hey guys, I'm in the market for a new f-150 STX and wanted to pick your brains for any info. about the 3.5L turbo. I currently own a 2013 STX 4x4 with the 5.0L and haul a 29'(grey wolf 22 RR UVW-5,057# GVWR-7,686#) toy hauler with an 850# streetglide in it on occasion. I live in eastern ohio and travel to the west Virginia mountains, florida, Maryland and the blue ridge mts. I have a 2 week loop planed next year out west to Sturgis, through the bighorns to beartooth highway, Yellowstone, the tetons and Colorado, to ride pike's peak. I've never had a problem towing my rig with the 5.0L through the smaller mountains in the eastern U.S. but wonder if anyone has experience with the 3.5L in an f-150 towing through the real mountains out west? I will only need to scale the bighorns to get from S.D. to Montana, all other mountain climbing i'll be taking the bike. any input would be greatly appreciated, pinenut

The 3.5L Ecoboost will tow a lot better than the the 5.0L will especially at higher elevations. I towed 9,500 lb from Texas to Utah twice with my old 2012 and I could maintain the speed limit on every mountain road along the way. This was back when they had 6 speed transmissions and I am sure that the new 10-speed makes even better now.I also used to have a 2011 F150 5.0L 3.55 rear ratio company truck that I towed with a few times and then they gave me a 2012 3.5L 3.15 rear ratio and it towed better than 3.55 5.0L pulling the same trailer. The 5.0L would always downshift even on slight grades while the 3.15 3.5L Ecoboost was able to make enough low end power (because of the turbos) to hold 6.th on most of the same grades that would cause the the 5.0L to downshift to 6th. On the hills that the 5.0L would downshift to 4th, the 3.5L Ecoboost would be in 5th turning at much lower rpms.

I've got a 13 EB with the MaxTow and 3.73 gears. Tows my #7000 GVWR trailer just fine, but it was a change from when I towed my #5000 GVWR trailer before..I do run premium fuel now and that actually made a difference. I've done some other suspension mods just to make the towing experience better for me. Installed some Bilstein 5100 shocks, Hellwig overload springs and some PowerStop Z36 brake rotors and pads.Engine wise, it's all stock. The manual suggests running premium fuel when towing and I didn't do that with the #5000 trailer. Didn't run it on the first tow with the #7000 trailer and it was a dog... Next trip, ran a couple of tanks of premium before towing and it was back to the same performance as the old #5000 trailer.. Been running it ever since.Anyway, the new 3.5's are a different gen from mine, and the trucks are different too, but in the end there is "ECO" mode for these things and there is "BOOST" mode.. The two won't mix however.. You either have "ECO" or you have "BOOST".. In boost mode, it'll still only get 8-10 mpgs towing..Good luck! Mitch

Umm, it’ll absolutely destroy an old 5.0 6 speed towing. Destroy. Look at the numbers and then add in altitude loss for na engines. Not even a fair fight between the two, especially at altitude.

Isn’t the F150 due for a major “redo?” Otherwise, if you’re within max towing and payload, go for it.

I used my 2014 3.5 Eco with Max-Tow to tow the trailer in my signature all over the Canadian Rockies with no problems.

towing ability of the f-150 3.5L | Good Sam Community

MitchF150
Explorer III
Jun 17, 2020
I've got a 13 EB with the MaxTow and 3.73 gears. Tows my #7000 GVWR trailer just fine, but it was a change from when I towed my #5000 GVWR trailer before..

I do run premium fuel now and that actually made a difference. I've done some other suspension mods just to make the towing experience better for me. Installed some Bilstein 5100 shocks, Hellwig overload springs and some PowerStop Z36 brake rotors and pads.

Engine wise, it's all stock. The manual suggests running premium fuel when towing and I didn't do that with the #5000 trailer. Didn't run it on the first tow with the #7000 trailer and it was a dog... Next trip, ran a couple of tanks of premium before towing and it was back to the same performance as the old #5000 trailer.. Been running it ever since.

Anyway, the new 3.5's are a different gen from mine, and the trucks are different too, but in the end there is "ECO" mode for these things and there is "BOOST" mode.. The two won't mix however.. You either have "ECO" or you have "BOOST".. In boost mode, it'll still only get 8-10 mpgs towing..

Good luck! Mitch
ShinerBock
Explorer
Jun 17, 2020
The 3.5L Ecoboost will tow a lot better than the the 5.0L will especially at higher elevations. I towed 9,500 lb from Texas to Utah twice with my old 2012 and I could maintain the speed limit on every mountain road along the way. This was back when they had 6 speed transmissions and I am sure that the new 10-speed makes even better now.

I also used to have a 2011 F150 5.0L 3.55 rear ratio company truck that I towed with a few times and then they gave me a 2012 3.5L 3.15 rear ratio and it towed better than 3.55 5.0L pulling the same trailer. The 5.0L would always downshift even on slight grades while the 3.15 3.5L Ecoboost was able to make enough low end power (because of the turbos) to hold 6.th on most of the same grades that would cause the the 5.0L to downshift to 6th. On the hills that the 5.0L would downshift to 4th, the 3.5L Ecoboost would be in 5th turning at much lower rpms.

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towing ability of the f-150 3.5L

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