Need advice from those using their F-150 to tow a boat.
I'll be retiring later this summer and plan on buying a "new to me" F-150.
The boat I plan on buying will be a 19' aluminum boat with say a 175 hp outboard. Might be adding a 9 hp kicker motor as well.

Mechanics I know say to go with the V8 engine - it's easier to work on and has a proven track record of reliability.
Others say the turbo 3.5 engine is more than adequate for the size boat I'll be towing and will save on fuel.

Resale value doesn't mean that much to me as I tend to keep my vehicles until they just die.
However I DO take car of my cars so they last as long as possible.

Thanks in advance for the suggestions.

 

Well,

for the size of boat you plan to tow currently, any engine is more than capable.

one thing I would suggest is to test drive a few to see how “livable” each engine is for you.

I personally have a 2.7L and tow often enough with. I have experience with the 5.0L and the 3.5L EB and both engines are well suited for towing and hauling. Can’t say much about the diesel or base engines because I have no experiences with them.

If you were towing every weekend I’d suggest a 5.0L or 3.5 ecoboost in FX4 or 4x4 with the rear locker. If 2WD is your thing you can find them with a rear locker as well for extra slippery boat ramps.

If you are towing occasionally and using it as a daily, the 2.7L might be a better option. But “generally speaking” the trade off will be fewer features and the lighter GVWR (6500 “ish” lbs depending on year vs 7000 “ish” GVWR for 5.0 / 3.5 EB trucks).

and when it come to reliability, pick your poison. The more complex a system the more points of failure. You can have complex internal system (V8) or complex external system (turbos on a V6). Both have positives and negatives.

 

Seems to me there are a whole bunch of things that go wrong, not just the engines. I chose the 3.5 because, even though I am about retire, it makes the truck “fun.” Also I tow 6200lb TT.

Sadly, reliability is a crap shoot. Maybe that is the most important thing to realize and budget for. I bought new and a 100k/10 yr bumper to bumper warranty as a way to cover my bet!

 

As mentioned, 2.7, 3.5, or 5.0 will pull that boat anywhere. If you go on longer trips, I absolutely love my 36 gallon tank. Comes with maxtow on the 3.5, but was ordered as an option for many others (since you are going used?) The 5,0 certainly has a throaty, growl every time you press the gas pedal, sounds better, for me, got old quick. Personally, I'd go the 2,7 route for everyday fuel economy, everyone says they have good pep, but pick a sunny weekday, head to a dealer, and drive all 3. Rather than get the luck of the draw with a salesperson, spy out the dealers website, spy out sales associates pages, and pick someone who has been selling with them for years, maybe they will know a little bit about the product they sell. Email works wonderful. Good luck.

 

I personally would go with the 3.5. I have this engine currently and have had a 5.0. I had a lot of problems with the 5.0 rattling and using oil. The 3.5 so far (22,000mi) has been flawless and tows very well. I never thought I would pick a V6 over a V8 but it has happened.

 

Theres no literature anywhere that says you couldnt tow every day with a F150 2.7 Ecoboost, within its capacity. Thats baseless hearsay.
As mentioned, for your boat of choice, any F150 engine will tow it. But the 3.3 will be a dog on the hills.
5.0 is no a simple engine by any stretch.

I prefer the 2.7 as its quickly rising up the ranks of reliability and it wouldnt surprise me if it earns the "most reliable" title. However as mentioned, it comes in a F150 with a lower GVW or to equate to what really matters, less payload. That said, my F150 2.7 has 1,535 lbs payload even with running boards on a super crew cab, dual power heated seats, power everything else(302A package) and thats all the truck I ever need out of an F150.
Regardless of which engine you do select, make sure it at least has the trailer hitch reciever from the factory. That means it has upgraded cooling and the 4/7 prong plug.

 

The 2.7EB is more than adequate for that application. It can be gotten with up to a 10,000 lb tow rating. It towed my 6,000 travel trailer and 7,000 lb Enclosed Car Trailer just fine. Honestly for what you want to do even the base V6 would work fine as long as you don't mind it downshifting and using some rpm on steeper hills to maintain speed. If you want it to run at low rpm on the hills the 2.7EB and 3.5EB will do better than the 5.0 because they can make the same power at 1,500-2,000 rpm less. If you go for the 5.0 I would suggest the 2015-2017 as they have had less issues than the new Gen 2 design.

 

I’m also very happy with my 2.7EB both daily driving and towing.

one reason I would steer someone buying used to the 3.5EB or 5.0 is that it can be harder to find a 2.7EB truck with all the towing aids (tow mirrors, higher payload, brake controller, 36 gal fuel tank)

if none of that matters to OP, heck yeah go for the 2.7!

for reference I have a 2.7L 4x4 with tow package, integrated brake controller, tow mirrors, and 23 gal fuel tank. It tows a 7200 lbs travel trailer just fine, but fuel economy does suffer. I’ll hit single digits pulling in the mountains.

Not towing I’m averaging 18 MPG when using auto start/stop and 16 MPG with it disabled.

 

I tow a 22' car hauler for my RZR, occasionally a car on it. Truck has a 6" lift with 35" tires. Ultimately I had to add helper springs on the rear and this made a huge difference in stability. The towing capacity is fine until the hills come and it does struggle. I could not keep up with my Buddys that were pulling with their Diesels and I had to stop for fuel where they did not. Ultimately I got the truck tuned and it made a huge difference, well worth it. Even now, I put my max gear level set to 8 speed.

I also tow a small 19' boat, the truck does great with that boat. You will not have any issue towing your boat with the 2.7.

Just thought I would give my overall feedback, I have 39,000 miles on my truck and have towed about 9k of those miles.

In summary, I am looking for an F250, but my needs are greater payload with less stress. When I tow long distances I was getting about 7mpg, my buddies' mpg did not change on their diesels. lol.

 

For what it's worth -the 3.5 turbo is the most powerful in the lineup of the 3 common Ford offerings.
I don't know if it is far to say a 5 liter is easier to work on -unless it means there is more room in the engine compartment. Neither the turbo or the V8 are what motors once were back in the day.

Also, what year are you considering. You stated buying used -depending how far back you go, the motor choice might be a bit more relevant.