Ford F150 with a 3.5 L turbo and the 3.31 rear.

Morgan3820

Morgan3820

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Found one to buy. Wondering if anybody has any real world experience with the combination and Towing. I have a 7 x 14 utility trailer for the motorcycles, 4-5K pounds, that we intend to tow out west on long distance. I am reading that the 3.31 is better for around town and that a 3.55 would be better for Towing. But then I hear with the 10 speed transmission that it really doesn’t matter anymore.
 
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I'd dig up the owner's manual online and look at the towing charts. There will be a table based on engine size and diff ratios, that will tell you what the actual tow capacity spec is. The diff ratio really does make a difference. I had a silverado with factory tow package so I figured it was good for towing. When I started looking closer and considering upgrading from a pop-up tent camper to a full travel trailer I was shocked at how low the capacity of my truck really was...it had a highway ratio rear end
 
Remember when I visited a couple of years ago? That truck, which was towing my motorcycle trailer at the time, is an F-150 with the V6 Eco-Boost turbo and 10-speed trans. My wife tows her horse trailer, with two horses loaded, behind it all the time.

It will work just fine for you.
 
The 3.5EB/3.31 combo generally has a GVWR of about 15K lbs with a max trailer weight of about 10K, with appropriate hitch.

Even with lighter towing, I’d still want the tow package with trans cooler and such, especially with the EB motor. Pretty sure tow/haul trans mode is standard on all F150s, so that does not mean the tow package was optioned on the truck.

Look at the door sticker to figure your available payload, that’s the biggest limiting factor on all 1/2 ton trucks. With a full 36 gallons and four FAA sized people in the truck I’m down to about 750lbs of payload for tongue weight to transfer to, which is okay with me because I don’t like pull a load heavier than what the 1/2 ton weighs in at with no load.
 
TCABM said:
The 3.5EB/3.31 combo generally has a GVWR of about 15K lbs with a max trailer weight of about 10K, with appropriate hitch.

Even with lighter towing, I’d still want the tow package with trans cooler and such, especially with the EB motor. Pretty sure tow/haul trans mode is standard on all F150s, so that does not mean the tow package was optioned on the truck.

Look at the door sticker to figure your available payload, that’s the biggest limiting factor on all 1/2 ton trucks. With a full 36 gallons and four FAA sized people in the truck I’m down to about 750lbs of payload for tongue weight to transfer to, which is okay with me because I don’t like pull a load heavier than what the 1/2 ton weighs in at with no load.
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The window sticker says tow package. It has the brake controllers and the back up assist, so I’m guessing that it also comes with the tranny cooler.
 
Brad W said:
I'd dig up the owner's manual online and look at the towing charts. There will be a table based on engine size and diff ratios, that will tell you what the actual tow capacity spec is. The diff ratio really does make a difference. I had a silverado with factory tow package so I figured it was good for towing. When I started looking closer and considering upgrading from a pop-up tent camper to a full travel trailer I was shocked at how low the capacity of my truck really was...it had a highway ratio rear end
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The towing charts for the engine and rear combo say 10,300 pounds. So I figure I’m good with that I’m just more wondering am I going to be getting 5 miles to the gallon when towing with this thing?
 
Half Fast said:
Remember when I visited a couple of years ago? That truck, which was towing my motorcycle trailer at the time, is an F-150 with the V6 Eco-Boost turbo and 10-speed trans. My wife tows her horse trailer, with two horses loaded, behind it all the time.

It will work just fine for you.
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Do you recall the rear gear ratio is? And what kind of mileage do you get towing? Part of me thinks it with the 10 speed tranny that it probably doesn’t matter but I just want to do my due diligence. As this is the most money I’ve ever paid for a vehicle outside of my airplane. And you guys are a world of information.
 
Morgan3820 said:
Do you recall the rear gear ratio is? And what kind of mileage do you get towing? Part of me thinks it with the 10 speed tranny that it probably doesn’t matter but I just want to do my due diligence. As this is the most money I’ve ever paid for a vehicle outside of my airplane. And you guys are a world of information.
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Don’t recall the gear ratio. I think we get about 15, maybe a bit more, for mileage with the horse trailer.

And we paid significantly more for the truck (used!) than for my airplane. :D
 
Morgan3820 said:
Do you recall the rear gear ratio is? And what kind of mileage do you get towing? Part of me thinks it with the 10 speed tranny that it probably doesn’t matter but I just want to do my due diligence. As this is the most money I’ve ever paid for a vehicle outside of my airplane. And you guys are a world of information.
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Just checked with SWMBO and she says she gets 14+ when pulling the horse trailer, so with just a bike trailer it should be well over 15.
 
My father-in-law has that set up, and he pulls a relatively heavy 3 place enclosed snowmobile trailer through the mountains of Montana with it. No problem.
 
