F-150 3.5 EcoBoost?

[CPrice]

I'm a Ford girl so pretty set in my ways:
1st car was a 64.5 Mustang Fastback and continued with Mustangs until 2000 when I bought a Windstar which I currently own and converted into a camper (287k) miles.

Just made plans to get a 2013 Scamp fiver
So...I'm finally entering the truck world. Must have the crew cab for the flat storage space in the back as it will hold supplies that won't fit in the Scamp.
Looked at F-150's yesterday and discovered the EcoBoost 3.5 but also know about the 2.7.

I will be using the truck as my only daily driver, so fuel efficiency would be nice but dependability is key. Since this is a relatively new engine for Ford, I wanted to get some feedback about this engine compared to a standard 3.3L V6.

I will be buying used and hopefully keep to my budget of under 30k

Thank you!

[Radar1]

I don't have any experience with the turbo engines, but if you're looking at a daily driver you might even consider the new Ford Ranger. As long as you don't go crazy on the option list, you can get the crew cab with trailer package and locking rear axle just under 30,000 MSRP. They all use the same engine and transmission and can tow 7,500 lbs.
The engine is basically the same one now used in the Mustang, so it has been around awhile.
I know Floyd, the Scamp guru, is impressed and has one on order.
The new Ford Ranger is even stronger than the old Ford Ranger that Scamp uses to deliver the Scamp 19 footers.

[CPrice]

Thanks Radar1!
Looked at the Ranger yesterday as I really was hoping to love it!
Not impressed with how Ford designed the back crew space. Seats do not drop down flat so I have no way to make the Ranger work.

[jennykatz]

We just bought a Ford Expedition 2018 with new gen 2 eco-boost(same as F-150 truck except independent rear suspension . If buying used make sure its a 2017 model or newer which has port and direct injection on the motor 3.5 which helps keep the intake valves clean .With the 3.5 eco we get 19-20 around town mpg and over 25 mpg on hwy with a 3.31 rear end . Trucks can come with a variety of rear ends 3.31,3.55,3.73 which can have the better traction and trailer tow package . The Expedition comes with a 6000lb tow rating right from factory.Good Luck .

Check out the 5.0TA from Escape trailers

[Raspy]

Cheryl,

The 3.5 was redesigned in 2017, so you should probably not go older than that year. Plus, the early 3.5s got worse mileage than the later retuned ones. I'm not a big fan, so I don't know all of the details.

I suggest getting the lower differential ratio for towing. This will allow the 10 speed trans to better use it's upper gears and give you a good low ratio for pulling. Mileage should not be affected by this when towing or driving around town. Driving unloaded on the highway, it might be slightly affected, but that is when the mileage is best anyway.

Second, have you checked the design towing height of the hitch on the Scamp, compared to the bed height of the F-150? The bed sides are quite high and IIRC there has been some talk about this. The scamp may have to be towed at a steep up angle.

If you are getting the full sized four door cab, you'll probably be looking at the shortest bed length. Make sure the hitch position allows full 90% turns without trailer to cab contact.

[CPrice]

Thanks for the heads up on the 2017 redesign. I've been on the EcoBoost forum for hours reading about many of the headaches and hope the 2017 corrected most of the problems.

Really not sure I need the EcoBoost since I only plan to tow about 4 times a year and then park the scamp to work camp. Plus...I'm a simple user that connects more bells and whistles to more things breaking.

The current owner of the Scamp stated that it has been factory lifted to fit in today's modern trucks and rides level in his 2004 Ram 2500. He assured me there are no problems with the 90 angle. I've been unable to talk with anyone at Scamp.

[CasitaMiner]

There is one design flaw on the new Ranger already, the rear axle springs are less than desirable, one single main spring per side with a short overload then rubber spring bumpers that your truck will flatten out on as soon as you hook up just with tongue weight. See the Ike Gauntlet Towing video on the Ranger. They show the spring setup and its bottomed out sitting. And offroad this spring setup is lousy, it bounces way too much according to the test reviews on it. The truck needs a normal spring pack.

[Lisle]

Does anyone have information about using a hybrid for towing? Will towing a camper cause damage to the hybrid feature in any way? I'm planning to get a Highlander Hybrid and really want to be sure I won't damage the hybrid functions by towing, as long as I'm careful to keep my total load well below the towing capacity. But don't want to burn out my hybrid if they don't like towing.

