10800 lbs to Utah a full report (towing 27' sandsport toy hauler with 3.5L PowerBoost)

[Snakebitten]

Andre's Powerboost derated during the TFL towing-climb test. They noticed the temp gauge pegged ONLY because the dashboard alert popped up stating that power was being reduced.

Derated it held 55mph towing 10,000lbs!
It was a 10 mile long grade.

I personally was both impressed with the failsafe that Ford built in AND dismayed that at 11,000 feet of elevation they thought it would just spool up to max and plow forever?

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[HammaMan]

Andre's Powerboost derated during the TFL towing-climb test. They noticed the temp gauge pegged ONLY because the dashboard alert popped up stating that power was being reduced.

Derated it held 55mph towing 10,000lbs!
It was a 10 mile long grade.

I personally was both impressed with the failsafe that Ford built in AND dismayed that at 11,000 feet of elevation they thought it would just spool up to max and plow forever?

Air density issue on that one -- rad had less than 75% of its cooling capability than it would at sea level. Damn physics.

 

[Snakebitten]

And Ford responded pointing out to them the reduction math you use for towing capacity at elevation.

Most of us are unaware of that fine print.

And Ford claims that they are the only manufacturer that notifies the truck driver that it is reducing power.

Interesting video with Ford's response.

 

[Blueonblue]

Water misting the rad increases its efficiency. It's neither 'fooling' nor voodoo -- it simply allows more heat to be removed from the coolant. The truck would be none the wiser that it's getting a bump in cooling capacity via water or a larger rad. The issue is heat transfer -- the ability for the cooling system to remove heat from the components it cools. There isn't a "yeah, but" to go along with it. The engine and trans temp are a function of the cooling system's ability to transfer it to the atmosphere -- and cooling down the coolant will cool down the components on its loop thus removing heat from the components.

The computer limits on engine (coolant) and trans temps overwhelmingly. Allowing them to receive increased cooling would preserve performance. The trans in specific seems to need the help more than the motor itself.

The 3.5 has a single EGT probe whereas the 3.0 diesel has 4 indicating ford has no concerns over the EGT temps. It's the excessively rich mix that eats into all of the EBs mileage under load. Curious what a little hydrogen injection would do under the circumstances. Get a little more combustion completed while consuming some of the free oxygen and getting the fuel system to lean out a little bit.

Im sure it would work, but my point is the coolant has its own temp sensor. By cooling just the coolant you arent cooling down the turbo compressor, piston surfaces, valves, and all other oil cooled components. If it was a magic fix all it would have it from the factory. Sounds more like a pain in the ass to me so I can gail 10 MPH when pulling grades. Ive been deep into the racing community my entire life so im no stranger to how it works I see it all over the place, but adding new equipment, more weight (water is heavy) and having to stop every 20 miles to fill it up, sounds like a pain in the ass to me and not really worth it. When we ran water injection we would have a 2 gallon tank and that would last about 5 laps. Id imagine lugging around an extra 20-40 lbs just to gain a few mph up a grade would be rather silly. If it worked, and I mean really worked, manufactures would be strapping them to Peterbuilt and CAT would be strapping them to every intercooler out of the factory.

 

[Blueonblue]

And Ford responded pointing out to them the reduction math you use for towing capacity at elevation.

Most of us are unaware of that fine print.

And Ford claims that they are the only manufacturer that notifies the truck driver that it is reducing power.

Interesting video with Ford's response.

I hate their tests. Pulling up the Ike when its 20 degrees outside. I know it just happened to be where they are in the world but doing that vs the grade heading out of vegas on the I-15S when its 102 is a whole different animal.

With the money they make on that channel they should have a REAL test of that truck. like a big toy hauler and 100 degree ambient temps. That would mean something to me.

 

[Snakebitten]

That test was 10,000 lbs at 11,000 feet for 10 miles on a steep grade at 65mph with ambients near 90F.

If that's not a test for a 1/2 ton?

Ford stated they (TFL) were exceeding the SAE test standards Ford uses at Davis Dam.
45mph VS 65mph, as one example.

 

[HammaMan]

I hate their tests. Pulling up the Ike when its 20 degrees outside. I know it just happened to be where they are in the world but doing that vs the grade heading out of vegas on the I-15S when its 102 is a whole different animal.

With the money they make on that channel they should have a REAL test of that truck. like a big toy hauler and 100 degree ambient temps. That would mean something to me.

The problem with their content is most of the time it's just random variables tossed together that they then try to use as a benchmark of sorts with climate that ranges over 100 degrees in difference.

