F250 6.2 V8 vs F150 Ecoboost

[deere5105]

Yep. I have a new Ram 2500 diesel, 4x4, crew cab Ram Horn and did a lot of setup and testing with a 10.4k 20' equipment trailer and an old Ford tractor. With 1150 pounds on the ball (~13% TW), measured by a Sherline tongue scale (Sherline Trailer Tongue Weight Scale - 2,000-lb Capacity Sherline Tools 5780) and a Weigh Safe load bearing ball mount (Weigh Safe 2-Ball Mount w/ Built-In Scale - 2-1/2" Hitch - 10" Drop, 11" Rise - 12.5K Weigh Safe Ball Mounts WS10-25), the handling was much better with the old Equalizer 10k unit than the weight bearing assembly. Had I been using a higher rated WD model (spring bars), I am certain it would have been even better. A Blue Ox BXW1500 is on my wish list.<img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/files/trailers-transportation/438544-f250-6-2-v8-vs-_em50521-jpg"/><img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/files/trailers-transportation/438543-f250-6-2-v8-vs-_em50504-jpg"/>

Curious how you have your boxes mounted on trailer. Wanted to add a tool box, but couldn't come up with a good way to do it. I have wooden rails built that I use annually for hay rides. The front crosses behind the tire and flush with front rail.

 

[deere5105]

I pull a comparable load every weekend about 160 miles round trip with my 2011 Ecoboost. It's flat out a amazing motor. I can pull a 5 mile 7% grade with about 10,500# on the ball and never see 3000 rpms at 60 mph. Chris

It is impressive. What I can't really figure out is how it seems to just ease along with this kind of weight and get to a hill and seem to not even tell it. Sometimes it downshifts and sometimes it doesn't and doesn't seem to slow and you can't tell there is any increase in strain. Common sense and physics tell me this can't be, but it does seem effortless.

 

[tcartwri]

It is impressive. What I can't really figure out is how it seems to just ease along with this kind of weight and get to a hill and seem to not even tell it. Sometimes it downshifts and sometimes it doesn't and doesn't seem to slow and you can't tell there is any increase in strain. Common sense and physics tell me this can't be, but it does seem effortless.

With the direct injection it acts very much like a diesel. You would never be able to load a gas motor like that without it.

 

[aczlan]

It is impressive. What I can't really figure out is how it seems to just ease along with this kind of weight and get to a hill and seem to not even tell it. Sometimes it downshifts and sometimes it doesn't and doesn't seem to slow and you can't tell there is any increase in strain. Common sense and physics tell me this can't be, but it does seem effortless.

If you were to install a boost gauge (or a OBD-II gauge that will read boost) and you will see the boost increase as you head up the hill. That is how it does it, you won't see a downshift until it hits "max boost"
DI helps, but it needs the turbos to provide more air to make use of the extra fuel and add HP to keep rolling up the hill.

Aaron Z

 

[sdef]

Curious how you have your boxes mounted on trailer. Wanted to add a tool box, but couldn't come up with a good way to do it. I have wooden rails built that I use annually for hay rides. The front crosses behind the tire and flush with front rail.

It took me awhile to come up with a simple, yet strong way of doing so. I basically fabricated 3 "L" shaped brackets (like standard shelf brackets) out of 1.25", 1/8" angle to support each box and then a down piece at ~ 45 degrees to tie it all together. I actually only created the top horizontal piece and the 45 degree angle down piece with the existing trailer being used to act as the third, vertical triangulation point.

Each piece welded individually to the trailer instead of making each "bracket" separately and then welding to the trailer. Each box is bolted to its outboard and inboard brackets with two ~ 5/16" bolts with a Stanley 1/4" x 1.25" x 12" plate (HD, Lowes, TSC) sandwiched inside the box between the nuts/washers and the bottom of the aluminum boxes for attaching strength and rigidity. Then thread locker on the nuts. Ended up being pretty simple and strong once I figured out the design. Mounted, each of the boxes inner ends sit flush with that inboard bracket and the outside box end sits ~ 4" past the outer bracket (unsupported) since the boxes are wider than the trailer- as mounted due to the spare tire taking up so much center space.

The top horizontal pieces attached under the trailer's top square tubing, extending the whole 3.5" to the back edge of that tube- which is pretty thin walled tubing (burnt a few holes I had to carefully weld and grind). And the downward, 45 degree pieces rest with the bottom edge of the trailer's C-cross brace and kind of jammed into that edge before welding. Really hard to explain but that piece is self supporting at the bottom joint with the welded joint not providing any real strength and really just holds that brace in place against the C-channel edge and keeps the angle from twisting away from its supporting point at the C-channel.

If I had things to do over again, I may have gone to a 3/16" thick down piece instead of the 1/8" as this piece is where the majority of the strength is. But it is probably not necessary and I am prone to overkill in most things I do.

 

[deere5105]

If you were to install a boost gauge (or a OBD-II gauge that will read boost) and you will see the boost increase as you head up the hill. That is how it does it, you won't see a downshift until it hits "max boost" DI helps, but it needs the turbos to provide more air to make use of the extra fuel and add HP to keep rolling up the hill. Aaron Z

Good explanations by both you and tcartwri.

I thought maybe there would be a boost gauge from factory, but haven't found it if it's there. I can hear the whistling from takeoff and hard acceleration. Overall been very impressed. Have around 8,000 miles and lifetime average 16.4 mpg. Have seen times when on back roads in the 45 mph range for 100 miles or so and it stays as high as 20-21 mpg. Overall on that trip for 300 miles was 19.9 mpg.

 

[tcartwri]

If you were to install a boost gauge (or a OBD-II gauge that will read boost) and you will see the boost increase as you head up the hill. That is how it does it, you won't see a downshift until it hits "max boost"
DI helps, but it needs the turbos to provide more air to make use of the extra fuel and add HP to keep rolling up the hill.

Aaron Z

Actually without the DI it wouldn't work at all. The motor would detonate itself to pieces in short order.

 

[tcartwri]

If you were to install a boost gauge (or a OBD-II gauge that will read boost) and you will see the boost increase as you head up the hill. That is how it does it, you won't see a downshift until it hits "max boost"
DI helps, but it needs the turbos to provide more air to make use of the extra fuel and add HP to keep rolling up the hill.

Aaron Z

Actually without the DI it wouldn't work at all. The motor would detonate itself to pieces in short order.

 

[jejeosborne]

FYI, your truck is only rated to tow 5000 lbs without a WD hitch.

I have the same engine and installed a boost gage. It is interesting to watch and gives you an idea how hard it is working or how much fun you're having depending on the given instance.

 

[econometrics]

That's very impressive. I have a 5075E with the 553 FEL and water-filled rears... so same exact weight specs. Last year I bought a 25+5 dual tandem GN, but have really never used it. I'm thinking about selling it, buying a bumper pull and pocketing the difference (maybe save it for a new 1/2T truck like the F150 Ecoboost to replace my 2007 Silverado 1500?! ) I have a 1999 F250 V10 that could pull the BP with the 5075E on it, but I'm impressed by the Ecoboost.