F150 towing an Lacrosse 318bhs

[Hilgy]

Wondering if there is anyone here towing a 318bhs with a Max Tow equipt F150.

If so how does it handle it.

Thanks
Hilgy


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[The_Rhino]

We have the Tracer 3150 which is 1,000+ lbs. lighter & tow with a '11 Ram 2500.
Ready-to-camp w/family of 5, dog, bikes & firewood at the CAT Scale:
Steer Axle: 3,300
Drive Axle: 4,580
Trailer Axle: 7,340
GCVW: 15,220

My TV is my daily driver, so we've been considering upgrading to a F150. However, the only option for us would be the new 2015 Ecoboost w/HD package. The HD package would just handle our payload needs & it automatically comes with the max tow package. (The 2015 HD has 700 lbs. of extra payload due to lightweight aluminum frame...)

From what I hear, the 3.5L Ecoboost has plenty of power, but you still only get 10 mpg towing. The F150 w/HD package seems to handle as well as a 3/4 ton towing but you get better mpg empty if it is also your daily driver. However, once you add-up all of the options, the F150 Ecoboost HD is more pricey than a 3/4 ton & the longevity & long-term maintenance costs of the Ecoboost are still in question.

[FamilyRigRunner]

I have a 2015 lacrosse 329BHT and I tow it with a 2014 f150 ecoboost, Max tow, 157" wheel base, 4x4. From a weight standpoint it tows it just fine, my trailer is probably a little long but once I got the hitch setup right it's a very comfortable tow. I have no issue going up a 7-8% grade at 60 mph.

[OakHillFarm]

I tow a Lacrosse 327RES with my 2013 F150 Supercrew w/Ecoboost, no problems power wise. I get between 10-12 mpg towing. My towed weight is a little more than a 318BHS. Once I got my wd hitch dialed in, it handles very well. My trailer is probably as much as I would want to tow with a 1/2 ton truck, generally speaking, due to it's length/weight. This has more to do with the truck having enough "mass" to keep the trailer in check. Definately not a power issue with to the Ecoboost engine.

My "ideal" daily driver/tow vehicle would be an Ecoboost F250....Ford, what do you think????

[wicked1]

I tow a 2012 Shasta 31 footer with 910 hitch and 2014 F150 Crew Max Tow with EcoBoost plus load up bed with Firewood went to mountains in PA not one issue F150 tows like a champ, I am going to a Crusader 294 shortly and they are 8500#'s


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[dustman_stx]

I tow a 34.5' with my F150. Had a 33.5' before that. Even with a properly setup Equalizer, I couldn't eliminate sway. A 30mph wind quartering into the trailer was more sway inducing in my experience than a straight on side wind. I never had enough sway to feel unsafe, but steering corrections had to be made. I now have a ProPride 3P. With it, I've towed 8-10 hours at a time and not been fatigued. Sway is eliminated. If you plan to stay close to home, as in 2 or 3 hours- you will probably be fine with the Equalizer. If you plan on taking longer trips, I'd highly recommend looking into the 3P. It is a chunk of change, but when you consider that you've got probably around $70K plus invested in your truck and trailer, a $2600ish hitch doesn't seem that bad. I'd also recommend purchasing load range E tires. A lot of the squirmy feeling people get with 1/2 tons is the passenger tires flexing.

[FamilyRigRunner]

I agree with Dustman regarding the tires, it makes a huge difference when towing a TT. If there is one drawback to the ecoboost, it would have to be engine braking. At 3.5L there is not a lot of displacement to help slow things down. The 6R80 trans can help tremendously if you know how to use it's different shifting modes to your advantage. That being said, you have to be very proactive about your down hill speed when towing 10k.

[dustman_stx]

Originally Posted by FamilyRigRunner

I agree with Dustman regarding the tires, it makes a huge difference when towing a TT. If there is one drawback to the ecoboost, it would have to be engine braking. At 3.5L there is not a lot of displacement to help slow things down. The 6R80 trans can help tremendously if you know how to use it's different shifting modes to your advantage. That being said, you have to be very proactive about your down hill speed when towing 10k.

