5.0 Tow review
Member
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 47
Likes: 0
From: Fl
I towed with my truck for the first timelast weekend. It made easy work of the trailer loaded with camping gear and two dirtbikes. I suppose I was close to the 3,500 - 3,700 lb mark. Truck handled solid, no sagging, no complaints. Gas mileage went from about 19-20 MPG to 12 MPG pulling on the highway... About what I would expect given the wind resistance of the trailer. I especially liked the way it accellerated onto the highway!! Love that V8 sound. All in all... totally happy with the truck! The more I drive it... the more I like it!!
Note... I did use the cruise control, but locked out 6th gear... I found that took care of the rapid downshifting and etc. on overpasses to maintain speed. In 5th gear, it seemed to get the same instant gas mileage as it did in 6th gear... It just seems to like that better for towing with cruise on. I think 6th gear lugs the engine when towing and keeps it out of the torque band it needs to be in. It seems 5th gear only ran a few hundred RPMS higher at same speed (67mph), but had power to maintain speed over changes in elevation.
Note... I did use the cruise control, but locked out 6th gear... I found that took care of the rapid downshifting and etc. on overpasses to maintain speed. In 5th gear, it seemed to get the same instant gas mileage as it did in 6th gear... It just seems to like that better for towing with cruise on. I think 6th gear lugs the engine when towing and keeps it out of the torque band it needs to be in. It seems 5th gear only ran a few hundred RPMS higher at same speed (67mph), but had power to maintain speed over changes in elevation.
Member
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 47
Likes: 0
From: Fl
Yes. That mode seems to hold the gear longer for a higher RPM, but doesn't lock out top gear or prevent the lugging I experienced in 6th gear. I use the tow/haul mode and lock out 6th gear.
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 115
Likes: 0
Hoping this will help some people in decision making on their next truck for those who tow
Right now i'm at 25,500 miles with 6300 miles towing my 1975 FJ40 on a 18 foot car hauler, with some spare parts and camping gear. Weight is around 6200 lbs
Truck specs:
'11 supercab FX4 5.0 w/ 3.73 gears, completely stock
My last trip was from Houston, Tx to Moab, Utah and then Moab, Utah to Denton, Tx. Roughly 2200 miles. This is what i'm going to give most of the review on due to steep grades and actually got a better feel for the trucks towing for a longer distance.
Engine:
Excellent power through out the RPM range. Only spot I can say is sort of "dead" would be 3rd gear right when it shifts. If you rev about 500 rpm further than I usually do (I have it shift around 3k rpm usually) the truck goes great into 3rd and you avoid the dead spot. On the highway, the truck really likes 5th gear. It will go into 6th, but you really need to control the throttle to get it to hold that gear. I'll usually drop it into 5th myself when i feel it's about to drop down a gear. On the steeper climbs that I experienced in NM, CO, and UT most were started in 5th (i dropped to 5th myself) and towards the peak usually drop into 4th at 70 mph and truck will hold 70 mph 95% of the time. Only found about 3 climbs or so where i'd slow down to 60-65 and into 3rd gear. No issues with temperature, ran 1000 miles straight only shutting off for fuel there and back and temperatures never were an issue.
On my trip to Utah, I had a F250 following me with about the same load (jeep JK on almost the same trailer). The only hills i couldn't keep up on were the few hills where i slowed down to 60-65 mph.
Trans:
Only complaint is the dead spot in 3rd gear which I'm assuming is a gap between gear ratios. Trans temp holds on average 204. I did experience temps at 212 for a split second when i got a tank of bad gas in wichita. I will say, with bad gas (I've never had such bad gas before in my life) the truck i would say lost 30% of it's power. I could not hold 70 mph in 4th gear, normally that is 5th gear no problem for the truck for that specific road. After 200 miles and 2 stops to dilute the bad fuel the truck was fine.
Mileage:
I have gotten any where between 8.7 and 11.6 with this load. 8.7 was used with cruise control. I have found this is the worst way to drive with this truck and a trailer. Truck will constantly shift for no reason and instead of dropping one gear will drop 2 or even 3 and run 4k rpm on it's own to hold speed. W/ out cruise control I at worst get 10. For this last trip my overall average was 10.7. The truck does not care if you are doing 68-78, it will get the same mileage. The 11.6 was doing about 62 mph from west of Austin, Tx back to Houston, Tx
These are more for all f150's across the board
Steering: Exclude 6.2's
I've read some people complain with the electronic steering and a load, they claim the truck gets to light on the front end and wonders. I have not experienced that, I'd guess that problem is caused by a very poorly weighted load.
