Which engine for camper use ?

[Skifishbum]

Hey All, about to place an order for an f150 lariat 6.5 bed. Was curious what everyone’s recommendation is for a camper setup. We will be running around 900 pounds of constant weight in the bed. Similar style to a 4 wheel camper.

Our primary concerns are mpg, reliability and payload as we are coming from a Tacoma. . Torn between the 5.0 and the 3.5. Have heard both good and bad things for both engines. (5.0 consuming oil, 3.5 cam phasers and shorter lifespan)

also recommendations on gearing would be great!

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[JohnMcClane]

Are you looking for potential longevity or maximum performance?

I have 3.5 ecoboost in my current 2015. No complaints other than Ford saying the throttle body is not part of the drivetrain warranty…

Get max tow for sure since it sounds like you’re encumbered a lot.

3.5 enthusiasts will tell you it’s best.
5.0 enthusiasts will tell you it’s best.

There’s no wrong answer imho. 3.5 will get better mileage unencumbered, but will suck it down when hauling. I am genuinely curious on data for mileage while encumbered for the 3.5 and 5.0, bet it’s splitting hairs.

3.5 will do better in low RPM situations and high altitude situations.
5.0 at higher RPMs will do well and should win the longevity battle with way less moving parts.

Welcome to the forum.

 

[Bigguy214]

If payload is a priority you will need heavy duty payload package.You will want to stay with a xl or xlt with as little extras as possible to get the highest payload.Also get the max tow package.If you decide on 3.5 it will come with 3.55 gears in the rear and a 5.0 I believe gets the 3.73 rear gears.My current truck is a 3.5 and I am averaging 19.4 mpg with a mix of city and highway.I have towed my travel trailer with it yet so I could tell what it will drop to but it sure has some low end torque.My previous truck was a 2020 5.0 with 3.55 and I like the 5.0 also.The 5.0 was right there mpg wise with the 3.5 without any trailer.Towing with the 5.0 was around 12 mpg.Where I go it’s all flat but there are a lot of stoplights and stop signs to contend with.The 5.0 needs to rev to get into the power.If your in a mountainous area I would go with 3.5 the turbos will help out.

 

[My 2ND Ford]

I ordered my super crew with the 6.5 bed , 3.5 eco boost and 3.15 gears because I don't tow anything larger than my 12 ft single place snowmobile trailer, so towing wasn't a priority, but my brother in law has a 2020 Xlt screw with max tow and 3.5. He tows his 4 place snowmobile trailer and his equipment trailer with a side by side quad , plus 3 regular quads and it pulls them fine, but the milage drops to around 9 mpg. He has owned 3 F-150 with the 3.5, trades them in with about 120,000 and has had minimal problems. He also drives about 120 miles round trip for work, so the miles pile up quick. Both engines have pros and cons.

 

[ib_jigged]

I went with the 3.5 and max tow on my '21 6.5'. No complaints and tows my 22' tritoon and a 4 place enclosed snowmobile trailer like a dream behind it.

 

[tony72cutlass's']

So what’s the difference between the max tow F-150 and say a regular one with the same power train

I have a 5.0 with 3.73, but not max tow, payload is 1998lb

 

[Aron]

If your setup is only 900 lb of “dry” weight, I’d seriously consider the powerboost version of the 3.5 ecoboost. Being able to use the truck’s engine as a generator could be very useful for camping, especially boondocking.

 

[dhrandy]

Really depends on the weight of the camper. I have a 5.0 4x2 Lariat with 3.31 gears with a payload of 1920 lbs and pull around a 4000 lb camper without issues. I was torn between the 2.7 and 5.0 and chose the 5.0 because it gave me more payload. If you go adding sunroof and every accessory under the sun then you'll get a payload hit. I've seen loaded out Limiteds have a payload of 1200 lbs.

 

[Skifishbum]

I live at 6k feet and frequent mountain passes up to 10k feet weekly. Coming from a Toyota reliability is important for me not so much performance..

i don’t like the complexity of the power boost and how you need to idle the truck for power. I have a pretty good solar setup.

a concern I have with the 3.5 is the mpg will drop quite a bit since the camper will cause wind drag and you’ll be in boost all the time.

