Is this too much trailer for the truck?

[vintageparson]

Question(s)
I'm new on the block, but I purchased a 2013 F150eco boost w/ tow package 7300# springs etc. Love the truck.
question, I have a 3.31 elec. lock rear axle. I'm towing a 30 ft signature ultra light.
a. mileage sucks 8 mpg
b. according to my book and calculations the trailer is 6900 with no load, truck is 4900 my cargo load should be 900 to 1000 lbs ???
c. too much trailer for the truck ???

[Todouble]

No I don't think you have to much trailer for the f150. You just gotta take it easy and not lay into it too much. What exactly are you getting on mpg not towing? Is it hwy miles or country roads? Mtns or flatlands?

[vintageparson]

mixed. I did have a head wind, so I'm anticipating that it will get a little better.
Yikes, a trip to AZ. will cost 12oo for fuel.

[Blaster 84]

What is your cruise speed?

[vintageparson]

try to hold about 60 -65

[vintageparson]

Todouble:
I get 23-24 mpg not towing.

[Chuckinca]

With a 6 spd tranny and tow/haul you should be fine with little head wind on the flat.

.

[itat]

There are 2 schools of thought on weights.

The first school says check your actual weights at a scale when you're fully loaded and ready to camp and keep everything within the truck's spec. Payload will almost always be the closest to the max. rating with a half ton truck.

You said, "according to my book calculations..." so I'm not sure if you've been to a scale.

The other school will say ask yourself how well it tows and if you're comfortable don't worry about it. They'll say, "truck towing specs are written by lawyers and there's lots of safety factor." If you're experienced at towing you'll know if you've got too much trailer.

You'll have to decide where you are between the two.

You're asking the question so are you uncomfortable with you're setup? With my first truck I was within spec (I took it to a scale) but it was very close. Ultimately, I wasn't comfortable I had enough truck so I upgraded. Others would have been fine with my setup.

There are a ton of threads on here about weight. Spend some time reading through it all and you'll find more than enough information on the subject.

[Blaster 84]

Last summer we took a 5,000 mile trip and averaged 11.5 to 12 MPG. We were in no hurry and drove 55 MPH. This was through mountains and flat lands.

[Todouble]

Originally Posted by vintageparson

Todouble:
I get 23-24 mpg not towing.

Wow that's a big diff empty vs towing. Wait for some other ecoboost owners to chime in but tht sounds low to me. I have a diesel and a 5th wheel so I can't compare to your setup.

[vintageparson]

This is my 3rd 5th wheel and my second truck. As I'm no longer full time, I opted to go light weight. It's a different world going from a f250 diesel and a 38 ft alfa gold to the F150. I think I did my home work and have checked ford's spec.
The old truck was 2o yrs. old and I was not comfortable retiring with an old truck.
The new runs great, I was just shocked by the 8 mpg.

[Vacationman]

Just went from Sullivan Mo to Phoenix Az in 17 hours. Have 2013 Chevy 2500 6.0. Got exactly 7. Avg gas here is 3.50 a gal. It costs $ .50 a mile. I think that is what the IRS gives you on taxes..Goes back to the diesel vs gas debate.

[another_newfie]

What's your payload?

On first brush I'd say you have enough truck.

Keep your foot out of the throttle when hauling. 8 is not unreasonable with the ecoboost when pulling weight. I make right around 9 to 10 MPG when hauling my 5'r with my truck.

[jlgail4309]

I see a lot of 8 to 10 miles per gallon on this site. Not to far out of range for the weight your pulling.

[Kaadk]

I know a guy who claims he gets 17+ mpg while towing a 30' in a F150 with an aftermarket cold air intake.

I have a similar TT, about 400lbs lighter though, and I get 10-11 in my Ram 1500.

[dalford]

I have a F150 ecoboost and pull a 30' TT, a little lighter than yours and typically get 8-10 mpg depending on travel conditions. Is you towing experience comfortable with your setup? I know my TT is behind me but I forget about it most of the time. It is an easy tow and does not fight me at all. If you experience the same thing then maybe your worrying about mileage ($1200 to AZ). Bigger truck will not make much difference in that cost plus bigger truck means bigger $ all the way around. Bigger truck members can chime in but I don't think in the long run that you will save many $ going from a 150 to a 250 after you factor cost difference of vehicles and gas mileage.

Pulling a 30' TT is not cheap but I don't know your family size but check the cost to fly, hotel, eat out, etc vs the TT cost. And then you would miss out on all the fun of camping with your family plus "You surprised to see us, Clark?"

[Mark S]

I have a 2011 Ecoboost 4x4 (with 40,000 miles) with 373 rear end and pull a Work and Play 18 EC. Fully loaded trailer weighs in at a little over 7,000 lbs. First trip at 65 mph I got right at 8 mpg. I then slowed to 60 mph and can average about 10-10.5.

I lock out 6 gear when towing and the truck seems to like pulling right about 2,000 rpm. Try experimenting with speeds. Wind seems to kill the milage more than hills. I have towed about 16,000 miles with my truck and trailer, from Florida to Nevada to Montana to Michigan and back, just about every terrain our great country has to offer and I am happy when I can average above 10 mpg at 60-62 mph.

My non-towing average is about 18 mpg so your 23-24 sounds really good to me. The ecoboost towing milage drops considerably.

How does the truck feel when pulling the 30 foot trailer?

[BigBaron]

Get a scanguage and you can accurately monitor your real-time mileage and find your sweet spot. The lie-o-meter in your truck may not be very accurate, plus the scanguage will show you tranny temps!
8-10+ mpg sounds about right. That's what my buddy in TN gets with his.

[Radio]

My advise to anyone pulling anything big with a 1/2 ton,

1. Get a tranny temp gauge.
2. Increase tranny cooling capacity with an extra forced air cooler and maybe a bigger pan, even if you have factory towing package.
3. Run a full synthetic tranny fliud such as Amsoil.

That's what I do. See sig pic.

And watch that tranny temp while backing into a difficult site. It can really climb up there!

[acadianbob]

Originally Posted by BigBaron

Get a scanguage and you can accurately monitor your real-time mileage and find your sweet spot. The lie-o-meter in your truck may not be very accurate, plus the scanguage will show you tranny temps!
8-10+ mpg sounds about right. That's what my buddy in TN gets with his.

That worked great on my '05 5.4 Ford but I can't get my scangauge to work accurately at all with my Ecoboost.