F-150 Ecoboost towing

[dbdap]

Good day everyone,
Starting to research a replacement tow vehicle and I like what I see with the F-150 Ecoboost. We have a 24ft travel trailer (Keystone passport 2400BH) 4700lbs empty, loaded for a trip 5500lb to 6000lb. Current tow vehicle is a 2004 dodge durango with the 5.7l engine. The durango has served us well but it is time to replace it. What I like about the F-150 is the cab room as we are a family of five, having a comfortable cab is important. We are looking to buy a used F150 most likely a 2013 or 2014 model.
With that I have some questions for those that own and tow with an Ecoboost F-150.
-3.55 axle or 3.73 axle.
-Will the shorter wheel base super crew cab be a good stable platform. (the short wheel base will fit in our garage).
-How is gas mileage while towing, current vehicle gets in the 10MPG range and would like something that gets at least that.
-How is the gas mileage when not towing.
-Would you tow cross-country with an ecoboost, as we are looking to take a trip from southwest Ohio to the Grand Canyon. And in future years we want to take a trip to Yellowstone.
-How are these trucks for reliability, I am a firm believer in preventive maintenance so neglecting any and all required maintenance it not something I do with my vehicles.

A few disclaimers we just purchased our current trailer last year and have no plans whatsoever to buy a bigger trailer because we buy a bigger truck. Our previous trailer we kept over twelve years and will do the same with this one. I am not interested in a ¾ ton diesel as I feel a properly equipped ½ ton would be a very safe tow vehicle for our trailer. I do have one other truck in mind that I will post questions about separately.

Thanks for any feedback
David

[Acdii]

Well, I think I narrowed down the stability issue with my F150. It seems my spring bars are inadequate now. Last year the trailers TW was 720# or so, and I have 800# bars. This was fine for the 2014 truck, but now my trailers TW has grown, I added a power jack to the front, along with more cargo in the passthrough which raised the TW up 100#, so I am exceeding the Spring bars.

I have to get a new hitch after all, so once that is done, I am hoping to have finally resolved this last issue.

Got to say though, the EB in this truck is a beast. 50MPH to 80MPH passing up a slight grade pulling a heavy trailer and it barely felt like it was working. It is one strong power plant, and the 6 speed trans is just so smooth. Heard the new 10 speed is even better, which if true helps both Ford and GM who share the design.

[Acdii]

Honestly, that is the first I heard of a manifold issue on the EB. Considering how hot the turbos can get, wouldn't surprise me. Mine were glowing climbing the Rockies.

[upuaut]

I have a 2013 F150 Ecoboost that I bought new with the Max Tow package. I have been more than happy with it both as a daily driver and towing my Jayco 22FB.

Gas mileage depends on how aggressive you drive, but as others have said - towing is anywhere from 8.5 to 10 mpg for me, and up to 18 mpg for regular driving.

It tows like a dream - like the trailer is not even there most of the time.

I now have 77,000 miles on it, and the only thing that is an issue is that I had to replace the passenger side exhaust manifold after my trip to NH this summer. The F150's have a weakness in the exhaust manifolds warping over time, and probably exacerbated by towing.

I recommend the EcoBoost highly.

[RinconVTR]

70's?
80's?
90'?
00' even?

Whoa! We're comparing multiple decades of brand experience, often with only 1 or 2 experiences per brand, to today's vehicles of any brand in 2017?

Find someone in the Engineering, Manufacturing or Quality field's of work and ask how much things change in 10 years or less. Over 10 years time, any company can transform 180 degree's, good or bad.

Has it not been proven by now that Ford's Ecoboost is as reliable as any diesel out there? (That's a good thing!) And I say diesel because that is the Ecoboosts nearest equivalent, especially in the occasional towing arena.

Standard gas V8's still win the reliability and repair cost debate. But I'm not at all convinced that should steer most buyers away from any turbo engine today.