Suspension:
Honestly can't ask for a better ride loaded down. My truck sits almost level, a slight hint of the rear being low but not much. I will be adding air bags to the rear eventually when I level out the front so i will stay level and not kill the ride with an AAL. If you leave the truck stock, I see no reason to mess with it at all unless you are towing much more weight.
Brakes:
When i got the truck, the one option I wanted that it didn't have was trailer brakes. I got one chance to tow with out the TBC and it stopped it pretty well but definitely too much weight to ever consider towing w/ out TB's regularly. Added them myself.15 minute install, Cost was $100 after shipping from Tasca + $130 to flash. Many have gotten the re-flash from the dealer for free, or for a half hour labor charge. With the trailer brakes, truck stops the load amazingly.
I would like if some one who tows a similar load (weight wise) with an Ecoboost and 09-10 5.4 could post up a review similar to this. I'm thinking it's about time we get a sticky of FAQ's up top for the 09+ trucks for new buyers and future buyers.
Right now i'm at 25,500 miles with 6300 miles towing my 1975 FJ40 on a 18 foot car hauler, with some spare parts and camping gear. Weight is around 6200 lbs
Truck specs:
'11 supercab FX4 5.0 w/ 3.73 gears, completely stock
My last trip was from Houston, Tx to Moab, Utah and then Moab, Utah to Denton, Tx. Roughly 2200 miles. This is what i'm going to give most of the review on due to steep grades and actually got a better feel for the trucks towing for a longer distance.
Engine:
Excellent power through out the RPM range. Only spot I can say is sort of "dead" would be 3rd gear right when it shifts. If you rev about 500 rpm further than I usually do (I have it shift around 3k rpm usually) the truck goes great into 3rd and you avoid the dead spot. On the highway, the truck really likes 5th gear. It will go into 6th, but you really need to control the throttle to get it to hold that gear. I'll usually drop it into 5th myself when i feel it's about to drop down a gear. On the steeper climbs that I experienced in NM, CO, and UT most were started in 5th (i dropped to 5th myself) and towards the peak usually drop into 4th at 70 mph and truck will hold 70 mph 95% of the time. Only found about 3 climbs or so where i'd slow down to 60-65 and into 3rd gear. No issues with temperature, ran 1000 miles straight only shutting off for fuel there and back and temperatures never were an issue.
On my trip to Utah, I had a F250 following me with about the same load (jeep JK on almost the same trailer). The only hills i couldn't keep up on were the few hills where i slowed down to 60-65 mph.
Trans:
Only complaint is the dead spot in 3rd gear which I'm assuming is a gap between gear ratios. Trans temp holds on average 204. I did experience temps at 212 for a split second when i got a tank of bad gas in wichita. I will say, with bad gas (I've never had such bad gas before in my life) the truck i would say lost 30% of it's power. I could not hold 70 mph in 4th gear, normally that is 5th gear no problem for the truck for that specific road. After 200 miles and 2 stops to dilute the bad fuel the truck was fine.
Mileage:
I have gotten any where between 8.7 and 11.6 with this load. 8.7 was used with cruise control. I have found this is the worst way to drive with this truck and a trailer. Truck will constantly shift for no reason and instead of dropping one gear will drop 2 or even 3 and run 4k rpm on it's own to hold speed. W/ out cruise control I at worst get 10. For this last trip my overall average was 10.7. The truck does not care if you are doing 68-78, it will get the same mileage. The 11.6 was doing about 62 mph from west of Austin, Tx back to Houston, Tx
These are more for all f150's across the board
Steering: Exclude 6.2's
I've read some people complain with the electronic steering and a load, they claim the truck gets to light on the front end and wonders. I have not experienced that, I'd guess that problem is caused by a very poorly weighted load.
Suspension:
Honestly can't ask for a better ride loaded down. My truck sits almost level, a slight hint of the rear being low but not much. I will be adding air bags to the rear eventually when I level out the front so i will stay level and not kill the ride with an AAL. If you leave the truck stock, I see no reason to mess with it at all unless you are towing much more weight.
Brakes:
When i got the truck, the one option I wanted that it didn't have was trailer brakes. I got one chance to tow with out the TBC and it stopped it pretty well but definitely too much weight to ever consider towing w/ out TB's regularly. Added them myself.15 minute install, Cost was $100 after shipping from Tasca + $130 to flash. Many have gotten the re-flash from the dealer for free, or for a half hour labor charge. With the trailer brakes, truck stops the load amazingly.
I would like if some one who tows a similar load (weight wise) with an Ecoboost and 09-10 5.4 could post up a review similar to this. I'm thinking it's about time we get a sticky of FAQ's up top for the 09+ trucks for new buyers and future buyers.