2001 F150 for towing a 5.0TA?

[frank_a]

I have a 2001 F150 XLT extended cab 4WD 4.6l V8 with automatic tranny. It has 118,000 miles on it and is pretty much babied. After I bought it from this guy who drove it rarely and kept it garaged all the time, I did a bunch of basic work on it to make it a good reliable tow vehicle for our classic boat and the Parkliner when we first got it. That included load leveler shocks on the back, a good class III hitch and 7 pin connector. It was easy to set up for towing, really all plug & play. The thing is, it only came with a basic tow capacity of 5400#s. That would be kinda pushing it with a 5.0TA wouldn't it?

I know a lot of folks tow these 5th wheel Escapes with TV's with a 6300-6500 tow capacity. Is that sufficient or would I want more capacity for a 5th wheel Escape?

Still trying to figure this stuff out!

Frank

[C&G in FL]

Frank, you should have no problem towing a 5.0TA with your F150. It has a dry weight of @3,700 lbs. I doubt you will put more than 500 lbs in the trailer, bringing your total weight to 4,200 lbs. And you still have 1,200 lbs to play around with.

[frank_a]

Originally Posted by C&G in FL

Frank, you should have no problem towing a 5.0TA with your F150. It has a dry weight of @3,700 lbs. I doubt you will put more than 500 lbs in the trailer, bringing your total weight to 4,200 lbs. And you still have 1,200 lbs to play around with.

Thanks Carl. We'll see how things go over the next few years and how the old F150 holds up. Next is a spark plug change, just been putting it off...

When I got it, it had an exhaust tic, so I swapped the exhaust manifolds out for shorty ceramic coated hearers. Then I flushed the tranny, replaced the front ball joints, all the brakes, u-joints on the driveshaft, and put all new shocks on it, along with new tires. It just passed NYS safety inspection with flying colors.

Frank

[emers382]

Hi Frank

We have chatted about your F150 via pm on FG forum. Glad to see you are getting an Escape. We tow our 5.0 classic with our 2010 with the 4.6 with absolutely no issues. I imagine yours will tow the TA just fine.

Adrian

[steve dunham]

Isn't payload capacity the issue with towing a 5th wheel more than towing capacity considering that the pin weight of the 5.0 TA can approach 900 lbs ?

[emers382]

Yes Steve that can be a concern. perhaps not a good idea to take three or four sumo wrestlers in the cab and fill up the box with weight lifting equipment

[frank_a]

It's just Gail & I, no sumo wrestlers. Maybe grandsons (if they're good). We carry a Clam 1440 kitchen tent, a couple chairs, sometimes kayaks, often bikes.



Frank

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by emers382

Yes Steve that can be a concern. perhaps not a good idea to take three or four sumo wrestlers in the cab and fill up the box with weight lifting equipment

Unfortunately, some full-sized trucks run out of payload capacity with one sumo wrestler and dumbell. It is worth checking.

[rbryan4]

True. If we towed a 5.0TA, we'd have only 700 lbs of cargo capacity left when you consider the pin and passenger weight. Doable, but far less than a bumper pull.

[frank_a]

Ford's tow guide for 2001 tells me I should have 10,500#s Gross Combination Weight Rating (GCWR), with 5600#s of tow capacity. Escape says Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) for the 5.0TA is 5500#s. What does that mean if ETI says the dry weight of the trailer is 3700#s? That I could load up to 1800 more #s?

How much frontal area do these 5.0TA's expose? Ford says not to exceed 60 sq. ft. without a tranny cooler. Tranny cooler is easy to do, as long as it makes sense to keep this truck in shape to haul a 5th wheel down the proverbial road!

Thanks again folks.

Frank

[Dave Walter]

Originally Posted by frank_a

It's just Gail & I, no sumo wrestlers. Maybe grandsons (if they're good). We carry a Clam 1440 kitchen tent, a couple chairs, sometimes kayaks, often bikes.



Frank

Nice looking trailer and tow combination Frank. I seem to recall that you had troubles getting your brake controller setup with your car. I assume from the picture that all of those problems were resolved.

[frank_a]

Originally Posted by ice-breaker

Nice looking trailer and tow combination Frank. I seem to recall that you had troubles getting your brake controller setup with your car. I assume from the picture that all of those problems were resolved.

