Okay. Serious Thoughts On EcoBoost Towing 9.5K

[Kampfirekid]

Im really trying hard to buy an economy car to allow me to keep my 2010 F250 6.4L Harley Edition Super Duty. Its not coming together well. Its several hundred dollars each month more than I spend now on my truck and fuel alone. It seems the savings in fuel alone by driving an economy car will pay for the truck payment alone, but there still is no savings. I put miles on too fast to pay my truck off before it hits 150k, and at 65k niw, Id like to get a car now while miles are low. Frankly, I dont want this truck after 100k as a daily driver. For pleasure and towing, okay, ill keep it past 150k.

So, I only tow about 4-5,000 miles a year, if that. All through the Midwest, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Usually less than 500 miles round trip. Our trailer is a 2011 Jayco Jay Flight 32BHDS. It weighs about 9,200 loaded. The tongue weight at 1,180. I am wondering if the Ecoboost Supercrew with the Heavy Duty Payload Package (yielding close to 2,200 lbs of payload) will foot the bill for the 12 trips a year under 500 miles. The expected payload already exceeds my 1,950 on my Harley F250 diesel. Will the lighter-duty F150 be that much more unstable and unbearable for my needs?

I was hoping my limited edition Harley could move to the pole barn for restricted use and a car run daily until it falls apart, 150k miles... whichever comes first. Frankly, it looks like a dream. The EcoBoost F150 could makea better daily driver being more comfortable, and netting better fuel economy at a reduced cost per gallon Granted, it wont get 30mpg, but it will beat the diesel, still tow, and fuel and maintence is cheaper.

All thoughts are appreciated.

[Kampfirekid]

Trail-Mate wrote:
Maybe you should look for older truck to tow and get better mpg. My 97 7.3 Power Stroke gets had calculated 20 mpg on my 50 mile daily commute with 4:10 gears and running 50 hp chip. It now has 210K miles on it. Many older Dodges get similar numbers.I have no towing issues towing my 12,500 lb 5th wheel.

This Truck replaced my old TV which was a 93 GMC Suburban with 454 TBI, Average mileage on it was maybe 12 mpg, so for me the 20 mpg I am getting was a big plus and something I did not expect to get but am very happy I do.

I am also very fond of the Saturn SL cars with twin cam and clutch. I have picked up several used ones for $800 and had to put very little in them. Easy to fix and repair and will net you 40 mpg deepening on how you drive. My son uses one to commute with get 40 plus mpg, we paid $800 for this one. My Daughter has one with auto trans and has over 300k miles on it.

I considered scrapping all the emissions stuff and programming. It seems 20+ mpg easily attainable, especially the location and way I drive. The $2000 outlay is cheaper than a car, but after the Feds got in H&S' face, I'm not sure I could sleep well at night. I have 30k of warranty left, so by summer 2014 I'll be past. If I keep her that long, I may consider then. One thing is for sure... Nothing is happening immediately. I need to get my hands around it all.

[Trail-Mate]

Maybe you should look for older truck to tow and get better mpg. My 97 7.3 Power Stroke gets had calculated 20 mpg on my 50 mile daily commute with 4:10 gears and running 50 hp chip. It now has 210K miles on it. Many older Dodges get similar numbers.I have no towing issues towing my 12,500 lb 5th wheel.

This Truck replaced my old TV which was a 93 GMC Suburban with 454 TBI, Average mileage on it was maybe 12 mpg, so for me the 20 mpg I am getting was a big plus and something I did not expect to get but am very happy I do.

I am also very fond of the Saturn SL cars with twin cam and clutch. I have picked up several used ones for $800 and had to put very little in them. Easy to fix and repair and will net you 40 mpg deepening on how you drive. My son uses one to commute with get 40 plus mpg, we paid $800 for this one. My Daughter has one with auto trans and has over 300k miles on it.

