I recently bought a camper that weighs between 5-6000 lbs when empty, and I’ve been towing it with my 2021 2.7L Ecoboost. It pulls fine, and I used the towing mode, but it really seems to burn through gas fast. The wind didn’t help either. Should I be looking at a 3.5L or the 5.0 V8 for better towing?
The 3.5 is probably the worst on gas when towing heavy loads. Honestly, I’d stick with what you’ve got.
Reagan said:
The 3.5 is probably the worst on gas when towing heavy loads. Honestly, I’d stick with what you’ve got.
The 3.5 pulls better than the 5.0 in my experience, but you’re right, it definitely uses more fuel.
Reagan said:
The 3.5 is probably the worst on gas when towing heavy loads. Honestly, I’d stick with what you’ve got.
Thanks for the feedback! I appreciate it.
Reagan said:
The 3.5 is probably the worst on gas when towing heavy loads. Honestly, I’d stick with what you’ve got.
I pulled a 5,000-pound, 20-foot trailer through the Colorado mountains with my 3.5 and averaged about 12.5 mpg over 240 miles. When pulling a 20-foot pontoon boat on flat highways, I got around 10 mpg.
The 3.5 is fun to drive and has great torque for towing, but make sure you don’t pass a gas station too quickly 
.
My camper weighs around the same, and I’ve towed with both the 2.7 and 3.5. Mileage was pretty similar, but the 3.5 barely felt the trailer behind it. This was mostly flat towing in the Midwest.
Ozzie said:
My camper weighs around the same, and I’ve towed with both the 2.7 and 3.5. Mileage was pretty similar, but the 3.5 barely felt the trailer behind it. This was mostly flat towing in the Midwest.
I’m in Nebraska, about 1-1.5 hours from Omaha and Lincoln, so most of our trips will be similar distances.
I’m getting 8 mpg with my setup, but my camper is 6900 lbs dry and probably around 7500 loaded. I barely feel it though.
I tow a Ranger 212LS with my 3.5 and usually get 10.5-12.5 mpg. It pulls great.
Emil said:
I tow a Ranger 212LS with my 3.5 and usually get 10.5-12.5 mpg. It pulls great.
I’m under 10 mpg with my 2.7L.
Emil said:
I tow a Ranger 212LS with my 3.5 and usually get 10.5-12.5 mpg. It pulls great.
I’m under 10 mpg with my 2.7L.
My 3.5L PowerBoost gets around 8-11 mpg towing 7000 lbs.
I’m getting just over 10 mpg with my 2017 3.5 EB 10-speed, pulling a 2455bhs trailer weighing about 6500 lbs. It has plenty of power and is comfortable. Honestly, I don’t think there’s a big enough difference between the 2.7 and 3.5 to justify switching. If I were upgrading, I’d look at a 250/350.
@Sam
I’d love to get a 250 or 350, but my budget can’t stretch that far. Right now, I’m getting under 10 mpg towing a 2009 Cherokee Grey Wolf 28BH, which weighs around 5075 lbs dry. I keep it pretty light, maybe 2-300 lbs of gear, and only fill the water tank at the campsite.
@Blake
If you’re only doing weekend trips, that 9 mpg is fine. Unless you’re looking at diesel, you won’t see much better. A used 250 gas truck could be an option, but honestly, weight isn’t the biggest issue with campers. They act like wind sails, so it’s more about stability than anything else.
@Sam
I’ve driven gas F250s with the Triton V10, and my mom still pulls her horse trailer with a ‘99 F250 V10. She’s looking to upgrade to diesel too, but hasn’t found the right one yet.
The 3.5 pulls harder and feels like it requires less effort, especially getting up to speed. I’ve owned all three engine options, and the 3.5 just feels better overall.
We’ve got both a 2.7 and a 3.5 F150, along with a 7.3 F350. The 3.5 is definitely better for towing compared to the 2.7. It handles a lot of what we tow with the F350, except for the really heavy stuff.
Any turbo engine is going to use more fuel when you’re boosting. The 3.5 will hold gears better on hills and accelerate faster than the 5.0, but it’s 1-2 mpg worse when towing. However, it does get better mpg when unloaded. Coming from big blocks and V10s, I’m happy with 9-10 mpg towing with the 3.5, since it’s nearly double what those older engines did.
I have a 2021 PowerBoost and it’s the best tow vehicle I’ve ever had. It pulls 7000+ lbs with ease and gets around 10-11 mpg. Plus, you can power your whole trailer with it thanks to the onboard generator.