5,000 miles towing with 2021 F-150 Platinum PowerBoost - review

[don.mullins]

I went with the Airlift 5000 air bags. That's a big toyhauler. I would definitely use a weight distribution hitch on that size trailer. I can't with my 9,750-pound boat trailer due to format, but would if I could. Look forward to 6-7 mpg. My turbo runs constantly when towing and the hybrid element adds nothing at that time. The generator is a huge add, and the hybrid works great when not towing.

While electric only mode is disabled in Tow/Haul mode, the hybrid system is doing things. The electric motor adds torque on acceleration, and the battery is kept charged by regen braking and charge cycles. The electric motor does add ~100 lb/ft of torque when accelerating.

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[PungoteagueDave]

While electric only mode is disabled in Tow/Haul mode, the hybrid system is doing things. The electric motor adds torque on acceleration, and the battery is kept charged by regen braking and charge cycles. The electric motor does add ~100 lb/ft of torque when accelerating.

My point was that the hybrid adds nothing during steady state towing. Yes, its helps getting up to speed. The small battery is maxxed out (full) pretty fast on highway runs, so the hybrid is just along for the ride on most towing trips, except the few start-ups. The engine, on the other hand, runs the turbos at more than 50% full time at 70 mph pulling my trailer. The biggest loss to me is range. I went from having huge range with 48 gallon tank and 11 mpg towing the same rig with my '17 F-350 powerstroke diesel, so over 500 mile range, to 150-160 miles range with the Powerboost at 5.5 miles mpg (some tankfills have been only 5 mpg, and for one section of mountain in upstate NY I saw under 3 mpg and it could barely sustain 8 mph). I suspect OP will do better with his slightly heavier rig because my boat is 13'4" tall and not aerodynamic at all.

 

[F-150 Prius]

My point was that the hybrid adds nothing during steady state towing. Yes, its helps getting up to speed. The small battery is maxxed out (full) pretty fast on highway runs, so the hybrid is just along for the ride on most towing trips, except the few start-ups. The engine, on the other hand, runs the turbos at more than 50% full time at 70 mph pulling my trailer. The biggest loss to me is range. I went from having huge range with 48 gallon tank and 11 mpg towing the same rig with my '17 F-350 powerstroke diesel, so over 500 mile range, to 150-160 miles range with the Powerboost at 5.5 miles mpg (some tankfills have been only 5 mpg, and for one section of mountain in upstate NY I saw under 3 mpg and it could barely sustain 8 mph). I suspect OP will do better with his slightly heavier rig because my boat is 13'4" tall and not aerodynamic at all.

It would be interesting to know what you see on a future towing trip, keep the "coach" display in in the instruments and the "power flow" display on the center display. Presumably zero electric miles, but I expect there will be a lot of energy regeneration and torque fill from the battery.
That's not to say I'm ok with the dismal mpg of the PowerBoost, but I'm guessing the electrics are "chipping in".

 

[F-150 Prius]

btw. these powerboost mpg results from numerous posts here illustrate the reality of why electric tow vehicles are not happening any time soon: battery energy density, energy use per mile, time to recharge.
EVs need to make an "order of magnitude" improvement (achieve a tenfold improvement.)

The Lightning will be a great work truck and pickup, but not great for towing though probably ok for hauling. An EV pickup will be a "no brainer" for fleet operators – fully charged overnight and ready every morning with no need to pay anyone to move the vehicle or stand around while refueling during the working day. But they won't be replacing their long haul tow vehicles with EVs any time soon (not before 2025, and apparently not before 2030 based on current expectations and claims set by the EV and battery makers.)

1. energy density
Electric vehicles today have no more than 100kWh and future EV pickups might have 200 kWh … the problem being … 1 gallon of gas is about 35 kWh … so a 30 gallon tank is about 1000 kWh.
EVs need to achieve an order of magnitude improvement in how much energy they can carry.

2. energy use per mile
The inefficiency of the internal combustion engine (because of heat from combustion) is deplorable , but it also means the massive increase in energy needed to work (tow, haul) is a lesser fraction of the total energy of the system.
An electric vehicle is an efficient system, wasting only a minimal fraction of its energy as heat or drivetrain parasitic losses. Transmission and gearbox are the difference between flywheel and driven wheel power. EVs don't have a gearbox, except the Taycan and that is an efficient gearbox, not a torque converter thumbing through cogs to try to keep the engine on its torque curve.
Drivetrain loss in an EV is just the rotating mass inertia of the axles, brakes, wheels and tires, some of which can be recouped as regenerated energy.

3. time to recharge
EVs need to make the same order of magnitude leap forward in how quickly they can take energy on board … a typical stop at an EV charging station or Tesla Supercharger is 30 minutes or more yielding 200 to 400 miles' range (400 miles being under optimal conditions, in a compact sedan, not full size pickup.) Compare to a PowerBoost refueling of 30 gallons taking 3 minutes and yielding 500 to 700 miles in the tank.
Also, a gallon of gas weighs about 6lbs or 3 kg, so it's a small cargo load and space burden to have four 5 gallon fuel jugs adding another 20 gallons or 600 kWh.
Gas yields about 10kWh per kg. Battery scientists expect to achieve 1 kWh/kg in the next three years … nowhere near the energy density necessary for towing and hauling … give or take the efficiency and losses of the system, batteries are still an order of magnitude away from a vehicle being able to carry enough energy.

