HD F-150 or 3/4 ton truck?

[gladehound]

I find all the concern about ride quality funny... my two rides are a '97 F350 (7.3PSD, CC, 4WD, SRW) and a motorcycle.
The F350 gives me a great abs workout on some highways, but I wouldn't trade it for a light-duty truck.
Maybe you should check out a big SUV or something like the VW Touareg TDI if you're looking for a more civilized occasional tower?

SUV doesn't work for me. I want to put 4 bikes in the bed and two tandem kayaks on the roof while pulling our Travel trailer. I need at least 2,000 pounds of payload but would like more. My current vehicle is a Jeep Grand Cherokee (similar to the VW you suggest) and I cannot carry everything I want to take in the vehicle. Plus I'd like a bed for other things.

I didn't see a whole lot of concern about ride quality. It was mentioned but it is not a big factor. The big ones are payload (2000+) tow rating (10,000+), reliability, engine feel (want torque), overall cost effectiveness.

 

[gladehound]

I have an F150, 2016. Ecoboost, supercrew, 4wd... Put 850 lbs of wood flooring in the bed this morning and headed to my cabin 45 minutes away, which has a 2,000 ft elevation difference. Lot's of twisty turns and ups and downs; the truck ran up those hills like it was empty, and handled just as well. I was very impressed. Yes, I had it in tow / haul mode. I used to have the 350 superduty with the 6.7 powerstroke diesel, that was just flat out an animal at towing or hauling.

Why did you go from the 350 with 6.7 to the 150 with EB?

 

[coobie]

I'd be interested to hear more about your experience with your towing with the Ecoboost. A previous poster confirmed that the Ecoboost pulls better than his 7.3 PSD did. I also had a 7.3 PSD so that is my point of reference.

No question that diesel has (or had) more resale. Right now, pre-DPF diesels go for a fortune. 10 years from now, once the manufactures completely solve the emissions issues, do you think today's diesels will be worth much on the used market? If the diesel emissions issues really get solved, you wont be able to give away today's diesels. They will be like early 80's cars!

No need to. You already seem to have made up your mind.Buy the Ford EB.Good luck..

 

[bdog]

I have owned both and the Ecoboost will out pull ten+ year old diesels. It won't hold a candle to the new ones. My problem with the ecoboost was there was nothing eco about it. If the truck is completely stock and empty it gets good mileage. Any load and the turbos spool up and it sucks fuel. My 2012 EB I bought new got horrible mileage especially when towing. I was towing a 18' utility trailer with an ATV and a UTV on it and was getting 4-5 MPG. With a 26 gallon tank if I recall correctly I had to fill up every 100 miles. I went to the dealer multiple times and they could find nothing wrong. They blamed it on my mud tires which were slightly larger (but no lift), my grill guard, and my tool box and air compressor in the bed. I traded the truck. Pretty sad when I was traveling with a 2008 F-250 with the 5.4 gas pulling a trailer that weighed three times what mine did and he was getting double the mileage.

I have a friend with an ecoboost that is bone stock and he drives around with an empty bed all the time. He gets around 20 mpg. I never saw over 14 mpg even without a trailer. I hate the ecoboost. I lost a lot of money buying that truck. I wanted to like it. It was the first brand new truck I ever bought,

 

[Sysop]

When towing, especially at or near capacity, mileage is worse on an ecoboost versus a diesel. If you load an ecoboost down and run it through the mountains, expect 4ish MPG. It is well documented it can do eco, or it can do boost, but not both. Thing is, when less than 25% of your miles are towing, the extra few MPG it gets versus a 3/4 ton are a huge bonus. You're not going to make that difference up in a switch to diesel.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

Why did you go from the 350 with 6.7 to the 150 with EB?

The super duty was overkill. I just didn't use it any longer as I did at first. I do a lot of blowing down the highway, and not towing or hauling any longer. The 150 seemed a better fit, and I love it. I do miss that power stroke diesel, though.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

On the mileage... My ecoboost gets around 17.5 hwy, averaging 65 to 70mph. 16.5 city. Pulling my 14 ft enclosed trailer it gets around 12 to 14 mpg. My wifes v8 f 150 stays at 16 mpg no matter what. 20 mpg is a pipe dream...

 

[gladehound]

Listening to all the responses. Certainly haven't made up my mind. I appreciate experience from those who have owned these trucks especially those who have had two or more of the options and can compare them.

