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Old 06-23-2021, 01:14 PM   #1
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Ford Ecoboost questions

I'm in the market (sorta) for new-to-me Tow Vehicle. I'm looking at 5 to 6 year old Fords and ran across a really nice 2014 F150 Limited today. This truck has just about every option on it for that year. 4 X 4, Crew Cab, towing package, leathers, new tires, very clean and low mileage at 128k. Price is in my ballpark at $29,400.

It has the 3.5L Ecoboost engine. I remember when these came out a few years ago there was a lot good press about them. I remember folks here on the forums having good things to say about them. So my question is, for those of you that have owned them, what are your thoughts? Reliability good? Plenty of actual power to tow with? This truck can (theoretically) tow 10,400 lbs, according to the manual as fitted from the factory.

Anybody* out there with real world info they care to share?

*I'm a dyed in the wool Ford Guy, so that's all I'm considering at his point.

Jim
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Old 06-23-2021, 01:40 PM   #2
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This is slightly off center, but its the real world perspective I can offer. I had a 2016 F-150 but mine had the 5.0L V8. I never felt like I was lacking in power, and the Ecoboost has more HP (and more importantly more torque), but the 2014 model year was pretty early in the life of the F150 Ecoboost line, there were some reliability issues in the early years of the Ecoboost. Personally, I have always been a little paranoid of the long term impact of all that heat, but they have a strong following and they are better now than when first introduced. The turbo will certainly outperform the normally aspirated motors when in higher elevations. Not sure how much hill towing you will do, if they are short trips, or longer trips, but I upgraded to an F-250 (gas) shortly after I became an Airstream owner. I have a 25' RB Flying Cloud, it weighed slightly more than the F-150, and I was not comfortable with how much the trailer was pushing the truck around, especially in high wind. If you are only doing short trips, that aspect is much less of a concern, but if you do long trips, and multiple per year, my insight is consider a heavier tow vehicle (3/4 ton or better) as part of your research. I am not saying the F-150 can't do it, but be cautious about using the MFR tow rating numbers as your go-nogo decision. In my experience the additional stability (and control) provided by the 3/4 ton is very desirable. Best of luck in your search
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Old 06-23-2021, 01:57 PM   #3
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Hi

Since it's a used truck sitting there on the lot, it does have a nice handy door post sticker. I'd definitely grab the payload info off that sticker. 2014 was the last year for the "not aluminum body" F150. The numbers on it will be a bit different than what you have been seeing recently.

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Old 06-23-2021, 01:58 PM   #4
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Thanks, that's exactly the type of input I was looking for....somebody with real world experience.


I have a 2002 F250 V10 Gasser 4 X 4 now as my primary tow vehicle. It's been a great truck (owned and towed with it for 8 years now). The problem is that a mechanic screwed up the electrical system about a year ago and I'm tired of spending money on it. I took it in to have the alternator replaced and he managed to blow up two of the computer modules in the process. It took nearly a month for a "reliable" mechanic to sort out all the problems and get it back on the road. The Vehicle Security Module is the only thing not working on it now and Ford doesn't make them any longer. So it's something like $1000 to find a used one and get it installed (and reprogrammed by a Ford dealer). In addition to all that, it's 20 years old in the fall and has a little over 200,000 miles on it. It's time to start looking.


Thanks again! for your input.


Jim
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Old 06-23-2021, 01:59 PM   #5
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Hi

Since it's a used truck sitting there on the lot, it does have a nice handy door post sticker. I'd definitely grab the payload info off that sticker. 2014 was the last year for the "not aluminum body" F150. The numbers on it will be a bit different than what you have been seeing recently.

Bob

Checked that, it's 1140 lbs.
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Old 06-23-2021, 02:01 PM   #6
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Check the Payload/Cargo rating

Good friend has a 2014 F150 Lariat with all the bells and whistles. Eco Boost engine. 4x4. Moonroof. Leather. You get the picture.

