Is the new Power Stroke F-150 tough enough for the grueling test?
Many people use the Ford F-150 just to carry them and their families around. Sometimes they might haul a few building supplies in the bed or go so far as towing a small boat or camper behind it. Depending on the weight of those outdoor toys, almost any engine available in the 2018 F-150 lineup can handle the job. The new 3.0-liter Power Stroke diesel V6 was designed not only for outstanding fuel economy, but for substantial towing. In the above video, that’s exactly what the guys at TFL Truck make the 2018 F-150 do.
TFL Truck hooks an F-150 SuperCrew FX4 with a long bed and 3.55 gears to an 8’X20′, 8,700-pound trailer – well below the truck’s max tow rating of 11,000 pounds. To make sure they’re hauling the load safely, they use a load-distributing hitch, putting the truck and trailer on the same level. The catch is that the truck then has to complete the Ike Gauntlet: Eight miles of towing on a seven-percent grade with a max elevation of 11,158 feet.
On the downhill section, the truck is stable, but consistently revving at 4,500 rpm. The F-150 soon cancels its tow/haul mode and drops rpms to 1,000. The guys eventually make it down to flat roads. The F-150 goes into a “limp home” mode and caps its speed at seven mph. After letting the truck rest for 10 minutes, the TFL Truck crew starts it again. To ensure their experience wasn’t a fluke, they try the downhill portion of the gauntlet again…and get the same outcome.
For the uphill segment of the test, the fellows keep the throttle wide open in an attempt to maintain a steady 60-mph pace up the steep road. Even with the right pedal pinned to the floor, the F-150 is not able to stay at that lofty speed, although it does get 5.4 mpg – a figure superior to that generated by the F-150’s other engine options.
The guys at TFL Truck have their ideas about what might have caused the downhill issue, but are awaiting Ford’s official explanation. Once they get everything sorted out, they’ll try to get the F-150 diesel to officially complete the Ike Gauntlet.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
