My Ford F-150 2.7 liter V6 Long Haul Mountain Towing Experience

[SwampSurvivor]

Originally Posted by double vanos

I remember when the Ecoboost engines first came out in the F150. The hysteria over its longevity was huge. That was in ‘11. Well here we are with most of Fords vehicles touting turbos, especially the F150. They're pretty sorted now with only a few demands: good gas, good oil and filter, 5k OCIs. Turbocharged vehicles have been around for a long time but I credit Ford with bringing turbocharging the into mainstream status. We've had 6 since they came and nary a problem. Not a fanboy, I'm a torque addict.

Turbocharger on a diesel engine - best thing ever. Most reliable ever. Turbocharger on a gas engine - worst thing ever.

 

[440Magnum]

Sounds like it performs just like it's numbers predict that it should, or in other words a bit better than my 4.7L V8 2008 Ram. Hp and torque are very close though the 2.7 is higher in both than my v8, and it still just jars my brain to know that the "little" engine hits it's peak torque at a vastly lower RPM than my V8. Even your economy numbers are similar and will probably eventually be better if it's still breaking in. One question... how audible are the turbos spooling up and down over varying terrain when towing?

 

[jcartwright99]

Did you run premium or regular? Running premium will make it perform a touch better and is recommended for severe use (aka towing).

 

[maxdustington]

Originally Posted by double vanos

Turbocharged vehicles have been around for a long time but I credit Ford with bringing turbocharging the into mainstream status.

Let's not get carried away here, they are the originators of small turbo mills in trucks. It's not like they invented the turbo.

 

[CR94]

Originally Posted by LoneRanger

... Maryland on I-81 was straight up mountain driving as mountain driving exists east of the Mississippi, with warning signs posted for grade %'s and emergency exits for runaway semi's on the down grades. ...

The mountainous Interstate through western Maryland is not I-81, but I-68, which indeed has some of the steepest hills I've encountered on any Interstate in the East. The part of I-81 in Maryland is relatively gentle terrain. I-81 does go through mountains in Virginia, but the grades aren't as steep as those on I-68.

 

[CR94]

[deleted duplicate post]

 

[LoneRanger]

Originally Posted by CR94

Originally Posted by LoneRanger

... Maryland on I-81 was straight up mountain driving as mountain driving exists east of the Mississippi, with warning signs posted for grade %'s and emergency exits for runaway semi's on the down grades. ...

The mountainous Interstate through western Maryland is not I-81, but I-68, which indeed has some of the steepest hills I've encountered on any Interstate in the East. The part of I-81 in Maryland is relatively gentle terrain. I-81 does go through mountains in Virginia, but the grades aren't as steep as those on I-68.

Thanks for that, you're right. I was referring to 68 as if it were 81. The route from southwest Indiana went I-64 to I-77/79 to I-68 which I-68 ended into I-70 east which from I-70 we then took I-81 to our destination Inwood, WV. i think Cumberland MD was on I-68 but now I can't remember. Sorry for the confusion I was basically obeying Android Auto which was running on the truck's touch screen the whole time, although my wife had printed out the directions from google maps old school style as well.

 

[LoneRanger]

Originally Posted by jcartwright99

Did you run premium or regular? Running premium will make it perform a touch better and is recommended for severe use (aka towing).

Regular all the way. There was never any perception of ping or any sluggishness noticed. For the question on turbo spool noise, no did not notice any.

 

[440Magnum]

Originally Posted by maxdustington

Originally Posted by double vanos

Turbocharged vehicles have been around for a long time but I credit Ford with bringing turbocharging the into mainstream status.

Let's not get carried away here, they are the originators of small turbo mills in trucks. It's not like they invented the turbo.

Or even mainstreamed turbos... just about every Chrysler 2.2 and 2.5 from the mid 80s to the end of run was offered with a turbo in one of 4 different (3 of which were common) configurations. Some models sold more units with turbo engines than N/A. Volvo had turbos on a lot of grocery-getters, too.

