^ Woah! Now thats interesting!
Im very skeptical about that claim as
There's an iron block v6 in the front which is pretty damn heavy.
I have a feeling hes slightly right. Maybe itll slightly improve weight distribution. But im willing to bet that hes greatly exaggerating the effects in order to make a better sale.
I know, right? I feel the same. It's probably not
false since, yes weighing down the front should stabilize everything at highway speed. But...really? By how much? I would think the F150 is heavy enough in the front not to even hint at any swaying. Today's trucks are much more robust and better build than yesterday's, and the 2.7TT surely isn't a 'light' engine. It's still an iron block V6 with 2 turbos, intercooler, a big radiator, trans oil cooler (he's getting the towing package) and the new 10-speed automatic which looks like it weighs about 1/3 of my car alone.
-How much is he going to pull? Weight and also, size of the roulotte. What's the frontal area like? The 2.7TT, while being an awesome motor, is far from being the powerhouse the 3.5TT or 5.0 is. As for fuel economy, smaller motor towing, it'S gonna go WAY up there, I dont believe what the salesman said at all there. Will it do it? Probably without issue, is it the best way to do it? Fuck no. I'd take a 5.0L anytime over a small bore turbo motor if the no1 thing the truck will do is towing. Think of the 2.7TT like an awesome "city truck" motor. Enough juice for the soccer moms who drive a 4-door F150 around town with the kids kinda deal.
-How long does he plan on keeping it? Resale value of a 2wd truck is next to nil. Like zero, nada, niet, zero interest from anyone. Despite the extra cost up front, I would never buy a 2wd truck. Not to mention most dealers have none in stock. If they do, they are stuck with then and looking for someone to sell it to very hard.
-Weight distribution? BS... unless you plan on towing 10000lbs then you should get a V8, not the 2.7TT to begin with.
My 2 cents on this...
I think his trailer is about 6,000 lbs. I'll have to get back to you on that. 2 axles, 27' I think? It's a good size, honestly.
He's been pulling it with a 2013 Volkswagen Touareg 3.0L TDI for 4 years now (but is now having some suspension issues, since the Touareg isn't really designed to be hauling stuff like that). The 2.7TT has the same torque rating as Volkswagen's 3.0 TDI (400 ft-lbs), but with almost 100 more horsepower (since it can rev higher). I've driven my dad's TDI pulling that exact trailer and let me tell you, you could
accelerate up a decent hill with that trailer no problem and still have plenty of torque left over. It's a real beast and I have no doubt the 2.7TT, which was built to accommodate a construction environment, would tow that trailer 4-5 times / summer without an issue.
I was also sceptical about Ford's turbo motors being used in a truck, but I've read enough personal experiences to be quite at ease with it. It seems Ford really did put a lot of R&D into it and I'm confident it'll last a long time.
I keep sidetracking; he'll probably keep it a good 10 years I think, and then sell it. For the resale...yeah, I kind of agree. I can't remember a single time I've heard anyone going out and buying a 2WD truck. Everyone wants the 4WD whether they use it or not, so yeah, maybe it's worth it for him to get it, despite the upfront cost, higher weight and slightly poorer fuel economy associated to it.
also, the 3.5TT, while being more expensive than the 5.0L and 2.7TT, is actually a 'generation 1' ecoboost without some of the improvements incorporated in the 2.7TT, which is a 'generation 2' ecoboost. The 3.5TT is an aluminum block, they upgraded the 2.7TT was upgraded to CGI. The 3.5TT does have 40hp and 45 ft-lbs over the smaller engine, and makes torque a little earlier, but I don't think the uprated cost is worth it for him.
jesus, /wall o'text; i'm gonna ruin my own thread.