Positive: Ford F-150 2014 Ecoboost Review

[Robbsails]

I am a little blown away by your Ford 150 Ecoboost towing ease with that fifth wheel. I will seriously look into that combination. I want a 28 foot fifth wheel w/ a capable TV and w/o going to a 2500 HD TV. Thanks for sharing. By the way, what rear end do you have?

[Lowes48fan1]

I also have the 2014 F150 Ecoboost coupled with a 2014 Salem Hemisphere 282RK. The RV dealer installed a weight distribution hitch and I have no problems at all cruising down the road at 60mph. The truck dealer assured me the weight of the trailer was within the range for this truck. I'm curious, what gear do your normally run in when towing? Mine usually goes between 4 and 5 when under load. I think it has only hit 6 when going down a grade. Is this normal for the newer F150's?

Also, where can I verify which rear differential I have? Is it on a plate somewhere on the chassis or engine compartment?

Thanks!

[madmaxmutt]

Originally Posted by Lowes48fan1

Also, where can I verify which rear differential I have? Is it on a plate somewhere on the chassis or engine compartment?

Thanks!

It is on your door sticker. You can compare the code to the chart in the Ford Towing Guide page 3: http://www.ford.com/resources/ford/g...F150_Sep11.pdf

[RooVader]

Lowes are you in tow haul mode? I thought t/h locked out 6th but I could be wrong.


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[MilCop4523]

tow haul does lock out 6th gear.
we were actually looking at the same trailer you have, in a 5th wheel. how do you like the Hemisphere?
we currently tow with a 2013 ecoboost XTR supercrew.
only issue we've had is the darn vehicle going into the battery saver mode and shutting off the radio if im waiting for the boss to get out of teh washroom at a gas station.
our 2011 did it and so is this one.

[dustman_stx]

Tow/haul does NOT lock out 6th. It may never go into 6th because of load, but it's not locked out.

[cat1956]

I tow with mine in tow/haul and it goes into 6th gear going down hill as long as I do not apply the brakes.

[bruane]

I tow my 8280 with about 8500 LBS in tow haul mode at 62 MPH and it runs in 6th gear all of the time. Sounds like your model is not configured correctly with correct gear ratios and HD towing package.

[another_newfie]

I have over 15,000 towing miles with my combo on my 2012 F-150HD. I am right at the edge but within all ratings (my payload is just shy of 2200lb), and I've had NO issues. We winter camp and have hauled through some nasty weather and the combo does incredibly well.


I was forced to panic stop from about 55MPH last summer while driving home from Boston and the truck and trailer stopped PERFECTLY with no problem.


I average 9.5 to 10.5 MPG when hauling depending the weather and terrain. The ecoboost does suffer when hauling in the cold of the winter and on winter fuel, I can drop to 7MPG then.


I had one issue with mis-fire (or falling on it's face as it is often called), but my dealer took care of it by applying the TSB.


I specifically ordered this truck for the task of hauling our fifth wheel and it has performed up to and has exceeded my every expectation. It is also my daily driver. GREAT truck.

[MilCop4523]

i stand corrected... thank you...
Tow haul does the following
"Tow Haul Mode changes shift points under acceleration, keeping the truck at a higher rpm and further up in the power range. Tow-haul also prevents the transmission from upshifting when the vehicle crests a hill, and it provides downhill braking that allows the transmission to downshift, letting engine-compression braking slow the vehicle and maintain a steady speed."

In Drive you can lock out the 6th gear on the F150 by tapping the minus sign and readd it by tapping the plus sign.

Apparently in tow haul some have noticed that on downhill braking if you are in tow haul and tap the brakes once it will downshift. tape them again it it wil down shift again.
its just what i read on the F150 Ecoboost forum so dont quote me.

[Lowes48fan1]

MilCop4523;863914]tow haul does lock out 6th gear.
we were actually looking at the same trailer you have, in a 5th wheel. how do you like the Hemisphere?
we currently tow with a 2013 ecoboost XTR supercrew.
only issue we've had is the darn vehicle going into the battery saver mode and shutting off the radio if im waiting for the boss to get out of teh washroom at a gas station.
our 2011 did it and so is this one.

We've been very pleased with the Hemisphere. It has lots of room, tows well and is very comfortable. I wish I had two AC units. It is a little hard to cool the bedroom without making the living room too cool. I really enjoy the outdoor kitchen. The tv removes from the living room and connects to the outside wall. Be sure to replace the coax cable with a longer one. The one provided is too short to reach the jack outside by a few inches. I didn't realize that and grabbed the cable and pulled it towards the jack to connect. It broke the coax connector right off the tv. It was under warranty but still a hassle. The dealer said this had happened to a few people. It made me wonder why they didn't mention it to me when I picked up the trailer or why they just wouldn't put a longer cable on it. I first saw this trailer at an RV show in Chicago and they had the tv mounted outside. When I called my dealer and told them what had happened, they said the same thing had happened to them at the show in Chicago. It was the factory rep who was at the show with them that broke the connector off doing the same thing I had done! Sounds to me like the manufacturer needs to step up and install longer cables.

[dustman_stx]

Originally Posted by Lowes48fan1

tow haul does lock out 6th gear.
we were actually looking at the same trailer you have, in a 5th wheel. how

Let's try this again. On the 2011+ Ford trucks, tow/haul does NOT lock out 6th gear!!!!

[tdidad]

We have an 8289WS and towed with an F150 S/Crew, Ecoboost...once. Traded it in for an F250 PowerStroke, much more relaxed and a larger margin of safety.

[firedaniel]

I have a F150 Ecoboost and towed my 8327 Rockwood once... Needless to say I will stick with F350. Much better for towing the heavy loads

[LTnTN]

Originally Posted by madmaxmutt

Mine is 9,600 with 3.55. There are many, many different configurations. There are also 3.73 rear geared trucks of the same year with 9,600 so you have to pay close attention to detail on the chart.

My '13 has the 3.55 gears which run great. Mine will run in 6th gear all the time on flat roads, even at the lower speeds, RPMs about 1600-1700. Ford has done a good job of matching up the right gears to this little engine's strength.


2015 Flagstaff 8528RKWS
2013 Ford F-150 Ecobeast