Ford F-150 Eco Boost

Triathletedave · 01-09-2012, 05:56 PM

OK, I wanted to start a new thread because the other ones were becoming quite lengthy. I am also keenly interested in the new Eco-Beast, and I even went to a dealer to see if I could find one to test drive.

After speaking with the dealer rep, he informed me that the F-150 Eco Boost model (Crew Cab 4X4 with 6'5" box) with the max tow package would NOT be suitable for towing my trailer. I have a Surveyor SV-294, and the actual loaded weight comes in at ~6,500 lbs (excluding water - I try to avoid the extra weight). The trailer is 29'4" long, and is 33'0" bumper to hitch point. I was told that the towing capacity was sufficient, but that the trailer was TOO LONG to tow with this F-150. He also mentioned something about the trailer frontal surface area being too large for the truck. He insists that I need an F-250 to handle this trailer.

Needless to say, I was very surprised as I am currently towing the same trailer with a GMC 1500 Z71 4X4 Crew cab with a 5'6" box and the trailering package. The current truck is OK, but I travel the BC mountain passes at least 6 times a year with this rig, and I want to be comfortable with handling and safety.

Should I believe this dealer, or the specs on the Ford website? I want to avoid a diesel TV, so I was really hoping that this would work for me!

acadianbob · 01-09-2012, 08:09 PM

He is trying to "up sell" you. That is pure crapola. What you have described for the Ecoboost will handle the 294 just fine. Buy from somebody else.

teamgl · 01-09-2012, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Triathletedave

Should I believe this dealer, or the specs on the Ford website? I want to avoid a diesel TV, so I was really hoping that this would work for me!

This is the first time that I've heard of a dealer saying "That's too much trailer for the TV."

Here's a link to the 2011 towing guide for the F150 -- Can't find the 2012, but imagine that it is the same or similar.

http://www.ford.com/resources/ford/g..._F150nov18.pdf

Unfortunately, the guide says nothing about the length of the trailer - BUT does mention a 60s.f. frontal area -- anything larger will not produce optimal performance.

Will this truck work for your trailer? I would say yes.

aujmr1970 · 01-09-2012, 09:15 PM

My uncle pulls your same trailer with a 06 Ford F150 crewcab 4x2 small v8 with no problems

teamgl · 01-09-2012, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aujmr1970

My uncle pulls your same trailer with a 06 Ford F150 crewcab 4x2 small v8 with no problems

Hi Mike --

Looking at your signature, I'm glad to see that you tow this same camper with your '10 Titan (great truck BTW).

Davd - You should have NP pulling this camper with an ecoboost.

If the dealer referenced above has an EB in stock (that meets your needs) - snap it up. - but thou shalt talk him down wilst low balling-ist the towing capabilities.

Triathletedave · 01-10-2012, 08:39 AM

Thanks for the feedback folks! I really appreciate getting direct owner feedback and real life examples!

I was wondering if the sales rep was pulling a fast one, but he did have some credibility as he used to be a TT salesman before going to a Ford shop. BTW, the same rep also told me that Ford is NOT putting the eco-boost into anything larger than the 150. The redesign is supposed to bring it down to 3.3 litre from 3.5, and there are no versions larger than 3.5 litre on the books. Not sure if that rings true or not.

I will certainly look into the truck at another dealer, but I have a couple of requirements that may force me to special order: I need 6 passenger capacity along with the Max tow package, and I would also like a few of the upscale features like the back-up camera, integrated brake controller, and other creature comforts.

Guess I better get back out there!

bean · 01-10-2012, 09:12 AM

Dave,
One thing to watch for on the F250 is the ride is not nearly as nice as the F150. That is why I got a 2012 F150 Lariat Supercrew 5.5' bed EcoBoost with the max tow package. It is rated for 11,300 lb towing capacity.

The max tow package will automatically come with the brake controller and tow mirrors. The Back-up camera will require the "Lariat Plus package" (I think).

If you get the bench seat, it will haul 6 people comfortably.

