Ford Ecoboost towing

[scoobydoo]

Now that the season is winding down has anyone used a f150 eco for towing on a few trips? Wondering how the power and gas mileage actually is. I pull a four place inline right now with an f150 5.4 liter and its all that the truck wants. So i am thinking about upgrading this summer. I avg. about 9 mpg at 75 mph with my truck, when we use a duramax diesel its about 10.5 mpg. The diesel has a ton more power, but i have a hard time coughing up the extra money for the little better fuel economy. Just wondering how the ecoboost might do?

[fgsacts]

I purchased the Ecobtoost this fall and have towed my 29' in line steel trailer with it. I can honestly say that this truck tows about 90% as well as any diesel that I have owned (7.3 Powerstroke, Duramax, 6.4 Powerstroke). I figure my trailer is somewhere in the 7000lb range when full loaded with four sleds. I average 8.0/mpg when towing at 75. Around 9 mpg if I stay between 65-70. Not towing I average 21 mpg highway if I stay at 65, 18 if stay at 70, and 16.5 if I stay at 75. Day in day out driving which is mostly in town with some interstate, I average 16.5. Overall I am very happy with the truck and would purchase again. Mine is 4x4 Super Crew, 6.5' bed, with 3.73 rear end. I have the Max Towing package also. I loved my diesels but was driving the truck 365 days a year that I really needed only 20 or so.

[scoobydoo]

Thanks for the reply. Do you like the tranny? My biggest pet peeve is the constant shifting in and out, if it even sees a hill or hears a headwind it is in and out. My trans temp stays pretty cool, but cant imagine its good on it.

[fusionfool]

I am also interested in all of the facts for the EcoBoost. I have an inline RnR with two sleds. I tow with a Chevy Avalanche now and get at best 10.5 mpg at 70 mph and in hills, and about 11.5 mpg at 60 mph. Or constant 9 mpg if I run E85 regardless what speed I go. The problem is finding E85 as I get north.
Mine also shifts in and out of low gear for even the small grade hills. With tow haul on my trans temp is about 165° F or if I take tow hauls off it will run about 175° F. I run tow haul on most of the way up to the UP from central WI just to be safe.

[eagle1]

Liked what I'am hearing about the the ecoboost. Loved testing driving one, that engine definitely has torque, wow. So I ordered one!!!!!!!!! Should be here by end of April.

Don't test drive one unless you are serioulsy thinking of getting a new truck because you will want to get one. Trust me.

[LarryD]

Just pulled an 18 ft enclosed tool trailer 1700 miles to Florida. Trailer was 7,000 lbs. Averaged 7 mpg on interstate. Plenty of power but not impressed with economy at all. Wind really whipped it around also. Took I took the standard tires off with 2,000 miles and put E rated tires on. That helped and will get sway bars.

[jts007]

You guys that are pulling the inline trailers with the ecoboost still runnin the stock P metric tires, or did you put on some E rated tires?

[mspease]

If your tranny is constantly shifting, you need to run the tranny with the OD off. I never tow with the OD on, that's the quickest way to ruin the tranny. If you can find an area where it isn't constantly searching for the right gear, then maybe you can run with OD on. I still run with it off.

[srt20]

Im on some RV forums too. Some guys over there love the power, but arent real impressed with the MPGs. Just what Ive read. I dont own one.

[700classic]

OK, not impressed with the mileage? Overall or just when towing?

[samc]

Our 05 1500 Silverado 4x4 (not a Z71) is getting 20 hwy and 15 city. We tow our 23 inline (with 4 sleds and gear) and get 11 mpg at 70, in drive, not in OD. I have not heard of the ecoboost doing much better. I thought the ecoboost was suppose to get around 25 mpg or better?

