Outfitting the new-to-me 2018 F-150....EcoBoost specific thoughts?

[Deleted member 9101]

Do you have support for all those claims on how it works? The oil pressure issue is actually my largest concern with the feature. I'm not expecting to just start the car and hammer down, but I still hate seeing the oil pressure rise from zero as I step on the gas ...

Naaaa...I just made it all up to impress strangers on the internet... :-/

Question: have you ever changed the oil on a 2.7 Ecoboost?

 

[adaml]

Naaaa...I just made it all up to impress strangers on the internet... :-/

Question: have you ever changed the oil on a 2.7 Ecoboost?

No. I don't have a 2.7. I have a 3.5 in my 2019 Raptor that I'm always, somewhere in the back of my mind, worried about cam phasers and don't want to do anything to help contribute to them failing. I have changed the oil in that (twice now).

I'm not trying to be an ass so there's no need to be pithy about it. I'm only asking because people make up a ton of ******** on the internet. If that's really how the engine is made, I'd feel better about keep the feature on.

 

[Deleted member 9101]

No. I don't have a 2.7. I have a 3.5 in my 2019 Raptor that I'm always, somewhere in the back of my mind, worried about cam phasers and don't want to do anything to help contribute to them failing. I have changed the oil in that (twice now).

I'm not trying to be an ass so there's no need to be pithy about it. I'm only asking because people make up a ton of **** on the internet. If that's really how the engine is made, I'd feel better about keep the feature on.

There is a tooooooon of information available on line. The "f150forum" has a treasure trove of information. Also, if you go to a Nascar race and talk to the guys at the Ford display, they will give you an ear full of information.

It's the same system that they have used in hybrid vehicles for many years.

 

[Martinjmpr]

It's the same system that they have used in hybrid vehicles for many years.

Very true. Engine stop/start systems have been around for nearly two decades, if not more. If there were common or endemic problems associated with it they likely would have surfaced by now.

Funny story about hybrids: Wife's last job required her to manage a small fleet (maybe 4 - 6 vehicles) for use by inspectors at her office (inspecting child care facilities for the state.) Most of the vehicles were Toyota Prius's (Prii? Pria? What's the plural of Prius?)

Anyway, when they first got the hybrids, she would get frantic calls from the inspectors using the car: "I Stopped at a stop sign and the engine shut off! What do I do now?"

She had to patiently say: "Take your foot off the brake and press the gas. The car will move."

 

[Martinjmpr]

BTW I just purchased the most expensive accessory I'll ever bolt onto the outside of my F-150:




A Colorado License plate.

 

[Todd n Natalie]

Most of the vehicles were Toyota Prius's (Prii? Pria? What's the plural of Prius?)

Gaggle. Gaggle of Prius. It's a fact.

 

[4x4x4doors]

Gaggle. Gaggle of Prius. It's a fact.

Funny story about hybrids: Wife's last job required her to manage a small fleet (maybe 4 - 6 vehicles) for use by inspectors at her office (inspecting child care facilities for the state.) Most of the vehicles were Toyota Prius's (Prii? Pria? What's the plural of Prius?)

Per Toyota, its Prii. https://www.dustbury.com/archives/12022
Per custom, a group is called a "pious of Prii".

 

[Martinjmpr]

First Over-the-Mountains trip report:

We just got back from our first trip over the Rockies with the new truck. Overall, it did great.

One minor issue - the seat was uncomfortable for me. By the time we got to Rifle (about 200 miles from home) my right butt cheek was killing me! After looking a little on the F-150 forum and thinking about it, I think my seat was too far back and that caused me to have to stretch my right leg too far forward to work the pedals (which explains why my left butt cheek was fine.) I think that being tall, I automatically put the driver's seat all the way back, and the cab in the F-150 is so huge that I don't need to put it back that far. I've scooted the seat up closer to the wheel now to see if that helps - I have a 400+ mile drive later this week so that will be the test to see if I got it right. It's actually kind of difficult to adjust a seat when there are so many adjustment options. In the "old days" it was just slide forward or slide back, no other options available.

Power was amazing. I was in the 2nd lane passing other traffic going up I-70 from Denver and again going up towards the Eisenhower Tunnel from Georgetown. It felt weird to have enough power to pass other vehicles while pulling the trailer. This was the same stretch of highway where just a month ago I was in the Suburban and literally had to drop down to 1st gear and 30 - 35mph max when I got near the top.

Of course "with great power comes great ... fuel consumption." Between my - ahem - heavy right foot and a pretty stiff headwind, my first fuelup indicated an appalling 8.6 MPG.

On the way back, though, with a lighter foot and lesser winds, I got a more respectable 11.8. This was all on premium gas. I'm going to run one more tank of premium just to establish a 'baseline' and after that I'm going to experiment with other grades to see if there's a difference. "Around town" I seem to be averaging 15 - 17, which is about on target with the EPA estimates (which I think are 16 and 22 for the 4x4 3.5.)

This was us at the top of Vail pass:



Despite the "short" 5.5' bed, we had plenty of room for all our camping gear. We even hauled (at my protest) two inflatable kayaks in the bed and if we hadn't had those, we would have had even more room in the back of the truck. (Wife wanted to bring the inflatables in case anyone else in our group wanted to kayak, but nobody did and most of the time it was too windy to kayak anyway. I don't mind carrying the 'hard' kayaks or the inflatables but I'd rather carry one or the other - not both.)

One nice thing about the F-150 with the heavy payload package: No need for the Weight Distributing Hitch (WDH) that we've used on the Suburban for the last 2 years. The Suburban, with its soft coil springs, squats down so much at the rear with the trailer attached that the WDH was a necessity. But as anyone who has ever used one will tell you, WDH's are a PITA to hook up and unhook and they add a lot of weight (the receiver shank ALONE on my WDH was probably 60 lbs!)
See how nice and level it rides? Awesome!