Mine is a really nice truck. I paid around 42K with pretty much everything except the sun roof and nav system.

If you have any questions, I'd be happy to try to answer them for ya.

Bean

kjoh75 · 01-10-2012, 03:42 PM

Ok I'm confused on this subject. I have read in other posts that state you just can't look at the towing capacity of a vehicle. They mention something about having the right size wheel base for a more safe and stable ride.

I own a 2005 Cherokee 27l. I pull it with a 5.4 Expedition Eddie Bauer. The wheel base in that SUV I believe is 119 inches. My camper is over 30 feet long bumper to tongue. More then one person has told me that I should be pulling the camper with a 3/4 ton vehicle. There was a post that came out a while back that calculated the correct wheel base per foot of camper. I wish I could remember how many inches (of wheel base) per foot (of camper) that was. People have suggested the suburban as a replacement.

MtnGuy · 01-10-2012, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kjoh75

Ok I'm confused on this subject. I have read in other posts that state you just can't look at the towing capacity of a vehicle. They mention something about having the right size wheel base for a more safe and stable ride.

I own a 2005 Cherokee 27l. I pull it with a 5.4 Expedition Eddie Bauer. The wheel base in that SUV I believe is 119 inches. My camper is over 30 feet long bumper to tongue. More then one person has told me that I should be pulling the camper with a 3/4 ton vehicle. There was a post that came out a while back that calculated the correct wheel base per foot of camper. I wish I could remember how many inches (of wheel base) per foot (of camper) that was. People have suggested the suburban as a replacement.

Uh oh, here we go again.

This is a hot topic. There are no set rules. Most people agree that a longer wheelbased vehicle is better towing long campers.

Once upon a time, several years ago, there was a guy that ran a website (that had to be shut down because of copyright problems) who came up with this chart:

110" 20' ******* 150" 30'
114" 21' ******* 154" 31'
118" 22' ******* 158" 32'
122" 23' ******* 162" 33'
126" 24' ******* 166" 34'
130" 25' ******* 170" 35'
134" 26' ******* 174" 36'
138" 27' ******* 178" 37'
142" 28' ******* 182" 38'
146" 29' ******* 186" 39'

The 1st number being the wheelbase of the tow vehicle in inches, and the 2nd number being the "recommended" maximum total trailer length for a conventional, bumper pull trailer.

An equation that follows closely with the chart is to take the vehicle wheelbase in inches, divide by 5, and that is maximum total trailer length in feet that should be towed.

Disclaimer so that this doesn't turn into a "who says that is the rule" debate: The chart was 1 man's idea on what the tow lengths should be. I don't know of any scientific evidence to say that chart is the bible of tow lengths.

That being said, personally I think it is good to stay close to the chart. With the Crew Cab, 6.5' bed of the truck in question, that is 157" of wheelbase....pretty darn close. The only pickup that might be better would be a Crew Cab with an 8' bed.....not available with the F150s.

The_Stuff · 01-10-2012, 11:56 PM

local dodge dealer sells TT's to. wont sell the trailer to you unless your truck falls within spec of the trailers requirements. dunno why.

Triathletedave · 01-19-2012, 01:17 PM

OK, so I've decided to go full-bore and get the exact truck that I want! I'm putting in a factory order for the F-150 Lariat Eco Boost with the 6.5' box, max tow, tailgate step, chrome package, etc, etc.

In looking at the options list, I see that the Nav system is a $2,300 touch here in Canada. Can anyone who owns this nav system comment as to whether it's worth the money?? That seems awfully steep to me.

Also, I was looking at the 20" rims Vs the standard 18" rims, and I was told that the smaller rims will provide a smoother ride and better towing characteristics. If this is true, I'll certainly stay with the 18" rims.

Can't wait to get the order in!! WooHoo!!

Dave_Monica · 01-19-2012, 01:43 PM

Something to consider in regards to the 18 vs 20" rims...the cost (and selection) of replacement tires. I seem to recall that they had an option avaliable for LT tires in place of the normal p metric...I'd recommend going for the 18" LT tires.

