upontheridge

Will give Premium a try next time. Just back from a short weekend trip this past weekend. Ran 60mph and still only got around 8.5mpg. I run regular around town and only get a 14.2 average. I managed to get 17.5 on the highway with nothing in tow. I do have the platinum model so maybe the extra weight of the platinum is giving me the reduce mpg.

imafordboi69

Its true, Platinum is a weighty substance, but it makes a fine truck.

RES4CUE

Yep

SailorDon

That would be a recipe for burned out brakes on Arkansas Hwy 7. Long steep downhill grades with 25 mph curves would overheat the brakes. You don't want to lose the brakes on your rig at any time, especially "downhill curve" time!

SailorDon

I forgot to include the rear end ratio in my signature. It is a 3.73 rear end. My F-150 is a 2010 Platinum 5.4 (6 speed transmission).

RES4CUE

In tow/haul mode you can use the engine braking feature. Just a little tap of the brakes and it downshifts.

SultanGris

Oh jeeze, you should pull better than me then! There is either something wrong with you or your truck because you shouldn't even know 4500 pounds is there with 3.73 and the 2010 5.4!

Like rescue said the engine brake works very well, just put it in tow haul mode and drive position. When going down a hill tap your brakes and watch your rpms, it will downshift every time you tap them up to about 4500 rpm or so. This will also work with no trailer but must be in tow haul mode and computer must sense a downward slope. I use it all the time even with no trailer. Once again, it won't work in 3 because 3 locks it in 3 and it no longer automatically shifts. This is very dumb and I'm not sure why they made it this way. In my past experience anything less than drive locked out the top gears and it still shifted normal in the lower gears. This is not the case with this transmission and its probably why you are having so many issues. Next time you drive down a hill put it in tow haul mode and tap your brakes, you will see it in action. Quit shifting to 3 manually and make sure you are in tow haul mode, that's what's screwing you up, I'm sure of it.

green18

Sorry for asking a question in a show me thread but the camper experts are all in here. I have the Eco 3.5 gears with 7200 tow rating. I need honest input whether the tt I am considering is too large. It is a used surveyor 220 that lists 4500 dry weight with 3k carrying capacity, 450 hitch weight according to specs. 25 feet. I have no way to check real world weight. I would think 5k would be fine but 7k would not. Do I need to just back down a weight class given my specs? I will add a blue ox or equalizer.

murf

There's an eco with a tow rating of 7200? Even 3.31 gears are 9600.

Are you sure 7200 isn't your GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating)? In which case that deals with payload, not what you can tow.

Tow ratings are here.
http://www.ford.com/trucks/f150/specifications/towing/

Even if you have 3.15 gears you are still good for at least 8400 lbs towing. Which a 7,000lb trailer should be fine. But I think you are mixing you're GVWR with GCWR.

green18

Well that is a really good question. I thought my window sticker said tow package 7200 pound rating and assumed it was the tow rating. I have a 4x4 fx4 super crew short bed and it has the 20 inch wheels (for now) that lowers it a few hundred pounds I think. That chart does make it seem like I am mistaken so I will dig a little deeper. Thank you!