True that you don't have the same amount of engine braking as the diesels. I've never thought in depth about engine braking- so maybe someone can give some information for an accurate comparison. All other things being equal, would a 3.5L produce the same amount of braking at 5000 rpm as a 7L would at 2500 rpm? This would assume a proportional relationship between rpm and engine braking force, which is likely not the case. I would assume that rotating mass, compression ratio (both static and dynamic) would also play a role. Level of exhaust restriction, also?

[acadianbob]

Engine braking capability is probably the one area where the Ecoboost could do a better job. Engine braking is definitely less than the 5.4 V-8 I had in my previous F150.

[B and B]

It does make up with earlier downshifts but I have found engine braking sufficient on the hills i have descended. As long as I am 55 at the top i can maintain a top of 65 at the bottom without braking on a large grade here in Ontario..

[rracer5]

Originally Posted by dustman_stx

True that you don't have the same amount of engine braking as the diesels. I've never thought in depth about engine braking- so maybe someone can give some information for an accurate comparison. All other things being equal, would a 3.5L produce the same amount of braking at 5000 rpm as a 7L would at 2500 rpm? This would assume a proportional relationship between rpm and engine braking force, which is likely not the case. I would assume that rotating mass, compression ratio (both static and dynamic) would also play a role. Level of exhaust restriction, also?

[wicked1]

Originally Posted by dustman_stx

I tow a 34.5' with my F150. Had a 33.5' before that. Even with a properly setup Equalizer, I couldn't eliminate sway. A 30mph wind quartering into the trailer was more sway inducing in my experience than a straight on side wind. I never had enough sway to feel unsafe, but steering corrections had to be made. I now have a ProPride 3P. With it, I've towed 8-10 hours at a time and not been fatigued. Sway is eliminated. If you plan to stay close to home, as in 2 or 3 hours- you will probably be fine with the Equalizer. If you plan on taking longer trips, I'd highly recommend looking into the 3P. It is a chunk of change, but when you consider that you've got probably around $70K plus invested in your truck and trailer, a $2600ish hitch doesn't seem that bad. I'd also recommend purchasing load range E tires. A lot of the squirmy feeling people get with 1/2 tons is the passenger tires flexing.

Guy has a Hensley next to me and swears by them but expensive and other issue if you are not perfectly level he said it is very hard to hitch up with the square tube sleeves, looked complex but took him 30 min to get the angle of backing in right, sure there are some others that work as well and not as complex to hook up, I am looking at the Camco Trekkar if I stay with my TT another year


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[dustman_stx]

Originally Posted by wicked1

Guy has a Hensley next to me and swears by them but expensive and other issue if you are not perfectly level he said it is very hard to hitch up with the square tube sleeves, looked complex but took him 30 min to get the angle of backing in right, sure there are some others that work as well and not as complex to hook up, I am looking at the Camco Trekkar if I stay with my TT another year


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Haven't had a Hensley, but from what I read the receptacle for the stinger on the ProPride is larger and more sharply angled resulting in a more difficult time getting lined up. I have a backup camera and can see how hitching would be more difficult without it. With that being said, if he's having trouble hitching because of the angle, he's not lowering his WD bars correctly. If you lower them and relieve tension like you are supposed to (there is a great youtube video that explains it all), you don't have that problem(at least not on the PP). The one issue I have with my setup is that it is difficult to get the stinger to break free from the receiver. Some claim this only occurs if you have tension, i.e. you haven't raised or lowered the trailer enough and it is putting upward or downward tension. This has not been the case for me. When the hitch finally does break free, there is very little, if any, difference in the alignment of the truck and trailer. I plan to lube the wedge part of the stinger and expect at that point I'll have no issues what-so-ever. I'm not trying to make a judgment call about your neighbor, but I have seen people take FOREVER getting their rig backed into a site. Doesn't mean it's hard to do.