The Payload/Cargo capacity is a shameful 1250 LBS!!!! Make sure you check the little yellow sticker in the driver door jamb to get the real picture.of what you can actually tow with it. It might be rated to tow 10,000 LBS but in reality if you put an 8,000 LB trailer behind it with 1100/1200 LBS of tongue weight your maxed out and probably over weight on the rear axle before you even get you and the misses in the truck. Payload/Cargo rating is the real decider of how capable thee truck is. Do your home work before buying a pig in a poke.
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Old 06-23-2021, 02:04 PM   #7
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Checked that, it's 1140 lbs.
wow ... was not expecting a number that low, uncle_bob was very wise in suggesting to check that out. The F-150 (v8) that I had was a payload rating of just over 1900 lbs ... 1100 is so low you probably can't haul anything but the trailer
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Old 06-23-2021, 02:11 PM   #8
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The 2014 wasn't particularly early for an Ecoboost. They came out in 2009, and were in the F150 for the 2011 model year. An early production issues were well over by then.

Given that the truck being retired is a 2002 model, the F150 is likely a closer match to the weight of that F250 than a newer F250 would be.
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Old 06-23-2021, 02:13 PM   #9
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Hi

If you have two "full sized" folks (200 lb avg) in the truck, a 150 pound hitch+shank and a 700 pound tongue weight, you would ned to leave roughly half a person behind ....

The Limited trim really does impact payload.

Bob
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Old 06-23-2021, 02:29 PM   #10
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So I checked the picture of the door sticker I took while on the lot, it's actually 1170 lbs. Not much better, eh? I'm pulling a '73 Overlander with a tongue weight of about 650 lbs (by the book). Dry weight of trailer is about 4000, max is 6300. I'm never near the max weight of the trailer, so the tongue weight is less than the Airstream chart.
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Old 06-23-2021, 02:37 PM   #11
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your trailer is quite a bit lighter than mine, I was not thinking the discrepancy would be this wide. My trailer GVWR is 7300, my actual CAT scale trailer weight was about 6100, essentially empty. So for the perspective I offered above, that should be factored in ... your trailer is around 2000lbs lighter than mine. Not sure of my actual tongue weight but its somewhere around 900lbs I think. I still think 1100lbs of payload is mighty thin, but maybe you can make it work.
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Old 06-23-2021, 03:37 PM   #12
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We have a 2015 F150 XLT with the EcoBoost engine and love it. We have had absolutely ZERO problems with the truck (well, except for when the local squirrels ate a couple of wires for a bedtime snack!). It pulls our 'little' 23D like magic, as a matter of fact, we have yet to find a hill we couldn't just scamper up. The torque curve on the EcoBoost is certainly towing-friendly, with high torque coming on even at lower RPMs. Great truck: comfortable, capable, and reliable.

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Old 06-23-2021, 03:44 PM   #13
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As jcl points out, 2014 is the 4th production year of F150 Ecoboosts and "the bugs" were pretty much worked out by then.

The truck you're looking at has low payload capacity, but if your profile is up to date, you're towing a '73 so you may not have a lot of tongue weight to deal with either (compared to modern largish Airstreams.) Know your weights to make your decisions...

As for the Ecoboost itself... I had an '07 5.4L tow vehicle before, with a lighter Airstream and a penchant for Colorado camping. Taking that rig to the mountains made me VERY interested in the Ecoboost (I've driven forced-induction vehicles for my daily driver for 30 of the last 40 years...)

So, I was watching the Ecoboost F150 from its introduction until I was ready to upgrade my truck... Several people in my Airstream Club unit had 1st-gen trucks, a couple of whom put BIG miles on them. 2 of them (both '11 models IIRC) experienced the early intercooler issue, one '12 had a computer issue, all 6 ppl in the unit who had them between 2011 and 2015 would definitely buy another (and several of them did.)

I bought my 2nd-gen 3.5 in 2017. It's got 44k miles (it would likely be 60k except for the weird year in 2020) about half of which are towing about 6600 lb, with many (though never enough) of those miles being in the mountains. I am thoroughly satisfied with the truck. It's a little different than what you're looking at, in that it has the 10-speed auto and a bit more hp and torque but the only real vice it displays is its thirst, and it's not really that far off the competition in that department. I'm not afraid to make the truck work, and I travel about 68 mph with the Airstream most of the time. A good day without much wind in the flatlands will return about 11 mpg at that pace, a headwind or a mountain will make it drink like a sailor on shore leave (but it'll do the work.)