[fgsacts]

I have not noticed a shifting problem with the trans but I always tow in "tow mode." Can't say enough good things about the truck if you can get past the fuel economy when towing a heavy load. Like I said before, I only tow less than 20 days a year so I was looking for a truck more suitable for my day in and day out driving. I still have the stock tires on as well. The truck does move around a little more than my diesels but nothing that I has made me concerned. I use a load distributing hitch when towing the 29 footer which cuts down on this. I towed my buddy's two place enclosed one trip and averaged around 11 mpg running between 70 and 75 mph if that helps anyone out. Also, all of the numbers that I am stating are based on the digital read out on the dash and not hand calculated. I hand calculated the first 5 tanks of gas I put in the truck after I bought it and confirmed that the digital read out was fairly accurate. Within a couple tenths of a mile. I stopped hand calculating after that.

[fusionfool]

I have not noticed a shifting problem with the trans but I always tow in "tow mode." Can't say enough good things about the truck if you can get past the fuel economy when towing a heavy load. Like I said before, I only tow less than 20 days a year so I was looking for a truck more suitable for my day in and day out driving. I still have the stock tires on as well. The truck does move around a little more than my diesels but nothing that I has made me concerned. I use a load distributing hitch when towing the 29 footer which cuts down on this. I towed my buddy's two place enclosed one trip and averaged around 11 mpg running between 70 and 75 mph if that helps anyone out. Also, all of the numbers that I am stating are based on the digital read out on the dash and not hand calculated. I hand calculated the first 5 tanks of gas I put in the truck after I bought it and confirmed that the digital read out was fairly accurate. Within a couple tenths of a mile. I stopped hand calculating after that.

Thanks for the info. With my two place inline, I am still considering the Ecoboost. I used to have a 2001 Duramax and miss the torque. One more question. When you are going up hill at 60 and need to pass, do you have the torque and power to do so comfortably, at least close to a diesel? I know it is not a diesel, and I should not expect equal, but when you stated earlier you felt it was about 90% as good towing, I wanted to clarify a bit. Thanks again. Maybe we could all try your truck out just to be sure it is right for us

[eagle1]

fusionfool- go test drive one you wont be disappointed by the hp/torque.

As for gas , well if anybody buys a truck for gas mileage your gonna be disappointed. If I can get 18 in every day driving I'll be happy, can't be any worse than my '01 Chevy. Towing mileage doesn't seam all that great but I don't tow enough to worry about that.

Here's a Ford forum that I visit. http://www.f150forum.com/f38/
Lot's of good info and reading.

[grub]

Have 3 buds with ecoboost sixes. All happy about power. All dissapointed with mileage. 14.4 pulling open 2 place with 2 sleds at 59 mph. No trouble with hills or passing but my 2001 GMC 327 gets just as good if not better mileage. They sell them with the test drive 'heavy foot demonstration' but the mileage isn't there. Ford's 5.4 will get you just as good mileage and even more power.

[anonomoose]

yeah, what Grub said...

Also these have not had enough time on them to see how they hold up running those twin turbochargers over the long haul. Turbos aren't noted for good mileage...more for getting more from smaller engines. I would give them a few years to get the bugs out...but that's me!

[fusionfool]

Don't get me wrong, I would never buy a vehicle for mpg while towing. I do not tow enough to ever recover the cost. However for a vehicle that would get better mpg for every day use maybe. From what I see right now mpg would be a wash for me. With the Chevy Avalanche with Flex fuel and the adjustable cyl cut down, I am getting about 18 mpg every day use. If I really baby her, I can squeak 21 mpg, but that is not the way I drive.

[scott_b]

I have heard from a few people that the rear end gear in the ecoboost motors makes a big difference in MPG. The max tow package gives you 3.73 gearing where the "normal" model has 3.55 or 3.31. It seems that most who buy the truck to tow go with the higher gearing and thus are spinning the motor faster. A guy I work with has a super crew with the 3.55 (9,600 lbs tow rating) and is getting an average of 20 mpg on his daily drive (mix of hwy and suburban streets). His best was 200 miles of hwy doing 65-70 and got just shy of 25. He doesn't tow much so no report on the mileage with a load.