Would also like to point out that even the Trekker is a friction based system. The only systems I am aware of that use mechanical force rather than friction are the Hensley and ProPride. The Pullrite doesn't use mechanical force but rather actually moves the pivot point forward, I think.

[MickeyD]

I have a 329BHT which is a little heavier and longer that we started out towing with a 2014 GMC Sierra. The usual story, bought a new truck so bought a new trailer and went a little too big for the truck. The truck was a 6'6" bed crew cab 4x4, had no trouble starting and stopping the trailer, but you could tell that the trailer was in charge. Even just bringing it home down the freeway was a white knuckle drive. Looked at switching to E rated truck tires, airbags, heavier shocks, pro pride, etc., and came to the conclusion that it would be better but still on the very edge of what a half ton could do.

Went and drove the Chevy 3/4 ton, Duramax was crazy expensive, and the 6.0 gas version did not feel happy at highway speeds (4.10 gears so it really has to rev at highway speeds). A couple of mechanic buddies both said to avoid Ford diesels and the gas one was underpowered, so looked at the Ram. The 6.4 Hemi (yeah, right, not really a hemi - just marketing) felt pretty good, but the Cummins felt great. Got a 11K off of a 2014 leftover and "only" took a $3500 bath on a 6 month old GMC, so it could have been worse. We went out for the first time this weekend with the new combo and the difference was incredible. 75 miles of bumpy, dippy, narrow four lane was not bad at all and I felt good when I got to the campsite and good when I got home (a new experience).

I know that part of it was the stiffer suspension and better tires on the 3/4 ton, but I think that a bigger part was that the weight of the truck and trailer were much closer to each other, rather than the loaded trailer weighing two tons plus more than the half ton truck. We were using the same generic load distribution hitch that came with the trailer and still will upgrade to the ProPride for really windy days when my wallet recovers. I know that the F-150 will have plenty of power and brakes, but consider a 3/4 for a trailer that big.

[wicked1]

Originally Posted by MickeyD

I have a 329BHT which is a little heavier and longer that we started out towing with a 2014 GMC Sierra. The usual story, bought a new truck so bought a new trailer and went a little too big for the truck. The truck was a 6'6" bed crew cab 4x4, had no trouble starting and stopping the trailer, but you could tell that the trailer was in charge. Even just bringing it home down the freeway was a white knuckle drive. Looked at switching to E rated truck tires, airbags, heavier shocks, pro pride, etc., and came to the conclusion that it would be better but still on the very edge of what a half ton could do.

Went and drove the Chevy 3/4 ton, Duramax was crazy expensive, and the 6.0 gas version did not feel happy at highway speeds (4.10 gears so it really has to rev at highway speeds). A couple of mechanic buddies both said to avoid Ford diesels and the gas one was underpowered, so looked at the Ram. The 6.4 Hemi (yeah, right, not really a hemi - just marketing) felt pretty good, but the Cummins felt great. Got a 11K off of a 2014 leftover and "only" took a $3500 bath on a 6 month old GMC, so it could have been worse. We went out for the first time this weekend with the new combo and the difference was incredible. 75 miles of bumpy, dippy, narrow four lane was not bad at all and I felt good when I got to the campsite and good when I got home (a new experience).

I know that part of it was the stiffer suspension and better tires on the 3/4 ton, but I think that a bigger part was that the weight of the truck and trailer were much closer to each other, rather than the loaded trailer weighing two tons plus more than the half ton truck. We were using the same generic load distribution hitch that came with the trailer and still will upgrade to the ProPride for really windy days when my wallet recovers. I know that the F-150 will have plenty of power and brakes, but consider a 3/4 for a trailer that big.