The 10-speed tranny pretty much makes the rear-end ratio irrelevant unless you are trying to something that requires over 10Klbs of trailer weight (which I'd argue shouldn't be done with a 1/2 ton-class truck anyway). The 3.31 will be fine in every way.
 
5K weight is nothing for a F150 Ecoboost. You will be fine. I've spent a lot of miles towing double that with my Ecoboost. The ratio won't matter - there is plenty of transmission and the gearing will sort it out.
 
Thanks guys I knew you’d make me feel better about all this. Now if I can just get the dealership to give me an actual out the door price.
 
Morgan3820 said:
Thanks guys I knew you’d make me feel better about all this. Now if I can just get the dealership to give me an actual out the door price.
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You're doing it backward. Give them YOUR price.

When we bought ours, we got tired of all the BS back and forth, so we told them "Our trade and a check for $XXk. You sort out the fees and discounts and charges any way you like." They agreed and that's exactly what we did. Had the check already written when we walked into the dealership, didn't even bring the checkbook, so it wasn't going to be one dime more.
 
I towed a U-Haul fullsize car trailer (not light) and an MGB-GT (not heavy) to/from California with one of these. It didn't "notice", and got good fuel mileage the whole time.
 
So the truck has been sold. Amazingly after sitting on their lot for four months it was sold within 20 minutes of me asking for a cash out the door price. What a coincidence. An hour before the only question they had was when can I come in? When can I come in? When can I come in? OK I’ll come in when I get a fixed price, oh, I’m sorry the truck sold. Not saying that they might not be telling the truth but I’m suspicious. I’m told that the FTC is cracking down on all these shenanigans from the Covid times. If it’s still listed on their lot, I think I may call the hotline.
 
For what it's worth, the last time I looked at the 3.31 equipped F150s, the biggest issue I saw was the rated payload number (or lack thereof). If it was a crew cab, and you put 4 people in the thing, you basically had zero weight left for tongue weight on a trailer. Sure, the Ford towing guide will give you a max towing capability when you take the engine combo + rear end combo, but until you can see the actual payload rating number on the specific truck, it doesn't really tell you a whole lot.

Obviously it depends on what you intend to carry with you in the truck while towing.
 
Morgan3820 said:
Thanks guys I knew you’d make me feel better about all this. Now if I can just get the dealership to give me an actual out the door price.
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Get the Eco boost if you can. I have a 2020 F150 King Ranch without the eco-boost and there's a definite difference. Mine is 10 speed, but on hills with cruise control on it downshifts and sucks gas HARD ... I do better driving like the old days before cruise control (using downhill for speed for next uphill) ... not sure how it would act with a heavy trailer ...

I've had several Ford vehicles with Eco-boost ... huge difference
 
I have the same setup in 2022 lariat, I pull a 20 ft utility trailer with my tractor, RTV's and round bales of hay maybe six to eight of them, I know the trailer is back there but no issues, about 15 mpg you will like the 3.5 ecoboost

Never tell the dealer you have cash, just get the price, if a new vehicle and if you belong to EAA get a pin from Ford partner website and you can find out the X plan price, some dealers will not honor xplan, some will, so ask, some dealers will beat x plan but then charge a big doc fee, with X plan the dealer can not charge more than $100.00 (need to verify) on doc fees, with X plan there is no haggling. I have bought a lot of ford products using the EAA x plan,

Go on some of the F 150 forums to see what dealers are doing, also never buy an extended warranties from a dealer, there are some online dealers that will see you the same product online for a lot less, if you want that product.

why not say cash?, they make $ on loans, and will add that profit in when they know you are not financing, so sayng cash may not be the best thing to say. hold your cards close to the vest, let them assume you will finance then when ready to pull the trigger do the cash,
 
It’ll pull your house if you tune the motor. Those 3.5’s are tanks
 
Half Fast said:
Don’t recall the gear ratio. I think we get about 15, maybe a bit more, for mileage with the horse trailer.

And we paid significantly more for the truck (used!) than for my airplane. :D
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My truck was twice what I paid for my airplane, new F 150 in the $80's even 90's sticker who buys them now? I got in before all the rebates went away and cheap financing last year I ordered the truck late Jan 2022, it arrived mid September, 2022, dealer honored all rebates $4000 worth, rates .0 for 36 and the price in Janaury and gave me x plan that saved almost another 5 k those days are gone
 
My dad has that same package. 2019 F150 3.5L twin turbo ecoboost. It tows great. But towing the 8x14 enclosed v-nose trailer with the utv from Illinois to New Mexico it gets 6.7 MPG. And the tank is something stupid like 22 gallons. They did make a larger tank but he opted for standard. Was looking for the larger tank at a salvage yard and doing the swap, just not that ambitious yet. Highway mpg without towing is around 15.

