Does anybody tow a 10,000lb trailer with a F150?

[deezler]

How often do you really move the excavator around? If just a few times per year, I bet you could manage.

Like others have already said, the towing stability and stopping power are a bit sketchy with a half-ton towing over 10k lbs, basically due to the weight proportions. But my 2019 F150 with the 3.5L EcoBoost is rated to 11k lbs, and I'm excited to try it out next time I need to move my tractor or borrow a dump trailer for some gravel loads.

The 3.5L ecoboost is a beast, tons of low end torque, especially through the new 10 speed trans, which is proving reliable so far. So it will definitely PULL hard, and I bet can get up your driveway pulling the mini-ex, with proper tires and 4WD.

If you do it, I would recommend: the longer 157" wheelbase (crew cab, 6.5' bed), 3.5L ecoboost, towing package or max-tow (doesn't change capability all that much), avoid the fancy truck trims because they cut your payload (IE, tongue weight capacity), add helper air-bags or roadmaster active suspension, run load range E tires. And a weight distributing hitch of course.

I don't tow heavy loads very often (just for my hobby ranchin') so I made the same move myself, sold my beloved 2500HD that got 12 mpg so I could have much more comfort and safety in a modern F150 that gets 20 mpg.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

I don't tow heavy loads very often (just for my hobby ranchin') so I made the same move myself, sold my beloved 2500HD that got 12 mpg so I could have much more comfort and safety in a modern F150 that gets 20 mpg.

Yes, towing often with the Ecoboost will surely be a disappointment in the mpg department.

Having driven the same 1,000-mile stretch on a bi-weekly basis for a couple of years, generally pulling the 16' enclosed trailer with a Ram 2500 gasser, I knew quite well what to expect mileage wise.

Was asked to try it with a new Ecoboost, and did with some hesitation. It pulled well enough up the grades, as others have mentioned above, but what really surprised me was that the little V6 used about 20% more gas than my V8.

So used as a car the F-150 did fine, used as a pickup, not so much. Also, despite having a rear axle about 2/3 the size of my 2500's and weighing quite a bit less, the F-150 had a higher tow rating. Couldn't help but wonder for how long it'd live if towing with it more than very infrequently.

 

[Snobdds]

I have both a F150 with the ecoboost and a diesel with the 6.7.

The F150 can do it power wise, but it doesn't have the suspension to do it. It's too soft.

You want a rigid platform for towing...a half ton does not provide that.

 

[deezler]

Was asked to try it with a new Ecoboost, and did with some hesitation. It pulled well enough up the grades, as others have mentioned above, but what really surprised me was that the little V6 used about 20% more gas than my V8.

Yeah, heavy towing fuel economy with the ecoBoost engines is a well known weak spot. They have to enrich the air-fuel mixture quite a bit in order to keep the pistons/valves/turbo cool enough. Whereas a larger displacement, naturally-aspirated engine doesn't have the same thermal issues and can stay leaner for the same power output.

But I feel like a lot of folks also do a poot job of towing with EcoBoost engines; it is critical to lock out the higher gears (hit the "-" button on the manual shift selection and you see the top gears lock out with each click). I usually tow our camper in 7th gear, and lock out 8, 9 and 10. Reason being, the engine and trans are plenty happy making enough power with lower engine rpm's, BUT, this forces the engine into positive boost, and you start using extra fuel. If you can just rev that 3.5L v6 a bit higher and keep boost under ~3-4 psi, you'll save a lot of fuel.

Employing this strategy, I get ~10-12 mpg pulling our 4500 lb, 21' camper, whereas my old 2500HD (6.0L v8 through a 4-spd trans) would get 8-10 mpg doing the same trips.

 

[Midniteoyl]

Yeah, heavy towing fuel economy with the ecoBoost engines is a well known weak spot. They have to enrich the air-fuel mixture quite a bit in order to keep the pistons/valves/turbo cool enough. Whereas a larger displacement, naturally-aspirated engine doesn't have the same thermal issues and can stay leaner for the same power output.

But I feel like a lot of folks also do a poot job of towing with EcoBoost engines; it is critical to lock out the higher gears (hit the "-" button on the manual shift selection and you see the top gears lock out with each click). I usually tow our camper in 7th gear, and lock out 8, 9 and 10. Reason being, the engine and trans are plenty happy making enough power with lower engine rpm's, BUT, this forces the engine into positive boost, and you start using extra fuel. If you can just rev that 3.5L v6 a bit higher and keep boost under ~3-4 psi, you'll save a lot of fuel.

Employing this strategy, I get ~10-12 mpg pulling our 4500 lb, 21' camper, whereas my old 2500HD (6.0L v8 through a 4-spd trans) would get 8-10 mpg doing the same trips.

Ya, the 5.0 with a 10 speed, 'Tow Mode' locks out 9 & 10 and forces the trans to rev higher during up shift, and drop gears faster while braking.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

Yeah, heavy towing fuel economy with the ecoBoost engines is a well known weak spot.

Employing this strategy, I get ~10-12 mpg pulling our 4500 lb, 21' camper, whereas my old 2500HD (6.0L v8 through a 4-spd trans) would get 8-10 mpg doing the same trips.

Well, that wasn't heavy towing by a long shot. Probably had some 4.000 to 5,000 lbs. in the trailer, at the most. Of course, wind resistance is usually a bigger factor with enclosed trailers than the weight is.

Around 10-12 mpg was what my 2500 with a 5.7 and 6-speed auto got when pulling that trailer. In comparison, my current 3500 Cummins gets similar mileage pulling 10,000 to 20,000 lbs...and doing 80 mph whenever possible.

Either way, knowing that with the 3500 towing anything is a whole lot safer than it would be with a 1/2-ton kind of makes the mpg numbers irrelevant.

I do a lot of stupid stuff here at home and pretty much on a daily basis, but if/when something happens it won't hurt anyone else. When out on the road towing, it very well could.

 

[dodge man]

Yes you can get a F150 that will tow 10,000 pounds. First ignore all the hype on towing and payload numbers advertised. In theory they make a truck that has those numbers but no one buys them, it a 2 door XL, 2 wheel drive, payload package, max tow, 3.5 eco boost. The things to look for are a high payload, look at the door sticker, of at least 2000 pounds or close. Look for a factory tow package, if it has the trailer backup knob is the easy way to tell.

You will also need a weight distribution hitch.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

Yes you can get a F150 that will tow 10,000 pounds. First ignore all the hype on towing and payload numbers advertised.

Welllll, "will tow" according to J2807, but is it smart to try doing it?

It's kinda sad that so many fall for those advertised numbers. And that very few actually use the required weight distributing hitch.

 

[Chewwy]

Scale model testing indicates that the tounge weight needs to be between 10% and 15% of the towed vehicles weight to be stable. My experience indicates in needs to be at least 12%.

When towing 10,000 lbs, you would need at least 1,200 lbs on the hitch.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

Yes, more tongue weight is definitely preferable...if the tow vehicle can handle it.