It seems the consensus on these trucks is as follows:

Fuel mileage empty mixed driving: EB & diesel (high teens), 3/4 gas (low teens)
Fuel mileage towing: Diesel best (low teens) , 3/4 gas and EB tie (single digits, my Jeep GC 5.7 averages 9mpg towing TT so I know the deal)
Payload: 3/4 gas Best, F150HD middle, Diesel 3/4 ton lowest - strong case for moving to 1 ton SRW diesel for payload but more $$
Towing torque: Obviously the near 1000 ft pound diesels, then EB, then 3/4 ton gas
Price: New F150HD, new 3/4 ton gas, or 1-2 year old diesel (low to mid $40s)
Resale: Diesel wins as long as the engine in question proves reliable over the long run

Now the big one... reliability.

3/4 gas best
ecoboost - Some problems in early years seem to be fixed
Diesel - from what I've found the Ford 6.7 seems fairly solid in recent years, there were some turbo durability problems but seem to be improved now. Ram Cummins 6.7 seems to have a few more regen problems than I'm comfortable with but having trouble getting my arms wrapped around how frequent these are. haven't looked at Duramax. Seems either these engines are more sensitive to water in fuel than the older ones or people are just not checking their fuel bowls - not sure which.

I've always been a sucker for diesel and if a good deal pops up I'll have trouble resisting. If I don't find anything by year end I might be ordering the F150 EB.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

If the Eco-boost is as superior as some make it out to be, I wonder why it isn't offered in a 3/4 ton truck? Serious question. Seems as if they did diesels would soon be virtually obsolete.

 

[Sysop]

Simple, the added weight of a 3/4 ton truck keeps it in boost all of the time and loses any benefit on fuel economy. The 3.5 ecoboost was designed and built to motivate a lightweight F150 day to day, yet provide the "big engine" power on an as-needed basis. It does this very well. My opinion, it does this better than anything else available.

 

[gladehound]

If the Eco-boost is as superior as some make it out to be, I wonder why it isn't offered in a 3/4 ton truck? Serious question. Seems as if they did diesels would soon be virtually obsolete.

I too wonder why??? It would be a nice option if the duty cycle didn't destroy it. As Sysop said, maybe it is that the heavier truck would keep it on boost and kill the MGP. I also wonder if it wouldn't be able to keep itself cool with the harder duty cycle. Not just water and oil cooling capacity but how hot might the actual cylinders get?

I think someone else may have mentioned that a larger displacement low boost engine (Ecoboost 5.0 Coyote?) might be a nice options for the HD pickups. Enough displacement that it wouldn't be on boost all the time, but the boost would be there when you want it.

 

[Sysop]

I wouldn't doubt we see boosted small displacement 8s for the heavy duty trucks eventually. Perhaps just a larger 6. In the gasoline market, there hasn't been anyone doing small turbos in the numbers Ford sells. The HD trucks are guaranteed to see any changes last; after they've learned all they can with the smaller engines in less critical platforms.

I don't think it would be a Coyote. Ford once touted the 3.5 Ecoboost has more main bearing surface area than the 5L Coyote. They've also said on many occasions the ecoboost line are not simply existing engines with turbos added. They were all designed from the ground up to be turbocharged. If they come out with an ecoboost v8, it would likely be an entirely new design, even if the displacement were the same as an existing engine.

 

[WilliamBos]

Payload along with towing would be the deciding factor. You get up towards the top towing limit with a 1/2 ton and you can't even put the wife and kids and gear in the pickup without being over gross. My Chevy 2500, I can hook up 13000 lb of trailer with 15% of it tongue weight (1950 lb) and still have 600 lb of payload left over on the pickup before reaching gross.

I got mine mostly because of hauling payload. Not so much for towing. So the gasser works great for my needs. I can load the pickup up to gross and barely tell anything is in the back. And it doesn't squat like it is taking a dump like a 1/2 ton will. And if you follow tire maker inflation tables and reduce the tire pressures when empty, the ride is pretty darn good for general driving use.

Brakes and everything else are substantially more beefed up with a 3/4 ton than a 1/2 ton. Barely any comparison. And considering that many good 3/4 ton pickups can be had for almost the same price as equivalent 1/2 ton pickups, it almost becomes a no brainer to move up. And drive moderately, and fuel economy is not that much worse than 1/2 ton. My 2015 2500 6.0 Z71 only averages about 1-2 mpg less than a 2013 1500 5.3L Z71 I had before.

Well said Copperhead. My thoughts exactlyl

 

[Diamondpilot]

When towing, especially at or near capacity, mileage is worse on an ecoboost versus a diesel. If you load an ecoboost down and run it through the mountains, expect 4ish MPG. It is well documented it can do eco, or it can do boost, but not both. Thing is, when less than 25% of your miles are towing, the extra few MPG it gets versus a 3/4 ton are a huge bonus. You're not going to make that difference up in a switch to diesel.