Another observation: The WinDoors are worth their weight in gold! At one point, I needed something out of the truck that was, of course, near the front of the bed, but I popped open the win-door and just reached in and grabbed it!

Of course, I'm also tall (6'1".) This truck sits really high! The bottom of the win-door is at mid-chest height to me and even the top of the tailgate is nearly at my chest. This is a big contrast to the Suburban, where even after I lifted it, the bottom of the opening of the lift gate was about at mid-thigh to me, making it easier to load stuff in. EDITED TO ADD: Because of the height of this truck a folding step-ladder is now part of our camping kit.

The dog can't see out of her spot behind the front passenger seat so I may build a platform for her. I think being able to see out helps keep her from getting car sick and makes for a more enjoyable ride for her.

The fridge, battery box and food box (we carry almost all of our dry food in a plastic tote in the truck) all fit easily into the cavernous cab.

I'm not crazy about the factory Navigation system, it just doesn't seem to be as flexible and usable as my old stuck-to-the-windshield Garmin was. I probably need to play with it more to figure out how to get it to do what I want it to do. I can't really do that when I'm flying down the road at 70mph with a 3500# trailer behind me and a wife and dog in the truck with me. The sound system works great!

Overall I'm very happy with my purchase. As I said, I need to get the driver's seat figured out but once that's done, it will be a great road trip vehicle for us. We have a 400+ mile trip this weekend with NO trailer and NO kayaks, so I will get a nice chance to see what kind of highway MPG I get when not towing.

 

[Todd n Natalie]

First Over-the-Mountains trip report:

We just got back from our first trip over the Rockies with the new truck. Overall, it did great.

One minor issue - the seat was uncomfortable for me. By the time we got to Rifle (about 200 miles from home) my right butt cheek was killing me! After looking a little on the F-150 forum and thinking about it, I think my seat was too far back and that caused me to have to stretch my right leg too far forward to work the pedals (which explains why my left butt cheek was fine.) I think that being tall, I automatically put the driver's seat all the way back, and the cab in the F-150 is so huge that I don't need to put it back that far. I've scooted the seat up closer to the wheel now to see if that helps - I have a 400+ mile drive later this week so that will be the test to see if I got it right. It's actually kind of difficult to adjust a seat when there are so many adjustment options. In the "old days" it was just slide forward or slide back, no other options available.

I'm about 6'1" or so. I actually find if I raise the seat up I get more support just behind my knees and that helps with fatigue in my legs.

Driving our Tucson for a few hours, I find I have to wear a knee brace because of the seating position.

 

[Martinjmpr]

Forgot to add, my wife finally gave the new F-150 a name.

She just calls it "The Big Red Truck."



Seems legit....

 

[WAStateOverlander]

First Over-the-Mountains trip report:

I'm not crazy about the factory Navigation system, it just doesn't seem to be as flexible and usable as my old stuck-to-the-windshield Garmin was. I probably need to play with it more to figure out how to get it to do what I want it to do. I can't really do that when I'm flying down the road at 70mph with a 3500# trailer behind me and a wife and dog in the truck with me. The sound system works great!

Martinjmpr,
If you don’t like the factory navigation, I would try Apple CarPlay or Android Auto (depending on your phone OS). Google Maps and Waze work on both, and they just got updated within the last year.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Deleted member 9101]

I'm a big fan of Waze. It has saved my hyde more than once from being stuck in a traffic jam.

 

[tennesseewj]

How does that towing fuel mileage compare to previous trips with the Suburban?

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

 

[Martinjmpr]

How does that towing fuel mileage compare to previous trips with the Suburban?

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

About the same or 1 - 2 MPG higher for the F-150.

Last trip with the 'Burb was with the same "loadout" as pictured above (trailer, 2 kayaks) and the route was over 2 big passes (Eisenhower Tunnel and Rabbit Ears) and fuel economy was about 10.2. Now, that was with either 85 octane or E-85, which I sometimes ran in the 'burb (since it is rated as a "flex fuel" vehicle) so cost-per-mile is less even if MPG is the same or slightly lower. However, the 'Burb struggled over the mountain passes while the F-150 just glided right up and over.

Last time I drove the 'Burb through heavy head- and cross-winds, MPG was in the ~7.2 range, and that is WITHOUT water in the trailer and WITHOUT the kayaks.

To me, it comes down to this: I think any gasoline powered vehicle is likely going to get 10 - 12 MPG when pulling a high profile trailer through the mountains. But where the 'Burb was barely making it (engine screaming at 5,000 RPMs in 1st gear at 30 - 35 MPH max) the F-150 just cruises over at 60+ like it's nothing, smooth and quiet.

And when NOT pulling the trailer, especially in stop-and-go traffic, the F-150 really beats out the 'Burb. The 'Burb is lucky to get 12 - 13 MPG in city driving while the F-150 seems to get at least 17 or better.

 

[Deleted member 9101]

To me, it comes down to this: I think any gasoline powered vehicle is likely going to get 10 - 12 MPG when pulling a high profile trailer through the mountains. But where the 'Burb was barely making it (engine screaming at 5,000 RPMs in 1st gear at 30 - 35 MPH max) the F-150 just cruises over at 60+ like it's nothing, smooth and quiet.

And when NOT pulling the trailer, especially in stop-and-go traffic, the F-150 really beats out the 'Burb. The 'Burb is lucky to get 12 - 13 MPG in city driving while the F-150 seems to get at least 17 or better.

That's the part that people seem to be oblivious too...the Ecoboost smokes the 1/2 ton competition when it comes to pulling power, especially at higher altitudes.