Towing with 3.5 eco boost

[Weldor]

The new Ford diesels also do really well with the 10 speeds. My buddies gets well over 20mpg.

BUT, that truck costs $15k+ more than a comparably eco boost, weighs 8,000 pounds, uses 2 $100+ fuel filters, 3 gallons of oil, $7k set of injectors, money to delete it if that's your thing, etc etc.

It's surprising that on a board so obsesses with optimizing equipment to the use case, big diesel trucks get so much love. They're really horrible from a cost benefit perspective unless you need the capability. Few people need that for private ownership and are very well service financially to go with something like a half ton eco boost ford. They're really great trucks for what they are designed for - private ownership with lots of lightly loaded driving and occasional towing of normal stuff (5k pounds or less).

Mines a 18' only work done to it are oil and filter changes. zero issue's and I haul grade in excess heat in AZ. all year. filters are pretty much the same price as a gasser except for the fuel filters (2). The old argument about maintainence cost is wives tail. Any truck that goes to a shop is big money gasser or diesel. If you don't tow a lot or do tow a lot diesel will out last any gasser out there.

 

[Sccritterkiller]

The same way your 2500 is superior for HD usage, the 1500 is superior for daily driving. Both can wear either hat to a certain extent, it's just a preference thing.

I also doubt you truly average 13mpg with 35's pulling a skid. I would hand calculate it.

4.30 gears from the factory and a 10 sp transmission...

 

[Choupique]

The old argument about maintainence cost is wives tail.

It isn't. It's a real thing. Total cost of ownership of a modern diesel truck is higher than a modern gas truck of similar configuration. We've done this experiment with fleet vehicles, so an actual data set with meaningful numbers of vehicles (2000 - ish). Anything under 10k lbs GVWR it's usually a massive savings to get a gasser. 14k and under (dually 1 ton) you're still usually coming out ahead with gas but it's close to a wash depending on how it gets used and if anything breaks. 16k+ we just buy diesels. One failure of anything important on a diesel engine throws the numbers way over into favor for the gasser.

I get consumables (oil filters etc) at nearly a 50% discount vs street price and maintenance on a diesel is still higher than on any gas truck at dealership over the counter prices. Fuel is universally more expensive. From purely a money perspective, you're going to be disappointed if you sit down and do the math accurately.

 

[Weldor]

It isn't. It's a real thing. Total cost of ownership of a modern diesel truck is higher than a modern gas truck of similar configuration. We've done this experiment with fleet vehicles, so an actual data set with meaningful numbers of vehicles (2000 - ish). Anything under 10k lbs GVWR it's usually a massive savings to get a gasser. 14k and under (dually 1 ton) you're still usually coming out ahead with gas but it's close to a wash depending on how it gets used and if anything breaks. 16k+ we just buy diesels. One failure of anything important on a diesel engine throws the numbers way over into favor for the gasser.

I get consumables (oil filters etc) at nearly a 50% discount vs street price and maintenance on a diesel is still higher than on any gas truck at dealership over the counter prices. Fuel is universally more expensive. From purely a money perspective, you're going to be disappointed if you sit down and do the math accurately.

can't compare diesel fleet to gasser fleet fairy tail. I drove a fleet weld trucks for 30 plus years they are not treated the same as a personal vehicle. The gasser's in our fleet over 400 were down cosistantly. People drove them hard and treated them like a diesel let idle for 8 to 10 hours a day. There is a hugh difference in fleet and personal vehicles. Never had a gasser get over 60,000 when set up as a service weld truck. Our diesels all ran to well over 250,000 mandatory retirement.

 

[Beendare]

Towing with my ‘14, ‘18 and ‘23 over the years. Same 16’x7’ tandem cargo trailer. There’s two full size quads, 100 L of water, wall tent, wood stove, coolers, cooking gears, moose recovery gear, chainsaws, winch, etc… in there. In the bed of the truck is my moose recovery trailer and 4-5 25 L gas cans.

From your pics, it sure looks like that truck is borderline overloaded

 

[Beendare]

Good advice here from @SDHTR,

I see 1/2 tons going down the highway every day totally overloaded- (mostly Mexican gardeners).
Many folks don't understand the GVW ratings...ad some weight in the truck...then add a trailer on a 1/2 ton with 6 ply tires= trouble.

I drove a half ton for about 7 years after coming from 3/4 ton trucks. The ride is much nicer no doubt...but I think these Companies are doing people a disservice advertising these trucks as towing monsters and making them think they can tow a house.

