Powerboost Overheated while Towing

[Timsvtgen1]

Andre’s personal truck on TFL got a little toasty pulling a trailer w/11,000 lbs up vail pass. It doesn’t look like it actually overheated though. Idk.

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[Lippy]

It's a silly test. They should compare an F250 to a 2500 or an F150 to a 1500. Of course, the 2500 Chevy, whether or not it has a diesel, will tow more weight, more easily, than an F150. I'm sure the F250 diesel would be similar to this chevy.

 

[UGADawg96]

It's a silly test. They should compare an F250 to a 2500 or an F150 to a 1500. Of course, the 2500 Chevy, whether or not it has a diesel, will tow more weight, more easily, than an F150. I'm sure the F250 diesel would be similar to this chevy.

They do a lot of silly videos, as do most "youtubers"... it is about clicks/views.

 

[GolfR]

Regardless of the comparison, the fact that they were towing within the max limits of the F150 in a properly configured rig and had the overheat problems is a concern. It’s not clear to me that the F150 has a max tow package or just the regular one but I’m not sure there would be a difference in how the engine performs. Maybe the ride and squat would be a little different with a max tow.

 

[Lippy]

Who knows how much they really were towing?

 

[TBondu]

Did they derate by 2% for every 1000 feet of elevation like the manual states? My guess is they were over the limit at that altitude with a 10k pound trailer.

 

[PungoteagueDave]

It is a fair test and a huge fail. They also got sub-5 mpg from the Powerboost. I am getting only 5 to 5.5 mpg towing my 9,750-pound boat trailer behind mine. These are both well within spec for our respective trucks. The TFL PB has more payload capacity than mine because it is a lower optioned, and I have every option on a KR, so I am super-careful with loading and tongue weight, used a CAT scale to get everything just right, but these trucks are clealy not capable anywhere near their design spec. I believe they are unsafe. My just-traded F-350 was FAR more capable of towing the trailer we use most often than the new PB. I had overheated engine and high transmission temps last week, smoking brakes. But the scariest thing was the nearly noinexistent engine braking. I’ve posted sperately about this, but see the Powerboost as a pure compliance vehicle - its effieicency literally flips 180-degrees and becomes a detriment the minute the “truck” is used as an actual truck.

 

[Vulnox]

That is a wild response. An F-350 is more capable than an F-150 is not news, and anyone with sense will tell you that 9,750 lb boat is not within the expected limits of the F-150. Tow ratings are made with weight alone in mind, but you as the owner need to be responsible with WHAT you are towing. A 9,750lb Travel Trailer is way too much TT for a 1/2 ton truck, no matter what tow rating it has. They are giant sails and side wind or even head wind will put FAR more stress on them than equal weight on a flat trailer with just water totes or whatever on it.

In that same way, 10k lbs of boat is a lot, and if you are overheating the brakes then either the trailer brakes aren't set up properly, or again it's too much for the truck.

It being a PowerBoost is largely irrelevant. No variety of F-150 would do much better on mileage at that weight class, that's why they made diesels. Even an F-250 Godzilla would put in bad mileage in those conditions.

I just don't understand the point here. Everyone would say an F-150 is not the right vehicle for that load. Heck if you tow more than 7k lbs frequently, I would move up to an F-250, at least.

ANYWAY, I haven't watched the TFL video yet, but earlier it was mentioned that of course the HD truck will do better, and as I went over above that would hopefully be obvious to most everyone. I did read the synopsis on the TFL video though and their purpose wasn't to do a competition between the trucks, but to show the public the difference between these classes of truck, and why an HD truck is often the right choice in certain situations, like say towing 10k lbs of boat and trailer...

 

[KiloWhiskey]

It is a fair test and a huge fail. They also got sub-5 mpg from the Powerboost. I am getting only 5 to 5.5 mpg towing my 9,750-pound boat trailer behind mine. These are both well within spec for our respective trucks. The TFL PB has more payload capacity than mine because it is a lower optioned, and I have every option on a KR, so I am super-careful with loading and tongue weight, used a CAT scale to get everything just right, but these trucks are clealy not capable anywhere near their design spec. I believe they are unsafe. My just-traded F-350 was FAR more capable of towing the trailer we use most often than the new PB. I had overheated engine and high transmission temps last week, smoking brakes. But the scariest thing was the nearly noinexistent engine braking. I’ve posted sperately about this, but see the Powerboost as a pure compliance vehicle - its effieicency literally flips 180-degrees and becomes a detriment the minute the “truck” is used as an actual truck.