[grub]

When you get right down to it most folks do not tow that much. Sure it would be nice to have a rig that did everything well but if you have to choose go with a mileage package. Grin and bear the few times you actually have to drag something around. Or better yet use a buddie's rig that is built specifically to tow. It reminds me of the guys around here that buy Assaults that go to the mountains for 1 week a year. Don't get me wrong - Assaults are nice sleds but it is FLAT here and we don't get feet and feet of snow.

[heckler56]

I have over 8,000 miles on my EcoBoost and have about 2,000 miles pulling my enclosed 23' inline trailer with one sled. The engine pulls similar to the diesels I have had. As some have noted, it is lighter than a diesel and can float a little. As for mileage, I got 9mpg pulling and not much better than 15mpg on the open road.

I love the truck, but I am disappointed with the mileage. My Excursion 6.0 would get 14mpg pulling (and you never knew anything was behind you) and up to 22mpg on the open road.

If you go to the F150 forum you can read up on both sides of the opinion and mileage results. Some folks are seeing much higher mileage than I am. My son also bought a F150, but went with the 3.55 rear end and a 5.0. He gets over 20mpg on the open road but he has never towed.

As others have said, if you test it you will go home with one.

[catalac]

I have over 8,000 miles on my EcoBoost and have about 2,000 miles pulling my enclosed 23' inline trailer with one sled. The engine pulls similar to the diesels I have had. As some have noted, it is lighter than a diesel and can float a little. As for mileage, I got 9mpg pulling and not much better than 15mpg on the open road.

I love the truck, but I am disappointed with the mileage. My Excursion 6.0 would get 14mpg pulling (and you never knew anything was behind you) and up to 22mpg on the open road.

If you go to the F150 forum you can read up on both sides of the opinion and mileage results. Some folks are seeing much higher mileage than I am. My son also bought a F150, but went with the 3.55 rear end and a 5.0. He gets over 20mpg on the open road but he has never towed.

As others have said, if you test it you will go home with one.

I was going to say, holy smokes, my 05 GMC gets 12 to 13 towing a 2 place with salt shield. I certainly thought the eco boost would get better than that.

[Skylar]

I don't care what truck it is, stock, when you are pulling anything, you get crap mileage. If you are pulling into the wind, it's even worse.

My buddy has a 06 Dodge 3500 crew cab, 4x4, dually, Cummins, 4.10 gears. Heading to Tog last Friday into the wind, 4 place open, two sleds on it, 69 mph, 10 mpg. On the way home Thursday, wind behind us, 14 mpg.

[doospunk]

I don't care what truck it is, stock, when you are pulling anything, you get crap mileage. If you are pulling into the wind, it's even worse.

My buddy has a 06 Dodge 3500 crew cab, 4x4, dually, Cummins, 4.10 gears. Heading to Tog last Friday into the wind, 4 place open, two sleds on it, 69 mph, 10 mpg. On the way home Thursday, wind behind us, 14 mpg.

Sounds like a Dodge thing or problem buddy. Buy a Ford or Chevy!! haha! Have a cold one for me tomorrow.

[anonomoose]

While the turbo is nice, I am not sure you EVER recoop the cost to pay $900 extra for the turbo boost. Ford is throwing this engine in a bunch of their machines. When you compare the stock engine mileage to the eco...it is minimal at best. I suspect that Ford is pushing this motor so that it qualifies on the credits that go along with smaller displacement engines. But that's just my guess. I do believe that turbos will find their way into more and more of the market. Given the life of a turbo, cost to buy it and potential repair costs, I am not sold on them yet.

On a sled...whole different story...fun factor is well worth the costs.

[sixball]

I think if you look at the history of turbo's you will find they are not a maintenance issue at all. You can find issues but like anything you see the bad but don't hear about the many
In this case you get so much usable power both low end and over its entire RPM range.
Just think most big rigs have turbo's and put hundreds of thousands of miles on them. Many farm tractors and heave equipment.
I think if it fits your need the turbo reliability is not an issue. JMHO