[Hybridhunter]

Perrysburg Dodgeboy wrote:
Sorry guys no "jealousy or inadequacies" here. I did the GM thing as my Dad worked for GM. My very first new car was a total POS and GM told me and my Dad too bad so sad. I drank from the Blue Oval Kool-Aid cup for many years and every last one of them were pure junk! So then I went on to Chrysler and have to say I have never had any of the problems that I did with the other two. BTW I started buying Chrysler's before I worked for them.

As for GM my Dad owns a 91 D350 with a Cummins in it not a GM! He owned on Chevy truck for two years and never bought another one so you know.

As for The Ford EB I have said a million times they have a great engine for towing and racing around town. But Ford sold me four vehicles (five if you count the replacement truck) and every last one was junk! They were in the service department more then all 14 new Chrysler products I have owned. I gave them more chances then I should have and will never own one ever again.

So jealous, nope not in the least guys. Oh BTW why is it OK for the Ford and GM guys to post about buying their bands in a Ram towing post but not the other way around? Is it " jealousy, or inadequacies of what others have and the poster only wishes they had."?

Peace out Boys Don

WOW - PD you need to GTFO of here. And take your lame truck with you.
Maybe, just maybe no one in this thread cares about your schilling for Fiat or whoever.
Every dam thread polluted by your pro-Dodge garbage. Mnay of us have owned Dodges (Ram, Fiat, whatever) as well as many other brands and will never go back/

[jfkmk]

Perrysburg Dodgeboy wrote:
Sorry guys no "jealousy or inadequacies" here. I did the GM thing as my Dad worked for GM. My very first new car was a total POS and GM told me and my Dad too bad so sad. I drank from the Blue Oval Kool-Aid cup for many years and every last one of them were pure junk! So then I went on to Chrysler and have to say I have never had any of the problems that I did with the other two. BTW I started buying Chrysler's before I worked for them.

n

My experience has been quite the opposite. My first Mopar was a 71 Dodge Challenger. While I loved that car and wish I still had it, it was poorly designed compared to my friend's Torinos, Mustangs, Camaros, 442s and Firebirds. About the only things it bear for reliability were the MGs and Triumphs.

I continues with a long list of Chrysler products as well as GM, Ford,Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, Datsun and MB. Chrysler, by far, was the least reliable with the exception of MB.

Now that the polar of reliability owns them, I don't think I would touch one.

As someone pointed out, though, this has nothing to do with the original question.

[ShinerBock]

Perrysburg Dodgeboy wrote:


So jealous, nope not in the least guys. Oh BTW why is it OK for the Ford and GM guys to post about buying on of their bands in a Ram towing post but not the other way around? Is it " jealousy, or inadequacies of what others have and the poster only wishes they had."?

I will ask again.... I would like to see these threads you are talking about where the OP specifically asked about towing with an Ecodiesel(just like the OP did here with the Ecoboost) and the Ecoboost guys trashing the thread like you state.

The OP of this thread was asking about people with experience towing with 3.5L EB. It is quit clear that you don't have that experience so.....

[Perrysburg_Dodg]

Sorry guys no "jealousy or inadequacies" here. I did the GM thing as my Dad worked for GM. My very first new car was a total POS and GM told me and my Dad too bad so sad. I drank from the Blue Oval Kool-Aid cup for many years and every last one of them were pure junk! So then I went on to Chrysler and have to say I have never had any of the problems that I did with the other two. BTW I started buying Chrysler's before I worked for them.

As for GM my Dad owns a 91 D350 with a Cummins in it not a GM! He owned on Chevy truck for two years and never bought another one so you know.

As for The Ford EB I have said a million times they have a great engine for towing and racing around town. But Ford sold me four vehicles (five if you count the replacement truck) and every last one was junk! They were in the service department more then all 14 new Chrysler products I have owned. I gave them more chances then I should have and will never own one ever again.