 

[The_Nuke]

Originally Posted by meep

We pull a ~4500 (loaded) TT with a larger front profile with our 2.7. I quite enjoy that it mostly keeps to lower RPMs for everything except hill climbs, and even then seldom touches 3K. There can be some "turbo drone," which while faint, can at times be a headache if I'm not feeling great, but it's far easier to live with than high-RPM long pull. I test drove both - used 3.5 and new 2.7, and found the 2.7 to be a "quicker" motor, maybe less T-lag. After leaving our TT at the campsite, the 2.7 would equally be at home in a sports car. In never-ending mountain twisties, it's quite at home locked in 3rd-5th gear in and out of constant turns. I hope it proves more reliable than the vehicle's HVAC. -m

Huh? So no AM/FM radio, satellite, CD, USB, Bluetooth streaming of music/podcasts in your vehicle when you drive? Just silence...and the faint drone of the exhaust? That would give me a headache. Just having to listen to the bickering between all the voices in my head is enough to make me insane, I couldn't take it if I had to drive without benefit of something coming out of the speakers too...

 

[CR94]

Originally Posted by LoneRanger

... I was referring to 68 as if it were 81. The route from southwest Indiana went I-64 to I-77/79 to I-68 which I-68 ended into I-70 east which from I-70 we then took I-81 to our destination Inwood, WV. i think Cumberland MD was on I-68 but now I can't remember. ...

Yes, it is. I used to make partially the same trip frequently, traveling from northwestern Kentucky to northwestern Jersey. Even earlier, while I-68 was under construction, I managed to run out of gas on a mountain on the old parallel highway, US 40. One of the construction workers gave me a ride back down the mountain to the first gas station.

 

[GumbyJarvis]

Originally Posted by paoester

That 2.7L turbo working hard is begging for HTHS 3.5 in a full synthetic.

Originally Posted by LoneRanger

So took the the new F-150....... Again, if the mission spec for purchase had been for frequent towing, the optional 36 gallon tank would've been bought.

Dude: A Syrian special ops raid has a "mission spec", not buying a PU truck. Most people just go in and say "woo-hoo gimme the King Ranch with the $600 per month payment". A 36 gallon tank would be sooo nice for everyday driving since it'd be annual gas fill ups. And it'd get you the farthest away during the coming zombie apocalypse.

Originally Posted by LoneRanger

We set out out at o'dark-thirty...

The movie Zero Dark Thirty had a real mission spec. For a ten hour drive, how do you stay awake leaving at 12:30 am, and why do that to yourself? Maybe you are special ops after all.

Lighten up Francis. Zero Dark Thirty has been a saying since way, WAAAAY before that movie, it's been used both in military as well as trucking for a very, very long time. A mission is essentially setting a goal and outlying the steps to achieve to get that goal, it need not be "Spec ops" related. As for the HTHS above 3.5, yeah, I agree. While Motorcraft 5w20 SynBlend is a great oil, I'd steer clear of it in an EcoBoost engine, especially one that is towing. OP nice truck, seems like it did its job well enough for you!

 

[dlundblad]

Is this truck for sure an Ecoboost? (I don't see the badge on the door.)

 

[PimTac]

Originally Posted by GumbyJarvis

Originally Posted by paoester

That 2.7L turbo working hard is begging for HTHS 3.5 in a full synthetic.

Originally Posted by LoneRanger

So took the the new F-150....... Again, if the mission spec for purchase had been for frequent towing, the optional 36 gallon tank would've been bought.

Dude: A Syrian special ops raid has a "mission spec", not buying a PU truck. Most people just go in and say "woo-hoo gimme the King Ranch with the $600 per month payment". A 36 gallon tank would be sooo nice for everyday driving since it'd be annual gas fill ups. And it'd get you the farthest away during the coming zombie apocalypse.

Originally Posted by LoneRanger

We set out out at o'dark-thirty...

The movie Zero Dark Thirty had a real mission spec. For a ten hour drive, how do you stay awake leaving at 12:30 am, and why do that to yourself? Maybe you are special ops after all.

