Ford F150

[dijon13]

Hello everybody, I am thinking of ordering a new f150 5.0 litre. I'm wondering if the 3.55 is adequate for my 27 FB or would the 3.73 be better? Tow capacity is 9000 for 3.55 vs 10900 for 3.73. Payload on the crew cab lariat with the options I would like would be around 1840 lbs. Also, would 18" tires or 20" tires be better? Cheers, Andre

[RFP]

May I respectfully suggest that you also [strongly] consider the 3.5 EcoBoost. More torque than the 5.0 and it's 'there' at lower RPMs... 90% of the torque is available at only 1,700 RPM. Also, being a turbo, it is relatively unaffected by high altitude power loss; not so with the 5.0.

So much to think about.

All the best,

Rob

[55AS]

More power, more torque, better fuel economy. I see no reason to get the 5 litre, but you are the buyer...

[Pileus]

Also, would 18" tires or 20" tires be better? Cheers, Andre

You will not be happy with the stock 20" tires (mine came with Pirelli--horrible towing). Selection of extra load capacity tires to fit an F150 with 20" wheels is limited. I would go with the 18".

[fran&frank]

I also suggest the the 3.5 ecoboost; I tow a 27' FC FB with it and am very happy with it.

[NorCal Matt]

I tow with an EB and 3.73. Mileage when not towing probably suffers, but it's the best tow gearing they offer and I would think, with a 27', that'd be the way to go.

[dijon13]

Thanks for the advice. The reason I'm leaning towards the 5.0 litre is I
am a long term buyer and feel the 5.0 litre will be more economical in the long run. Does any body out there tow a 27ft with the 3.55 or 3.73?

[kscherzi]

The 2017 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost EPA milage is 17/23. The 5.0 V8 is 15/22. The V8 is a slightly cheaper option at time of purchase.

[NorCal Matt]

Originally Posted by dijon13

Thanks for the advice. The reason I'm leaning towards the 5.0 litre is I
am a long term buyer and feel the 5.0 litre will be more economical in the long run. Does any body out there tow a 27ft with the 3.55 or 3.73?

I'm not trying to push, but was curious... what are you thinking is more economical? Service? The Coyote is a good motor that gets better mileage while towing. I do miss that V8 sound

[ShinyPete]

dijon13-

The thread linked here tells our story of towing a 2014 27fb twin, our Pete, with a '13 F150 5.0/3.55, versus a '15 F150 3.5eb/3.55 with MaxTow. Huge difference, and I wouldn't go back to a 5.0 for the reasons detailed in this thread. If you order an F150 with MaxTow, it will have the 3.5eb/3.55, and it will be worth the wait..........

The thread's a little wordy, but I hope it helps with your research.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f463...le-141137.html

[Naper]

As others have said the Ecoboost is the way to go for towing. There is no comparison the V6 is amazing. If you choose the the 5.0 i would go with the 3.73 on the Ecoboost the 3.55 will do the job. As for the tires 18" are a better option when it comes to availability but I don't think there is any difference in towing performance. No matter what you decide Ecoboost or 5.0 the F150 is a very nice truck.

[dijon13]

NorCal Mat
The economical side is about service. I feel direct injected engines like ecoboost will have valve carbonation problems with time but the 2017 ecoboost may solve that problem with direct and port tuned injection. The 5.0 coyote and the. 5.7 tundra are the only non direct engines left.Direct injected engines get a little better milage but not enough to compensate for valve carbonation.The common statement out there is if you trade your truck in every 3 - 4 years ecoboost is great past 5 years 5.0 better. I'm sure ecoboost tows better but I'm a 10 year ownership guy. Cheers Andre

[Bill M.]

I would get the 3.73. I towed my older 25' with an older 150 with a small v8 and a 3.73 for a short while. It was quite a load on it. And your trailer is 3500 lbs more gross weight than mine. The Ford v8's are a very solid engine

I am pretty much a long term truck purchaser also. Our 2500 diesel now has 10 years and 185000 miles under its belt. The F150 is now 20 years old with a bit over 200,000 on it. I will probably replace it in April. Or not.

Do you have to run premium fuel when towing with the Eco-boost? I am looking.

[dijon13]

Hello Bill I believe the owners manual suggests premium. I think ecoboost would run much better and stronger with premium. The 5.0 does not require premium which I thinks is a Bonus.

[NorCal Matt]

I'll have to check my owners manual, I've been using 87. What would be the symptoms for not running premium that I should look out for?

[jcl]

Originally Posted by NorCal Matt

I'll have to check my owners manual, I've been using 87. What would be the symptoms for not running premium that I should look out for?

Potentially lower power (evidenced at wide open throttle), and potentially higher fuel consumption. It depends on how much and how often the engine controller needs to back off the timing, if at all. If you can't tell the difference driving, there isn't much point to it. Some premium fuels do have more detergents/cleansers than lower AKI rated fuels, but that isn't related to the AKI, just a marketing decision.

Jeff

[mixedpuppy]

We have a 27FB and have been towing with a 150 Lariat ecoboost 3.73, 1650# payload. With the truck loaded (of course very lightly) and hitched we're hitting 1350# payload, not much room left for any extras. We have a new 150 HDP on order, which should end up with 2300# payload. I like to think of the HDP as an F200

If you are ordering a new F150 build, I highly suggest you consider getting the HDP and avoid a payload crunch. That of course limits your choices to...LTX/Lariat (lowest option package on either) SCrew, 6.5' bed, 3.5 Ecoboost, 18" tires, 3.73. It's probably telling something that you cannot get HDP with the 5.0.

[Countryboy59]

Originally Posted by dijon13

Hello everybody, I am thinking of ordering a new f150 5.0 litre. I'm wondering if the 3.55 is adequate for my 27 FB or would the 3.73 be better? Tow capacity is 9000 for 3.55 vs 10900 for 3.73. Payload on the crew cab lariat with the options I would like would be around 1840 lbs. Also, would 18" tires or 20" tires be better? Cheers, Andre

Get the 5L with the 3.73 axle. There's nothing like a V8.

[Countryboy59]

Originally Posted by dijon13

Thanks for the advice. The reason I'm leaning towards the 5.0 litre is I
am a long term buyer and feel the 5.0 litre will be more economical in the long run. Does any body out there tow a 27ft with the 3.55 or 3.73?

Get the one with fewer moving parts, unless you'll be trading every couple years and always in warranty. Also runs good on regular gas.

[Moflash]

We pulled our 28ft with a 2011 F150 5.4 with 3:55 axle an it did fine pulling.The 5.0 is a great engine and puts out comparable numbers in Hp and torque.
I would reconsider and get the 3.5 Ecoboost due its overall power and it's advantage high altitude mountain pulling along with its higher resale value.For the long term either engine is as good as the other in form of reliability and service cost of ownership.Turbos are simple and will last a long time with frequent oil changes (oil bathed Turbos will heat to 1300 degrees at full boost and will actually glow cherry red in the dark and they will run trouble free for many miles.
Cheers


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