Most of his conclusions related to towing were basically worthless.

"In summary, the dealership lost a sale on their 2011 F-150. I wasn't right for me and what I planned to do with it. Plenty of power, awesome braking, great handing, but I would be careful on what this 11,300# tow rating means. It might pull it, but if you are towing a lot, do what I did and make sure you are aware of what you are getting into. If you tow only a few times a year then go for it... you know it is a Ford you can't really go wrong!"

He pulled a cargo trailer on a very windy day, without the proper WD hitch, then based on this experience tells everyone that the truck wasn't good for towing heavy. This implies that his old 98 is superior to the 2011 for towing because he currently tows the same trailer with his old truck. No way, No how.

The Ford boys were able to tow 11,300 around a NASCAR track at over 80mph. I have towed heavy twice with no problems and Mike @pickuptrucks.com has towed up Eisenhower pass with one. So why should I let one guys tainted opinion go unchallenged. Opinions are fine, just have something to back it up. I believe in facts. Read my towing experiences. 99% are factual. The only real opinion there was "that the ecoboost is 50x better than my 92 F150". I don't have anyway to prove that, but it sure feels like its that much better. :)

I am not trying to point out or question what you have or have not done. I was only trying to add to the point of "he" had certain things that caught his attention and was trying to point it out. Now the way I read your post sir was that you were demanding he answer your questions. I have been seeing this more often on this site, fte and pickuptrucks.com. It is a trend I don't care for. That is why I made a comment.

Gentlemen, this isn't really getting us anywhere. Lets put the bickering to bed and try to find something that's pertinent to this discussion.

Point taken sir, I watch myself better in the future.

No sweat sir. Thank you.

Here is my 98 5.4L hooked up to the same trailer. I took you guys advice and the chains are crossed this time :)

You can definitely tell it sags the a** of my 98 a lot more than the ecoboost :-X22

I hate the fact you had to "prove it" with the shot of your 98 hooked to the trailer. Anyway, I appreciated your review. I actually changed my plans for a truck based on the new F150's and especially until I read some real reviews. I have a diesel Excursion. Awesome vehicle. But, i am getting to a point where I need a truck more than the X. I was looking to a used Super Duty until the new F150 reviews came out. The most I will haul is my Mustang on an open trailer in the summer to the dragstrip. The rest of the time will be pavement pounding and I will be looking for mpg. On paper and with internet reviews, the ecoboost fits the bill. But, I will be reading reviews like this to make a better decision.

It's been said that clearly you can't rely on this review because the setup wasn't done properly.

Hey John Deere,

Read your blogs on PickTrucks.com and was very impressed. This EcoBoost motor seems perfect for me. Just have one question. With your towing MPG, did you use premium fuel? I didn't see you mention it anywhere, but may have missed it. I know the engine can run on reg fuel but will get the best performance on premium under heavy loads and hot temperatures. Thanks for all the help.

Hello,

No I did not use premium for any of those tests. I was waiting for the temperature to go up some as that is when Ford said the premium would make the biggest difference. Temperature here has hit the mid to upper 90's already and I filled up with premium a couple of days ago. If we get a chance for rain next week I will be hauling two more loads of fertilizer. I will fill it up with premium again right before the tows so that will be two tanks of premium which should get most of the 87 octane out of the tank. So far just running around town, some city/hwy the premium has made no difference at all.

Once I finish the tows I will post my results over at pickuptrucks.com and we will see what difference the premium makes. I have driven that route enough that I know when it downshifts with 87 octane so if it makes more power with the premium then it should shift less. Will also watch for a towing mpg increase. I don't expect much change (at least not 30 cents a gallon worth) but it will be interesting to see.

Sounds good, will have to put an alert on that website. I thought it was recommended for towing OR high temperatures. Not sure though. I don't own one yet. :) Thanks for all the work and help.

