2013 Ecoboost (Non MaxTow) upgrades for Cross Country towing?
12-03-2017, 06:51 PM
#1
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2013 Ecoboost (Non MaxTow) upgrades for Cross Country towing?
Hey guys, earlier this year I towed a 34ft travel trailer ( Little over 8k lbs if I remember the scale correctly) from Chicago to California on a bone stock Ecoboost with a basic tow package. Took it nice and easy at 55-60mph the whole way without a problem. Had an Equalizer WD Hitch with Sway Control which did its job with the exception of South Dakota (Crosswinds all through the state made it a miserable drive but it was manageable). Only issue I really ran into was in Nevada going uphill in the desert we had to pull over a few times to allow the truck to cool down as it would get pretty hot and on one occasion, hit the red line. Now were wanting to pull it to Florida. Same way as we did into California, Nice and easy. Driving only 9 hours (Max) a day. What is the drive like? Many mountains to go through again? Should I look into upgrading the radiator or intercooler? What about brakes?
12-03-2017, 09:27 PM
#2
Grumpy Old Man
Tranny temp redline or coolant temp red line?
If tranny temp red line, then I hope you changed the ATF ASAP. Overheated ATF deteriorates in hurry, and deterioriated ATF can ruin the tranny in a short time.
If the tranny temp gauge passed the yellow zone an touched the red zone, then your ATF was way too hot. In that case for future towing trips, I would replace the factory auxiliary (oil-to-air or OTA) tranny cooler with a much bigger OTA heat exchanger, then add enough ATF to get the ATF level back to full.
If engine coolant redline, then no big deal if you didn't lose coolant. Just change the motor oil and you're good to go.
If you did lose coolant, then refilling the radiator and reservoir with the coolant required by your Owner's Guide should fix it. If your engine is not complaining, then you probably did no harm.
If tranny temp red line, then I hope you changed the ATF ASAP. Overheated ATF deteriorates in hurry, and deterioriated ATF can ruin the tranny in a short time.
If the tranny temp gauge passed the yellow zone an touched the red zone, then your ATF was way too hot. In that case for future towing trips, I would replace the factory auxiliary (oil-to-air or OTA) tranny cooler with a much bigger OTA heat exchanger, then add enough ATF to get the ATF level back to full.
If engine coolant redline, then no big deal if you didn't lose coolant. Just change the motor oil and you're good to go.
If you did lose coolant, then refilling the radiator and reservoir with the coolant required by your Owner's Guide should fix it. If your engine is not complaining, then you probably did no harm.
12-04-2017, 09:38 AM
#3
I had the same thing happen to me going through Colorado and Utah climbing the mountains. It was triple digit temps and high altitude that caused it. The EB will just pull like mad, so you don't think about how hot it is running. The thin mountain air doesn't help much.
Since you didn't post where you are originating from, can't really say how your drive will be, but depending on what route you are taking, there are no steep grades like out west. There are some grades in Tennessee and Georgia that I remember, but nothing too steep. Also it is not going to be as hot as it is out west.
Since you didn't post where you are originating from, can't really say how your drive will be, but depending on what route you are taking, there are no steep grades like out west. There are some grades in Tennessee and Georgia that I remember, but nothing too steep. Also it is not going to be as hot as it is out west.