Towing with Ford F-150

[gbaglo]

I had to buy a 7-passenger vehicle to get the tow rating and other features that I wanted. Bought a 2020 Highlander XLE AWD because the LTD and LTD Platinum levels had too much crap behind the driver seat. The foot activated rear gate on the LTD interferes with the hitch receiver, for instance, and the rear "captain's seats" don't fold flat. I still resent paying for the third-row seats and losing storage cubbies that I had with my RAV4.
Gave the RAV to my daughter and still look longingly at it when we drop by their house.

[Wacreech]

I am new to the forum, but I have a 5.0 on order with a February 2021 delivery date.



I have a 2014 F-150 4WD crew cab with a 3.5 EcoBoost and a 5.5 ft bed. I have an Andersen hitch, rail version, but need to outfit the truck to mount it. I would like to install a Reese 30064 Elite Series Rail Kit. This will give me a power puck system, like Ford installs in some later model trucks. Since the Andersen isn't designed as an Elite series mount, I would install a Reese 30156 under bed adapter. This adapter installs into the "puck" system but provides for the Andersen to mount to it.



The reason I want to do this is it minimize the space the Andersen takes up in the bed of my truck while being able to keep the flat floor in the bed when it is removed. I would appreciate any advise you can offer.

[sofmerc]

what is the Puck system? Not familiar with that term.Newbie here so...

[Wacreech]

As I understand it is a Ford sustenance installed at the factory that accepts some 5th wheel hitches such as Reese Elite mounts into four sockets in the floor of the truck bed. When the hitch is removed nothing is left above the floor of the truck bed. Because my truck doesn’t have the system from the factory, Reese makes a mount to install the system between the frame and the bed.

[Centex]

Originally Posted by Wacreech

I have a 2014 F-150 4WD crew cab with a 3.5 EcoBoost and a 5.5 ft bed. I have an Andersen hitch, rail version, but need to outfit the truck to mount it. I would like to install a Reese 30064 Elite Series Rail Kit. This will give me a power puck system, like Ford installs in some later model trucks. Since the Andersen isn't designed as an Elite series mount, I would install a Reese 30156 under bed adapter. This adapter installs into the "puck" system but provides for the Andersen to mount to it.

I get where you're going and why, and agree that the Reese 30064 and 30156 should fit your truck. I few things I'd verify before investing / installing ....

Relating to the horizontal (front-to-back) location of things:
1. I'd ask Reese to tell you the distance from the rear edge of the bed to the CL of the front and rear 30064 pucks as installed on your specific vehicle (the midpoint between those pucks will be the midpoint of the 30156 rails)
2. With that dimension from Reese, refer to the Andersen 3200 Rail Mount Dimension Drawing; that will allow you to determine the front-to-back location of the Andersen hitch ball in your specific truck, and from there you can verify horizontal clearances using info in the ETI 5.0 Compatibility Guide. Inches can matter.

Relating to the vertical (ball height) location of things:
3. I'd ask Reese to tell you the height of the top of the 30156 rails above the bed (they stand-off a lot higher than industry-standard 'permanent' rails).
4. With that vertical dimension again compare to the Andersen dimension drawing (because of the extra rail-height the 'nominal' ball-height range listed by Andersen higher from your truck bed) and the ETI guidelines for height required to keep the trailer nominally 'level' (or very slightly 'nose high'). This might bear on the decision to get or not get the 'body-lift' option on your 5.0.

All this just to verify that the Andersen ball location and height (and resultant trailer clearances and towing-level) will be what you expect in your specific truck before you invest in the Reese components and drill your bed to install that system. I don't recall reading that anyone else here has used the specific set of components you are proposing and all of this stuff is very component and vehicle specific.

Inches can matter, especially with short-box trucks; personally I don't like surprises (and you know what 'they' say about assumptions) with things of this sort, so I'd be working with Reese via their tech support telephone line (1-888-521-0510) to get the required info. YMMV.

