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Old 08-23-2018, 01:47 AM   #61
Volator
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Do you want to be towing 'near your limits' I guess is the question. It's probably safer to have some breathing room vs. being at the limits.

That being said, you can do some things to make the experience better. You start with the wdh. You could add some bags to the back, ensure things are level, etc. But there's not much you can do about mass.
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Old 08-23-2018, 02:20 AM   #62
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I have a 2017 ram big horn 5.7 i added 1000 pound air lift and i pull a 3030BH with no issues. Leaving tomorrow for destin which from here is going to be 12 hours. Yeah it isnt the best on. Fuel mileage but i have a buddy who has a 3/4 ton and pulls a 38ft fifth wheel and his isnt any better. I would not pull anything any bigger with it but we dont go long alls all the time roughly 3 hours or less, this is our first long pull. My neighbor has the same truck and he just made the same pull with no issues. As far as the truck goes it can handle and is rated to do so just a matter of what you want. Be safe and have fun
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Old 08-23-2018, 03:53 AM   #63
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Like I've said many times... Today's 1/2 ton pickups are just cars with a very short bed... You couldn't pay me to haul a five thousand pound sail on the open road with one... A bass boat, a small trailer or a 4-wheeler trailer... sure

But for anything else I want a real truck with a real diesel motor.. I also don't use a pruning saw to cut down 50 foot tall oak trees.... it ain't that you couldn't... it's that it's just dumb
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Old 08-23-2018, 04:02 AM   #64
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Response to meaz93* : As a new trailer (21 RBS), truck F150 Eco with max tow, I was glad to see you post. At only ~ 6000 loaded the truck seems to have lots of power. I don't have any mods and wondered which of the extra's you listed seemed to be the best value for the $$.
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Old 08-23-2018, 04:56 AM   #65
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If your referring to my F150 "touring engine"-...well it's a 3.5L>lol
To each their own.
Take one for a spin sometime.
Get your popcorn ready....
Attachment 18182
meaz93 I was a "no problem towing with my f150" guy years ago. Yes the truck would pull, yes the truck would stop, and yes one day just after cresting a mountian a semi blew by going the opposite direction just as the wind whistling thru the cut thru caught or rig. Didn't wreck but I think we were on 2 wheels before I wrestled it back. Shortly after that someone rear ended and totaled our Durango. The opprotunity to replace it with a 250 deisel and what a difference! What a fool I was for convincing myself that towing a 35 1/2' trailer was ok with a 1/2 ton. I hope when your day comes you will be fortunate enough to be able to control the situation and not become an organ donor. I've had idiots cut me off causing sudden lane changes, wind gusts exceeding 40 mph, and other defensive driving manuvers that have ended with a "thank God THAT just happened in a 3/4 ton truck". Just relating my experiences, but I will tell you from my experience when I see a driver pushing the limit either in weight or speed I back off and give them space. I have nothing to prove and just hope they learn before hurting someone. Remember when you were a kid and did dumb stuff that you reflect on later in life and think how did ever survive that? Well, you'll hopefully look back on this years from now and say the same thing. All I'm saying is I've been there and I'm not too proud to say I was wrong.
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Old 08-23-2018, 06:13 AM   #66
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I have a 2017 ram big horn 5.7 i added 1000 pound air lift and i pull a 3030BH with no issues. Leaving tomorrow for destin which from here is going to be 12 hours. Yeah it isnt the best on. Fuel mileage but i have a buddy who has a 3/4 ton and pulls a 38ft fifth wheel and his isnt any better. I would not pull anything any bigger with it but we dont go long alls all the time roughly 3 hours or less, this is our first long pull. My neighbor has the same truck and he just made the same pull with no issues. As far as the truck goes it can handle and is rated to do so just a matter of what you want. Be safe and have fun

With a gvw of 9730 and 35' of sail I can tell you that your Ram 1500 5.7 Bighorn does not pull it without any issues. I pulled mine, running lighter than that with a Ram 1500 Lone Star (same thing as the Big Horn) 5.7L with AirLift 1000 bags, LT tires and Bilstein shocks, and yes, when I had it I said there were no issues and dealt with how it handled. Put a 3/4 ton in front of the trailer vs the 1/2 ton and ….. no comparison - you CANNOT upgrade a 1/2 ton to a HD truck with "add ons". As one of our members said; "you don't know, what you don't know".
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Old 08-23-2018, 07:49 AM   #67
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I'm sure when and if the time comes I will move up to a oil burner, but for the time being this truck trailer setup works great.
I'm not a newbie to towing and have done so with this truck for 4yrs.
Last trailer was a 2010 Keystone Springdale 291KSSR...33' 8k loaded.
No problem.
With a good WDH & Sway Control the truck just pulls it smoothly.
60-65mph with cruise control and all is right with the universe.
Yeah their are nobb drivers all over it seems as soon as you hit the road with trailer in tow?
Heading up to Flagstaff AZ this weekend....cheers!Click image for larger version