When I brought the trailer home empty from Indiana I only got 9.2mpg. Again, it tows great...but mileage is dreadful when towing. There was an article a few years ago comparing the Coyote to the 5.3 and the coyote won out
 
Racerx said:
My dad has that same package. 2019 F150 3.5L twin turbo ecoboost. It tows great. But towing the 8x14 enclosed v-nose trailer with the utv from Illinois to New Mexico it gets 6.7 MPG. And the tank is something stupid like 22 gallons. They did make a larger tank but he opted for standard. Was looking for the larger tank at a salvage yard and doing the swap, just not that ambitious yet. Highway mpg without towing is around 15.

When I brought the trailer home empty from Indiana I only got 9.2mpg. Again, it tows great...but mileage is dreadful when towing. There was an article a few years ago comparing the Coyote to the 5.3 and the coyote won out
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Something is seriously messed up if you are only getting 15 mph, without towing, on the highway. My truck, not towing, will get 20 mpg (no wind) at 70 mph, 19 mpg at 75 mph, and 24 mpg at 60 mph. I've towed a 34 ft 9,000 lb travel trailer all over the country. No wind, 75 mph, I would get 8mpg towing it. Slow it up to 60, and you'd be well over 10 mpg.

2017 F150 3.5L Ecoboost, 10R80, 3.73 axle ratio, 36 gallon tank.

Does this truck have stupid oversized tires or some lift-kit that is screwing it up?
 
jesse said:
Something is seriously messed up if you are only getting 15 mph, without towing, on the highway. My truck, not towing, will get 20 mpg (no wind) at 70 mph, 19 mpg at 75 mph, and 24 mpg at 60 mph. I've towed a 34 ft 9,000 lb travel trailer all over the country. No wind, 75 mph, I would get 8mpg towing it. Slow it up to 60, and you'd be well over 10 mpg.

2017 F150 3.5L Ecoboost, 10R80, 3.73 axle ratio, 36 gallon tank.

Does this truck have stupid oversized tires or some lift-kit that is screwing it up?
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Had oversized tires and leveling kit. Swapped back to stock tires when traveling, its actually been on stocks since August. Most highway miles are in the suburbs and Chicago traffic....and the driver drives like his hair is on fire. Going from west to east on our annual odyssey gets the mileage up to 8.2mpg. cruise is usually set around 80. A buddy in Colorado has one and he gets 5-7mpg hauling his toy hauler. The v nose on our trailer is pretty blunt, but its taller than most trailers to fit the utv...needed a larger ramp
 
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Racerx said:
My dad has that same package. 2019 F150 3.5L twin turbo ecoboost. It tows great. But towing the 8x14 enclosed v-nose trailer with the utv from Illinois to New Mexico it gets 6.7 MPG. And the tank is something stupid like 22 gallons. They did make a larger tank but he opted for standard. Was looking for the larger tank at a salvage yard and doing the swap, just not that ambitious yet. Highway mpg without towing is around 15.

When I brought the trailer home empty from Indiana I only got 9.2mpg. Again, it tows great...but mileage is dreadful when towing. There was an article a few years ago comparing the Coyote to the 5.3 and the coyote won out
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From what I have read, the Ecoboost does get slightly better mileage than the 5.0 Coyote V8 when unloaded. But if you are working it, and using the turbos for power, fuel economy goes down in a hurry. The 5.0 gets slightly less mileage unloaded, but is more efficient under load. The Ecoboost does also claim higher towing numbers and torque than the 5.0, but I really do think at that point its academic, and I really don't like the idea of towing 11,000+ lbs behind a less than 5,000 lb 1/2 ton truck.

Personally, I have the 5.0L, 3.55 rear, and love it. I routinely tow a 20' car hauler with various equipment on it, and it doesn't miss a beat. It will do 65-70 mph easily, and still gets 15+ mpg. Not towing it gets 20+ mpg doing 75 mph on the interstate.
 
midwestpa24 said:
The Ecoboost does also claim higher towing numbers and torque than the 5.0, but I really do think at that point its academic.
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At sea-level, it is pretty close. Once you start increasing in density altitude, it is no contest. Tow a camper out west and the 3.5L will still be making full-power when the 5.0L coyote will easily be reduced by 100+ hp or more from the lack of turbos and the thinner air. Coyote will be going slow screaming in RPM while the Ecoboost blasts right by like it's still at sea-level.
 
charheep said:
Chevy makes trucks also. Jes saying
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midwestpa24 said:
From what I have read, the Ecoboost does get slightly better mileage than the 5.0 Coyote V8 when unloaded. But if you are working it, and using the turbos for power, fuel economy goes down in a hurry. The 5.0 gets slightly less mileage unloaded, but is more efficient under load. The Ecoboost does also claim higher towing numbers and torque than the 5.0, but I really do think at that point its academic, and I really don't like the idea of towing 11,000+ lbs behind a less than 5,000 lb 1/2 ton truck.