[Wacreech]

Thanks for the advice. I sent Reese an e-mail with questions and awaiting a response. I’ll post what they say and what I decide to do. Again, thanks.
Bill

[kvermeulen]

Originally Posted by Vermilye

I had to order my 2018 F 150 3.5 EcoBoost in order to get a super cab, tow mirrors, and 36 gallon tank. I looked at over 200 trucks on a couple of dealer lots, and evidently not a popular combination. 1826 pound payload. At the time they had 3 different tow packages - mine is the lowest, but plenty for the 21. Love the 10 speed - 1600 - 1700 RPM at 63MPH.

what is the mpg when towing
thanks ken

[Vermilye]

Originally Posted by kvermeulen

what is the mpg when towing
thanks ken

Over 21,000 miles, 12.5 MPG.

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by Vermilye

Over 21,000 miles, 12.5 MPG.

That's 18.8 L/100km. Almost exactly what I get with a similar truck.....and when I am driving decent speeds.

[Perry Butler]

Our 2015 F150 with 3.5 EB, extended cab, 6.5' box, six speed tranny averaged 12.6 mpg driving pulling our 5.0 nearly 18,000, dividing the actual miles by actual gallons. According to the Lie-O-Meter we averaged slightly over 14 mpg.

Our mileage went down using Tow Haul vs non-Tow Haul. We also did not like the hard shifting with Tow Haul and it shifted way too often.

Our 2019 F150 with 3.5 EB, quad cab, 6.5' box, ten speed tranny is averaging slightly over 13 mpg pulling the same 5.0 about 11,000 miles so far, dividing the actual miles by actual gallons. According to the Lie-O-Meter we're getting well over 14 mpg.

We love the new ten speed tranny with much smoother shifting vs the old six speed. With the 2019 we get better mileage when driving in ECO vs Tow Haul, with less needless shifting.

A friend of mine had a 2015 Ram and the Ram's Lie-O-Meter was about 1.5 mpg high. His 2018 Ram's Lie-O-Meter is about 1.3 mpg high. You can't believe those damn Lie-O-Meters.

We mainly camp in the Rockies, Sierra's, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, and Texas. We very rarely go over 65 mph, with 95% of the time between 58 to 62 mph. We're retired, so time is on our side.

Enjoy,

Perry

[John in Santa Cruz]

huh, my 2002 F250 longbed supercab 4x4 7.3 turbodiesel gets about 13 MPG towing an E21 at speeds often faster than optimal. and thats a 7000+ lb truck (ok, curb weight is about 6600 lbs, GVWR is 8800)

[Ronn]

2015 F150 / 2 Wheel Drive / 3.5 EcoBoost / 3.55 Axle / 6 speed transmission / Towing a 2019 5.0 TA

I try driving 62 - 63 MPH (probably spend 50% of mileage at this speed). I do drive in the 70's if I want to make time or when traffic is heavy. Even on multiple lane roads, I do not like traffic building behind me or needing to slow down when they want to get by me so drive faster and keep up with the traffic when I am on busy roads.

Sept/Oct 2019 trip*13 tank average 13.876 actual*- computer said 14.725
Sept/Oct 2020 trip*9 tank average 14.393 actual*- didn't do the computer

[Bea]

For those of you with a F-150 and like to boondock...... now you can go anywhere! - Bea

https://youtu.be/h9xi4DCvLOc

[brroberts]

Tire to track conversions have been around since at least the mid ‘70’s. (probably longer) I’ve never driven one personally.

[John in Santa Cruz]

i can't imagine those would be very good at highway speeds.

[brroberts]

John, I’m sure that was said in jest, but I’ve never seen them street legal anywhere. The vehicles I’ve seen were trailered to locations.

[Chotch]

Originally Posted by Bea

For those of you with a F-150 and like to boondock...... now you can go anywhere! - Bea

https://youtu.be/h9xi4DCvLOc

😎Before that ,saw model T fords with track conversion, rear wheels only of course.

[John in Santa Cruz]

Then there's the Snow Motor, from the 1920s,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVzj3_MUBjE

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by Chotch

😎Before that ,saw model T fords with track conversion, rear wheels only of course.

Hi: Chotch... This mod would be convenient if you have to keep "Track" of your F150. Looks like you'd need to buy a car wash too!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[ColoradoSwany]

Originally Posted by escape artist

Hi: Chotch... This mod would be convenient if you have to keep "Track" of your F150. Looks like you'd need to buy a car wash too!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

Tanks a lot. Nice forum tread.