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Old 08-23-2018, 08:43 AM   #68
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Yes i agree that a 3/4 ton truck and a Diesel engine would be a better fit. All i was stating was that mine does it just fine, sure it will sway in the wind and ramp up the rpms on the inclines but all in all it does a good job. And yes we will most likely upgrade in a few years but for no longer pull than we do and a long one every other year it all works. There is a lot of good knowledge on here for sure. Everyone be safe out there.
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Old 08-23-2018, 09:31 AM   #69
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"Turbos" can do worlds for gas engine performance. Back when it always came with a cost; expense and unreliability. I had 2 Ford SVO products when they initially started offering their "turbo" engines. Great performance compared to other gas engines but don't, don't let the turbocharger or intercooler fail or be prepared to take out a 2nd mortgage on the house. Tried them, had too many shortcomings and decided there is no substitute for cubic inches. Diesel engines are another matter - apples and oranges. I'm sure Ford has perfected their designs by the reviews of EcoBoost owners, but having driven a 2017 2.7L EcoBoost for 2 weeks (rental) they are still plagued by some of the things I didn't like (lag for one).
A Ford turbo is $1000 and an intercooler is $300. Now the new turbo also have an electric oil pump to keep oil flowing whole it spools down after the engine is shot off. This is not the old SVO or turbo birds systems. Wouldn't consider that second mortgage territory for am engine that eats every v8 in its class with power, where is needed.
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Old 08-23-2018, 10:31 AM   #70
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A Ford turbo is $1000 and an intercooler is $300. Now the new turbo also have an electric oil pump to keep oil flowing whole it spools down after the engine is shot off. This is not the old SVO or turbo birds systems. Wouldn't consider that second mortgage territory for am engine that eats every v8 in its class with power, where is needed.

Hmmm....

Here's a post from an unlucky ecoboost owner from another forum. Sounds like he's out a lot more than $1000 or so;

"I have a 2012 F150 4x4 Ecoboost 3.5 Platinum. I bought it last year used, with 100k miles and have never owned such a nice vehicle. I was driving home from work yesterday when I heard a loud bang followed by lots of smoke. A little icon of a wrench lit up on the display. At first I thought I blew a tire because the truck was shaking so bad, but I pulled into a side street and cut the engine because smoke was coming from under the hood. The truck has just over 124k miles on it now.

I had heard people having trouble with the turbos, so I thought maybe the right hand one blew. There was a lot of oil dripping down. Called tow truck and hauled it over to Ford to take a look. Got a call this morning that the engine had blown. They could have me running by next week and could finance the repair if I wanted...So worried, I asked how much, they said $14,900 more/less with taxes. I only paid $22k for the Truck to begin with, so there is no way on this planet I can put that into the truck.

I called around and found reman motor for about $6k, but they don't come with the turbos, and Ford said mine were now full of oil, not sure if that would make them unusable or not.

I found a pull from a salvage yard, 74k miles with turbos still on it for $3300 +300 core. I have replace an engine back in the day on my old 1992 f150 and it wasn't too difficult, but under the hood of this beast is a whole different story, not even sure where to start. Guessing a Hanes or Chilton might have R&R information in it.

So, have any of yall replaced the 3.5 ecoboost yourself? Im wondering if it is doable, and very interested in your thoughts. I didn't think a motor would blow after 124k miles, granted I didn't own it for the first 100k."
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Old 08-23-2018, 10:38 AM   #71
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https://www.autozone.com/external-en...ment/ford/f150

Wouldn't own one... but here ya go...
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Old 08-23-2018, 10:39 AM   #72
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Hmmm....

Here's a post from an unlucky ecoboost owner from another forum. Sounds like he's out a lot more than $1000 or so;

"I have a 2012 F150 4x4 Ecoboost 3.5 Platinum. I bought it last year used, with 100k miles and have never owned such a nice vehicle. I was driving home from work yesterday when I heard a loud bang followed by lots of smoke. A little icon of a wrench lit up on the display. At first I thought I blew a tire because the truck was shaking so bad, but I pulled into a side street and cut the engine because smoke was coming from under the hood. The truck has just over 124k miles on it now.

