@Shelby-GT......I'm sorry to hear about your experience with the dealership. I was a service writer for a few years and I can tell you first hand, make a complaint to the service manager. This particular writer has no business behind the counter if he has an attitude like that. As a writer, the first thing that is to be done is LISTEN TO THE CUSTOMER, every word they have to say is crucial to taking the proper steps in fixing the problem and earning the customers trust. I was never satisfied if one of my technicians came up to the counter and said 'I can't hear or find any problem', I never accepted that from them. I always put myself in the customers shoes, I'd not want a vehicle that has a intermittent problem, I wouldn't feel safe. I always wanted my customers to feel safe in their vehicles, and have them leave the dealership knowing what was wrong, why it happened, and what we did to fix it. Complain to the service manager, he will listen because he will have FORD down his neck if you decided to complain to Ford Directly. Dealers count on good CSI's. I really hope they find the problem for you

 

Thanks for the concern. I did speak with the service manager. He apologized for the service advisor. The service manager is the one that told me to bring it in. He seems to be concerned and wants to find the problem. They did not find anything wrong today and no overheat codes. Fans are running on high and low speeds. They spoke with the ford engineer assigned to their dealership. He said I was pushing the limit the truck will tow. I thought I had about a 2500 to 3000lb cushion. They said no. Truck weighs 7100 screw 4x4. Total truck & trailer at 17100. But the specs on line show 11,300 lbs towing w/max trailer tow. I have the same equipment as Max trailer tow. If you add the two figures you get 18,400 lbs? What am I figuring wrong? I am towing 8,000 lbs max More like 7500 plus 3 people and fluids in truck and about 200lbs in bed. They want me to take a flight recorder on the next trip and press the record button when it starts to heat up. I will do this on the next trip.

 

That sounds encouraging at least; that they're interested in investigating.

 

You truck isn't being pushed. My truck with tonneau cover and everything is 5840 lbs. Add 600 lbs people and gear and I'm at 6440 lbs. If your truck is optioned like mine and I doubt it's 50 lbs more as my 5840 lbs includes my hard folding cover and bedrug bedliner. If your towing 8000 lbs, with an average 13% tongue weight, you have 1040 lbs. After you use weight distributing hitch, you should have about 80% of that 1040 lbs on your truck and the rest on your trailer(100 lbs WDH is figured into that 80%).

So that now 832 lbs + the 6440 lbs which equals 7272 lbs. 72 lbs over your GVWR but well within the 15,500 lbs Combined vehicle weight rating which is the total weight of your trailer and your truck. 1040 lbs + 100 lbs of WDH = 1140 lbs - 832 = 308 lbs on to your trailer) So 8000 - 1040 lbs = 6960 lbs. 6960 lbs + 308 lbs = 7268 lbs. So you have 7268 lbs on your trailer axles and you have 7272 lbs on your trucks axles. You have a total weight of 7272 + 7268 = 14,540 lbs. You are almost 1000 lbs under your combined Gross Vehicle limit of 15,500 lbs. My truck with tonneau cover and bedliner and it's factory weight stated on loading sticker is 5840 lbs. 5840 lbs + 150 lbs for 1 driver (tow ratings are configured with a 150 lbs driver with no occupants or gear in the truck), and your truck would have a total weight of 5990 lbs that goes against your GVWR of 15500 lbs. So 15,500 lbs - 5990 lbs = 9510 lbs. My truck fully optioned with factory and aftermarket accessories has a "TRUE" tow rating of 9510 lbs. Now without the my 70 lbs of cover and bedliner, I'd have a factory optioned tow rating of 9580 or 9600 lbs as most makers round to the nearest 50 lbs. That's the actual tow rating of my configuration, 9600 lbs. So Ford must have used an average optioned truck to get their tow rating.

So once again your way under the tow rating and not at the limits.

First year bugs are a pain but every 2012 and beyond Ecoboost owner should thank you for making their trucks less problematic. I did the same with my 2000 Xterra. I had the luck of the draw and Nissan made an excellent first year truck. Not so lucky with my first year 2004 Nissan Titan that was pure Junk. So it's a crap shoot but when you need a vehicle, you need it then and not a year later.

 

Whether you have the same equipment or not, if you don't actually HAVE the max tow package, your limit is less. The limit is also under ideal conditions, in the real world you will be running out of payload, GVWR, GAWR, and/or GCWR before you hit the max advertised tow.

Next time you load it up and take it out, go spend the 10 bucks to run it over a truck stop scale with a full tank of gas - scan and post the weight slip and also post a pic of your door jamb sticker.

 

What is different on the Max Trailer Tow? Ford told me I have the same equipment. Another poster said the MTT has a bigger radiator. I had the dealer look it up. MTT has the super cool I have the same. Can you tell me what the MTT has that I don't? I also have 3.73 rear end.

I dropped the trailer on the scale empty, except it had full propane tanks and two 6V batteries. Again It was 6200lbs. The trailer has a 40gal water tank which I only fill to about 3/4 on a two day trip. Plus food clothes and sleeping bags for two days.

 

The 11,300 max trailer weight is ONLY WITH THE DRIVERand nothing in the bed, nothing in the cupholders, nothing in the glove box, and no passengers.

I've lived this over and over with 150's, and frankly, even the new 2012 with the HD Payload package probably won't schmoozed into another F150. Even with a 6500 lb TT, I've tripped my 2010 Max Tow Screws GVWR. Like all have said, you'll run well out of payload before you'll ever hit the GCWR or your max trailer weight.

 

Just had a thought. What if I have an air pocket in the cooling system. I have herd of cars that take some effort to get all the fluid in. Don't know if this is an issue on these though. I will check anyway.

 

There was some discussion of this in one of the other threads. There was never really a consensus however. I have seen air in the cooling system on a couple of vehicles in the past, including a Porsche Grand Am car, I wrenched on.

 

I have a 2011 F-150 ecoboost XLT crew cab 4x4 without the max tow pkg and have 3.55 gears. I also live in AZ and recently towed the grade near camp verde with my toy hauler loaded 8000 - 8500 lbs, and only on long grade there and back engine got hot and light came on advising engine over temp and then another light advising reducing power to cool engine. Truck did not seem to be working that hard @ all, approx 3,000 rpm plenty of pedal left. I have not had to dealer yet, but thought i would share the info. Outside temp pulling grade was approx 102 degrees. Curious to see if you find a resolution. Otherwise truck pulled just as good as the F-350 6.0 liter it replaced.

 

Were you on the hill going towards 87 out of Camp Verde? That is a mean hill as well. I need to get time to have the flight computer installed and do another tow just have not been able to yet. Were you using Premium? See if your dealer will install a computer to monitor for you on your next trip. If not I can get you in touch with the dealer I am working with.

Thanks

 

Maybe they should post a sign on that grade that says "No Eco~Boost Towing Allowed".

Just kidding, hopefully Ford can find out what's happening with the overheating issue as it does appear to be a trend lately.

 

Am wondering if the engine cooling or egt is the controlling factor and does this affect your oil??? which should show up in your oil monitoring function???

 

i would try taking off the heat shield under the trans, that would let more heat out from under the truck faster

 

That would be the hill. I was running regular unleaded. I will be taking to dealer soon, will update any findings. I had no problems on any other hill or grade on our trip except that hill on the way up and on the way back. Just strange as engine does not appear to be working that hard at all.