My F150 Died

[SoonerP226]

Thinking about buying another F150, but all I see these days are 6 cylinders advertised with towing packages. Yes I do understand that towing packages mean they all they did was add a hitch and trailer plug to an ordinary truck. But really, can you pull a trailer with these new 6's? How are their transmissions?

My Travel trailer pulling days are behind me, but I still need to pull a trailer with my UTV w/bowling ball mortar or a small boat.

The Tow Package is actually more than a receiver and plug. For my generation of F-150 (I haven't looked at the current Gen to see what's different), it added an auxiliary transmission cooler and bigger radiator, as well as the SelectShift option (which adds the upshift/downshift rocker switch to the shifter and the gear readout on the dash) and Trailer Sway Control.

It sounds like you're probably not going to exceed 5K lbs of trailering, which means pretty much any F-150 will have you covered. (Heck, the Explorer would cover that much.) The capabilities of a modern F-150 would be closer to an F-250 of your truck's vintage--my dad's new F-150, f'rinstance, has a payload rating of over 2,000lbs. You can't go wrong with either EcoBoost V6 or the Coyote 5.0 V8.

 

[MR.T.]

Didn't the 5.4 have problems with blowing the spark plugs out.

Now that the 5.4 doesn't blow out the spark plugs, it doesn't want to let them loose in case you ever need to do a tune-up.

 

[Roy14]

Are you wanting to go new or used? Personally I’d never go with anything other than the largest engine they offer. More $ spent on R&D and doesn’t have to work nearly as hard, which increases longevity. That being said, I wouldn’t own another half ton (excepting Toyota Tundra, they’re great but a little pricey) unless it was the deal of a lifetime. The new 3/4 and 1 tons ride better than the half tons did 15 years ago, and they last twice as long due to their commercially oriented nature. Ram seems to be putting out the highest quality truck right now. Most I know with Fords have had a list of issues, can’t speak on the new Chevys yet but I’m hopeful their 6.6 Vortec will be a winner.

 

[TheDoubleD]

Okay guys it is a F150, fat fingered old guys shouldn't type on skinny keyboards-D is right next door to the F. Thanks Mod for the fix.

No Rams, no Toyota's. Drove lots of Dodges and Plymouths at work. Nothing wrong with them, just don't want one My 82 4WD Toyota P/U went 298,000 miles before I got larger and needed a larger truck and got 95 F150. That truck was sold in 2002 for this truck. the 95 had 260,000 on it then and the current owner still drives and told me last year it had 370,000 miles on it. I had a Chev before the Toyota, but when the carrier bearing failed at 18,000 miles and GM said I should have bought the extended warrant-well I haven't be back to GM.

So you think these new 6 cylinder ecoboost engines would work for light trailer pulling then?

Oh I went and lifted the hood and the engine on my truck says 5.4 liter. It's been a good engine, only had two tune ups, one at 100,000 and one at 200,000 miles.

I am looking at probably getting a newer used truck. Seat is wore out in this one.

Probably only two wheel drive. At my age and with the activites I now do and where I live I don't have much need or use for 4WD.

 

[SoonerP226]

Either of the EcoBoost V6es will work fine for light trailering; the EB35 is good for any trailering load the F-150 can tow. For the ‘15 and newer F-150s, the 5.0 V8 and the EB35 are in the same ballpark, trailering-wise. (For the ‘11-‘14, the 6.2 V8 was the top dog, but in ‘15, it became a Super Duty exclusive.)

 

[swampratt]

I h"ad a 3.2 liter Ford inline 6 that pulled many trailers and my Bayliner weekly to Webbers Falls.
24 MPG with Boat in tow.
27 MPG without the boat but I ran down the highway much faster.
Heaviest Pull was a double axle car trailer with winch and a 1978 Ford F250 with 400" engine in on the trailer.
With 4 big mudders on steel wheels to go with the truck.

OK the kicker the vehicle did not stop well with that load.
Vehicle was a 2700LB 1982 Mustang.
Car finally fell apart at 376,000 miles.
No major engine or transmission issues ever.
Only a starter and AC and 1 water pump.

New stuff.
The 3.5 twin turbo eco boost does get great MPG.
Drove a couple times in one to Huston with 2500 lbs of cams in the bed both ways and still pull 23 MPG.
2018 Ford Limited 4 wheel drive with 10 speed auto.
I am impressed with it.
Not mine though.

I like to build my vehicles.
I would do a Peanut port head BBC with 268H on a 112 LSA with a Q jet for pulling and back it up with a 4L80E.
A 9" Ford would get it done. If you need more go Dana 80.

I did a lot of 455 Olds with ported J heads for incredible power in trucks and MPG was always 15.
No Overdrives then.

If I bought a newer vehicle and the trans went 120,000 miles I would be very angry.
JUNK in my mind if it can't go 250,000 miles but that may just be me.

I am very hard on my stuff and I need it to live.

 

[Capm_Spaulding]

Unless you’re searching classifieds and marketplace for a 15 year old truck, which there is NOTHING wrong with doing, I would either hold off buying gently used and just buy new. Since covid hit, newer model used supply has been dry, hell even new supply is dryer than normal.

I bought my 2020 F150 for less than I could get a decent 1-3 year old one. I searched the surrounding states over 2 months and the only comparable I found was a 2018 with 30k and it ended up only being $250 less.

Don’t let anyone tell you the 2.7EB isn’t enough, it is, unless of course you’re hauling at near the capacity on a daily basis. The 2.7EB has more HP and Torque than nearly any other truck ever had prior to the technology that automakers came into during the 2010s, yet we all did just fine with the old 5.0s, 5.9s and 5.3s of yesteryear that had half the power. The block of the 2.7 is the same graphite iron that the Powerstroke diesels use. Not the engine, nor the turbos are the weak points with the new F150s. Take it from me, I SWORE for the longest time I’d never own anything but a v8... I put 140k miles on my old 2006 4.6 f150 and was sold on Ford v8s... but then I drove one of the ecoboosts, and now I’m never looking back.

If it were my money, unless you can hold out for the new Tundra redesign in a few years, or wait until maybe this summer for a 1-5 year old truck once supply comes back, I’d look at a new STX 4x4 with the 2.7 or 3.5EB. You get the most bang for your buck with that package, and the 5.0s are having major issues still.

I got the 2.7 after testing it and the 3.5 and love almost everything about it. I have towed a bass boat and a mustang fox body, so not too much experience, but enough to know it handles the weight well. I didn’t even know the boat was back there. The Fox body on the other hand was felt, but it was still not bad. The only minus this truck has is the 10 speed transmission which is a little clunky at times. I strongly prefer the 6r80 instead of the 10r80, but it isn’t all bad.

 

[TheDoubleD]

Thank you every one for your feedback, it is helpful and appreciated.

One last question, what do I do with the old truck?

 

[Capm_Spaulding]

Thank you every one for your feedback, it is helpful and appreciated.

One last question, what do I do with the old truck?

Put it up for sale or throw a used/rebuilt tranny in it and use it as a back up/bad weather truck. Someone will buy it if it’s cheap enough though. Oklahoma is land of the truck.

 

[O4L]

Thank you every one for your feedback, it is helpful and appreciated.

One last question, what do I do with the old truck?

I've got two bricks of 22LR I might trade ya for it! [emoji16]