smurfs_of_war

? My wifes Explorer could pull that trailer handily. I doubt it's not enough truck.

Steve Osborne

you buy a truck....90% of the post in this section...are not enough truck for what the owners wanted to use it for...




your gonna haul groceries or work it....


when your stuck on the side of the road from forcing the truck to do more than what its made for....i'll keep going by....


prime example is the change in his speed ....the final drive in 4th/5th has changed...so yeah....one rear gear will haul it better.....
you don't buy a Honda to haul....you shouldn't buy a truck to do groceries...

smurfs_of_war

Yeah, I get that- but even with 3.31 there is no way that 5.0 should be wheezing like that with that light of a load unless the trailer is constructed completely of cast iron or lead. Foot to the floor and 2100RPMs? Something isn't adding up. Regardless of rear ratio the truck is configured to pull what the rating states and shouldn't fight like that. That 5.0/3.31 wood walk a mud hole in my old 5.4/3.55 and that thing would yank my 5500lbs trailer around with the aerodynamics of an apartment block without drama unless it got into the hills.

So I guess I don't understand the statement "not enough truck"

11screw50

Here's what makes no sense to me...if I'm in 5th or 6th, on the highway, at 70mph and I plant my foot, my truck downshifts...whether towing or empty.

I towed almost 1500 miles last month and had no problems maintaining speed by modulating my right foot...but if the foot was to the floor, I was not in 5th or 6th for more than half a second while it shifted.

There is no scenario I can think of where you would be at 2100rpm with your foot to the floor at 70mph in 5th gear and only be maintaining speed...foot to the floor should be telling the truck you want to move and it should downshift.

There clearly is a problem and it is NOT a problem of 'not enough truck' like some are trying to claim.

5.0GN tow

There is something wrong with the truck somewhere. I just towed my 7800 lb horse trailer with my 5.0 3.55 geared 2013 this weekend. I had no issues in 5th at 70mph, I always tow in 5th to avoid shifting from 6th to 5th on small hills or if I need to increase speed. I am at 2300 in at 70mph and 2500 at 75.

If the trailer has a solid ramp on the back he could have this issue. I towed my dad's small 14x5 flatbed with a golf cart behind my 2006 mountaineer with 4.6 3V. It had a big top on it but the weight was only 1500 or so total. That load pulled much harder than my 4k boat. It was bad much like he was experiencing due to the top on the golf cart acting like a drag chute.

mvander

Sounds like your driving in "M" and the truck is locked in 5th. Put it in drive and let the truck decide what to do. Also 2800rpm isn't high at all for an N/A smallish V8.

tomb1269

I agree 100%, most likely had it locked out in 5th or the WOT is not engaging the kick down. Also agree 2800 is not a bad towing RPM, we have all gotten used to 1800 - 2200 rpm highway RPM due to the oversized axle ratios and tall trany gears. It used to be that at 70 - 75 mph you were turning 2200 to 2700 rpm in top gear on the highway. In addition, a lot of these new motors due not hit peak torque until they are turning nearly 4000rpm. I have always preferred a torque motor for towing, something that peak torque was hit between 2500 and 3500 rpms (preferably under 3000rpm). It is one of the reasons I feel my 2006 Freestar with the 4.2L tows "better" than my 2005 F150 5.4L with 3.73s when you compare percentage of capacity being towed, as the peak torque on the van is at 3600 and peak HP is at 4200, were the 5.4 is slightly higher.

Dirttracker18

You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about and I would respectfully suggest you stay out of these conversations in the future.

A 5.0 F150 is more than capable of towing an empty 16 trailer and should in no way struggle to the point you need to put it to the floor.

I am a former mechanic and spent many years towing TTs and racecar trailers. I have more then reasonable knowledge and significant experience.

If what the OP is saying is accurate then there is an issue with the truck, not an issue with not enough truck.

However, 2100 rpm in that gear, with that load, at that speed is not unusual. If you indeed needed to keep it to the floor then your RPM should have been much higher.

Something is not adding up here.

Boulevard

2 things;

-It's a 2015..bring it to a garage for warranty work( I thought that this would be obvious).

-If you are screwing around with the shifter in the 'M' position than stop it.

MrGame

My 3.31 equipped 5.0 tows my 20' enclosed car hauler without much trouble. It hauls around 70 MPH at 2500-3000 RPM in 5th and gets awful fuel economy in the process, but it definitely doesn't struggle.