Why did your buddies say stay away from the Ford? The new Powerstroke is crazy strong and 440 BHP with 860# of torque? Most of what I see are the F350's with D power at campgrounds but just curious if there was a specific reason bc all diesel trucks are overpriced but get what you pay for


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[MickeyD]

Originally Posted by wicked1

Why did your buddies say stay away from the Ford? The new Powerstroke is crazy strong and 440 BHP with 860# of torque? Most of what I see are the F350's with D power at campgrounds but just curious if there was a specific reason bc all diesel trucks are overpriced but get what you pay for


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Both of them commented that the majority of the work that they did was on Ford diesels and the engines were sort of a crap shoot. A good one was good but hang on to your wallet if you got a bad one, and they both saw a lot of bad ones. Both commented that the best truck would be a Cummins in a GM truck with a Cummins in a Ford coming in second. Neither had any experience with current Rams, but both of them really liked the Cummins. Ford is bringing out a new HD truck next year with a rumored round of engine updates again and are building the current ones as fast as they can so they don't end up with another mess like they have now with the 2015 F-150s being late and running out of inventory. I used to work for Ford, and when Ford goes fast you need to watch out quality wise.

As a note, one of them has two Duramax Chevys and the other one drives a beat up old Cummins Dodge.

[wicked1]

Interesting because I have friends who mostly own Ford's but I think they all have their fate share of issues, waiting to see the new model Ford HD's so we will see, used to work for GM so I will never buy a GM again as they took our discounts away so no compelling reason to buy but I like the new Cummins as well


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[MickeyD]

I think that the new Ford HD's are going to be game changers when they get them launched and a few miles under their belts. One thing that I do know about Ford is never buy the first year of a major redesign. Ford is a big believer in bleeding edge technology, and often it is the blood of the early adopters. But once they have them out for a couple of years they are really good.

A 3/4 ton truck normally has a GVWR of 10,000 pounds, so if Ford can knock 1000 pounds or so off of their new HD trucks, you have a 3/4 ton with a realistic payload of 3500 pounds and 18,000 pounds of tow capacity, which will really give them bragging rights. The Ram I have weighs in at about 7800 pounds (2500 CC 4x4), so I don't know how they are going to compete on numbers alone. Now on their side, the extra mass really helps a trailer in line.

[robm]

I have an 06' F250 CC 4x4 Diesel and like it pretty much. Truck was meant for towing with a 12k hitch, integrated brake controller, camper package (heavier rated springs) and came with a matching ARE cap. We love the crew cab as it is larger than the competitors and the Lariat edition offers more as well. Before that i owned an 03' Silverado 4x4 EC 5.3L. There is definitely night and day difference to the weight and like you say the truck acts like a big bully holding down that trailer and not getting pushed around. Those 6.0's I wouldn't be afraid to buy and they pretty much are a deal due to the bad wrap they get. Mostly the bad ones are due to people who buy one then don't do the maintenance, end up having issues then bad mouth the truck. You can't treat a diesel like you do a gas. You must change the oil and gas filters or you will have issues on any brand of diesel. If you go to buy a used one, find one that was maintained well. Find one that was a one owner. From there you can take the serial number and get an oasis report free of charge from the ford dealer. This report will contain all warranty work performed including the owners name...hence the need to find a one owner. I was able to find where he had work done and narrowed it down to what part of town this guy lived. Searched the internet pages white pages and found his contact info, even verified search on google maps as this truck was parked in his driveway lol. After a nice discussion with him i was able to find that he changed the oil frequently, had more maintenance records, original window sticker, and discovered he traded up from his 250 to a 350 to tow larger trailer. From there I was able to go purchase a truck that I had a known history with and took it home for $20k for a truck that once listed for $48k new. Looking back I do miss the simplicity of my gasser but it doesn't hold a match to the ability to get your family to and from home safely without issues.

[SeaHarley]

We just got a 308RET, 7,500 lbs dry and 9,500 GVW and my first pulls with my 2013 Ford F150 XLT Eco-Boost went very well. Handled very good and I got about 9 mpg. Had no problems with the weight going up hills and doing 60 MPH.