F-150 Ecoboost for hauling?

[Jim_in_PA]

The RAM EcoDiesel is awesome. Same engine that’s been going in the Grand Cherokee for about a year now. A friend just acquired the RAM and will be hauling her trailer and horse and stuff from AZ to FL in a few weeks, as a matter of fact. Yes, it’s not appropriate for folks who haul the biggest, heaviest trailers, but for the typical 2h BP with or without DR, it’s just the ticket.

Oh, and it’s not a “new” engine…it’s just new to Jeep and RAM. It has a stellar history in the Euro market for both personal and commercial vehicles. Had it been available when I bought my JGC Summit…I’d have that engine instead of the Hemi. There’s something really nice about 30mpg highway and still having the grunt to do real work, too.

[GBM23]

I have a 2011 f150, crew cab (6.5 foot bed) with the3.5L Ecoboost engine and tow package. I have an aluminum Exiss bumper pull 2 horse with small dressing room. It’s about 3000 pounds dry and about 6000 with 2 Dutch warmbloods. Do I need a weight distribution trailer hitch? Max towing on this truck is 9600 pounds. I’m used to towing this trailer with an F250, but not sure if I need the weight distribution hitch on the F150. Thanks.

[Jim_in_PA]

GMB23, the answer is yes to the WDH and there is more information in your new thread on the same.

[NRB]

I realize I’m late to this thread. But yes you need a WDH. I bet if you read your trucks manual yoU will find that the hitch on your truck is rated max 5000 lbs. by putting a WDH on it that will increase your hitches limits.

I hauled with. f250 7.3 diesle 4x4 Supercab. Truck was rated to tow 12,000 lbs. but the HITCH on the truck was only rated to 5000lbs. With a WDH I could tow 12,000 lbs on that hitch.

[QUOTE=GBM23;7852723]
I have a 2011 f150, crew cab (6.5 foot bed) with the3.5L Ecoboost engine and tow package. I have an aluminum Exiss bumper pull 2 horse with small dressing room. It’s about 3000 pounds dry and about 6000 with 2 Dutch warmbloods. Do I need a weight distribution trailer hitch? Max towing on this truck is 9600 pounds. I’m used to towing this trailer with an F250, but not sure if I need the weight distribution hitch on the F150. Thanks.[/QUOTE]

[SecondInCommand]

[QUOTE=normandy_shores;7740828]
OP-- a steel GN on a half ton truck? Yiiikes…[/QUOTE]

@mroades;7740871

This was my thought as well, please no!!!

Just stumbling across this now! In theory, I’d agree with you. The half tons of old were not appropriate GN haulers, IMHO. But check the specs on this truck. It puts older 3/4 tons to shame.

It has a tow rating of 11,000+, and a payload in excess of a ton (I opted for the heavy duty payload package, though that was likely overkill). My trailer is 4300# empty. Even with two large horses on board, I’m still not asking the truck to work very hard.

I look forward to seeing what they do if and when they figure out a diesel half ton to match the new Ram, but even the diesel Ram 150 doesn’t have tow/payload specs anywhere close to this Ford.

I have been very, very pleased with hauling my steel GN with this truck so far. I am all for having more truck than you think you need, just in case, and this is a lot of truck.

To the most recent poster, yes - WDH. Very yes.

[AmyMY]

I realize this is a very old thread but I just wanted to say, I have a 2012 Ford F150 Ecoboost with the Max Tow Package and I am about to turn over 200,000 miles, knock on wood, with never a major issue. I’ve always kept up with maintenance. I haul a featherlite 3 horse bumperpull with a tackroom and stay way under the max payload by far- I often am only hauling one or two horses. I do have a full crew cab and a short bed. I always use supreme gas and change the oil early and take out extended warranties but the inside of the cab looks almost as good as when she was new. I just put on new mirrors myself. She hauls like a dream. I am lucky to have an awesome shop one block from my house where the guys treat me like a princess and I have the brakes on the trailer checked almost every time we are out and have the trailer tire checked and balanced regularly which I think makes a huge difference in the amount of work the truck has to do- if you aren’t balancing your trailer brakes with your truck brakes properly or don’t use the squeeze brake when some idiot cuts you off and you have to stop suddenly, you are going to put alot of wear and tear on your truck. I read the manual about 6 times and follow all the instructions carefully regarding hauling. With the major tow package, the hitch is built into the entire frame of the bottom of the truck so it doesn’t hurt to have the dealer or whoever you use put your truck up every few years and make sure that the tow frame is still intact. If not, just like the bottom of your trailer, it can be a liability but can be repaired and strengthened with some welding and patching- especially if you live in an area that is subject to damage from water and rust from snow clearing etc. I don’t worry too much about it because i live in California but I do occasionally go over the pass to Reno and there is snow and then we get snow and salt peter and there can be rusting from that even though I have used marine coating on the bottom of my trailer- I still get it checked out. Same with the truck. Anyhow, I just wanted to say- I LOVE my Ford F150 ECOBOOST!!! And no, I do not always get the best gas mileage but I’ve never had a serious problem stopping or controlling the trailer even fully loaded and I feel safe driving it and it didn’t cost me a second mortgage on my house, actually paid cash for it… so… and it has back-up warning system, and off road system, 2 and 4 wheel drive, several trailer modes, cruise control, a back-up camera including a system specifically for hitching up the trailer!!! It also has a system so I can use my phone by pushing a button on the steering wheel and listen to music on my iphone and the air conditioning kicks butt. Oh, and its a 2012 and never been in the shop except for routine maintenance!