Long-range towing report

[AZ SVT]

I towed my bass boat out to TN from AZ (1700 miles) with my '10 5.4 and this is what I think:

The last time I did this (TN to AZ) I towed the boat with my '99 Lighting. The L tows like a big diesel, tons of torque (490 peak with 400+ from 2000 RPM to the REV limiter). Also, the suspension is very tight and the trucks CG is low. With that truck you can literally forget the trailer is back there. Not so much with the Raptor!

The Raptor did a good job, however, its NA 5.4 struggled (compared to the Lighting) dragging it up the mountain to Flagstaff. By no means was it a pig, but I did miss the L's awesome torque. Of course, the trans shifted quite a bit, but the Raptor delivered 14.2 MPG, a 3 MPG improvement compared to the Lightning, and had no trouble maintaining the speed limit except on the steepest hills.

The biggest difference is how the truck feels. The soft Raptor suspension NEVER LETS YOU FORGET YOU ARE TOWING! It took a little getting used to and it kind of spooked me a couple times, but it was just a "seat of the pants" issue. The truck / trailer was always was under control, it just felt weird.

Bottom line: It you need a tow vehicle that you drive off-road every now and then, get some thing else! If you want bad-ass off-road truck that can tow when needed, the Raptor is the truck for you!

Here's the stats:

• Trailer total weight: 3750 Lbs
• Tongue Weight: 200 Lbs on level ground w/ 2" drop receiver
• Total pay load weight (Driver, passengers, cargo): 680 Lbs
• Speed: Posted speed limit +/- 5 MPH (65 - 80 MPH)
• Transmission mode: Tow / Haul
• Fuel Mileage: 14.2 MPG (from on-board computer)
• Conditions: Dry roads, often high head / cross winds

 

[pirate air]

Great Info. Do you have the 5.4 or the 6.2. A 5.7's a chebby motor

Sounds like the milage was very reasonable.

 

[AZ SVT]

Great Info. Do you have the 5.4 or the 6.2. A 5.7's a chebby motor

Sounds like the milage was very reasonable.

Fixed it! If they would just go back to CID......

 

[pirate air]

Fixed it! If they would just go back to CID......

Tru Dat!

 

[whtrapta]

Hmm, I towed a 6000lb trailer 1500 miles and went right through flagstaff. My truck towed like a beast and I too have the 5.4. With tow/haul engaged I could set the cruise at 75 and never loose speed up the longest, steepest hills. I could also get knocked down to 50mph and pass slow guys and regain speed up hill like nothing. The suspension is strange feeling with a heavy load, but I adjusted quick. For occasional towing I think this truck is great. I managed 12.7 my whole trip.

 

[AZ SVT]

Hmm, I towed a 6000lb trailer 1500 miles and went right through flagstaff. My truck towed like a beast and I too have the 5.4. With tow/haul engaged I could set the cruise at 75 and never loose speed up the longest, steepest hills. I could also get knocked down to 50mph and pass slow guys and regain speed up hill like nothing. The suspension is strange feeling with a heavy load, but I adjusted quick. For occasional towing I think this truck is great. I managed 12.7 my whole trip.

My truck had only 2000 miles on it when I started this trip. A lot of these new vehicles have long break-in periods built into the computer. They are de-tuned somewhat until the break-in is over. That may be the case with my truck, I don't know, but mine could not maintain 75 MPH up some of the long up hills with the CC. Mostly because the down-shifts were too late. I learned to pick up some speed before I got to the hill and that helped a lot. Like I said; it's not a pig, but it's not as powerful as my Lighting. But almost nothing is.....

Another note, the trans temp stayed way on the good side, just barely higher than it runs with no load at all. It's obviously set up very well right out of the box!

 

[iceman302]

That's interesting about the suspension. I love the way my SCrew tows. The soft suspension has never been an issue, even on horribly chewed up I-80 that heads out to Reno. I used to have an '08 SCrew FX4 and I'd made the same trip with that truck and the 5.4 definitely struggles at altitude... no problem for the 6.2 though.

 

[AZ SVT]

That's interesting about the suspension. I love the way my SCrew tows. The soft suspension has never been an issue, even on horribly chewed up I-80 that heads out to Reno. I used to have an '08 SCrew FX4 and I'd made the same trip with that truck and the 5.4 definitely struggles at altitude... no problem for the 6.2 though.

The SCrews longer wheel base and higher torque makes a big difference

 

[iceman302]

The SCrews longer wheel base and higher torque makes a big difference

I would bet that the long wheelbase really does make the truck feel more settled and stable than the SCab.