I have put about 30,000 miles on my Eco Boost towing between 7,000 and 10,400#. My worst mpg towing has been 7.8mpg hand calculated running 75mph with a 36 foot long trailer in tow pulling a 10,400# boat thats 31' long.

I dont see how its even possible to get 4 mpg? Only time i have seen those numbers was in a 05 V10 F350 with 4.30 gears pulling 24,000#.

 

[Sysop]

Big difference in the mountains of WV and IN.

 

[gladehound]

Big difference in the mountains of WV and IN.

Somehow I got better fuel mileage with the Jeep towing the TT in the Rocky Mts than I did in the Mountains (or hills from your perspective) of Pennsylvania. I think the thin air reduces my wind drag

 

[gladehound]

I have put about 30,000 miles on my Eco Boost towing between 7,000 and 10,400#. My worst mpg towing has been 7.8mpg hand calculated running 75mph with a 36 foot long trailer in tow pulling a 10,400# boat thats 31' long.

I dont see how its even possible to get 4 mpg? Only time i have seen those numbers was in a 05 V10 F350 with 4.30 gears pulling 24,000#.

From the Ike Gauntlet test, seems like it would be difficult to get 4mpg with a properly running EcoBoost.

MPG is total after going down and up and provided by the factory computer.

Year Make Model Up (sec) Up/Down (MPG) Load (lbs)
2013 Ford F-150 Crew 4ï¾—4 EcoBoost 7:50.3 11.3 8,000


But later when they ran the Ike gauntlet with 10,800 pound trailer the MPG going up only was 2.9 I don't know if the injectors turn off going down but if they did it could average ~6mpg for up and down with this weight. Big drop from the lighter load. Luckily my travel trailers has a GVW of 6,600 so hopefully it wont require too much boost (if I go with an Ecoboost). But a 2017/2018 F350 SRW PSD is my #1 choice now if I can find one for the right price. Unfortunately, I'm really cheap so that will be difficult.

 

[17 Oaks]

I have put about 30,000 miles on my Eco Boost towing between 7,000 and 10,400#. My worst mpg towing has been 7.8mpg hand calculated running 75mph with a 36 foot long trailer in tow pulling a 10,400# boat thats 31' long.

I dont see how its even possible to get 4 mpg? Only time i have seen those numbers was in a 05 V10 F350 with 4.30 gears pulling 24,000#.

BUY this truck!!

Time to trade in my 17 F350 on a Ecoboot...I can't do much better than that without a load...

 

[KennyG]

All this back and forth seems to reinforce what most of usl thought to begin with - if you buy a truck mostly for towing and heavy hauling and drive a lot, get a 3/4 or 1 ton with a diesel. If you are a more normal user and run the truck unloaded a lot (and a lot of business owned trucks seem to run around empty most of the time) you will come out ahead in the long run with a gas truck because of the lower initial cost and low gas prices. With 3K miles on my ecoboost, I have only recorded about 300 towing miles. I may be on the low side but I don't think I'm that much of an exception.

Also, for those who say their EB didn't get good mileage even unloaded, there must be something wrong. Mine recorded a hand calculated 21+ on the highway at over 75 mph with only 1000 miles on the clock. I expect better when its really broken in.

 

[cford36]

Payload along with towing would be the deciding factor. You get up towards the top towing limit with a 1/2 ton and you can't even put the wife and kids and gear in the pickup without being over gross. My Chevy 2500, I can hook up 13000 lb of trailer with 15% of it tongue weight (1950 lb) and still have 600 lb of payload left over on the pickup before reaching gross.

I got mine mostly because of hauling payload. Not so much for towing. So the gasser works great for my needs. I can load the pickup up to gross and barely tell anything is in the back. And it doesn't squat like it is taking a dump like a 1/2 ton will. And if you follow tire maker inflation tables and reduce the tire pressures when empty, the ride is pretty darn good for general driving use.

Brakes and everything else are substantially more beefed up with a 3/4 ton than a 1/2 ton. Barely any comparison. And considering that many good 3/4 ton pickups can be had for almost the same price as equivalent 1/2 ton pickups, it almost becomes a no brainer to move up. And drive moderately, and fuel economy is not that much worse than 1/2 ton. My 2015 2500 6.0 Z71 only averages about 1-2 mpg less than a 2013 1500 5.3L Z71 I had before.

This is exactly why I traded my F150 EB on a GMC 2500 6.0. Couldn't be happier.