We have had four motorhomes over the last 40 years. We sold the last one last year and still miss the RV lifestyle. We are considering buying a used Ford F150 truck to use around town and traveling short distances with a light weight small travel trailer. We currently have neither the truck or trailer. We are looking at 2015-2019 used Ford F-150 with a V6 3.5 liter, 24v Eco-boost engine with a tow package. We see a lot of the 2.7 liter Eco-boost engines. Does anyone have experience with either of these engines and how much weight are you towing? Thanks.

Tow often with my BIL who pulls a 32ft 7800lb trailer with relative ease with his 3.5 Eco but tounge weight gobbles up the wimpy payload. WDH should be mandatory with half tons.

Short distances with a lightweight small TT can be done with mid size SUVs and midsize pickups. Either truck you describe will be more than well suited for that duty.

Ford markets several packages for the F150. They all can come with max tow option and the 3.5 EB engine. From the top down; #1. 7850 gvwr...4800 rawr....2500 lb in the bed payloads. #2. 7600 gvwr...4550 rawr... 2200 lb in the bed payloads #3. 7050 gvwr...4050 rawr... 1800 lb in the bed payloads #4. 6800 gvwr...3800 rawr...1500 lb in the bed payloads. Max tow doesn't mean what it says but just a name Ford gave it. Its a really nice to have option for towing duties;**Available on XL, XLT, LARIAT, King Ranch®, and Platinum models. Includes:• 3.55 Electronic-locking rear-axle• 4-pin/7-pin wiring harness• 36 Gallon fuel tank• Auxiliary transmission oil cooler• Engine oil cooler• Class IV trailer hitch receiver• Pro Trailer Backup Assist with Tailgate LED• Smart Trailer Tow Connector (standard on LARIAT and higher)• Integrated Trailer Brake Controller• Upgraded front stabilizer bar• Upgraded rear bumperRequires 3.5L EcoBoost® engine. Does not include Trailer Tow Mirrors. Trailer Tow Mirrors are a standalone option and must be ordered separately.Max GCWR/Max Tow achieved on SuperCrew® when equipped with 20-inch Wheels. This configuration will also come equipped with max springs, steering gear, and upgraded stabilizer bar.**

Why violate the rule? Buy or select the TT/5er first then match a tow vehicle to it.

I have a 2018 F150 Supercrew 6 1/2ft bed #.5 eb with the max tow package. It tows my (almost) 6,000 lb trailer with ease.

Pickup truck advice | Good Sam Community

valhalla360
Navigator
Feb 24, 2020
JL7456 wrote:
To define "small TT",less than 28ft and under 7000# and probably an ultra-lite.

Assuming that's the fully loaded weight...you are probably around 900-1000lb for the hitch weight. Assuming 300lb for you and the misses...the lower payload trucks will be an issue unless you run completely empty in the truck. If you put a cap on it and carry firewood, you may need to be toward the higher end of the payload rated trucks.

Also the 2.7l turbo may be over the tow rating. The 3.5l turbo should be fine for pulling power.

If that's the empty weight...it gets worse.

PS: Ultra-Lite is a marketing term that means absolutely nothing.
Grit_dog
Navigator
Feb 23, 2020
Lwiddis you win. I stand corrected.
OP just called small at sub 28’ and can’t tell from his post if talking sub 7k Uvw or gvw.
He’s already firmly in the med size category and we haven’t even heard his wife’s demands ( I mean wishes...lol).
But 3.5 Eco with any gears will still do it without thinking.
Grit_dog
Navigator
Feb 23, 2020
Lwiddis wrote:
Why violate the rule? Buy or select the TT/5er first then match a tow vehicle to it.

Only a rule in your world bud.
Most of the world doesn’t use pickups to tow campers primarily. But many get a camper to use with their truck.
Besides some here could screw up a 1 car funeral. Op want a little trailer and talking about a new eco boost. Either version. No analysis needed.
If his definition of “little” is 34’ and 5 tons , that’s his problem, but he probably means small when he says small.
bikendan
Explorer
Feb 23, 2020
Lwiddis wrote:
Why violate the rule? Buy or select the TT/5er first then match a tow vehicle to it.

^^^^^^THIS! Figure out which TT you want and then select the properly spec'd F150 to tow it. The f150 has too many variations to simply just pick one.
A higher trim level F150 will generally have lower payload capacities.
I have a 2014 F150 SCREW 4x4 Ecoboost with the Max Tow package that I selected to tow the particular TT we wanted to buy.
When shopping, focus on PAYLOAD CAPACITY, not towing capacity.
Thermoguy
Explorer II
Feb 23, 2020
B&W has a great source for finding the towing and payload of most any truck.

Here is the link:

https://www.bwtrailerhitches.com/towing-help-bumper
JL7456
Explorer
Feb 23, 2020
To define "small TT",less than 28ft and under 7000# and probably an ultra-lite.

Also thanks to JIMNLIN for the very detailed list of specs and details about Ford trucks.

Thanks again to everyone for their advice and comments!
JIMNLIN
Explorer III
Feb 23, 2020
I know that you would normally purchase the TT first and then find the truck to match, but because of the limited towing and the weight of the TT I feel I can safely do it in the reverse order.

Its rare we see a poster saying he bought the trailer first.
Most folks buy the horse then match the cart to it.

Just make sure the horse has enough axle/tire/wheel/rear spring pack capacity to carry the load in the bed.
valhalla360
Navigator
Feb 23, 2020
Define "Small" for us.
- A 15ft, 2000lb single axle trailer...you are golden with just about any spec truck.
- A 30ft 9000lb dual axle trailer...some of the lighter duty spec'd trucks may have capacity limit issues.
JL7456
Explorer
Feb 23, 2020
Thank you for all your answers so far. Very good information. I know that you would normally purchase the TT first and then find the truck to match, but because of the limited towing and the weight of the TT I feel I can safely do it in the reverse order.
theoldwizard1
Explorer II
Feb 23, 2020
The biggest problem with F150 is knowing what towing options it has. This greatly affect it payload and towing capacity.