Pulling With The Ford 3.5L Ecoboost.
 

I'm updating my 08 F350. I've been thinking of getting a F150 with the 3.5 ecoboost. I pull a 2500lbs boat every weekend. I also pull a few times a year a 22ft fifth wheel. Not long hauls 2 hours max. A few times a year I pull my fifth wheel and boat at the same time. I know I wouldn't be able to do this with a F150 so I would have to make 2 trips. A f350 would be nice, but if I can pull a single load with a f150 with no problems I might go smaller.

The engine will pull it no problem your challenge will be the truck and GV weight. Look carefully as there is a whole list of different truck configurations and weight limits on the Eco boost. Some are for grocery getters and some for real world towing. I know in the past the better towing models were hard to find on the lots but not sure how the inventory is these days.

Yes even to have the right sized tires.

I have a 2013 FX4 model. I ordered it with the tow package heavy duty rear end for towing. It will pull no problem but it is thirsty when towing. Fuel economy goes from 10.5L per 100km to 28km per 100km. I to around 10% of the time according to the odometer. The truck ha held up great so far. 335000km so far and I have only done brakes and services to the truck.

I did a search on here and there seams to be one issue with it. Sounds like the fuel economy is not good when your pulling. The money you would save on fuel, in a diesel, would pay for the 15 liter oil change diesels need every 7500km.

Above and look for one with towing mirrors.

That still doesn’t help much with the 8000$ premium for the Diesel engine in a heavy duty. You could wait until the new 3.0 power stroke starts coming in this year. Then you could have a smaller truck and a diesel if that’s what suits you. I’m looking for a new truck this year and am waiting to see for that exact thing.

$9950 in Canada.

For the 3.0 or the 6.7?

As I have found out, do the math yourself for the vehicle you are looking at. Not knowing age or brand, most 5th wheels are heavy on the hitch. This counts toward your max payload of the truck, add to that the hitch mounted in the bed. Anything in the truck ( passengers are 300 lbs - just don’t tell the wife) . Just that puts most 5 th wheels over on 1/2 trucks.

I have a 28’ travel trailer, that when we bought as “newbs” the sales people and the the truck numbers from Dodge were good. Which is true on paper if your on flat ground, the is no wind, the wife is bringing a second vehicle with all supplies and you have 4 miles to stop :thinking-006: A little exaggeration. The fuel economy does go out the window.

Long story short do some reading and do the math, don’t just run with the numbers you see on TV or ads.

I've run diesel pickups since 1984, all 3 brands. IMO they only sense if you tow a least 30-40,000km/yr for and keep them for 10 plus yrs. IMM they are nothing but lightduty diesel highway tractor

I just picked up an ‘18 F150 with the 3.5 eccoboost and it’s towing capacity is 10,700lbs so plenty for what I’ll be hauling. Love the 10 speed transmission so far.

That number is only half the equation. Without the Gvw numbers it means nothing. That number may or may not be achievable depending on your weight numbers. Toyota has been famous for that trick for years. They say it can tow 10k lbs but if you stay within legal weight limits it is next to impossible to do so. Whats your Gvw and whats your truck weight? Then see if the numbers really add up. Maybe or maybe not. Sometimes tough to do on a half ton unless you have the right configuration.

My son has one and he can no longer pull with it. The truck acts like it is going to break apart. Can't recall exact details. He took it to ford and of course they said there was nothing wrong. I would not get that engine for pulling.

Most I’m towing is a 16’ flat deck with quads and quad trailer so I’m no where near that limit. Not worried about getting near the max....

What year is it?

2017 they changed the engine some to work out previous issues so it’s a generation II now.

And don't forget, a lot of those ratings for towing capacity are done at sea level. We're a little higher here. The higher you go, the less dense the air (and O2) is.

I've always used a factor of .7 to .8 on the maximums to tow comfortably.

I think it was a 16. He has now traded it on an 18 with same motor. He hasn't pulled with the new one yet so no idea

Hopefully it’s better for him...this is my first kick at a Ford truck. Time will tell

As long as you remember it is a dinky little motor with dual hairblowers you will be fine. If you expect too much you won't be happy. I have a 16 Ecopoof and as a daily driver it is just fine. Put any trailer behind it and you feel it as you would expect. These engines make power through boost so expect heavy consumption.

Don't do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If your towing. No replacement for displacement. When you work the pony’s you better give them lots of sugar to keep up with the clydesdale

This isn’t 1960 anymore lol. Every manufacturer is moving towards smaller displacement turbo diesels and v6’s.

My 2013 3.5 pulls a 26 ft Rockwood (6500 lbs) fine. It’s the length (30ft overall) that I get nervous with at times. And yes, as others have mentioned the mpg pulling sucks. 25-28 litres per 100km is average with that load.
The new gen 3.5’s mated to the 10 speed would be my next purchase.

Went from a 2013 3.5 ecoboost to a 2017 3.5 ecoboost.

With the next generation engine (more power) and the 10 speed transmission I've noticed a huge difference in towing. Very pleased so far with the truck and I've had it a year. Yes, my mileage goes up when towing against wind or over mountain passes, but overall very happy.

When towing with the 2013 to where i hunt in the fall, I'd have to fill up halfway coming and going. Usually had about 30% left in the tank. With the 2017, my mileage was noticeably better.

I tow our 24' no problem, and even our 24' sailboat. and I love my egoboost. In the past I had a GMC with a 6L and pulling a fifthwheel I spend more time at the fuel station than camping.

When towing with any kind of truck be prepared that the fuel economy goes for $++T.

This is the info I have been looking for, the 2017 second Gen ecco boost has 10 more horse and 50 extra lbs torque so it Should be a bit better at towing

The reason they are moving to the smaller turbo charged engines is so they can keep their fuel economy numbers low in order to meet EPA requirements in the States without being penalized. It allows the automaker to cheat the system. They can sell you a vehicle with a turbo-ed small displacement engine that gets great fuel mileage unloaded and still makes enough power for them to make their claims about towing capacity. What they don't tell you or the EPA is that while that engine makes the power to tow, it burns an incredible amount of fuel to do that while putting a much more significant strain on the engine. Your mileage may not be that much different from a larger V8 when towing, but you are certainly putting much more strain on that V6 Engine. Turbos don't make engine components any stronger or tougher.

If you are using the pick-up as a commuter around town, towing light loads, and rarely towing heavy loads and Eco-Boost isn't necessarily a bad idea, but don't be deceived into thinking that engine displacement can be simply replaced by Turbo chargers for every application. A vehicle with a larger engine should tow large loads more reliably with less strain on the engine over the long term.

And when the manufacture posts unrealistic Milage expectations with small displacement engines, the RoadTest/Milage ratings are done using stripped down in similar class vehicles , rear wheel drive (example)as in f150 v6 echo terd engines , under Milage friendly conditions , then post those Milage ratings to the public, and gullible joe public gets screwed ,

In the 1970s I spent time and money building carburated small block chevy v8 engines for the quarter mile strip, many of those small block Chevys would make better Or equal quarter mile times than similar cars with the carburated big blocks',,,,

But the small blocks would only last a couple of trips, then blow up or need rebuild,

Smaller CAN make big power, but it comes at a cost,

FUEL and ENGINE LIFE

Bigger gas engines aren’t any better. My Ram 2500 with 4.10 gears and the 6.4 hemi got 8 mpg pulling heavy and crappy gas mileage not pulling. So I’m happy with decent mileage in the ecoboost when not pulling.

Yes, it was noticeably better for me, and I tend to accelerate fairly hard most times.