Thanks Dave! Ah yes, getting the brake controller working in the Escape was a mystery that ended up being resolved by replacing the 7 pin plug at the back... for the 3rd time! It was the strangest thing, all continuity tests checked out, but the controller could not find the trailer brakes. I was at NAPA one day getting some stuff, and saw a 7 pin connector on a peg where all the tow stuff was and thought, what the heck, I'll give it one last try. It worked!

I've been wiring cars and trucks and trailers for decades, and that is one I'll never forget!

Frank

[jxoco]

Originally Posted by frank_a

Ford says not to exceed 60 sq. ft. without a tranny cooler. Tranny cooler is easy to do, as long as it makes sense to keep this truck in shape to haul a 5th wheel down the proverbial road!

Frank

Transmission cooler, I think is a must and don't drive with the transmission in OD, over drive, if it has that setting.
Many years ago, and I did it twice, slow learner, on a 50-60 mile flat section of hwy, I put it into OD. Both times people started honking at us as we were putting out a smoke plume from the auto trans fluid spraying all over the exhaust pipes.
Within the year I had to put in a new transmission and after that I drove that same section of road many times with no problem. Of course it was probably because the new tranny included a new external cooler.

[frank_a]

Originally Posted by jxoco

Transmission cooler, I think is a must and don't drive with the transmission in OD, over drive, if it has that setting.
Many years ago, and I did it twice, slow learner, on a 50-60 mile flat section of hwy, I put it into OD. Both times people started honking at us as we were putting out a smoke plume from the auto trans fluid spraying all over the exhaust pipes.
Within the year I had to put in a new transmission and after that I drove that same section of road many times with no problem. Of course it was probably because the new tranny included a new external cooler.

Good advice. We'll see if I keep this truck of get something with more tow capacity. Tranny cooler is easy to do, no problem there, and I do have a thing on the end of the gear shift lever that allows you to push it and takes the truck out of OD. Never had to worry about any of that towing the Parkliner, but certainly with a 5.0TA, I would have to.

Great advice, thanks!

Frank

[Jim Bennett]

Ford recommends that O/D not be used only in situations where excessive shifting is caused, like hilly roads. Otherwise, it should be used to increase fuel economy. At least this is the case for my 2012 F350, and my new F150.

[emers382]

Originally Posted by frank_a

Good advice. We'll see if I keep this truck of get something with more tow capacity. Tranny cooler is easy to do, no problem there, and I do have a thing on the end of the gear shift lever that allows you to push it and takes the truck out of OD. Never had to worry about any of that towing the Parkliner, but certainly with a 5.0TA, I would have to.

Great advice, thanks!

Frank

That tow/haul mode works great in our F150. I don't have a tranny cooler but watch the temp. gauge a lot and it never moves above normal, even up long hills. Now haven't tried the mountains yet though!

Adrian

[frank_a]

Originally Posted by emers382

That tow/haul mode works great in our F150. I don't have a tranny cooler but watch the temp. gauge a lot and it never moves above normal, even up long hills. Now haven't tried the mountains yet though!

Adrian

A good part of my interest in RV'ing after retirement includes mountains!

Frank

[rbryan4]

I'll second that on the tow/haul mode. Works very well on the 2015. Its always engaged when I tow, and I don't have to fool with the OD button.

[frank_a]

Originally Posted by rbryan4

I'll second that on the tow/haul mode. Works very well on the 2015. Its always engaged when I tow, and I don't have to fool with the OD button.

I thought the OD button was the tow/haul mode?!? If it isn't, what is the haul/tow mode?

Thanks!

Frank

[rbryan4]

Originally Posted by frank_a

I thought the OD button was the tow/haul mode?!? If it isn't, what is the haul/tow mode?

Thanks!

Frank

I probably should have been more clear. There is no OD button. Its tow/haul, sport, or normal.
Tow / haul mode changes the shift strategy, and also raises the line pressure, to reduce the chance of slippage, causing heat buildup.

The older OD version simply turned off the OD. The new design, doesnt have OD, but another gear. Tow/haul mode also holds the gears longer, and on longer downgrades it downshifts earlier, not unlocking the converter, which helps braking too.

Ford recommends using tow/haul mode whenever you tow, and I do. Its a very noticeable improvement when towing, especially on the ups and downs.