Towing fiver with an ecoboost

[jz5w63]

Originally Posted by Mountndream

While I hate to be the weight police, you do know that you are over your payload, correct?

I'm over, or the guy with the eb and the 14000 lb 36 footer?

Anyway, checked my last weigh scale ticket and with my 8285IKWS loaded up it came up as steer axle 3480, drive axle 4480, trailer axle 7800, gross weight 15760. My 8285IKWS is supposed to be 8018 dry. My Ram is supposed to tow 10,500 max.

[Mountndream]

Originally Posted by jz5w63

I'm over, or the guy with the eb and the 14000 lb 36 footer?

Anyway, checked my last weigh scale ticket and with my 8285IKWS loaded up it came up as steer axle 3480, drive axle 4480, trailer axle 7800, gross weight 15760. My 8285IKWS is supposed to be 8018 dry. My Ram is supposed to tow 10,500 max.

payload is not tow weight... its the weight you can put in the truck. So with your Trailer weight, you and everything in your goods.. you are over payload.

Check the yellow sticker on your truck door.

subtract from that your hitch weight( 80 lbs), how much over 150 lbs you are, your family and dogs weight, cooler and Firewood,

a brief search showed an empty hitch weight of 1146 for your trailer (that's empty), 80 lbs for your WDH, you are probably close right there.

Notice my signature, that why I went with a 2500. the Rams have terrible payload. They will tow like the devil, but you are limited on payload.

[Kenny kustom]

Originally Posted by dustman_stx

That goes for the Ram, too.

I wasn't aware of any major mechanical issues that the ram has?

Care to elaborate?


2015 RAM 3500 CCSB CUMMINS
2016 Sabre 36QBOK

[drittal]

Originally Posted by jz5w63

I'm over, or the guy with the eb and the 14000 lb 36 footer?

Anyway, checked my last weigh scale ticket and with my 8285IKWS loaded up it came up as steer axle 3480, drive axle 4480, trailer axle 7800, gross weight 15760. My 8285IKWS is supposed to be 8018 dry. My Ram is supposed to tow 10,500 max.

Maximum GVWR on a 2015 Ram 1500 is 6950lbs.

You weighed in at 7960lbs, exceeding that GVWR by 1,010lbs.

Look at the sticker inside the driver side door frame. Thwe will be 2 stickers. One white with black print. That one will have VIN and other numbers including GVWR for your truck. What does it say?
The other sticker will have yellow on it and will give you tire info and your maximum payload. What does it say?

[northstar1960]

Originally Posted by camperboy

I have a 1 ton right now. My arms can't take the wear and tear of the constant movement of the steering wheel on rough roads.

what one ton do you have that causes issues like that ? my 3/4 2500 hd is as smooth a ride as any smaller truck out there in fact better then most it's a chevy

[The_Rhino]

Ya it's too bad the Ram 1500 w/TD has such a low payload which makes it currently about the worst choice out there for towing anything bigger than a hybrid...

I like that the EB has so much torque & mpg for a gas engine, but you have to add the pricey (& currently unavailable) HD upgrade to get the payload needed for all but the smallest 5ers. For about the same price you can get a Ram 2500/3500 w/Cummins TD....

Or, for a LOT less, you can get a Ram 2500 w/5.7 Or 6.4 Hemi... I almost bought a 2013 F150 EB w/tow package (not HD) but glad I didn't because the reduced payload would not handle the camping style we currently enjoy... Rather, I bought a 2 year-old Ram 2500 (stock & 2WD) for 1/3 the cost of a (new) F150 EB...

On long trips we put our bikes over the dinette so we have room for 2 weeks of firewood, scooters, toys, tools & coolers under the fiberglass cap... The pass-through storage is full of tubs. I've got a spare of most everything & we even bring our own FW bladder & portable waste tank for trips to state parks... We have heavy/comfy floating camping chairs stored under the master bed. The 8 cu. ft. fridge & pantry are packed and most cabinets are pretty full.

Ready-to-camp our 6,500 (empty) TT is 8,250 & I wouldn't have it any other way. I also plan to bring a couple kayaks next year so we can expand our fishing options. For really long trips I bring a 2nd TT spare aluminum rim & tire because the object that blows the first TT tire usually damages the 2nd one... Correct-size TT tires are hard to find on the road if the originals cannot be repaired...