You’re towing heavy with a 1500 expect that. ??‍

 

[F150 Voodoo]

It is a fair test and a huge fail. They also got sub-5 mpg from the Powerboost. I am getting only 5 to 5.5 mpg towing my 9,750-pound boat trailer behind mine. These are both well within spec for our respective trucks. The TFL PB has more payload capacity than mine because it is a lower optioned, and I have every option on a KR, so I am super-careful with loading and tongue weight, used a CAT scale to get everything just right, but these trucks are clealy not capable anywhere near their design spec. I believe they are unsafe. My just-traded F-350 was FAR more capable of towing the trailer we use most often than the new PB. I had overheated engine and high transmission temps last week, smoking brakes. But the scariest thing was the nearly noinexistent engine braking. I’ve posted sperately about this, but see the Powerboost as a pure compliance vehicle - its effieicency literally flips 180-degrees and becomes a detriment the minute the “truck” is used as an actual truck.

Why in the world did you buy an F150 to tow a 9750lb boat? Was it 9750 lbs laoded with gas and gear or 9750lbs unloaded? You state you had a F350 before, yet you downgrade to the F150 PB to tow it at Max Specs? You shoud have got the F250 at minimum. I am sorry but saying "these trucks are clealy not capable anywhere near their design spec." is about like saying you are mad that the truck doesnt get the MPG listed on the sticker.

The test they did was terrible and towing anything at Max Specs is trouble all the way around. In the end Mr Truck did say it was fine for towing something like this from time to time, but no one should really buy a F150 to tow heavy loads. Ram, Chevy or Toyota would have had the same outcome. Atleast the PB went into some sort of limp mode to stop from killing itself.

 

[imnuts]

He posted some additional details and pictures here, including a payload rating of 1140 lbs. Based on that, assuming the 9750 lbs is fully loaded, that only leaves 165 pounds left in payload assuming a 10% tongue weight. Hopefully he had a light lunch and no additional passengers when towing.

 

[F150 Voodoo]

He posted some additional details and pictures here, including a payload rating of 1140 lbs. Based on that, assuming the 9750 lbs is fully loaded, that only leaves 165 pounds left in payload assuming a 10% tongue weight. Hopefully he had a light lunch and no additional passengers when towing.

Sheesh. That looked so bad. He mentioned the Cat scales, he should have posted the weight slip. He posted pictures of everything else. Sounds like a poor decision was made on purchasing the F150. Time to sell ASAP.

I will be pulling a 7500 lbs boat for a 5 hour trip in a week. I am not looking forward to the MPG but the truck will be me and my son. Wife and daughter will be in the trailing Explorer. After seeing his trip report, I will be sure to pack most of the stuff in the Explorer.

We also buy food and supplies at the destination. No need to bring that much with us.

 

[PungoteagueDave]

I have the weight slip, just not handy, will post on return from trip. Actually, boat trailer tongue weight recommended by Load Rite is 8%, so I am right there - and did have the axle ratings covered.

 

[Bryan Simon]

Why in the world did you buy an F150 to tow a 9750lb boat? Was it 9750 lbs laoded with gas and gear or 9750lbs unloaded? You state you had a F350 before, yet you downgrade to the F150 PB to tow it at Max Specs? You shoud have got the F250 at minimum.

not sure if it was this thread or another, but he had to let the F350 go because of the HOA NAZIs in his division.

I recall an issue my brother had at one of his homes. They would not allow him to park his ElCamino on the property because it was a truck and had the mandatory California Commercial plates on it.
A friggin CHEVELLE is not a “truck” by any means.

 

[Niterider]

Who in their right minds thinks an half ton truck will tow as well as a three quarter or a ton truck? Those trucks are designed with larger cooling and other systems to handle the larger loads.

Yes, technically the PB is rated to pull up to that much weight. But if you put ANY truck towards the top end of its limits and then put it under maximum stress while doing that….any truck is likely going to fail eventually.

Another thing that bothers me about their trial is how they do the downhill test. Someone correct me if I’m mistaken, but my understanding is the regen braking doesn’t kick in unless you actually apply the brakes at least to some level on a Powerboost truck. I know my 14’ F-150 won’t downshift to engine brake unless I have tow mode on and I slightly get on the brakes.

So now what’s next? Comparing a GT40 against a Powerboost F-150 on a race track and then complaining that the truck can’t make a lap as fast as the GT40? Gotta get those YouTube views I guess.

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