Eco boost and 1500 miles

[steve3007]

Hey there, I see so many discussion about towing, economy and the right vehicle for it. Here our little story I like to share for our vacation trip from Dallas, TX to Key Largo, FL.
Let's first talk about the setup: 1 X Ford F-150 Ecoboost, 1 X Cherokee 274DBH, EZ Hitch, 2X Children, 1 X wife, 1X dog and me. Everything was loaded for 1 month vacation and I do not need to tell you what this means with 3 girls.
Let's now talk about the planning: I did not mention that we are completely newbies, didn't I? So I was very nervous about the trip. That's why we decided the trip into 4 stages around 300-400 miles a day. We towed another trailer and ours several times this year and due to traffic and setup I was concerned about frequent gas station visits.
Let's talk about the reality: We made it. And it was an easy trip when sitting in the car for 6-7 hours a day is considered easy. But let's don't talk about my rear but about facts. We drove about 1500 miles and used roughly 160 gal of gas by towing about 7200 pound. The landing point is about 9 miles/gal. There are several inputs how we got to this "good" value. While we drove in TX, MS ans some part of FL we almost never exceeded 61mil/h and always had cruise control on as much as possible. When we got close to sea level and the area was very flat we accelerated to 70 mil/h.
Summary: the truck did well but I would have expected more power coming out of the promised 375 toque and 365 hp. It almost always shifted down when we hit an overpass or a little increase on the road. It was a little bit better after switching from unleaded to premium but it did not add the missing power. A little bit different than I see on the commercial. The behavior of the setup was great. With the EZ sway control and weight distribution it was easy to get passed and pass semis. The way back is planned in only 3 stages which will probably destroy the 9 mil/gal but I hope to end up at least at 8. Something bigger with a Diesel engine would be certainly great but I heard that that gas miles not necessarily increases.
I will give an update when we are back in Dallas.
Please feel free to send questions and comments

[Learjet]

I would not exceed 65 mph cruising for the sake of your tires. Also, you may have a better ride/less downshifting and better mileage if you lock out 6 th gear.

[jgroff]

I have a couple of questions.

what are the specs of your truck? max tow, payload pkg, what diff gear ratio
stock tires ?

[DF5.4]

Ford recommends premium when towing heavier loads with the EcoBoost. A friend of mine saw a noticeable improvement when he switched.

[Baldicon]

I have a 2012 F150 Ecoboost and pull a Coachmen 30BHS. The last time to the scales weighed in at a little over 8000lbs. We have made four trips to Florida and back to Chattanooga and usually average 10+ mpg. I usually drive 60-65 and no complaints about power, but I do keep in mind that it is not a diesel. On other trips I have gotten anywhere from 9.5 to 12mpg, and I always run premium with tires filled to max sidewall pressure. I do lock out 6th gear and truck equipped with 3.55 gears.

[RooVader]

Glad you had a successful trip! That does seem like a pretty heavy load so I am not surprised the Eco was straining. Your camper is at the upper end of the scale for a half ton and you had a lot of cargo. I can't imagine you weren't pretty far over payload specs...so as a fellow Eco owner I am pretty impressed it worked out and netted you 9 per gallon. I usually only get 10 or 11 and my trailer is 4k and I rarely have passengers when towing.

[Stormrider151]

Did you use the tow/haul mode on your truck? My trailer weighs about the same loaded and rarely shifts below 5th gear. It seems to like 5th gear when towing. On flat terrain it shifts to 6th and stays there. Mine has a 3.73 gear and Max tow.

[acadianbob]

The shifting issue may be your gear set? We pull 5,500 pounds at 62 mph and the truck virtually NEVER shifts out of 6th gear. It takes one heck of a grade to ever hit 4th gear and 2,500 RPM.

Even with our 3.73 gear set, we are only turning 1,700 RPM at 62 mph. If you have a lower numerical gear set, you may very well be at too low a RPM to realistically expect it not to shift.

As previously posted, try locking out 6th gear. Make sure you are using tow haul mode and premium gas. I've noticed that the truck does hold its gears better when using premium.

[Scootdawg]

Contrats on the trip.