I had heard people having trouble with the turbos, so I thought maybe the right hand one blew. There was a lot of oil dripping down. Called tow truck and hauled it over to Ford to take a look. Got a call this morning that the engine had blown. They could have me running by next week and could finance the repair if I wanted...So worried, I asked how much, they said $14,900 more/less with taxes. I only paid $22k for the Truck to begin with, so there is no way on this planet I can put that into the truck.

I called around and found reman motor for about $6k, but they don't come with the turbos, and Ford said mine were now full of oil, not sure if that would make them unusable or not.

I found a pull from a salvage yard, 74k miles with turbos still on it for $3300 +300 core. I have replace an engine back in the day on my old 1992 f150 and it wasn't too difficult, but under the hood of this beast is a whole different story, not even sure where to start. Guessing a Hanes or Chilton might have R&R information in it.

So, have any of yall replaced the 3.5 ecoboost yourself? Im wondering if it is doable, and very interested in your thoughts. I didn't think a motor would blow after 124k miles, granted I didn't own it for the first 100k."
They saw him coming. But as far as replacing your self. It appears to be an easy job as the turbo sit right on top of the engine. At the price they wanted I'd get the aftermarket turbo that have a much larger impeller.

Here's a link for the tear down on the driver's side. Not much there to remove. The alternator on my focus was harder.

http://www.morepowertuning.com/image...Side-Turbo.pdf
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Old 08-23-2018, 10:45 AM   #73
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My biggest concern with a blown turbo would be whether pieces of the impeller were sucked into the engine, that would make the repair much more difficult than a simple turbo replacement.

I think I'd stick with a stock size turbo as well, Ford engineers spent a lot of time, money, and effort designing the engine/turbos. If you're building a drag/race truck that's different. For what we use our trucks for I'm more interested in reliability than I am a slight horsepower increase at 6,000 RPM, not to mention more turbo lag.
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Old 08-23-2018, 12:03 PM   #74
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Hmmm....

Here's a post from an unlucky ecoboost owner from another forum. Sounds like he's out a lot more than $1000 or so;

"I have a 2012 F150 4x4 Ecoboost 3.5 Platinum. I bought it last year used, with 100k miles and have never owned such a nice vehicle. I was driving home from work yesterday when I heard a loud bang followed by lots of smoke. A little icon of a wrench lit up on the display. At first I thought I blew a tire because the truck was shaking so bad, but I pulled into a side street and cut the engine because smoke was coming from under the hood. The truck has just over 124k miles on it now.

I had heard people having trouble with the turbos, so I thought maybe the right hand one blew. There was a lot of oil dripping down. Called tow truck and hauled it over to Ford to take a look. Got a call this morning that the engine had blown. They could have me running by next week and could finance the repair if I wanted...So worried, I asked how much, they said $14,900 more/less with taxes. I only paid $22k for the Truck to begin with, so there is no way on this planet I can put that into the truck.

I called around and found reman motor for about $6k, but they don't come with the turbos, and Ford said mine were now full of oil, not sure if that would make them unusable or not.

I found a pull from a salvage yard, 74k miles with turbos still on it for $3300 +300 core. I have replace an engine back in the day on my old 1992 f150 and it wasn't too difficult, but under the hood of this beast is a whole different story, not even sure where to start. Guessing a Hanes or Chilton might have R&R information in it.

So, have any of yall replaced the 3.5 ecoboost yourself? Im wondering if it is doable, and very interested in your thoughts. I didn't think a motor would blow after 124k miles, granted I didn't own it for the first 100k."
Yeah, my buddies at the dealer said they run like a scalded dog. Until they break. Then it's, "Bring lots of money". One of the guys I work with bought a new 2016. It's nice, runs strong. But I agree, pushing small engines to the limit will bring consequences in the long run.
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Old 08-23-2018, 12:27 PM   #75
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Hmmm....

Here's a post from an unlucky ecoboost owner from another forum. Sounds like he's out a lot more than $1000 or so;

"I have a 2012 F150 4x4 Ecoboost 3.5 Platinum. I bought it last year used, with 100k miles and have never owned such a nice vehicle. I was driving home from work yesterday when I heard a loud bang followed by lots of smoke. A little icon of a wrench lit up on the display. At first I thought I blew a tire because the truck was shaking so bad, but I pulled into a side street and cut the engine because smoke was coming from under the hood. The truck has just over 124k miles on it now.