 

[Bearii]

I have towed my trailer about 5,000 miles in total, across multiple trips. My most recent 1,500-mile trip really impressed me with this truck. We went camping in the backcountry at a lake about 20 miles from the closest store. On the drive up I turned on a dirt road and took the camper off-road for 9 miles. At the end of day 2 of the campground, the battery on the trailer was getting a bit low, we plugged into the 7.2kW onboard pro power and it worked incredibly easily. 2 hours later the camper was fully charged....

Great report on the truck, thank you. I do have a couple of quick questions, what battery do you have on your trailer, mostly interested in amp hour size. It will give me a comparison for how long ours might take to recharge. Another question, what rack are you using for your kayak's and how long are the kayak's? Be great if we can find something that would work well with our two kayaks which are 9' and 12' long.

We've had great luck towing our trailer too here in Florida, it's about 6500lbs and the truck never seems to be struggling even in the mountains of northern GA. However, hearing about more hilly terrain is encouraging for when we start journeying out west to the Rockies!

 

[UGADawg96]

Great report on the truck, thank you. I do have a couple of quick questions, what battery do you have on your trailer, mostly interested in amp hour size. It will give me a comparison for how long ours might take to recharge. Another question, what rack are you using for your kayak's and how long are the kayak's? Be great if we can find something that would work well with our two kayaks which are 9' and 12' long.

We've had great luck towing our trailer too here in Florida, it's about 6500lbs and the truck never seems to be struggling even in the mountains of northern GA. However, hearing about more hilly terrain is encouraging for when we start journeying out west to the Rockies!

We also have a 12' and a 14' kayak and a TT that weights around 6k lbs. That rack looks like this Thule Evo WingBar one, but OP will need to clarify:

https://www.thule.com/en-us/roof-ra...ar=ford-f-150-4dr-super+crew+cab-_-P8rNbNMVFa

 

[Jack in Prescott]

I'd welcome some follow-up on a few points:

Don, how has the Lance performed for you? We're pleased with our 1995 but have seen some weak points in how it was equipped.

desertlivin, what would you estimate your combined weight to be on that last trip. I appreciate each one of these trip reports as we just got our PB, and expect it to perform well along the Rockies spine, which is where we mostly camp. Still, hearing such positive trip reports, even with significant % grades and high heat levels, is very comforting.

PungoteagueDave, i've been waiting for you to give us your follow-up "HOA Report". As I remember it, you were forced to trade in your F350 because it was "too big" for the HOA...yet the F150 PB is just 'lower' and not smaller. I picture one of the HOA Commandos struggling with reality after your F150 arrived.

Bearii, if you don't mind another data point: Our 24' Lance has all the bells and whistles and I've never been below 70% discharge (24 hr period) with a wet cell (not AGM) 200 AH house bank and one 170W solar panel. Of course, every family's experience re: DC electrical draw is going to be unique, so that may not be helpful to you. But with a F150 PB, it now makes no difference IMO which battery chemistry and/or house bank capacity one has beyond perhaps 150 AH. You just adapt the use of the PB to fit the energy needs of the trailer. On the DC side, I suppose the highest demand on house bank capacity would be very low night time temps and the furnace fan runs on/off a full 10-12 hrs along with whatever other DC draw exists. In those conditions, I don't see any need to supplement our house bank with the PB and expect to have the PB generator off during the nights.

The biggest single downside of using the PB to support a family camping trip IMO is that stupid double-horn honk when leaving the PB 'on' in generator mode and shutting the door. For those of you who have camped with your PB (and don't use Forescan), how does one avoid this when activating the generator in the morning so the microwave, coffee maker et al are all available? A loud double-honk at 6 am in a campground would not make for happy campers.

Jack

 

[F-150 Prius]

I'd welcome some follow-up on a few points:

The biggest single downside of using the PB to support a family camping trip IMO is that stupid double-horn honk when leaving the PB 'on' in generator mode and shutting the door. For those of you who have camped with your PB (and don't use Forescan), how does one avoid this when activating the generator in the morning so the microwave, coffee maker et al are all available? A loud double-honk at 6 am in a campground would not make for happy campers.

Jack

re. double-honk, I leave the second key in the cabin and take one key with me to lock the door (or use the keypad or the app) … not great "security" but until I get around to finding my OBD-PC cable and set up as you put it, forescan … : )
https://forscan.org/home.html

 

[don.mullins]

Don, how has the Lance performed for you? We're pleased with our 1995 but have seen some weak points in how it was equipped.

We have been very happy! Love how the bunk area gives us a mini garage - it is just enough to stow everything we keep in the trailer. I like my trailer “fully equipped” so we can hit the road quickly since we still work.

The bunks are great for grandkids.

I opted for no outdoor kitchen, so that area stores my outdoor stuff - grill, griddle, etc.

We are prewired for solar, but no inverter. That is no longer an area we will invest in now that we have the Powerboost.