Lighten up Francis. Zero Dark Thirty has been a saying since way, WAAAAY before that movie, it's been used both in military as well as trucking for a very, very long time. A mission is essentially setting a goal and outlying the steps to achieve to get that goal, it need not be "Spec ops" related. As for the HTHS above 3.5, yeah, I agree. While Motorcraft 5w20 SynBlend is a great oil, I'd steer clear of it in an EcoBoost engine, especially one that is towing. OP nice truck, seems like it did its job well enough for you!

Funny, I never heard it said that way in the 70's. Some of us called it double ought 30 but were usually corrected by an officer if on the bridge.

 

[Silverado12]

Technology sure has improved in just a few years. My 2012 old timer 4.3 with 4 speed auto gets no better than 22 mpg and averages 18 just driving around. These new trucks have way more power and some get better mpg than my 6 cyl.

 

[meep]

Originally Posted by The_Nuke

Originally Posted by meep

We pull a ~4500 (loaded) TT with a larger front profile with our 2.7. I quite enjoy that it mostly keeps to lower RPMs for everything except hill climbs, and even then seldom touches 3K. There can be some "turbo drone," which while faint, can at times be a headache if I'm not feeling great, but it's far easier to live with than high-RPM long pull. I test drove both - used 3.5 and new 2.7, and found the 2.7 to be a "quicker" motor, maybe less T-lag. After leaving our TT at the campsite, the 2.7 would equally be at home in a sports car. In never-ending mountain twisties, it's quite at home locked in 3rd-5th gear in and out of constant turns. I hope it proves more reliable than the vehicle's HVAC. -m

Huh? So no AM/FM radio, satellite, CD, USB, Bluetooth streaming of music/podcasts in your vehicle when you drive? Just silence...and the faint drone of the exhaust? That would give me a headache. Just having to listen to the bickering between all the voices in my head is enough to make me insane, I couldn't take it if I had to drive without benefit of something coming out of the speakers too...

LOL. Yup. I listen to podcasts some and radio some and music some. But I also enjoy silence to let my thoughts process whatever might be going on. Or if I'm tired I may just want to not have the music, ads, or information shoved down my throat. Keep in mind, I used to be an active musician, if that means anything. Seems like as I get older, silence increases in value.... what's up with that?

 

[john_pifer]

Originally Posted by Miller88

Originally Posted by double vanos

I remember when the Ecoboost engines first came out in the F150. The hysteria over its longevity was huge. That was in ‘11. Well here we are with most of Fords vehicles touting turbos, especially the F150. They're pretty sorted now with only a few demands: good gas, good oil and filter, 5k OCIs. Turbocharged vehicles have been around for a long time but I credit Ford with bringing turbocharging the into mainstream status. We've had 6 since they came and nary a problem. Not a fanboy, I'm a torque addict.

Turbocharger on a diesel engine - best thing ever. Most reliable ever. Turbocharger on a gas engine - worst thing ever.

Why do you say that?

 

[LoneRanger]

Originally Posted by dlundblad

Is this truck for sure an Ecoboost? (I don't see the badge on the door.)

Yes. They no longer put them on the door, it's on bottom right side of the tail gate.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Originally Posted by john_pifer

Originally Posted by Miller88

Originally Posted by double vanos

I remember when the Ecoboost engines first came out in the F150. The hysteria over its longevity was huge. That was in ‘11. Well here we are with most of Fords vehicles touting turbos, especially the F150. They're pretty sorted now with only a few demands: good gas, good oil and filter, 5k OCIs. Turbocharged vehicles have been around for a long time but I credit Ford with bringing turbocharging the into mainstream status. We've had 6 since they came and nary a problem. Not a fanboy, I'm a torque addict.

Turbocharger on a diesel engine - best thing ever. Most reliable ever. Turbocharger on a gas engine - worst thing ever.

Why do you say that?

I don't say that. Everyone else does. If I had the cash for a new truck, there would be a new Ecoboost Ford sitting in my driveway now.

 

[2_Tall_Mitchell]

Newer Honda's are built to take a hit. My wife got t boned in her brand new civic a week after we got it and was A ok. I was thoroughly impressed with how it handled the impact from an SUV at 55mph. If it didn't bother her to be in the same car I would have definitely bought again.