50 MPH range, not to mention, I hate being the guy going that slow. At about 3500, I can maintain 55.I'm still feeling this truck out with the trailer. I don't usually tow at 80, just tried the "big hill" at that speed just to see how much I would drop at different RPM's. At those higher ones, something, I think the AC expansion valve, begins to sing, at least before the compressor cuts off... another reason to keep the RPM's down. I usually keep it around 70 on the 65-75MPH highways we have in AZ.Regarding speed rating, Where do you guys get that? My ST came with 255/50 20's (It's an Adrenalin) that were H Rated (130MPH). I replaced the rims and tires with 18x9's and am now running 265/65 R 18 Michelin LTX MS2's T Rated (118 MPH). I think you guys are remembering the Firestone thing, and that was the older platform (I have one of those too, a 2001 ST) and the truck itself was governed at 98. This one is 105. I don't think there is any car on the road with such a low speed rated tire. Even donuts are rated around 80, IIRC.

Ford 4.6 Triton | Good Sam Community

westend
Explorer
Jul 07, 2014
I drive a 5.4 Ford and Id rather have a 3.0 diesel. Not sure about having a Dodge truck around it but the fuel savings when unloaded ought to be pretty good. I've met a few guys that towed the same trailer with both their 4.6 and the 5.4. The MPG was nearly the same and the 5.4 had a small edge in power.

FWIW, I hate spinning out an engine above 3K, and I know it's just me. I'd like everything to cruise at 2K-2100.
Golden_HVAC
Explorer
Jul 07, 2014
Hi,

The Sport Trac is probably the lightest vehicle that the 4.6L is in, so the Econoline or F-150 would have a heavier curb weight. So in addition to the weight of the trailer, you would have a 2,000 pound heavier van or truck going up the hill, so it might not perform quiet as well.

Starting the hill at 80 MPH - that does not sound fuel efficient or very smart. I guess you never found out that ST tires are only rated at 75 MPH?

So my question is also why try to go faster than 55 MPH while climbing the hills? You have plenty of time. Well your time might be short if you keep going 80 while towing though.

Yes the 3.5L Ecoboost is designed for 11,000 pound trailers and can do the job if you get the right towing package and higher GVWR package. Personally I Would rather have a 5.4L in a F-150 and tow with that at a lower engine RPM.

Yes the 4.6L is rated at 4,500 RPM's. So is the 5.4L and the V10 has the same pistons and stroke as the 5.4L with 2 extra cylinders.

Fred.
MitchF150
Explorer III
Jul 07, 2014
If you need to go 65 mph up the 6% grades, it's got to come from something.. ;)

I recall pulling around 3500 rpms going 55 mph up the grades with my 97 5.4 F150 in 2nd gear..

I could have hauled it up to to 65 mph, but why?? Still got up the hill doing a decent pace and it was comfortable for me...

Anyway, you want to go fast but pull lower rpms?? Get an Ecoboost.. :)

I now go up the same grades, towing the same trailer with a 3.73 rear gear (The old F150 had 3.55's) and I'm going an easy 60 mph pulling 2700 rpms in 4th gear (6 speed trans)... :)

I could go 70 + if I wanted, but again, why?

Good luck!

Mitch

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