Our only complaint has been leaking skylights, but our dealer is taking care of us - these rigs are complex and things will happen. What is important is how they respond, which they have done that to my satisfaction.

Overall, we are very pleased. I would recommend Lance and the 2445 to anyone.

 

[desertlivin]

Great report on the truck, thank you. I do have a couple of quick questions, what battery do you have on your trailer, mostly interested in amp hour size. It will give me a comparison for how long ours might take to recharge. Another question, what rack are you using for your kayak's and how long are the kayak's? Be great if we can find something that would work well with our two kayaks which are 9' and 12' long.

I have a Thule setup.

Thule Evo Clamp Fit Kit 145177
Thule Evo Clamp Foot Pack
Thule WingBar Evo Load Bars 60 inch
Thule Compass 4 in 1 Kayak/SUP kit
Thule DockGlide Kayak Rack

I carry 3 kayaks(10ft, 13ft, 14ft) + tow the camper which is why I bought the 4 in 1 compass first. I strongly prefer the Dock Glide over the 4 in 1. If you just need to put 2 kayaks on the roof I would put two DockGlide next to each other and not buy the Compass.


As far as battery on the trailer, it's two 12v batteries that came stock with it, but I am not sure of the actual amp hours. I know it takes a 30amp/110 service but not sure of the actual amp hours.

 

[Bearii]

I have a Thule setup.

Thule Evo Clamp Fit Kit 145177
Thule Evo Clamp Foot Pack
Thule WingBar Evo Load Bars 60 inch
Thule Compass 4 in 1 Kayak/SUP kit
Thule DockGlide Kayak Rack

I carry 3 kayaks(10ft, 13ft, 14ft) + tow the camper which is why I bought the 4 in 1 compass first. I strongly prefer the Dock Glide over the 4 in 1. If you just need to put 2 kayaks on the roof I would put two DockGlide next to each other and not buy the Compass.


As far as battery on the trailer, it's two 12v batteries that came stock with it, but I am not sure of the actual amp hours. I know it takes a 30amp/110 service but not sure of the actual amp hours.

Wow, thanks for the info! That will be a big help in setting up our config for the kayaks.

 

[Nikolasford2021]

what roof racks are you using on your truck? waiting on my lariat to get to the dealership, going to put roof racks for my kayaks as well.

 

[renffurt]

My point was that the hybrid adds nothing during steady state towing. Yes, its helps getting up to speed. The small battery is maxxed out (full) pretty fast on highway runs, so the hybrid is just along for the ride on most towing trips, except the few start-ups. The engine, on the other hand, runs the turbos at more than 50% full time at 70 mph pulling my trailer. The biggest loss to me is range. I went from having huge range with 48 gallon tank and 11 mpg towing the same rig with my '17 F-350 powerstroke diesel, so over 500 mile range, to 150-160 miles range with the Powerboost at 5.5 miles mpg (some tankfills have been only 5 mpg, and for one section of mountain in upstate NY I saw under 3 mpg and it could barely sustain 8 mph). I suspect OP will do better with his slightly heavier rig because my boat is 13'4" tall and not aerodynamic at all.

Do you miss your powerstroke? I’m on the fence between a powerboost and a new f250. I live at 6,000 ft and tow a 7k surf boat.

 

[F-150 Prius]

Do you miss your powerstroke? I’m on the fence between a powerboost and a new f250. I live at 6,000 ft and tow a 7k surf boat.

6000 feet and wakesurfing sounds like Lake Tahoe.
If you see advantages in the 7.2kW onboard, the PowerBoost is a no-brainer.
If onboard power is just a "cool, nice to have" you at least have the option.
I think the difference between PowerStroke and PowerBoost is combination of:
1) what's the truck doing when it's not towing (miles per year of towing vs daily driving)?
2) daily driving (short trips, parking locations, acceleration all favor the F-150)
2) max load / max tow typical use
3) range of towing in a given day

For me, towing about 10,000lb in a triple axle race trailer, I'm towing long distance (greater than 200-300 miles) in a day less often than in previous years. So for the few days when the PowerBoost is towing at 10mpg or I'm being careful about tongue weight is not an inconvenience. My preference is to have a fast, fun to drive truck rather than the bigger, heavier Super Duty. I think if you're towing to the lake, the PowerBoost is perfectly suited to towing a boat up to about 10K. I have a 24 foot Sea Ray that's lighter than a wakesurfing boat. I haven't even towed it with the PowerBoost yet, but I'm sure it will make easy work of it, though the windage probably means 10-15 mpg.

You're asking the question on a PowerBoost forum, so the answers will be skewed, but I can't think of a reason to get the PowerStroke unless the primary role is towing heavy and long distance.

 

[RossRR]

Thanks for the info. I do plan on purchasing the weight distribution and sway bar tow package, and, a set of 5,000 lb bags before I pickup the unit. Saved a bit of money on the toy hauler by not adding a generator cause the PB has one already. Hopefully that will offset some fuel cost????

Just curious what the payload sticker says for your truck. That is a very heavy trailer for a half ton if you consider tongue weight being 10% of trailer weight (minimum).

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