[Stubbs]

Originally Posted by Lisle

Does anyone have information about using a hybrid for towing? Will towing a camper cause damage to the hybrid feature in any way? I'm planning to get a Highlander Hybrid and really want to be sure I won't damage the hybrid functions by towing, as long as I'm careful to keep my total load well below the towing capacity. But don't want to burn out my hybrid if they don't like towing.

Why not start a new thread about that, rather than hijack this one and lead it astray.

[thrifty bill]

For a Scamp 13, I'd get the 2.7EB. For something larger, say the Scamp 16, I'd go the 3.5 EB.

The EB does great mileage wise when empty.

In the end I still like my 2010 F150 with the 5.4 V8. Sure there is a fuel mileage penalty, but it gets comparable mileage towing to the EB, and it was a lot cheaper used.

The thing about TV, you never know when you will get 2 foot fever, nice to have a TV that has more than enough capacity to handle a bigger trailer.

[araytime]

i pull my 25' BF with 2018 2.7L ecoboost and no problems. avg 11.5 mpg with trailer, plus great daily driver.

[C&G in FL]

I tow my Escape 5.0TA with a 2015 2.7L EcoBoost and typically get 14+ MPG, 24.5 MPG on the highway not towing. I previously had a 2012 3.5L EcoBoost. It was overkill, a veritable rocket. I had no problem with the 3.5 and none so far with the 2.7. I would PERSONALLY avoid the Ranger if towing a Scamp 19 as it is narrower and there have been questions about the rear suspension, though it should pull any small fiberglass bumper pull very well.

[Steve Carlson]

My coworker just had his F150 Ecoboost blow up on him... he was a big Ecoboost fan before that, loved the way it towed, but replaced it with a 5.0 liter F150 if that tells you anying. Just one data point but there it is...

[Raspy]

Originally Posted by Steve Carlson

My coworker just had his F150 Ecoboost blow up on him... he was a big Ecoboost fan before that, loved the way it towed, but replaced it with a 5.0 liter F150 if that tells you anying. Just one data point but there it is...

It's an interesting question. How many data points are required to actually bring confidence that a personal conclusion is valid? As Cheryl said: "I've been on the EcoBoost forum for hours reading about many of the headaches and hope the 2017 corrected most of the problems."

I personally would never buy something with known problems and "hope" that "many" of the problems had been corrected, when there are other ones with no such problems.

My neighbor had an Ecoboost F150 too. After the third time getting stranded and towed, he sold it. But I'm sure there are many stories of reliable units to. Mine is just one more data point.

Brand loyalty is a big factor in deciding what to purchase, but has little to do with real world reliability. Proof over time is better. And a recent redesign to fix problems, but with not much of a track record since, is not too confidence inspiring. I find it interesting that brand loyalty is more important than a track record of reliability.

I'm tiptoeing around the brand loyalty quagmire and may be risking umpteen responses like: "Never one problem in 20 years while getting 30 MPG towing my bulldozer over the rocky mountains". But so be it.

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by Raspy

I'm tiptoeing around the brand loyalty quagmire and may be risking umpteen responses like: "Never one problem in 20 years while getting 30 MPG towing my bulldozer over the rocky mountains". But so be it.

John, if you ever want to sell that bulldozer, may I have “first refusal!”

I would not call myself “brand loyal,” but neither EcoBoost I have owned has suffered a mechanical problem. It is my understanding that the 3.5 was tested more than any other engine in Ford’s history before its introduction. Read about Ram EcoDiesels; they have had major problems. And GM has had its share of problems. I PERSONALLY would not purchase any GM product based on problems I had with the ones I have already owned. And the large Japanese trucks have fuel efficiencies that could make a grown man cry. The truth is that anything assembled by man will eventually fall apart. And for every group glorifying one brand there will be another group of detractors, neither of which may be justified in their opinions. Just read Amazon product reviews.......I rated this gizmo only one star because it didn’t fit in the space where I wanted to put it. Seriously, what does that have to do with the product’s quality. Because of the complexity of vehicles being produced today and manufacturers having to meet government imposed standards, they ALL are susceptible to malfunctions. I do not make purchasing decisions based on Aunt Mabel’s ex-husband’s son has a cousin who’s best friend had a problem with his X brand vehicle, or even on my neighbor’s experience. That neighbor may not properly maintain his vehicles and he may drive like a idiot. Or perhaps he only commutes two miles to work and never runs the engine the way it should be. Many people have a tendency to exaggerate problems and complain excessively.

