If you have read or followed my posts/threads, you see that I don't run my truck as a daily driver (have a 30mpg diesel MBZ for the 90 mile a day commute). But when I turn the key, I'm either towing or hauling something. I run a trailer w/skid loader (just about 10K) or haul feed/pellets/wood (up to 2400 lbs). Let me and the rest of us who are thinking about better milage of the Ecoboost but are not ready to jump in if it can't handle towing/hauling that the 5.4 has shown it can. I know what the specs say but many times that's not real life. Thanks Chris

 

Good morning Chris. I have the ECO and I have pulled a 28 ft steel trailer with a 56 oldsmobile on it and also a Malibu a different time. Pulled very well. BUT this past week i went to the campground where we kept our 30ft fifth wheel camper and hooked it up and brought it home to prepare for an upcoming trip. I had an 08 f250 6.4 but traded it on the ECO.
Let me just say I was impressed beyond belief. I knew the camper would be the real test. Hooked up with barely a squat in the rear suspension. pulled out and drove through mostly country backroads up and down hills and that ECO pulled great. I would even get on it a bit going up hills and you can really feel the turbos kick in. I felt as if the truck had more power to bring. Overall the truck suspension handle very good. No sway or anything.
Im a true believer in this new Eco 150. Tomorrow we are headed to Tablerock lake in Missouri/Arkansas area and that will be a couple hundred mile pull so stand by for updates on that trip.

 

Not sure what you are after, but after having owned and used both, the ECO out performs the 5.4 hands down. Where it shines the most is in the situations you describe, hard and heavy towing, and hauling. I tow 8000# with about 1000# in the bed routinely. I can sit here and type another paragraph but basically I will just reinforce the fact that it does everything way better.
As for mpg, well when towing it is not better than the 5.4. It's just about the same actually. So for an engine making more power and doing it better, but keeping the same economy, I'd say that's pretty dang good. It gets slightly better mpg when empty.

 

would you mind sharing what your mileage is while towing with a heavy load like that?

are you happy with the range the 26gal fuel tank provides? particularly while towing?

I've been eyeballing the EB, but I'm thinking it is out because they don't offer the bigger tank. I love my explorer, but i HATE the small tank. It will get me 18-20 mpg on the interstate, with a V8 and 3.73's that's awesome! but it only has a 20gal tank and I have to fill it up all the freaking time. the 36gal tank makes the truck very attractive.

our v10 SD is the same way ... go about 150 miles and start looking for a gas station.... around here, that will cost you way more money on a trip. the cheap gas is in the major towns which are 200 miles apart .... everything inbetween costs 10 to 20 cents more per gallon .... annoying, that's all.

thanks!

 

My mileage in mixed terrain of flat and mountains is between 11-13 mpg. This is real world and not speculation. The mpg is dependent on the speed I drive. I don't like driving slow, so admittedly my mpg is in the 11-12 range. Empty I average 19ish, again dependent on my right foot. I also have to say that I'm towing a 18' trailer, so if one is towing a 30' camper with a lot of wind drag then I would expect lower.

Since you asked, I will state that I think it would be foolish to choose a truck based on it's fuel tank size (unless all you do is drive all day). Having said that, I do wish I had the 36 gallon tank as an option. But having the small tank hasn't aggravated me yet, as it will last as long as I do before I need to stop and stretch anyway. I mean, worst case it's still over a 250 mile range. You can always put two 5 gallon gas cans in the bed if it bothers you that much.
I would gladly buy and do the work on swapping to a bigger tank. No has confirmed that it is possible to do with the ECO, and frankly I don't want to be the tester on this one.

 

Mornin Stangman, your post was right on time for me, deciding between the Eco and an 08 or 09 250 for just the purposes you described. What do think your fifth wheel? Weighs? We camp at Montauk in June each year just outside of Salem, so I'll be very interested in how your trip went! Traded in the 250 eh? That's impressive! I'm looking forward to your updates, thanks! Steve

 

UPDATE
Did my maiden voyage towing the fifth wheel 200 plus miles from St louis to tablerock lake in Mo/Ark. Averages 10-12 mpg here. Dropped to 10 mpg hitting the hills. Let me say i was very impressed with ots towing and power on demand. I was passing on hills like i had nothing. The pulling power is beyond my expectations. I would travel the US selling this truck if Ford wanting me to.
Guys this truck frickin ROCKS!!!! The guys in the dodges and chevys and bigger fords were definitaly checking it out as i passed them.
I LOVE THIS TRUCK !!!!!!
I honestly cant see anyone being disappointed in this new ECO.
TIM

 

So ... I'm just wired this way i guess....

the cheapest ecoboost here is about 33,800, crew cab 4x4, 3.31 gears.
The cheapest 5.0 equally equipped is 31,300.

so really, the ecoboost is a 2500 option because of all the other crap you have to buy. I'm left wondering if it is worth that much....