When we ran water injection we would have a 2 gallon tank and that would last about 5 laps. Id imagine lugging around an extra 20-40 lbs just to gain a few mph up a grade would be rather silly. If it worked, and I mean really worked, manufactures would be strapping them to Peterbuilt and CAT would be strapping them to every intercooler out of the factory.

The question isn't if it'd work, it would. If someone was running conditions to warrant additional cooling, they'd be better off looking for a vehicle to better suit their needs. I'm curious though why the trans cooling seems to be lacking, particularly given that the 250s have 10 speeds now as well. Is there a different cooling strategy?

 

[CarsWalk]

Just crested the Cajon pass coming from southern California heading to Sand mountain utah. Figured I'd start a thread and take you all along with me. So far highest temp ive seen was 224 at the steepest part of the grade. 55 mph in 6th gear. In the torque app was showing 81% engine load. 64 degree ambient. So happy the heat gauge hasn't moved at all. Getting about 8.5 mpg. The Centerline TS hitch is trash and I'll be ordering an Anderson when I get home. Next stop will be Baker CA and I'll write you guys another update!

Hi, this is my first time doing something like this. I have a 2021 F150 FX4. I want to either do a level or lift to my truck. I’m leaning more towards a level because of the wear items that come with a lift. I’m leaning towards a suspension level rather than a puck level. Does anyone have any suggestions on what brands/models to use? I also tow a trailer quite often so I would like to do active suspension or air bags in the rear. Has anyone had experience with those? Looking for suggestions on power steps (OEM, Amp, RC). I would love to here what everyone has to say

 

[Samson16]

I would love to here what everyone has to say

I already hijacked this thread. We are busy spritzing our radiators and intercoolers while pulling 11000lbs. up steep grades out west at high altitude with hot ambient temperatures. Neither a lift nor a level can save you now!

 

[UGADawg96]

 

[Pelican]

Unfortinatly thermodynamics get in your way. In order to have an AC unit cool anything there has to be energy generated for heat removal. Air conditioners dont cool air, they remove heat, that requires a ton of energy, and the best AC unit on the planet doesnt hold a candle to a twin turbo V6. This is why you turn off your AC when you climb, which doesnt really matter with the Powerboost because the AC compressor is electronic. An additional AC compressor and evap would make the engine hotter.

Most anything will overheat at full throttle and 100% load. You really dont want to drive anything full throttle at 100% load for too long. Just slow down on your grades and use your 10 speeds ratios. Truck finds a happy place in 6th gear around 3000RPM. It will pull up anything. There is nothing wrong with pulling a grade at 45 mph with your hazards on. Its way better than burning up your $70k truck because youre in a hurry.

Im so glad you pointed out that you don't want to run something at full throttle and at max towing capacity, which IMO is a prime example of why more often than not a truck fails prematurely. I purchased a used truck and unbeknownst to me the previous owner used it to haul and tow items beyond its ratings. It took a reputable repair shop to put the pieces together for me. Thank you for pointing out the obvious, but not so often adhered to advise found in our user manuals.

 

[Pelican]

Andre's Powerboost derated during the TFL towing-climb test. They noticed the temp gauge pegged ONLY because the dashboard alert popped up stating that power was being reduced.

Derated it held 55mph towing 10,000lbs!
It was a 10 mile long grade.

I personally was both impressed with the failsafe that Ford built in AND dismayed that at 11,000 feet of elevation they thought it would just spool up to max and plow forever?

Dito all of what you said Snakebitten.

 

[F150patriot]

No worries though.
Nothing a cheap used smartphone (no Sim required) and an OBDLink adapter can't bring to the table!
An XLT can have its cake and eat it too for little co$t and effort.

Can we get more details on this?

No worries though.
Nothing a cheap used smartphone (no Sim required) and an OBDLink adapter can't bring to the table!
An XLT can have its cake and eat it too for little co$t and effort.

What app are you using? That's cool and I got a spare phone ready to go.

 

[Snakebitten]

Can we get more details on this?

What app are you using? That's cool and I got a spare phone ready to go.

It's all in this thread (of several)

https://www.f150gen14.com/forum/threads/obdlink-mx-is-on-sale-today.13217/

 

[Joekr5]

I'm stunned that there's still no Forscan hack for your dashboard. It's basically the previous generation premium dashboard, and it had the hack.

I wanted to point out that FORscan does have a fix for the digital dash gauges. You can show coolant temp and trans temp full time. Distance to empty too, but I don't remember if that one was already there...

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