The Eco-Toot should pull that trailer setup with no sweat. I pull a 20' enclosed car hauler with an 88 Mustang in it with an 06 F150 XLT EC 4x4 5.4L with nary a problem. I'm running 3.55 gears. It's as little doggy compared to the 05 6.0L PSD I had, but it is just as stable. When I first set the loaded trailer on the hitch to check the height of the rear bumper as I bought the truck, it went down 3-1/2 inches. The F250 only went down 1". I added 1500 lb. Add-A-Leaf over load springs to the springs and it squats down an inch in the back now just like my SD. In fact, I didn't even have to adjust the receiver height from the F250 settings. Two years ago I got caught towing in the remnants of Hurricane Ike as it blew thru Kentucky and Indiana and I was really surprised at how stable the truck and trailer were in the 30-40 mph gusts of wind. It was as stable as the SD. I was running the same WD Reese hitch with friction sway control that I ran on the SD with the standard equipment General P-metric tires pumped up to 44 lbs. My only complaint is the lack of power compared to my 05 diesel. The Eco Boost should cure that. When towing, make sure that the trailer is level or slightly lower in the front with 60% of the weight towards the front with a good WD hitch and sway control and the new EB will be stable as can be.

I have been lurking for quite some time now... it's time I came out of the shadows. I have a 02 Excursion with the 6.8 V-10, w/88K on the clock.... We haul our 31 foot Keystone travel trailer with the big girl, and she (the trailer)tips the scales at close to 10K. We only do a half dozen trips a year, and the longest distance is maybe 500 miles round trip. I have read TONS of reviews on the EcoBoost, and on paper- she can do it, no problem. I just cant get my head wrapped around the V-6 being able to do the job the big V-10 has been doing. The EX is paid off, and in mint condition. I park the big girl and drive it once or twice a month to keep the fluids flowing, and drive my old beater 95 150 around town. I'm thinking the EcoBoost is the answer (around town good MPG's, can tow the trailer too- almost diesel like numbers as well) but......back to the V-6 delemma. I spoke with the Ford stealership, and told them about my "leap of faith".... I even asked them if I could hook up my trailer and pull her around the block just to see, and the salesman said "no way- liability..." so I'm torn.........I dont want to give up the big ole EX, but regulating her to ONLY pull the trailer 4 to 6 times a year, and the rest of the time just sitting...which I know isnt good either.......I'd love to get a Platnium EcoBoost but I dont know what real world numbers will be like- and I LOVE how solid the EX is when pulling. Thoughts?

If it were me, I'd keep the 'scursion for towing the travel trailer. It's paid for and does the job for you real well. For daily driving, I'd drive a beater car that gets decent fuel economy and is reliable. In my case, I drive an 01 Sable LS with 106K on the clock. It runs great, looks decent but not great, and gets mid 20's average fuel economy back and forth to work. It had a few minor mechanical issues when I bought it that I took care of for less than $300. The body has some scratches and a few minor dents and dings which makes it a perfect car to go to the grocery store, etc. in. For what I paid for it, if I get 3 years out of it I'll come out ahead. That way, my 06 F150 will last many years before I need to think about a replacement truck.

I'm jealous of your '95 Flareside. I used to have a white '92 Flareside with tinted windows, two tone with white and a strip of blue, chrome wheels and a 302 with a 5 speed. Damn I loved that truck. As a regular cab, it just wasn't ideal for what I needed back then especially as a 2 wheel drive truck.

Anyways, back to the Ecoboost. Get one with max tow and you'll never wish you had the Ex. I've got the Eco with the 3.55. The amount of torque available is mind numbing. It takes one heck of a hill to even get the tranny to gear down to 5th. Maybe try another dealer and see if they'll let you do it with them riding along. I had no problems getting one to take home for a couple of days although I didn't tow with it. With the proper setup I think you'll get nearly the same experience. I looked up the specs on your Ex, it has far less horsepower, the same torque and close to the same towing capacity. Some others on here can give you advice as quite a few of them tow with the same trailer as you.