EB lights 'em up towing

[mcfarmall]

So on the way back from the campground today (with 4 bikes in the bed and towing the 23B which is approximately 5000 lbs) I stopped at a light and was first in line and next to a 9-10-11 F150 non-EB. I thought "This would be a fun little demonstration head-to-head". After my light turned green and the courtesy pause for any red light runners had passed, I took off. Now I didn't mash it to the floor, but I didn't use a heavy amount of restraint either.



Right away the tires broke loose and made a loud squeal. I had to back off the gas pedal to regain traction and I took off like a rocket! This engine never ceases to amaze me!! It was a great conclusion to a very pleasant weekend of camping.

[clutch]

Breaking loose with a trailer, that's axle twisting time. I had a 454 that would do that with about the same size trailer. That new Ford engine is really something. I wonder what kind of power it would make with a medium size V8?

[3Pillons]

I'm still on the fence about the EB (too much technology and waaaay too many things to break). In real life though, how good has it been? A lot of big talk from the dealers, or is the mileage and performance really what they say it is? Turbo lag? low end grunt? Thanks.

[mtkeg15]

Don't think my tv would break loose.... but way too much money invested to even think about doing in the first place. Would like to have seen it though.

[mcfarmall]

I'm getting around 17.5 mpg with everyday driving. I haven't taken it on a non-towing road trip. Towing is 10 mpg and performance...well let's put it this way, awesome!

Too much technology? Turbos have been around for decades both on gas and especially diesel engines. Variable valve timing the same. Probably the newest tech thing is the electric power steering.

There is some lag in the power but there is much discussion out there on this topic. Folks close to the industry believe that the lag is prorgammed into the PCM to help avoid spinout. I really don't want the rear wheels to break loose when turning a corner on wet or icy pavement.

The low end grunt sounds much like a Cummins 6 cylinder diesel but not quite as cool.

[mtkeg15]

Seems like most powerful trucks have lags in the onset of power- but generally it is built that way for control.

[jwstewar]

I'm surprised someone else hasn't mentioned this. That sounds to me like the WDH bars are too tight. I've had that issue before when towing a camper that I thought was heavier than what it was and I had the bars too tight. Couldn't make it up a hill w/o 4wd. Stop, loosened the bars up a bit and was good to go. Don't have that problem with my current truck and trailer combo. That sounds the more likely scenario to me vs. my engine has so much power. Sorry, just my take on the situation.

[mcfarmall]

WDH setup was by the book. Right, wrong, or otherwise, the truck and the trailer are level when fully loaded. I could see your point if the back end of the truck was hiked up but it isn't.

[tbwill]

Originally Posted by mcfarmall

I'm getting around 17.5 mpg with everyday driving. I haven't taken it on a non-towing road trip. Towing is 10 mpg and performance...well let's put it this way, awesome!

Too much technology? Turbos have been around for decades both on gas and especially diesel engines. Variable valve timing the same. Probably the newest tech thing is the electric power steering.

There is some lag in the power but there is much discussion out there on this topic. Folks close to the industry believe that the lag is prorgammed into the PCM to help avoid spinout. I really don't want the rear wheels to break loose when turning a corner on wet or icy pavement.

The low end grunt sounds much like a Cummins 6 cylinder diesel but not quite as cool.

With my 3500 lb hybrid (Starcraft 175RK) you have to be careful if you mash the gas pedal too hard, it will break loose easily. It makes for seamless merging on freeways, you're up to speed in no time. We took a trip to the Portland area from Fresno this summer (~750 miles each way) and averaged 11.5 mpg pulling the trailer, kept it at 60 mph. Just got back from a trip to Southern California without the trailer (220 miles each way @ 70 mph) and averaged 20.5 mpg overall for the trip. My daily commute is 45 miles each way, 90% freeway at 70 mph, 5% suburban at 40 mph and 5% rural at 55 mph and I consistently average 19.5 to 20.5 mpg week after week (I have 8000 miles on the truck). Regarding the too much technology concern, VW and Audi have been using low pressure turbos since the mid 90's to provide HP, torque and good gas mileage. I had a 1998 Passat Wagon with a 1.8L turbo 4 I drove for 105,000 miles before selling and it's still going strong. I currently have an Audi A3 with a 2L 4 cyl turbo that puts out 200 HP and 207 lb/ft torque, is all wheel drive and gets 30-32 mpg. I love the economy and power combination. Hopefully the Ford will be as reliable as the Passat and A3 have been.