[Cliff Hotchkiss]

I tow my 2017 Escape 50TA with a 2016 F150 EcoBoost 2.7. Its a 6.5 foot bed crew cab. Rear axle is 3:55 and truck has 7500 lb tow rating . It is an awesome tow vehicle. 13.5 to 16 mph while towing depending on terrain and speed. Can get 22mpg not towing. The Escape is heavier than the Scamp so I'm sure it would easily handle it. As to the horror stories on the F150 site read them carefully, I have not seen any catastrophic failures of stock engines. The forum is loaded with EcoBoost trucks that have been modified with chips, high flow air intakes, exhausts, and larger aftermarket turbos. These modifications can significantly increase performance, but at a price, reliability and longevity. Take it from a long time gearhead, yah wanna play, yah gotta pay. Leave it stock you have an awesome tow vehicle. If you buy used don't get a hot rod. Pay attention to payload, it's on a sticker on door jam, especially if you intend on carrying a lot of weight in the truck. As to storage in the cab, we travel with a good size dog so I removed 2/3 of rear seat so now truck is effectively a 3 passenger and 1 big dog vehicle. Easy to do and can replace seat in under an hour.

[CPrice]

John: Thank you for challenging my brand loyalty to Ford. It comes more from never being stranded on the side of the road in any of my vehicles than loyalty to Ford.

The owner I'm buying my Scamp from has a Dodge 2500 truck 2004-2007 direct rail injection 5.9 all set up with the Reese hitch in the back. He has advised me that this is the best diesel small truck engine Cummins ever made. No exhaust fluids and they go 500k- a million miles. But...it's 21' long with the full bed in the back and I've never owned a diesel so I'm clueless as to how to care for it. So, I thought I would pass on the truck and try to find something a bit smaller which brought me to the F150 and the EcoBoost.

I'm a very basic consumer. I want fewer bells and whistles so I have less to break down.

[Cliff Hotchkiss]

Originally Posted by CPrice

John: Thank you for challenging my brand loyalty to Ford. It comes more from never being stranded on the side of the road in any of my vehicles than loyalty to Ford.

The owner I'm buying my Scamp from has a Dodge 2500 truck 2004-2007 direct rail injection 5.9 all set up with the Reese hitch in the back. He has advised me that this is the best diesel small truck engine Cummins ever made. No exhaust fluids and they go 500k- a million miles. But...it's 21' long with the full bed in the back and I've never owned a diesel so I'm clueless as to how to care for it. So, I thought I would pass on the truck and try to find something a bit smaller which brought me to the F150 and the EcoBoost.

I'm a very basic consumer. I want fewer bells and whistles so I have less to break down.

Do your self a big favor, before even thinking about a 2500 or larger truck drive one, on rough roads and around town. Think you'll find anyone of the 1/2 ton trucks ride and handle way better. Now if you need 1 you have no choice but there is no Scamp trailer, or Escape for that matter that needs a 3/4 or bigger truck to tow it. I've towed my 5.0TA from Maine to Florida and totally enjoyed the experience. Could easily have been in the passing lane the whole time and getting pretty decent mileage while doing it.
As to the EcoBoost or not question. Just look at the previous answers you got. Seems there are those that have an EcoBoost and love them and those that have a friend who didn't. I always give more weight to first hand info, but that's just me😎

[Cliff Hotchkiss]

Not to complicate your decision , this is rig I just saw at Myrtle beach campground . He said he bought the cab and chassis brand new and had custom body built for under $30k. He seemed to be very happy with it, but can't say I tried it so it is second hand info😁

[Mary F]

Hi, Cheryl. I totally agree with you about that wonderful, flat storage space in the F-150 super crew!

Ours is a 2013 3.5 Ego-boost, with wch we tow our 21 ft. Escape, and we love it. Comfortable to ride in, handles towing very well.

Gas mileage is similar to what we used to get in a Ranger (our pair of cars at one time were early 2000's Ranger and 1999 F-150, the latter we dubbed "The Big Blue Gas Hawg"). We considered trading for a newer F-150 EB when they did the redesign, but did not.

Of course, I have nothing to add about hitching a 19' Scamp in the F-150 truck bed, because we've only ever had a pull-behind trailer, but I can tell you're paying attention to that issue.

Good luck with your new-to-you rig, once you get the ducks in a row.