I have a 2014 SCREW Ecoboost with Cooper HT3 tires and Riderite 5000 airbags. Pulling my 8289ws 5th wheel I am getting a constant 9 mpg. I use cruise control most of the time set for 62 -63 mph. Plenty of power, but the gas mileage has me thinking of an upgrade to a diesel while I am still working and not 100% retired yet.


Most of the time its just me, DW, and 9 pound yapper traveling.

[305RESGUY]

Good luck with the EcoBoost. I had major problems with my 2012 EcoBoost near the 39K mark that the dealer couldn't fix (I won't bore you with the details) so I dumped it for a Diesel of another make.

I now easily pull my rig (305RES as per my user name) and I've significantly increased my gas mileage. Add to that the increased power, exhaust braking advantage, etc., etc. Now that I've gone Diesel, I'll never go back

[Greying]

I am curious to find where it says to use premium when towing. I have a 2013 F 150 4x4 ecoboost with 3.55, max towing pgk, I tow a 24ft Salem 5th wheel and get anywhere from 12-13 at 95KPH to 10 imp mpg at 110 KPH in hilly Northern Ontario using reg gas.

[MilCop4523]

we haul the 31 foot Salem withthe Ecoboost and i use Shell V power in it. it gives me better performance hands down.

[Stormrider151]

Originally Posted by 305RESGUY

Good luck with the EcoBoost. I had major problems with my 2012 EcoBoost near the 39K mark that the dealer couldn't fix (I won't bore you with the details) so I dumped it for a Diesel of another make.

I now easily pull my rig (305RES as per my user name) and I've significantly increased my gas mileage. Add to that the increased power, exhaust braking advantage, etc., etc. Now that I've gone Diesel, I'll never go back

I'd be interested in knowing what problems you had with your EB. Most of what I've read folks rave about thier trucks. I like to be able to keep an eye out for potential problems. Thanks a bunch.

[Happy Vibe]

Page 202 of owners manual http://www.fordservicecontent.com/Fo.../13f12om3e.pdf
3.5L V6 EcoBoost engine
“Regular” unleaded gasoline with a pump (R+M)/2 octane rating of 87 is
recommended. Some stations offer fuels posted as “Regular” with an
octane rating below 87, particularly in high altitude areas. Fuels with
octane levels below 87 are not recommended. Premium fuel will provide
improved performance and is recommended for severe duty usage such
as trailer tow."

[Toby]

I think it comes down to driving habits and environment as well as each ones unique situation. Results are going to vary. For me the EB does a fantastic job towing and doubles as a daily driver. My camper is about 6500 give or take fully loaded. It pulls well. Key is trying to keep it under 65 which is hard to do with the power it has. I'm approaching the 50k mark on the odometer. Every make and model of every kind of vehicle will have not so happy owners just like every president has non-approvers (some more than others). There are countless threads to keep anyone busy on the forums (here and elsewhere). The same also holds true for tires.


Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums

[dcheatwood]

Nice trip. I apologize for the bad roads in Louisiana. Glad you made it.
Couple of questions.
Are you using st trailer tires? If so the max speed is likely 65 mph.
Why would the mpg change on the return trip by making it one less day?
Big difference in mpg between 60 mph and 70 mph. Good luck.

[Greying]

I wonder if the difference in price between regular and premium will be paid for in performance or fuel mileage improvement.

[Happy Vibe]

I don't think you will get any mileage improvement. What the premium will allow is for the turbos to develop full boost. If the engine computer detects any pinging in the engine with regular fuel it will change the timing and cut the boost till it goes away, this will lower the output power of the engine.

[onetonford]

[QUOTE= Something bigger with a Diesel engine would be certainly great but I heard that that gas miles not necessarily increases.
I will give an update when we are back in Dallas.
Please feel free to send questions and comments[/QUOTE]

I pull a 9700 pound fiver usually weighs in at 10000 loaded and get 13.5 so I am confused by this it is a big difference if I pull lighter trailer have gotten as high as 15.

[acadianbob]

Originally Posted by Greying

I wonder if the difference in price between regular and premium will be paid for in performance or fuel mileage improvement.

You will not get better fuel mileage. But you will notice the truck holding gears better under load increases. Whether that is worth it or not is up to you.