[Kampfirekid]

I didn't initially post to debate the car. I was looking for input on an EcoBoost. There is a member here that pulls a heavy TT, and one who pulls a fiver. Both seem to tow a lot more and a lot farther than I do. They have no gripes. I have been a 3/4 plus pat form guy for about. 15 years, and the couple 1/2 tons I mixed in worked, but maxed out the payload.

A heavy duty payload F150 will exceed my current F250 by 200-400 pounds. Yes, I agree it is a lighter truck and lighter duty, but I'm not pulling the trailer 12 months a year and every week. It's less than 500 miles a trip and only 12 weekends a year at best. Is it perfect? No. Will it work? It seems so. Will it be cheaper maintenance than a diesel? Most likely. Etc...

If I could find a HD Payload locally to hook up and pull for a test, I would. That's not possible. I suspect that if I raised the question about going to a gasser 6.2L Superduty, the same would ensue.

The original goal was to save my current F250 before it hits 100k miles. I love the truck. But the more I looked at an additional car, it only works IF the primary goal is to prevent spending 65k on a new truck every few years. That's it. That's when I figured the EcoBoost could be middle ground by allowing me a better ride, cheaper maintenance, cheaper sticker to swallow every few years, and it could still tow my trailer the few weekends of short miles. Of course, I'm used to 1250 miles a week, so maybe 500 per trip is a lot of driving for some if you.

[shadows4]

As to the economics I will leave that to others. I did meet a guy at a campground in Ky. this summer. He was pulling the same trailer as OP'er with a HD version of the 150 ecoboost. Said he was very happy with the performance and economy. He.had just came.from the Smokies and the truck did great. Granted that is hearsay but just thought I would put my two cents in. The Ecoboost is very dependent on the.driver as to how the.economy is. Happy camping, John

[mkirsch]

There is no such thing as a "reliable used econobox for $5k."

$5K gets you a 10-year-old car with 100K+ miles around here.

I've got a friend who is reliably getting 22MPG out of his Ecoboost after 15,000 miles. The best that diesel will do is 18MPG if you drive it like an old duffer.

He says the towing power is night and day compared to the 5.3L Chevy he replaced.

[Lantley]

Kampfirekid wrote:
A new or newer truck has been an option I am considering. It seems the 6.7L Stroke is netting better numbers. I may consider a low mileage used truck, or new, since I have great trade value in my truck, and will likely see a mpg gain of 3+. My dad has an '11 and regularly gets 19mpg, where I am usually at 16. With the new tires and cooler temps, I'm closer to 15. Could be since I've been towing quite regularly, too. I'm not sure a car is a good option, anyway. At 6'-5", it's hard to find comfort in a 32+ mpg car, and I've driven trucks as DD as far back as I started driving. I don't like being on the ground.

Really! You gonna run. Now if you just want to dump your 6.4 for a newer/better truck that fine. But I can't imagine it will be for the savings

[dubdub07]

I will chime in.....keeping your truck and the miles down on it will net a far larger return when it is paid off then an EcoBoost. Buying something with far better fuel economy, if you can afford it, is a pretty good alternative. Seeing as your truck will be under 100K for quite some time means that when it is paid off you will have a significant investment. The numbers won't support it looking at the cost of a car vs the liabilities you have now, but in the end you will lose the same in equity on the truck as you paid for the car and will have reduced your expenses. You can't take on more liability and improve the bottom line with the same input of revenue. Impossible. But I see your point and the car is the way I would go and keep the truck. In the long run it will be a push and the truck will handle the load better.

Bill W.

[dodge_guy]

Well it sounds like you just want a new truck! And either way your going to be putting alot of miles on something.i would rather buy a reliable used econobox for $5k than a new truck at $40-$50k! I don't see how everyone else's math works out?!
Whatever
Goodluck!

[Kampfirekid]

mkirsch wrote:
If you're driving a lot, you can't just go out and buy some $3K-$5K jalopy. You need a RELIABLE car and reliable cars don't sell for $3K-$5K. That means payment.

I did a lot of calculating at one point, and I could not come out ahead of the game buying a small car to drive instead of my 1/2 ton Chevy. Break-even would require a car that got double the gas mileage of my truck, 32-40MPG depending on the season.