So jealous, nope not in the least guys. Oh BTW why is it OK for the Ford and GM guys to post about buying their bands in a Ram towing post but not the other way around? Is it " jealousy, or inadequacies of what others have and the poster only wishes they had."?

Peace out Boys Don

[Atlee]

Sound advice.

ShinerBock wrote:

Acdii wrote:

Well, most of it stems over jealousy, or inadequacies of what others have and the poster only wishes they had. Sort of how GM is so embarrassed by what they make that they have to cover it up to make it look like a Ford.

Although this is nothing compared to the V8 vs EB threads.....

Although I don't agree about the GM embarrassed thing since the 6.2L is plenty powerful, I do agree about jealousy or inadequacies thing. Every Ecodiesel owner that I know starts out by saying they purchased it for fuel economy and then they eventually try to compare it to more powerful towing engines like the GM 6.2L, Ram 5.7L, or Ford 3.5L EB. The Ecodiesel will NEVER be able to tow as much or have the performance of those engines so comparing them just apples to oranges since they are for two different types of buyers.

Comparing the Ecodiesel to those engines is like comparing a V6 Camaro to a V8 Camaro. Both are purchased for different reasons whether it be costs, fuel economy, or other reasons. Yeah, the V6 Camaro may get better fuel economy, but someone who purchased a V8 did not do it for fuel economy. They did it for power and were willing to sacrifice some fuel economy and higher costs for it. The V6 owner sacrificed power for fuel economy and costs savings. Trying to say that a stock V6 Camaro is just as powerful or has just as good as performance as the V8 Camaro sounds just as silly as V8 Camaro owners saying their car gets just as good of fuel mileage as the V6.

People with Ecodiesel's should love their engine for its fuel economy while understanding that it will never be a towing powerhouse because engines like the 3.5L Ecoboost which will blow its doors of every day of the week and even twice on Sundays. Ecoboost owners should love their engine for its power while understanding that it will never get the fuel economy of the Ecodiesel which will pass it at the fuel pumps.

If an Ecoboost owner is willing to sacrifice fuel economy for power and is fine with 17 mpg combined, then what does it matter if the Ecodiesel gets 23 mpg combined? If an Ecodiesel owners is willing to sacrifice power for fuel economy and are comfortable with traveling at slower speeds when towing, then what does it matter that another engine can get up the hill faster? Love your truck for the reasons why you bought it, NOT for the reasons that you didn't buy others.

[Acdii]

100% agree. My EB gets me roughly 20 MPG as a DD, but 8 when towing. It tows like mad though so well worth it.


As for GM, I was referring to their latest commercial where they covered it up to look like a Ford. Their antiquated engine may be good, but overall, the entire truck is outdated, and behind in every department. Glad to See Ram is getting up there with the tech. I have coworkers with ram's they like them, but the main reason they bought Ram, they couldn't afford a Ford. They bought used, and Ram had lower sales prices in even the used department. I really liked the looks of a truck one of them got, but can't get past that knob on the dash for shifting. Call me old school, but I prefer a console shifter, if I can't have a manual shift, at least having a shifter on a console is the next best thing. Makes for a nice hand rest.

Honestly what kept me in an F150 after my 14 was totaled, was the fact that it got totaled and I walked away. Hit another truck dead center on its side at 49MPH in ice. The other driver lost control and slid across my lane and I had the brakes locked for at least 300' before impact. I went from 51 MPH, where the road had gone from wet, to ICE, and slid straight as an arrow. I dropped 2 MPH. Safety #1 in the F150, something the others just can't compare to.

I saw a thread where another F150 owner had got hit in an offset at 55 MPH, in one of the new Aluminum body trucks, and he walked away with soreness only. The truck took the brunt of the force and got smashed good, but the cabin, like my 14, was fully intact. The hit was so hard it busted the wheel and shoved it under the truck.

[ShinerBock]

Acdii wrote:

Well, most of it stems over jealousy, or inadequacies of what others have and the poster only wishes they had. Sort of how GM is so embarrassed by what they make that they have to cover it up to make it look like a Ford.

