Anyone towing with Ford explorer ecoboost

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Nbmiller25

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Mar 16, 2013
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Hello, I am new to the site as we just purchased a 2006 Keystone Zeppelin EZ 19.  We are planning to pull with our 2013 Ford Explorer (V6 ecoboost) which is rated at 5000lbs.  When pulling the camper home yesterday I noticed that the explorer would go to 4500 rpm at about 50 mph before shifting.  Is this normal?
 
Was it in tow/haul mode?  If so, then most tranny's will tend to hold RPM longer in tow haul so it sounds pretty normal.  If not, then you are working that engine pretty good anyway so it is going to hold RPM longer until it feels it should shift.
 
Your trailer, from what I can find, has a gross weight of nearly 4000 lbs.  That puts it at 80% of the vehicle's tow rating.  The closer you get to the vehicle's limitations, the less fun towing is.  The PCM in your Explorer decides when to shift based on engine RPM and load.  I'd say what you're experiencing is normal given what your asking the vehicle to do.

The Explorer is a nice SUV....but it isn't the best choice for towing. 
 
I'm not at all surprised that the Eco-boost engine needs to rev high to produce the horsepower needed for towing a load that is near its max capability.

Are we talking about the 2.0L turbo-charged 4 Eco-boost or the new 3.5L v6 Ecoboost?
 
I am running  the new 3.5L V6.  I still need to purchase a weight distribution hitch.
 
Nbmiller25 said:
Hello, I am new to the site as we just purchased a 2006 Keystone Zeppelin EZ 19.  We are planning to pull with our 2013 Ford Explorer (V6 ecoboost) which is rated at 5000lbs.  When pulling the camper home yesterday I noticed that the explorer would go to 4500 rpm at about 50 mph before shifting.  Is this normal?
Are you talking about towing on flat land or accelerating up a hill?

If you were going uphill, that's normal. Flatland.... not so much. It also depends on just how hard you were accelerating...

 
V6 engines have high rev limits - the one in my GMC Acadia can go to 8000 without raising a sweat. If you are accelerating quickly or trying to maintain good speed on a grade, the engine will rev as needed to produce power. The 3.5L Ecoboost produces its full 365 horsepower at 5700 RPMS and full torque at 5000, so at 4500 you weren't even at full output yet.

My advice, though, is too allow more time to accelerate to highway speeds and allow speed to fall off more on grades. Your fuel consumption will go down with the lower rpms.
 
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