Also, curious how the 3.31 gears would be for pulling, because the cheapest one with 3.55's is 34,500. so that's another 700 on top of the 2500. again because of all the other stuff.

3.73's are another 400 ....

like i said, i'm kinda just wired this way. but short of ordering one, that ecoboost is VERY expensive.... is the cool factor worth 35,000? one towing SOB for sure, but 35,000!??!?

that's a very sizeable portion of a year's salary for me ... tough pill to swallow ....

 

Yes! The other day I hauled 400 pounds of aluminum to the recycling center and put nearly $200.00 in my kid's hand.

Otherwise, I tow huge volumes of air back and forth to work each day and all at an average of 20.6 mpg's and 1600 miles on the clock.

 

I personally haven't towed with my 'Boost yet but my parents have 6,000 miles on theirs that has nearly 100% towing miles on it - they tow a 26' travel trailer that weights around 8,000 pounds loaded.

They have an 2011 Lariat, 4x4, max tow (3.73), screw, long box with a Bakflip cover on it. They live in Northern Arkansas and tow all over Arkansas, LA, TN, MO and they average right around 10 mpg. They upgraded from the 5.4.

My dad said the Ecoboost gets about the same towing mileage as the 5.4 they had in a 2006 F150. The two biggest things they rave about are the engine (of course) and the transmission. The old truck was continually shifting up hills where as the 'Boost holds gear much better too. The ride is super quiet, the engine doesn't scream when loaded and according to my mom they don't get as stressed out hearing the truck shifting, revving, etc. They knew the 2006 was a bit over loaded.

Some might say the mileage sucks but my parents claim they can go the speedlimit at all times whereas in the past they couldn't. Unloaded they get much, much better mileage than the 5.4 so they are happy with that but like I said they never drive it for commuting and such - they have a Lincoln for that.

They like their new truck so much that my mom pretty much talks like it is part of the family. Keep in mind my parents are in their 60s....

 

Tim(Stangman05), Is your truck the 6.5' bed or the 8'. Given you are hauling a 5th wheel I assume it is 8'.

Thanks, Ron

 

I'm not sure where you're getting those figures from but they are polar opposite where I'm at. In Omaha, the EcoBoost has the same incentives as the 5.0 (the stickers prices were nearly identical). But they were more open to sweetening the deal if you went the route of the EcoBoost. That was as of 2 weeks ago.

 

I just searched the inventory of our local ford dealer.
www.siouxfallsford.com

perhaps that's not "scientific" but those are real world numbers around here. they have their "nice price" which is their bottom dollar and they do not haggle. so if nothing else, they will be the same for everyone locally.

here's my thinking on this ... to upgrade to an ecoboost with 3.73's for pulling, it will cost about 3600 bucks, unless you special order (which you could do)

assuming you get 10% better fuel mileage unloaded, that is going from about 18mpg to about 20mpg (which seems to be an average number from what i've read), at $3.80/gal you will save about 2.6 cent/mile.

in order to pay back the $3600 invested in the truck it takes over 138,000 miles. which is doable, but if you only keep it to 150k that's less than 20k miles of "saving"

for a guy who's best year ever was $50k/year, driving a $35k truck is silly at best ..... $25k is still nearly out of line.

not trying to be a wet blanket, but if they are going to tie that fancy motor to all the other fancy options .... i guess i'll have to get something else. get that option price down to about $700 and a guy can pay that back within the warranty period.

i guess those are my thoughts ..... i don't see an ecoboost in my future unless someone else eats about 10K worth of depreciation.

 

I am seeing the same thing but I think you are reading into things incorrectly.

The ecoboost came out late in the run, after the 5.0. Its been more popular than ford expected. I think what is happening is that ford is building trucks like you want(optioned nicely but resonable in price), basic models, and then high end.

The basic models are going to be the 5.0 or even 3.7. Those that are looking for them seem to have plenty of options at local dealers, and they seem to be selling.

The trucks optioned like you want are what the majority of people want. Nicely equipped but price concious. These will be built both with the 5.0 and ecoboost. The 5.0 has a several month headstart and had to totally support some of the model year, so supply is fine. Lots of us held out for the ecoboost and now many that were unsure are jumping on board. This places the highest demand on this type of truck and I think the supply just can't keep up. I've seen a few that are sold before they ever hit the lots around here.

Then you have the higher end which will have a premium engine, ie ecoboost or 6.2. I've seen these on the lots.

There is no basis for your observations that the ecoboost requires any other upgrades than the 750$ upgrade charge. I'm between a month and a year from buying a new truck, but I want the ecoboost. I'm leaning towards ordering a 2012 because right now I'm just not seeing any that are optioned how I'd want. I'm hoping next model year the supply will start to catch up with demand.

 

I just went on the Ford website and built one...

XL with 8' bed, ecoboost engine with max towing package (3.73) and it was $28,185 delivered.

I think if you need to tow that would be about the cheapest retail price. Of course you should be able to get at least 5 to 10% off that...