Although this is nothing compared to the V8 vs EB threads.....

Although I don't agree about the GM embarrassed thing since the 6.2L is plenty powerful, I do agree about jealousy or inadequacies thing. Every Ecodiesel owner that I know starts out by saying they purchased it for fuel economy and then they eventually try to compare it to more powerful towing engines like the GM 6.2L, Ram 5.7L, or Ford 3.5L EB. The Ecodiesel will NEVER be able to tow as much or have the performance of those engines so comparing them just apples to oranges since they are for two different types of buyers.

Comparing the Ecodiesel to those engines is like comparing a V6 Camaro to a V8 Camaro. Both are purchased for different reasons whether it be costs, fuel economy, or other reasons. Yeah, the V6 Camaro may get better fuel economy, but someone who purchased a V8 did not do it for fuel economy. They did it for power and were willing to sacrifice some fuel economy and higher costs for it. The V6 owner sacrificed power for fuel economy and costs savings. Trying to say that a stock V6 Camaro is just as powerful or has just as good as performance as the V8 Camaro sounds just as silly as V8 Camaro owners saying their car gets just as good of fuel mileage as the V6.

People with Ecodiesel's should love their engine for its fuel economy while understanding that it will never be a towing powerhouse because engines like the 3.5L Ecoboost which will blow its doors of every day of the week and even twice on Sundays. Ecoboost owners should love their engine for its power while understanding that it will never get the fuel economy of the Ecodiesel which will pass it at the fuel pumps.

If an Ecoboost owner is willing to sacrifice fuel economy for power and is fine with 17 mpg combined, then what does it matter if the Ecodiesel gets 23 mpg combined? If an Ecodiesel owners is willing to sacrifice power for fuel economy and are comfortable with traveling at slower speeds when towing, then what does it matter that another engine can get up the hill faster? Love your truck for the reasons why you bought it, NOT for the reasons that you didn't buy others.

[Acdii]

ShinerBock wrote:



Get over myself? Okay, I'll be your huckleberry if you want to talk to me like that, but you might end up regretting it.


Although I would like to see these threads you are talking about where the OP specifically asked about towing with an Ecodiesel(just like the OP did here with the Ecoboost) and the Ecoboost guys trashing the thread like you state.

Well, most of it stems over jealousy, or inadequacies of what others have and the poster only wishes they had. Sort of how GM is so embarrassed by what they make that they have to cover it up to make it look like a Ford.

Although this is nothing compared to the V8 vs EB threads.....

[ShinerBock]

Perrysburg Dodgeboy wrote:

ShinerBock wrote:
I guess this gives the green light for every Ecoboost owner to go into every Ecodiesel thread and trash the place.

They already do so get over yourself!

Get over myself? Okay, I'll be your huckleberry if you want to talk to me like that, but you might end up regretting it.


Although I would like to see these threads you are talking about where the OP specifically asked about towing with an Ecodiesel(just like the OP did here with the Ecoboost) and the Ecoboost guys trashing the thread like you state.

[Grit_dog]

itguy08 wrote:

Perrysburg Dodgeboy wrote:
But as for ALL of the people rating these trucks, they all say Ram 1500 hands down beats the F150 and GM twins in ride and beats Ford in the Tech area.

LOL. Since prior to this year neither have changed much...
2015 F150 Review

Some staffers prefer the slightly heavier steering feel of the Silverado, and the coil-sprung Ram 1500 offers a slightly better ride. But the F-150 delivers overall outstanding highway comfort and agility.

Not Hands down beats... They also say "Tech out the wazoo". Where's Ram's trailer backup assist, adaptive cruise, collision mitigation, etc? Oh that's right maybe next one, if there is a next one.

Can't think of one reason to buy a Ram 1500 for RV use. The powertrains are the worst of all of them, the quality isn't there, and the company probably will be going to the Chinese shortly.

And they just threw their own mama in front of a train! Lol