 

[JohnMcClane]

So what’s the difference between the max tow F-150 and say a regular one with the same power train

I have a 5.0 with 3.73, but not max tow, payload is 1998lb

This is what max tow “Includes”

Not listed above is that “Max Tow” also gets a steel 3 leaf spring configuration whilst non-max tow use a new composite 2 leaf design.

 

[tony72cutlass's']

This is what max tow “Includes”

Not listed above is that “Max Tow” also gets a steel 3 leaf spring configuration whilst non-max tow use a new composite 2 leaf design.

Very interesting!

 

[hotrodmex]

For '21+ MaxTow also nets you the 3/4 float axle, which is really the most important part of the kit. Everything else can be purchased separately, but not that axle.

5.0 at higher RPMs will do well and should win the longevity battle with way less moving parts.

I keep hearing this, but really how many less moving parts? Are we talking just the turbos? Everything I'm seeing from the EB shows it doesn't have some super complex control scheme like the new Tundra TTs. I can see the additional parts like the DI/port vs just port, and some plumbing for the turbo oiling (all hardline), so some more parts, yes. But I feel like the engine complexity is overblown.

Maybe I'm biased because the last turbo car I had went 327K, and I'm also into RX7s, so I know what a SUPER complex turbo setup looks like.

 

[JohnMcClane]

For '21+ MaxTow also nets you the 3/4 float axle, which is really the most important part of the kit. Everything else can be purchased separately, but not that axle.



I keep hearing this, but really how many less moving parts? Are we talking just the turbos? Everything I'm seeing from the EB shows it doesn't have some super complex control scheme like the new Tundra TTs. I can see the additional parts like the DI/port vs just port, and some plumbing for the turbo oiling (all hardline), so some more parts, yes. But I feel like the engine complexity is overblown.

Maybe I'm biased because the last turbo car I had went 327K, and I'm also into RX7s, so I know what a SUPER complex turbo setup looks like.

I also forgot to mention I think Max Tow gets larger rear brakes.

Don’t disagree with your statements regarding engine complexity being overblown, but it is a more complex engine, complexity introduces more opportunity for failure. That’s not to say it can’t be more reliable than a simpler engine, just that there’s more ways it could fail.

These are what, Gen 4 Coyotes released just last year? We’re not going to know true reliability for a few years.

 

[hardlymoving]

Have had both the 5.0 V8 and then three of the 3.5 Ecoboosts. The 5.0 was an older one maybe 2012, can't remember. All had the 3.55 axle ratios. Never had any mechanical trouble with any of them, trade at about 60,000 miles. Have always had a camper trailer and car hauling trailer for towing, the camper trailers have been in the 4,000 to 5,000 lb range. Others may disagree but my experience with the 5.0 for towing was not good, it was not a good experience in the 5.3 Chevy V8 (axle ration 3.42) I had before the Fords either. The V8's need to rev higher to create the torque to tow anything and I did not like the V8 engines revving up & down, roaring, transmission shifting up & down all the time. With the Ecoboost the torque is available at much lower RPM's, they pull like a diesel with minimal transmission shifting. As far as gas mileage goes, I can't say there was much difference between any of the half ton pickups I have had lately, 17-18 mpg highway, 9-10 mpg towing. The V8's will tow but it takes more RPM's to do it. It is not just the weight of the trailer that makes towing a trailer more difficult either as the frontal area seems to make a difference too. The 5.0 V8s had been improved since the one I had so maybe they would tow better now, I don't know, I liked the 5.0, just not for towing. The 10 speed transmissions on the newer F150 may make for a better towing experience too. Not wanting to argue, just stating my humble opinion.

 

[hotrodmex]

I also forgot to mention I think Max Tow gets larger rear brakes.

Right, the larger brakes are on the 9.75HD, which also means you can't run 17s*.

*not pertinent to this discussion, but for posterity

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