Ford F150 Powerboost?

[routlaw]

Considering a new TV and the Powerboost caught my attention yesterday. A 3/4 ton would be nice but just don't have the space to park it or the budget to own and keep one so still going with a half ton. I have had great service from my existing F150 3.5 EB but it is getting long in the tooth (2013) and I now have one major repair to do to the HVAC system (over $2K) with potential concerns for more major repairs in the future now that I am coming up on 100K miles. Other than this one repair the truck has been near faultless for well over 12 years other than basic maintenance. Given my tendencies to be far off the beaten path with #70 in tow reliability is becoming a concern.

I know there are a few of you who have been towing with the Powerboost F150 and wanted to check in with you to see how thats still going? MPG, towing range, or anything else you would like to share regarding its towing capability as well as day to day driving? 

Curiously what I see on dealer lots recently is the 5.5 beds vs the 6.5 foot beds. Not sure why, but not happy about it. I really like the longer bed length for a variety of reasons but maybe I could get used to the 5.5 foot bed length. 

Thanks

Rob

 

[topgun2]

Rob - 

I'm on my third 3.5 Ecoboost f-150.  I bought one the first year they were offered (2011) then a 2017 and now have a 2023.

Never a single issue with any of the three.  But, as you might imagine, I've not put more that 50,000 miles on the first two and now only have 12.600 on the 2023.

Given you have a 2013 I'd guess that you know what a beast the engine is.  Those twin turbos really make such a large vehicle fly!  However, I assume you also know that there are reports of serious engine problems with those early models that have over 100,000 miles on them.

The only other comment I have concerns the gas mileage - I had hoped for better MPG when towing (I get between 12 and 13 mpg on annual fishing trips from NC to the Rockies and back).  Not towing I get 22 on the highway - 65 mph on rolling Interstates here in NC and more like 17 around town.

Each of the three I've owned have had the 6.5 bed because I ordered mine each time.  I did ask about why the 5.5 seemed to be popular and was told that the foot shorter bed provided for easier driving around town and was about all most people needed to haul mulch and kid toys.

Bill

 

[STEVEnBETTY]

I ordered a 2021 f150 powerboost in December of 2020, took delivery in may of 2021, other than normal maintenance, the truck has been great. I currently have 61,000 miles on it and 33,000 of those have been towing our Oliver. Avg mpg 24, city and hwy, towing about 12, varies quite a bit. My favorite feature of the truck is the aux power in the bed, with the ac running, the battery runs the trl for 42 minutes of every hour, the engine is off for 13 minutes, runs for 2 to charge the batteries and shuts off. I plan on buying another one sometime before 100,000 miles.

[routlaw]

@STEVEnBETTY thanks for this info. Just about to close a deal on one. I do have one more question for you though. What is you normal assuming there is one, cruising range on a tank of gas. I understand the EV portion does nothing on behalf of towing and the tank is smaller by 6 gallons so your range between fill ups should be shorter and more frequent, right?

[routlaw]

2 hours ago, topgun2 said:

Rob - 

I'm on my third 3.5 Ecoboost f-150.  I bought one the first year they were offered (2011) then a 2017 and now have a 2023.

Never a single issue with any of the three.  But, as you might imagine, I've not put more that 50,000 miles on the first two and now only have 12.600 on the 2023.

Given you have a 2013 I'd guess that you know what a beast the engine is.  Those twin turbos really make such a large vehicle fly!  However, I assume you also know that there are reports of serious engine problems with those early models that have over 100,000 miles on them.

The only other comment I have concerns the gas mileage - I had hoped for better MPG when towing (I get between 12 and 13 mpg on annual fishing trips from NC to the Rockies and back).  Not towing I get 22 on the highway - 65 mph on rolling Interstates here in NC and more like 17 around town.

Each of the three I've owned have had the 6.5 bed because I ordered mine each time.  I did ask about why the 5.5 seemed to be popular and was told that the foot shorter bed provided for easier driving around town and was about all most people needed to haul mulch and kid toys.

Bill

 

Bill your results are very similar to mine in terms of MPG for towing but much depends on the wind out here in the west. I have gotten lower but also higher too under very ideal conditions. Good point regarding my older unit getting close to 100K and this more than anything has prompted me to make a move rather than getting in trouble back in the boonies and all that entails potentially. Otherwise the yes the 3.5 EB are surely a tech marvel, well the entire truck line is for that matter. Very close to closing the deal on new one as we speak. While the longer beds are a PITA in urban areas I still prefer them, but local dealer had very few on the lot but otherwise just about ideal. 

Thanks

[STEVEnBETTY]

I usually stop & fuel every 250-275 miles. The electric motor is constantly providing power to the drivetrain, but at 30 hp it obviously needs some help. I really like the concept of the dodge ram charger, in that the motion is provided by electric motors and the internal combustion’s engine just recharges the battery, similar to a diesel electric locomotive, but they haven’t released it yet.

[I M in KS]

Hello. I have a 2024 F150 Lariat Powerboost hybrid. I bought the hybrid to get the 7.2kW generator with the 30amp plug in the bed. I have not yet used the 30 Amp setup, but have used the 20 Amp outlets in generator mode. It's a bit quirky - you need to leave the truck "on" for the generator to power the outlets. It's not smart enough to turn off the radio and it stays bluetooth connected to my phone. I've used it to power a portable refrigerator (IceCo). It's probably good to leave the AC on in the summer, as the cab gets hot trying to keep the inverter cool.

I get between 9 & 10 miles/gal when towing the Legacy Elite 2. Wind direction affects mileage quite a bit. This is not much better mileage than I got with my 2006 Nissan Titan with a V8. 

Even when not towing the trailer, the mileage is probably about the same as you'd get with a regular V6 Ecoboost - probably due to the added battery weight. It doesn't run on pure battery very often. Only at really low speed on flat ground or downhill. Again, I didn't buy it for hybrid driving reasons - I wanted the big generator and 30Amp capability.

I believe the Powerboost ONLY comes in the 5.5ft bed and crew cab, independent of the trim line. This is why there are no 6.5ft beds on dealer lots.

I've had it 7 mo so far and like it. It is loaded with tech (most of which I don't need), but I really wanted ventilated seats. I'll post more once we've used the 30Amps for boondocking.

[routlaw]

@I M in KS actually the Powerboost does come in a 6.5 bed, have been driving one today, Lariat model. It's impressive and a cut above my older 2013 EB in every way. Truthfully I am not sure how much use I would get out of the 7.2 KW generator, maybe some but given our solar and LI-ON battery and how little electricity we use while camping  but its still a very nice forward thinking attribute and feature. I am surprised you are not getting better gas mileage though. Even my older eco boost gets on average much better MPG unless its severe windy conditions. 

Thanks for the info.