Towing with Ford F-150

[C&G in FL]

I have had 3 F-150s, all Supercabs with a 6.5 foot bed, and the last two have had the larger fuel tank. My 2015 2.7 EB did not have the Max Tow Package but had the larger fuel tank. I do not believe the two are tied together; I believe the choice of the larger tank is a stand alone option but may not be available with the 5.5 foot bed.......I don’t know. My first F-150 (2012) had and my current F-150 (2020) has the 3.5 liter EcoBoost. While the 2.7 (2015) was adequate and had more than enough power to tow the 5.0TA, I chose to go back to the 3.5 liter. First, while the 2.7 was zippy, the 3.5 is a rocket. Unlike the 2.7, towing at highway speeds, if you give it gas, the resulting acceleration will pin you back into the seat, even going uphill. Furthermore, having watched transmission temperatures, they were lower in the 3.5 by a few degrees on the flats. However, going up long inclines the 2.7 produced much higher transmission temperatures and they climbed higher much faster than in the 3.5 liter. Both had the 6 speed transmission. When NOT towing, the 2.7 got 6 more miles per gallon, but when towing it only bested the 3.5 by .1 mpg. Since 75%-85% of my odometer total results from towing, the lower fuel efficiency when not towing is not a big concern for me given what I consider the “benefits” the 3.5 provides when towing. My current 3.5 has the 10 speed, but I do not have adequate data on fuel efficiency for comparison. Only time will tell, but from what little I have driven, it is getting 2+ mpg more not towing than my previous 3.5 got (2012).