There are no cars I can fit in that get that kind of fuel economy.

I hear you! That's the problem. I don't have time to be nursing a jalopy, either. I did consider a new car at about $22k, and figured in 4 years when it has 125k on the clock, I'll give it to my new driver son. Yeah, it will have high miles, but at least I know who took care of it... And really good care.

[mkirsch]

If you're driving a lot, you can't just go out and buy some $3K-$5K jalopy. You need a RELIABLE car and reliable cars don't sell for $3K-$5K. That means payment.

I did a lot of calculating at one point, and I could not come out ahead of the game buying a small car to drive instead of my 1/2 ton Chevy. Break-even would require a car that got double the gas mileage of my truck, 32-40MPG depending on the season.

There are no cars I can fit in that get that kind of fuel economy.

[OH48Lt]

Getting another vehicle is expensive, no matter what fuel mileage it gets. It just doesn't work out financially. Not sure you'd like the EB with towing that much weight, and its not the powertrain that makes the difference. The EB can pull that trailer all day long. It just isn't a heavy enough truck for that trailer. Mines a lot lighter, and I just got back from a trip from NW Ohio to the Grand Canyon last month. Towing through Kansas on the way out and New Mexico/Oklahoma on the way back was White Knuckle Time with that crosswind blowing me all over the place. I'll never do that again with a F-150 / travel trailer combo. In the Rockies and in the flatlands with no crosswind, it performed very well.

My suggestion is to look at a newer SuperDuty with the 6.7, and get rid of your current truck. That's a wonderful engine with much better fuel economy than the orphaned 6.4. It might take a while to find a decent used one, but they'll be out there.

[Kampfirekid]

A new or newer truck has been an option I am considering. It seems the 6.7L Stroke is netting better numbers. I may consider a low mileage used truck, or new, since I have great trade value in my truck, and will likely see a mpg gain of 3+. My dad has an '11 and regularly gets 19mpg, where I am usually at 16. With the new tires and cooler temps, I'm closer to 15. Could be since I've been towing quite regularly, too. I'm not sure a car is a good option, anyway. At 6'-5", it's hard to find comfort in a 32+ mpg car, and I've driven trucks as DD as far back as I started driving. I don't like being on the ground.

[JIMNLIN]

A second car doesn't make cents/sense for everyone including myself.

My '03 2500 Dodge/Cummins HO NV5600 3.73 gears averaged 21-21.5 mpg on a 660 mile a week commute.
The truck pulled my 11200 lb 5th wheel RV and my other trailers up to 16k.
I tried the small car thing but cost of the car and fuel/insurance and keeping it reliable for a 110 mile a day commute for a year was adding huge costs.

The OP 6.4 Ford truck doesn't give the best mpgs as my neighbor found out with a brand new '08 6.4 F350 DRW 4x4 crew cab truck. His commute is just over 65 miles a day and at 13-13.5 mpg, high fuel costs was eating him up plus adding 48k miles the first 22 months. He now drives a small two door car. However he says he isn't saving any cash but at least he isn't running the odo up on the DRW.

I would look into a tow truck that can average 20+ mpg not towing for your commute but can pull a 10k trailer.

[aedubber]

You can get the Ecoboost with the HD package on it , this will give you a 2400lb payload . Setup properly they are rated to tow a little over 11k . The way they designed the power band for the turbo/motor setup is ideal for towing . You can always get a tune for the motor to give you a nice jump in HP/TRQ .

9200 is a lot of weight , besides pulling it , you want to think about going down a hill or sudden stops , you might need a heavier truck to keep the TT in control and not have the TT control you . If i was in your shows i would keep your 250 and buy a cheap little Kia or Toyota tercel for your DD . You gotta do the math and see what makes sense for your pocket and future , there is a few different ways around it.

[fla-gypsy]

It might work but towing with the F-150 HD payload will still not give you the same stability you get with the F-250 IMO.