I had heard people having trouble with the turbos, so I thought maybe the right hand one blew. There was a lot of oil dripping down. Called tow truck and hauled it over to Ford to take a look. Got a call this morning that the engine had blown. They could have me running by next week and could finance the repair if I wanted...So worried, I asked how much, they said $14,900 more/less with taxes. I only paid $22k for the Truck to begin with, so there is no way on this planet I can put that into the truck.

I called around and found reman motor for about $6k, but they don't come with the turbos, and Ford said mine were now full of oil, not sure if that would make them unusable or not.

I found a pull from a salvage yard, 74k miles with turbos still on it for $3300 +300 core. I have replace an engine back in the day on my old 1992 f150 and it wasn't too difficult, but under the hood of this beast is a whole different story, not even sure where to start. Guessing a Hanes or Chilton might have R&R information in it.

So, have any of yall replaced the 3.5 ecoboost yourself? Im wondering if it is doable, and very interested in your thoughts. I didn't think a motor would blow after 124k miles, granted I didn't own it for the first 100k."
Sounds like his real mistake was taking it to the dealer. Unless it pumped all its oil into cooler, thru the cooler, into the intake and hydrolocked a cylinder, or it blew out so much oil it ran internals metal to metal I have a hard time believing it needed a new engine. Hard telling not knowing but I think his dealer just wanted to stick him.
That being said I will say what others have. I have towed some 8k+ boats with the bosses bagged ecoboost and it pulls like an ox. Would I want to travel farther than across town like that, not me. Our sales guy just got smart and ditched his f150 (5.4L) for a 17 F250(6.7L) and is loving the change as our boats just keep getting bigger.
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Old 08-23-2018, 12:36 PM   #76
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The company I worked for leased Ford pickups, from inline 6s to V10s, in my case 30 years worth. At 120k we ordered new ones, the problem was most couldn't/wouldn't make it that far, about 80k was average. I had one that made it to 110k, but they still had to tow it off as it didn't run & the leasing was tired of spending money on it to get it that far. My point is if that guy got 124k out of a souped up V6 he should count his lucky stars. At 124k a diesel engine is almost broke in.
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Old 08-23-2018, 03:40 PM   #77
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Hmmm....


So, have any of yall replaced the 3.5 ecoboost yourself? Im wondering if it is doable, and very interested in your thoughts. I didn't think a motor would blow after 124k miles, granted I didn't own it for the first 100k."
I think this is the most critical portion of this. If he bought a slug that the original owner changed the oil twice in 100k and did zero other maintenance (not uncommon) then this is not the least bit surprising. Would be the same if this was a diesel. That's the problem with buying an older high mileage truck- no idea what the previous owner did/didn't do. The moral of this one should be: For towing either buy new or very gently used so you know the maintenance history. Then drive it for a long time. You will spend far less in the long run. Unfortunately he cheaped out to save a few bucks and he got what he paid for.
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Old 08-23-2018, 03:54 PM   #78
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Towing my 2018 cougar 1/2 ton with a 2016 Silverado 5.3,have no problems,started looking into the new 2019 Silverado 1500 yesterday,as my lease will most likely be traded in dec,the 2019 has a towing capacity of 14,000 lbs,waiting to see them on the sales lots within the next few weeks,to decide if to go that direction or invest in a new2018 2500,which I really don't want the payments for
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Old 08-23-2018, 04:00 PM   #79
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Towing my 2018 cougar 1/2 ton with a 2016 Silverado 5.3,have no problems,started looking into the new 2019 Silverado 1500 yesterday,as my lease will most likely be traded in dec,the 2019 has a towing capacity of 14,000 lbs,waiting to see them on the sales lots within the next few weeks,to decide if to go that direction or invest in a new2018 2500,which I really don't want the payments for
Forget the "towing capacity" it's just hype. Look to the numbers that matter; gvw, gawr, truck weigh and payload of tow vehicle; gvw of trailer and tongue/pin weight. You will not find a 1/2 ton that can meet all (any) of their weight limitations with a 14,000 lb. trailer strapped to it.....except in an advertisement....or that one off truck the manufacturer keeps in a warehouse somewhere. Provide the model of your trailer and I'm sure you will get some thoughts.
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Old 08-23-2018, 04:21 PM   #80
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maccam1 I think that 14K might be GCWR for the new truck.
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