With gas @ $2.25/gal. my 15,000 miles per year @ 16 mpg only costs me about $500 more per year than an EB @ 21 mpg. (Towing is about the same @ 9 mpg...) For $500/year difference I'd rather have the extra payload - which I also utilize to haul 3,000 lbs. of mulch, fertilizer, (FREE) firewood, etc. on a regular basis...

[jz5w63]

Originally Posted by drittal

Maximum GVWR on a 2015 Ram 1500 is 6950lbs.

You weighed in at 7960lbs, exceeding that GVWR by 1,010lbs.

Look at the sticker inside the driver side door frame. Thwe will be 2 stickers. One white with black print. That one will have VIN and other numbers including GVWR for your truck. What does it say?
The other sticker will have yellow on it and will give you tire info and your maximum payload. What does it say?

Hmm, okay, you make a startling point! I double checked ratings and towing is 10,800 lb. but payload is only 1,686. If weigh ticket is right I guess with wife and I, no pets, tool box, firewood, all the stuff in forward storage we were indeed over the payload as you say. Didn't seem to notice any issues whatsoever with handling in any situation or speed but not good numbers! Will have to trim out a lot of the junk we travel south with to get that back down within the 1,686 pounds or ditch the wife! LOL

[CWSWine]

Originally Posted by jz5w63

Hmm, okay, you make a startling point! I double checked ratings and towing is 10,800 lb. but payload is only 1,686. If weigh ticket is right I guess with wife and I, no pets, tool box, firewood, all the stuff in forward storage we were indeed over the payload as you say. Didn't seem to notice any issues whatsoever with handling in any situation or speed but not good numbers! Will have to trim out a lot of the junk we travel south with to get that back down within the 1,686 pounds or ditch the wife! LOL

Seems that all manufactures use a 15% pin weight to come with those tow numbers and if almost impossible to find a 5er at 15% and if you do it probably won't tow very well. They don't allow for nothing including hitch, passengers and misc cargo in manufactures numbers. Most of FR products (except rear kitchen) real life pin weights from a CAT scales run 2 to 5 percent higher than dry pin weights percentages and most pin dry pin weights run between 19 and 20%. For instance if the dry pin figures out to be 19% you can almost count on it will be between 21 and 24% with it loaded up the 5er ready to go camping.

I wish we had a thread pin to the top that should just contained CAT scales weights of different model 5ers in the real world. Not someone try to guess or using common sense trying to come up with pin/trailer weights.

[B and B]

I towed my Rockwood with my King Ranch Ecoboost. It moved and stopped it. I camped and towed for about 20,000 km. I didn't die or kill the truck. It was overloaded from day one. I got sweet deal on a F 250 for next to nothing. Is there a difference, oh yes for sure. I won't look back now.

[LTnTN]

Originally Posted by robsshots

Okay, I tow a fiver with my F-150 Ecoboost. We're pulling a Rockwood ultralight, 32' length, 7850 dry weight. We bought a 2014 model with heavy duty tow package and 3.73 rear end. Super crew with 6.5' bed (nice to have!!)



We've put 40,000 miles on the truck in 16 months, about 7,000 towing the fiver. Average mileage is in the low 10+ range. Have never gotten less than 10 mpg. Last trip from Michigan to Florida got 10.7 until we hit the Florida border then for some reason it dropped down to 10.5. We've pulled this thing from Tennessee to Colorado to the Grand Canyon to Arizona to Big Sur to Yosemite to Oregon Coast to Olympic National Park to Mount Rainier to Glacier to Denver again to Michigan to Florida in 14 months. No complaints, rides smooth and steady with plenty of get up and go. Took on the mountains at 60MPH which is the speed we try to maintain. Anything approaching 65 and mpg falls off and we are not in a hurry. That's why we are RVing. You will get all kinds of negative comments about towing with the F-150 Eco but properly outfitted it gets the job done. You asked for experience with such a rig, and there you have it. We are full timers, registered in South Dakota. Love our Rockwood, love our truck, love being on the road.

Pretty much the same story here. Not as far west as you, but all up and down the Smokeys, South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Virginia, and Tennessee. I've put 30k miles on the truck, 6100 of them hooked.


2015 Flagstaff 8528RKWS
2013 Ford F-150 Ecobeast

[dustman_stx]

Originally Posted by Kenny kustom

I wasn't aware of any major mechanical issues that the ram has?

Care to elaborate?