I had to have the air-conditioned seat fixed, and there have been a couple of software updates and "service campaigns" (almost-recalls I guess?) but it's been very reliable, it's nice to drive, and does a good job towing my Airstream. I custom-ordered it with the big trailer mirrors, they're hard to find on a dealer lot.
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Old 06-23-2021, 04:16 PM   #14
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Originally Posted by Jim & Susan View Post
So I checked the picture of the door sticker I took while on the lot, it's actually 1170 lbs. Not much better, eh? I'm pulling a '73 Overlander with a tongue weight of about 650 lbs (by the book). Dry weight of trailer is about 4000, max is 6300. I'm never near the max weight of the trailer, so the tongue weight is less than the Airstream chart.
Hi

The "typical" AS tongue weight spec is on an empty trailer. They claim this is how they have always done it. Who knows how accurate that claim is .....

Bob
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Old 06-23-2021, 06:16 PM   #15
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Many, many thanks to all of you that have contributed to the thread.

Anybody else want to chime in?

Jim
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Old 06-23-2021, 06:38 PM   #16
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my 2011 xlt supercab with heavy duty payload package and 8 foot box has a payload rating of 2740lbs. But most don't like the long wheelbase. It is more a work truck than a luxury car model.
I have 333,000 km on it and it still works like day one.
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Old 06-23-2021, 06:52 PM   #17
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I had a 2015 3.5L ecoboost, 4x4 crew cab, XLT. One mean towing machine.

They say if the turbo's go up, it'll cost you. Oil separators, catch cans, problems, you name it, read all about 'em here......

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/forum262/
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Old 06-23-2021, 07:29 PM   #18
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Many, many thanks to all of you that have contributed to the thread.

Anybody else want to chime in?

Jim
Jim, fun thread to read through, always like to see peoples thought process as it may be me in that situation later.

Just amazed at the price of trucks!

I don't want to sound like my dad bragging about $0.25 a gallon gas, but I payed $39K in 2014 for our RAM 2500 Diesel. With 108,000 miles, part of me says sell it now, the other part says I can't afford to replace it.

Love Catfish Corners! Only in the South do you get those names. And yes, Safety Third.

Good luck on the search.
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Old 06-23-2021, 07:43 PM   #19
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Jim, fun thread to read through, always like to see peoples thought process as it may be me in that situation later.

Just amazed at the price of trucks!

I don't want to sound like my dad bragging about $0.25 a gallon gas, but I payed $39K in 2014 for our RAM 2500 Diesel. With 108,000 miles, part of me says sell it now, the other part says I can't afford to replace it.

Love Catfish Corners! Only in the South do you get those names. And yes, Safety Third.

Good luck on the search.

That's the thing, right? Prices are thru the roof right now! I don't need this "new" truck, the 2002 F250 will do fine for a couple years until prices come back down to earth. But man, it's a beauty. Rides great, lot's of gadgets I don't actually need, but man is it pretty. I suppose what I'm really saying is, talk me out of it, PLEASE.



Ok, back to reality now.


Jim
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Old 06-23-2021, 07:52 PM   #20
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Jim
I had a 2020 with the 3.5. Max tow, 10 spd. with all the bells and whistles. I was very impressed with the engine. Towing and not towing, it it had plenty of power. Very easy and economical to drive. I had almost 1700 lbs of payload. Even so, payload was still the issue for me. I couldn’t make the numbers work and I was even hauling that much in the truck bed. My trailer hovers around 1000lbs loaded and you know that comes right off the top. Throw in a generator in the bed and a load of firewood and we were maxed out. Plus, wasn’t comfortable with the push I was feeling from time to time. Especially on descents. So I traded for an F250 and never looked back. All this being said, your trailer is a whole lot lighter than the modern Airstreams, so it would probably work for you, but that payload of the particular one that you are looking at is pretty low.
I would also add that If it were me, I would not consider an ecoboost with that many miles without having seen the service records. The kiss of death with those engines is not regularly changing the oil. Especially one that has been used for towing or heavy work. My nephew had a catastrophic engine failure with his 3.5 because the previous owner had not properly changed the oil.
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