Ecoboost

[Mike-Gloria]

Tomorrow we are going to take delivery of a 2013 Ford F-150 with Ecoboost. We talked to a number of people who like this engine, truly hope they are right about the pulling power. Have to admit that going down to a 6 from a V 8 is a strange feeling. I was wondering if anyone here pulls with this engine and how do you feel about it. It was time to replace the truck and we did look at the GMC. Very impressed with it but have been with Fords and the Ford dealer a long time. Nice people, good service and good luck with our old truck.

Any thoughts will be appreciated.
Thanks,
Mike

[richinny]

before you sign.......
verify your trailer tongue when fully loaded.
verify the payload capacity of the truck. (this will likely be your most limiting factor)
add the tongue weight of the trailer (loaded) and the hitch system to all the stuff you're putting in the truck. do the math.

what axle ratio are you getting?

[AWCHIEF]

I have a 2012 Ford F150 Ecoboost Screw cab that I am very pleased with. I of course have no problemes towing my little Bambi II with it. I know several people who also have Ecoboost F150s and tow 27 and 30 Airstreams and a couple that tow large SOBs. All that I am aware of are pleased with the towing and performance. Early Ecoboost engines apparently had issues with stalling under load, that has been corrected and is no longer an issue.

[RamblinManGa]

Hi from AZ. . . We have a 2011 FX4 Ecoboost 4 door. It has the 7200# GVWR pkg, with a 3.73 locker. It pulled my Safari 25 without drama, and seems to be doing the same with my FC 28 now. I have some concerns about the longevity of this truck/trans/twin turbo rig, but so far NO problems @ 30k miles. I put a K&N and a Heartthrob cat back exhaust on it which improved real gas mileage appreciably. I love the truck & if it'll last a while Good luck with your new one., regards, Craig

[DKB_SATX]

The Ecoboost is currently at the top of my list for the next truck, but I don't have one yet.

However, 6 members of my WBCCI unit tow with Ecoboost F150s, ranging from 2011 to 2013. One (with a 2011) experienced the high-humidity "stumble" problem and had the updated intercooler installed. The trailers these various friends are towing range from a '48 WeeWind to an '01 widebody 31' trailer. Aside from the intercooler replacement on the '11, no one has expressed any regrets. That same '11 truck, by the way, tows an '06 CCD 28' trailer all over NM and CO a couple times a year.

[ALANSD]

so what range gas mileage are you EcoBoosters getting?

[ROBERT CROSS]

....but how it's equipped/optioned is equally important!

I can see a 27' Classic easily going beyond 9000lbs with a tongue weight well above 1000lb. (our 25 is 7640, TW 1200). Factory weights are optimistically light especially tongue weight. (our fac TW 760lb)

Model: 2012 - 27' CLASSIC LIMITED FRONT BEDROOM
CHASSIS
9000# GVWR • 8800# Axle System • 6592# UBW • 2408# NCC • 792# Hitch Weight •

Make sure your hitch, tire & axle ratings are capable of the load. Also the payload of the TV after hitching up a loaded trailer.
Complete towing options needed when towing 9k.
LT,(light truck) tires are needed, D or E load, for safe towing.

The EB gets outstanding MPG's alone. Towing with the turbo spinning it suffers a bit. Check to see what fuel is recommended when towing.

Sweet Streams

Bob

[richinny]

towing from nj-florida last fall vs. this fall i did better last fall with an avg. of 12.5 mpg at 55-60. this year i;m around 12.1 with more wind at the same speed.

when not towing at 55-60 i've hit 25 with pure highway driving and no traffic to slow me.

around town with plenty of lights it runs about 12.5 mpg.

[Mike-Gloria]

Thanks for the input and information. We did it, we purchased a 2013 F-150 with Ecoboost. Haven't pulled the trailer yet. We would like to put about 1K on it before we pull. Going to Seattle next week early with the truck and then pull midweek. It seems to have power but the proof will be in the towing. Looking forward to years of trouble free travelling, hope it works out that way.

Thanks again,
Mike

[MaxTow]

I have a 2012 F150, EB, Supercrew, Max Tow, HD Payload (8200 GVWR / 2150 Max Payload) pulling a 30' Safari Bunkhouse (8800 GVWR)

With the truck at max payload, max tow capacity of 8900 lbs.

What I love about the engine is the torque curve. Maximum torque of 420ft-lbs at 1600RPM. Great for towing.

I've pulled the trailer some 16k km (10k miles) without issue. We did a 4 weeks road trip this summer through Colorado, Utah, California, Wyoming, etc. No problems on the passes. The only time that I really had to slow down was the pull out of Death Valley. 46C (115F) - climbed the grade at about 30mph to keep both engine temp and transmission temp in check.

Ford recommends premium fuel while towing. In the flats of Ontario I don't notice a difference between premium (91 Octane) and regular (87 Octane). But in the big passes, I did notice a different - so would recommend the higher octane when really pushing the engine.

I average between 10mpg and 12 mpg depending on grade and wind. You cannot believe a single number as there are too many variables.

[dmnichols]

I've been towing my 31' Classic since Sept. 2013 with a 2013 F150 super crew max tow package. Currently have 10,000 miles on the trailer and average 15.2 mpg overall, 10.5 to 14.5 mpg pulling and around 22 not pulling. I did add Firestone air bags to soften the bumpy roads and provide stability. Make sure your sway hitch is quality and you will enjoy the trip.

Ford did it right with the EB and there will be a EB in the Super Duty in the Future!


Sent from my iPad using Airstream Forums

[Mike-Gloria]

Just an update on the 2013 EB. We have now had the truck 8 months and 13K miles later. It has be flawless in pulling and town driving. In comparison to our 2010 5.0 engine we have more power and pull steep hills better. This new truck is geared lower so mileage is off some. Over all I would say this was a good choice and very happy with it.

[dmnichols]

I've got 12,000+ miles pulling on my 2013 F-150 EB with no complaints. My Airstream is a 2014 Classic Limited 30. Make sure you have the Max tow package with the 3:73 rear end. I added Firestone air bags to mitigate the up and down oscillations on bad roads and this also boosted the weight capacity of the rig. I do encourage you to consult with Ford when you make modifications like the air bags and I found them very helpful.

Tires are important so make sure you get rims equipped with E rated tires. I have 20" rims with Bridgestone P275-55R-20, which they tell me are sufficient for the load of the Airstream. The tire is a 5 ply with a 2 ply side wall and do provide a good ride but I'm a farm boy and would prefer the load rating of a E rated tire. Keep the tires at max PSI when towing and check your lug nut torque on a regular basis.

So far the mileage is good, which ranges 11.5 to 13.5 MPG at 60 MPH. I use the dual trip monitors to measure the MPG on each leg of a trip. At 75% towing I'm averaging 15.1 MPG overall. The non-towing will range 21 to 24 MPG.

The engine has power and in the mountains it preforms beautifully. I have had diesels farm trucks, worked on them in the service and driven both types on the highway and the key thing I think makes you love the EB is the acceleration when you need it! Use premium fuel when towing for maximum performance. You will find that piece of wisdom in the owners manual and it does increase performance and MPG. I just recently came across this so most of the pulling was with 87 octane gas and it still performed well.

Finally I did spring for the premium maintenance package, which covers you 7 years and 125K miles.