First time towing, FURIOUS
08-04-2012, 06:47 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
First time towing, FURIOUS
So I've had my 2011 5.0 screw 157wb 3.73 gears for 22,xxx miles now and finally gave my f250 a break and towed my family's tritoon party boat ~20 miles to the lake after a day of working cows. The boat/trailor weighs 5,500lbs. This is the first time I've used my f150 to tow. I have a leveling kit and 33x12.5 toyo MT's...
I started going down the road in T/H mode and everything was good until I hit about 60mph. I noticed my foot was almost all the way on the floor. I finally got up to 65 and it would not shift out of 4th gear and I was running about 2800rpms. I took it out of T/H mode and it did the same. So I switched over to manual to force it into 5th and when I did, I could not keep the truck at 65, it just slowly started dropping speed. The whole way there and back I had to keep it in 4th just to maintain 60mph.
Has anyone had trouble like this? 5,500lbs should be a breeze. There was no wind and the only thing I could think of is the boat was creating a massive amount of drag.
I started going down the road in T/H mode and everything was good until I hit about 60mph. I noticed my foot was almost all the way on the floor. I finally got up to 65 and it would not shift out of 4th gear and I was running about 2800rpms. I took it out of T/H mode and it did the same. So I switched over to manual to force it into 5th and when I did, I could not keep the truck at 65, it just slowly started dropping speed. The whole way there and back I had to keep it in 4th just to maintain 60mph.
Has anyone had trouble like this? 5,500lbs should be a breeze. There was no wind and the only thing I could think of is the boat was creating a massive amount of drag.
08-04-2012, 06:58 PM
#2
wait. what?
did you reprogram your truck for the bigger tires? it will throw the shift points off. my 5.4L had no problem holding 75mph with the cruise control towing 7000lbs.
08-04-2012, 06:59 PM
#3
Senior Member
I was pulling this 16' trailer with this Polaris Ranger two week's ago and shifted from tow haul mode to OD when I got on Hwy 90. Flat hwy and going about 65mph in a 70 zone, truck started shaking and I had to drop back into tow haul mode to get it to stop. I think maybe an electrical impulse occurred from the tranny to the trailer brakes for a short period of time, crazy feeling and I never had that happen before with only about 2,200 lbs. Dealer has no idea of what caused it. 
08-04-2012, 07:01 PM
#4
The tires probably are a big part of the problem. A pontoon boat really catches the wind though. My parents had a 24 ft pontoon and my dad would tow it with is 03 F150 with no real problems. The trip usually had a fair amount of rolling hills and it never caused any of the issues you are describing.
08-04-2012, 07:05 PM
#5
Retired and loving it!
I'd like to know how much those big tires lowered (numerically) your rear gear ratio. It sure sounds like they have thrown the truck a curve. It should not have towed like that.....The 5.0 does make its max torque at a much higher rpm than does the EB....but with my EB and max tow package, I've towed over 9,000 pounds up slight grades in 5th.....
08-04-2012, 07:07 PM
#6
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by SchuLace
The tires probably are a big part of the problem. A pontoon boat really catches the wind though. My parents had a 24 ft pontoon and my dad would tow it with is 03 F150 with no real problems. The trip usually had a fair amount of rolling hills and it never caused any of the issues you are describing.
08-04-2012, 07:09 PM
#7
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by PawPaw
I was pulling this 16' trailer with this Polaris Ranger two week's ago and shifted from tow haul mode to OD when I got on Hwy 90. Flat hwy and going about 65mph in a 70 zone, truck started shaking and I had to drop back into tow haul mode to get it to stop. I think maybe an electrical impulse occurred from the tranny to the trailer brakes for a short period of time, crazy feeling and I never had that happen before with only about 2,200 lbs. Dealer has no idea of what caused it.
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08-04-2012, 07:09 PM
#8
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by DavidKR
did you reprogram your truck for the bigger tires? it will throw the shift points off. my 5.4L had no problem holding 75mph with the cruise control towing 7000lbs.
08-04-2012, 07:10 PM
#10
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by sterlingone
I'd like to know how much those big tires lowered (numerically) your rear gear ratio. It sure sounds like they have thrown the truck a curve. It should not have towed like that.....The 5.0 does make its max torque at a much higher rpm than does the EB....but with my EB and max tow package, I've towed over 9,000 pounds up slight grades in 5th.....