Hello,

Not a F150 owner yet, but looking into one. I presently have a 2002 Jeep GCL (235 hp/295 torque) that i am using to pull a 24' (3,600-4,000 lb) trailer. On my first time out I got 11.6 to 13.4 mpg. I was thinking that was a little low, but maybe not.

I am looking at a 150, extended cab, 2wd, 5.4 motor. What mpg are you folks with a comparable set up getting?

The Jeep is rated to 6,500 lbs, any reason I should upgrade to a pickup?

Thanks,

 

I'd say that was pretty decent gas mileage based on my towing experiences.

 

My father's '96 Grand Cherokee with the V8 would get about 12mpg towing a 3500lb boat. Until the whole car went to hell after 100k miles, namely the rear axle was going-going-gone at about 105k. Then I found out this was a "common problem" of Jeeps from that era. Replaced it with an '07 Explorer.

Anyway, that mileage is about as good as you can expect.

Reasons to upgrade? Save yourself the "nickle-and-dime" problems Jeeps are famous for. I don't know how many miles are on your Jeep, but crap will start breaking. Everyone I know with a Jeep has just poured money into maintenance for it. Considering that a new GC costs about 8 cents/mile more than any other SUV, I'd say things haven't changed.

 

Ra, thanks for the info. Bought my Jeep in 03 and was reluctant at first due to the reputation of Jeeps. But 4 years and 45k miles later it has turned out to be one of the best vehicles I have owned. Have 65K on it now and it has not been in the shop once. Knock on wood. Still has the orginal brakes. Yes I do check them. This might all change tomorrow though...lol

It seemed that the Jeep may be under powered to do the job, since it wanted to drop out of O/D everytime I touched the gas. But, on paper changing to a p/u would not help much. Yes the 5.? motors have more hp/torque, but weigh around a 1,000 lbs more than the Jeep. So, any gain would be eaten up by the extra weight.

 

Last weekend I took a trip about 530 miles round trip, towing my Jeep on a trailer. The trailer weighed about 6,500 pounds total. There was maybe 600 pounds total in the truck (2 passengers and gear for three days). I averaged 9.79 mpg.

Truck is a 2007 KR Screw, 5.4l V8, 4x4, 6,500 miles on truck. 100% stock.

I bought my truck wanting a tow rating of at least 8,500 pounds and a very comfortable ride. The F150 really delivers.

 

Um, up to 13.4 mpg towing? You better take that, most of us would be very happy with that pending you are within your tow rating etc.

Here's a little rule of thumb. Take your normal MPG without towing and subtract 40% of that. If you are getting that, good for you. If you are getting less than that, you should be thinking about these things: Your GVCW and or your driving habits.

Pulling 6200-7000 lbs with my F150, I got tops 9mpg with a nice tail wind. 6-7 mpg towing. (granted it is a 27ft long outhouse) With my F250 I still only get 12-13 mpg towing but when I push on the pedal, I get what i want.

Make sure you do some research. You need to know what LS rear end to get. F150's come in several configs. 3.55, 3.73 and 4.10 Each will give you different results. Factor in SCREW, XCAB etc plus 4x4 vs 4X2 oh and don't forget tire size...all these make differences.

Check out Fords website and look for the towing charts...it's a bit of an eye chart but after a few min, you'll be an expert in towing numbers.

 

If that thing wants to tow out of overdrive, do it. I foresee a new tranny in your future if you don't. And yes, you're getting almost double my towing mileage.

If you like the Jeep and it tows your toys with that kind of fuel mileage, I would keep it, and maybe install a tranny cooler and temp gauge.

 

I get 9mpg with my truck pulling my box. Only checked the MPG once and that was a 460miles round trip. If the jeep is getting that good of MPG and you are happy with the way it looks and pulls, Keep it.

 

Towing cars on dollies I get between 11 and 12, with the 37s and 3.73 gears. Aerodynamics and lower speeds play into the game. Worst was my trip to SEMA last year, a fullsize Ram in an enclosed trailer - 6 - 7 depending on where in the trip (5.3 pulling grades in the mountains), while I still had the 33s on.