Sure they can tow light stuff no problem....but when the weight creeps up, SD called it....you are asking for trouble from a turbo charged small displacement motor and tranny and all the heat it generates. My 1/2 ton towing a 5,000# trailer in the mountains gets way too hot.

 

[Choupique]

There is a hugh difference in fleet and personal vehicles. Never had a gasser get over 60,000 when set up as a service weld truck

We get dramatically better life than that out of the gas vehicles and they are have service beds and ride around at max GVWR, idle all day, etc. Most make it to 250k miles with no major failures. The diesels generally do as well, but across the board at a higher total cost of ownership and in some cases dramatically higher. The few half tons we have also usually make it to 250k without anything bad happening.

Point being, a half ton gas truck makes the most sense for most people who need a truck. Total cost of ownership for a private vehicle is going to skew even more dramatically in favor of a half ton gas truck vs a HD diesel truck vs a fleet. The difference is less significant for half ton gas vs HD gas, but still there. The half tons made today are incredibly good, particularly the eco boosts.

 

[wind gypsy]

A 5k travel trailer will be nearly invisible behind a current gen 3.5L. The torque is impressive, and they will pull hills at a very low RPM. 7k+ isn't a problem either, although you will want a weight distributing hitch at that point.

You will usually run out of payload (tongue weight) long before hitting the theoretical max tow capacity. And you don't want to go anywhere near 13,000 lbs with something boxy like a travel trailer or the tail WILL wag the dog. Braking is handled by the trailer, so that isn't so much of an issue.

^this.

3.5EB torque will pull anything you dare hook up to it without issue. My tractor on a trailer is pushing 10k lb and my 16' and 22' Crew cab, long box f150 3.5EB accelerate and pull it easily. It's just that the truck isn't heavy enough to handle in squirely conditions. Not a concern for me moving the tractor 50 miles in/out of storage for winter but i wouldn't want to pull it on a regular basis.

I've also talked to folks with early model 3.5s that have the issue overheating while towing in the mountains. I have pulled a 6x12 enclosed trailer across the country multiple times at 80+ MPH without issue with a '16 3.5 and have pulled 2 llamas around the mountains as well without issue but not a ton of experience towing heavy in the mountains.

 

[PDM]

Amazing motor and will definitely pull but the fuel consumption with even the lightest loads will suffer greatly. Pulling a small trailer with a golf cart will reduce the mileage 5-8 mpg. Buck a slight wind with same load and you're down to 13-14 mpg. Without any load mine would get at best 23.5, never got any better and conditions would have to be near perfect to get those numbers. Fun to drive with an empty load though.

 

[Choupique]

Buck a slight wind with same load and you're down to 13-14 mpg.

I don't get a whole lot better than that towing my ~ 5k pound boat with a 2018 cummins. I might get 16 mpg if I try to and don't have a regen but 15 is more likely going to happen.

Towing is a work problem. Towing the exact same load on the exact same day in the exact same way with two similar trucks is going to yield similar fuel consumption numbers. No direct injected gas engine truck is dramatically more efficient than any other one. Most of the fuel burn increase from more powerful vehicles is due to people towing faster with them.

 

[markuslively]

Pulling heavy from a power standpoint has never been a question. Get them in a crosswind and I think you will find yourself puckered up pretty quickly. That's where they start to fail to me. Not necessarily the truck's fault. Just is what it is.

 

[Choupique]

have the issue overheating while towing in the mountains.

Need more RPMS! Downshift it until its close to redlined if slowing down isnt an option.

The biggest offender to making engines overheat is towing uphill in too high of a gear.

 

[ThorM465]

Pulling heavy from a power standpoint has never been a question. Get them in a crosswind and I think you will find yourself puckered up pretty quickly. That's where they start to fail to me. Not necessarily the truck's fault. Just is what it is.

I pulled a small skid steer with attachments one time with my old 93 Ford Ranger. I had no problem getting off the line. I got passed by a semi once on the interstate and my b hole puckered up right into my throat as it got real squirrely.

 

[CodyAK]

I had a 2014 F-150, max tow, 3.5 eco boost. Was it able to tow the weight? Sure. But pulling my 16' enclosed would put you in a death wobble whenever the anti trailer way would kick in. Economy was always in the single digits. Went back to a 3/4t Diesel. No I have a 3/4t hemi, no complaints, other than I don't have the torque that my older cummins did. Will be going back to a diesel in the next couple years.