2015 RAM 3500 CCSB CUMMINS
2016 Sabre 36QBOK

I don't have time to go into what anyone can google, but here's just one example:

566,000 Dodges and Jeeps recalled - Oct. 29, 2014

Once again, not trying to say the Ram is a bad truck, but you act as if the EB is plagued with problems whereas the Ram is flawless and that's not the case. There are numerous members on these forums that have EB trucks and love them, so your attempt to paint them as trouble prone (and I know they aren't perfect) will likely fall on deaf ears. Hopefully you don't persuade too many potential owners into a vehicle that is either more costly or much larger than they need when the EB would fit their needs perfectly and offer them years of trouble free service.

[dustman_stx]

Originally Posted by LTnTN

Pretty much the same story here. Not as far west as you, but all up and down the Smokeys, South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Virginia, and Tennessee. I've put 30k miles on the truck, 6100 of them hooked.


2015 Flagstaff 8528RKWS
2013 Ford F-150 Ecobeast

I may have already stated this, but I put over 32K on mine while I had it with over 5k towing and not a single hiccup. Just drove my Mom's 2011 a couple of days ago. It now has over 92K and not a single issue other than needing the reflash for the hard shifting issue the early models had. They farm, ranch and camp and have lots of towing miles on theirs as well.

[Kenny kustom]

So, a potential fuel line issue and a software fix.

Compared to tearing down half the engine at 40km.....

Also, the fact that the people are actually working their trucks.. Hard...
Will exaggerate the issues even more.


2015 RAM 3500 CCSB CUMMINS
2016 Sabre 36QBOK

[dustman_stx]

Originally Posted by Kenny kustom

So, a potential fuel line issue and a software fix.

Compared to tearing down half the engine at 40km.....

Also, the fact that the people are actually working their trucks.. Hard...
Will exaggerate the issues even more.


2015 RAM 3500 CCSB CUMMINS
2016 Sabre 36QBOK

If we need to start a poll here on the forums to see how many EB owners have had their engines torn down at 25,000 miles we can. And we probably work our EB's harder than the average driver. I have a feeling the responses would be quite different than what you claim- almost to the point of being embarrassing.

[Kenny kustom]

I don't mean to bash anyone who has bought one, and I'm sure they would have had to make at least a couple correctly.

But, I will stand by my opinion, that truck was rushed to market, is plagued with problems, and is not enough truck for the job people are putting them in.

From timing chains, to air charge issues, to major oil dilution.


2015 RAM 3500 CCSB CUMMINS
2016 Sabre 36QBOK

[Kenny kustom]

Originally Posted by dustman_stx

If we need to start a poll here on the forums to see how many EB owners have had their engines torn down at 25,000 miles we can. And we probably work our EB's harder than the average driver. I have a feeling the responses would be quite different than what you claim- almost to the point of being embarrassing.

Calling me a liar?


2015 RAM 3500 CCSB CUMMINS
2016 Sabre 36QBOK

[Kenny kustom]

Go type ecoboost timing into Google.
Tell me how many hits.


2015 RAM 3500 CCSB CUMMINS
2016 Sabre 36QBOK

[B and B]

Hmmm I had ecoboost with 55,000 km no engine issues. Bama Bob has same year eco with no problems, we both tow the same heavy lightweight Rockwood. I just dont see all the eco problems out there.

As far as rushed to market I bought a 2013 it cam out in 2011..

[Kenny kustom]

Ford will not repair with less than 6 degrees of timing retard.

http://youtu.be/6Kis-hIyOdU


2015 RAM 3500 CCSB CUMMINS
2016 Sabre 36QBOK

[dustman_stx]

Originally Posted by Kenny kustom

Go type ecoboost timing into Google.
Tell me how many hits.


2015 RAM 3500 CCSB CUMMINS
2016 Sabre 36QBOK

I don't use google but I searched with duckduckgo and got maybe 10 or 15 entries before it went into various older Ford products with an EB mixed in here and there. I went to a handful of the forum entries and all of the issues I saw were 2011 models and there were entries made by Ford techs talking about some revisions being made to the timing chains on newer models. If you google the first gen of the Cummins 6.7 there are lots of complaints there with poor mileage, turbo issues and constant regens. Seems like the story is very similar to me in getting the bugs worked out on both platforms. Considering hundreds of thousands of EB's have been produced I don't see enough entries to make it seem as though its all that common to me. Plus I know too many EB owners and have owned one myself- not to mention I've never seen the timing chain issues discussed here on FRF- to think that it's an endemic problem with the platform.