Personally, I have the 5.0L, 3.55 rear, and love it. I routinely tow a 20' car hauler with various equipment on it, and it doesn't miss a beat. It will do 65-70 mph easily, and still gets 15+ mpg. Not towing it gets 20+ mpg doing 75 mph on the interstate.
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No replacement for displacement.
 
Racerx said:
No replacement for displacement.
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Displacement does not get work done. Horsepower and torque get work done. Both of which, the Ecoboost makes more of, and does so at a lower RPM than the Coyote.
 
Racerx said:
My dad has that same package. 2019 F150 3.5L twin turbo ecoboost. It tows great. But towing the 8x14 enclosed v-nose trailer with the utv from Illinois to New Mexico it gets 6.7 MPG. And the tank is something stupid like 22 gallons. They did make a larger tank but he opted for standard. Was looking for the larger tank at a salvage yard and doing the swap, just not that ambitious yet. Highway mpg without towing is around 15.

When I brought the trailer home empty from Indiana I only got 9.2mpg. Again, it tows great...but mileage is dreadful when towing. There was an article a few years ago comparing the Coyote to the 5.3 and the coyote won out
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this video shows how to swap out the fuel tank for the bigger on. Pricing for a new one is around $800. Links to part numbers are included.
 
I found just what I have been looking for in….nj. Actually, I have known about it for awhile. Wary about buying so far away. Some of the dealer reviews have not been stellar, but some have been ok.

Anyone purchase and have shipped? How does someone protect themselves?
 
midwestpa24 said:
From what I have read, the Ecoboost does get slightly better mileage than the 5.0 Coyote V8 when unloaded. But if you are working it, and using the turbos for power, fuel economy goes down in a hurry. The 5.0 gets slightly less mileage unloaded, but is more efficient under load. The Ecoboost does also claim higher towing numbers and torque than the 5.0, but I really do think at that point its academic, and I really don't like the idea of towing 11,000+ lbs behind a less than 5,000 lb 1/2 ton truck.

Personally, I have the 5.0L, 3.55 rear, and love it. I routinely tow a 20' car hauler with various equipment on it, and it doesn't miss a beat. It will do 65-70 mph easily, and still gets 15+ mpg. Not towing it gets 20+ mpg doing 75 mph on the interstate.
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I have read where some of the 5.0l have oil consumption issues. Have you seen that?
 
Morgan3820 said:
I have read where some of the 5.0l have oil consumption issues. Have you seen that?
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I’ve got a 17F150 KR 5.0 FX4 with 78K miles and zero oil consumption issues. Looking back ove the life of the vehicle, the only problems I’ve had are with Ford’s Sync 3 and some of those problems are caused by Apple’s Carplay implementation.

Oh, yeah. Anything older than ‘22 F150 needs jimmy jammers installed, the truck is ridiculously easy to break in to.
 
Morgan3820 said:
I have read where some of the 5.0l have oil consumption issues. Have you seen that?
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I have read that too. My understanding of it is two fold, that almost all modern engines do simply consume a small amount of oil through blow-by, and that initially the 5.0 may have had too much vacuum pressure at idle contributing to increased blow by. There is a SB to fix the vacuum issue, and change to a different dipstick...:rolleyes:

Personally, I noticed it used about 2 quarts before the first 5,000 mile oil change, but settled down after break-in to using less than a quart every 5,000 miles. It holds almost 9, so not exactly worried about it. When I took to my service guy the first time and mentioned it, he asked, "Who checks the oil on a new truck? Its under warranty!" o_O

At this point its something to monitor, but I don't sweat it. In doing some research, it appears this is becoming more common in newer higher efficiency engines as they push the boundaries of compression and tolerances to eek out better economy.

The only thing that has really stood out is the need for higher octane fuel. The Coyote 5.0 runs 13 to 1 compression. While the book says it will run on 87, there is a noticeable knock. I switched to 91 non ethanol, no more knock. In researching this, there was a run of people that had premature valve train failures, and the common connection was low octane gas and complaints of heavy knocking. The theory is although the ECM can adjust timing and mixture to try to prevent detonation, there is a limit to what it can do. If you are running Walmart grade 87, it may not be able to compensate enough. Given I don't drive this truck a whole lot, the extra cost in gas is minor to me.
 
Racerx said:
No replacement for displacement.
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You got that right. That's why my truck has the 7.3L in it. Thing is a beast, and actually isn't half bad on MPG with a 10 speed behind it.
 
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