My opinion on the in-dash nav systems is that they're too expensive. I'd rather buy a decent dash mounted (portable) GPS unit...some could also be used for walking tours or hiking. There's lots of choices for them in the $100 - 300 range.

Dave

MtnGuy · 01-19-2012, 01:43 PM

In many cases, taller wheels result in lower tow ratings.....the increased diameter of the wheels and tires will effectively raise the overall drive ratio.

You can get a nice portable navigation system for about $100 to $200.

The down side of a portable unit is that it takes up room on the dash or windshield. The upside of the portable unit is that you save about $17 a day if you need to rent a car because you are flying somewhere......I have done just that several times.

MtnGuy · 01-19-2012, 01:45 PM

Dave, you beat me to the draw by a couple of seconds......the posted times are the same.

frankm · 01-19-2012, 01:53 PM

The nice thing (and the only thing I can think of, quickly!) is that with the Nav system you get the much nicer rear-camera display (see below) otherwise you get the display in the rear view mirror. Is it worth it? You be the judge.

This

vs this

saskrick · 01-19-2012, 02:06 PM

I just ordered the max tow ecoboost screw 5.5 foot to pull my 2010 north trail 31bdss. Dry weight is 6700. I was pulling with a 97 f150. It definately had its hands full lets say and thats on the prairies. Hopefully the eco does better.On another forum i am looking for a good anti sway hitch. To me this is the big factor. Of course braking much better with a 3/4 ton as well. When I bought the trailer I used dads sierra 2500 hd 6.0 single rear wheels. It swayed almost as much as my f150 but more power. I ordered the eco because I'm not in mountains yet and I don't camp enough to have a 3/4 ton the rest of the time. Years ago I towed a 24 flat deck with load and trailer around 14000lbs. The solution for sway was duals in that case. Day and night.

bean · 01-19-2012, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frankm

The nice thing (and the only thing I can think of, quickly!) is that with the Nav system you get the much nicer rear-camera display (see below) otherwise you get the display in the rear view mirror. Is it worth it? You be the judge.

This

vs this

I actually prefer to have the display in the mirror.

When it is in the nav screen, you need to keep looking back and forth between the rearview mirror and the nav screen to see what is behind you.

Bean

saskrick · 01-19-2012, 02:44 PM

In regards to tires, I ordered the 20s. True a low profile tire can't handle as much weight, I thought I would try it for the fact that the low sidewall might be less "mushy" and maybe make the truck sway less. This just a thought. I have no proof yet.
I got the camera display in the mirror too.

Triguy · 01-19-2012, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Triathletedave

In looking at the options list, I see that the Nav system is a $2,300 touch here in Canada. Can anyone who owns this nav system comment as to whether it's worth the money?? That seems awfully steep to me.

Here's my pro/con list for an OEM NAV system ...

Pros:

Big screen.
Screen usually doubles as radio controls and back up camera.
Dash is clean of wires.

Cons:

Insanely expensive.
Poor updates unless maps are through a good service.
Updates can cost $. Toyota charges when you want to update and the updates are notoriously inaccurate, for example.
Safety features can lock out certain navigation features while you are driving (for your own good, they say).

Some of those may not apply to Ford NAV's.

I would probably not buy it again. On the other hand, going the other route means that you will need to buy both a GPS and a backup camera to duplicate the OEM parts and you will have a messy dash with wires everywhere. The solution there is to learn how to take apart your dash and hard-wire instead of powering up through the 12v lighter outlets.

Triathletedave · 01-19-2012, 03:42 PM

I already have a nice Garmin Nuvi GPS unit with a couple years' worth of favourites, routes, etc. that we've compiled. I also bought the lifetime update service because I also own a Garmin handheld and a Garmin bike GPS. 3 updates for the price of 1!

My other problem is that I'm stuck with the Ford GPS on the Lariat with the Premium package. They make it hard to avoid in the options packages.

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