2020 Trail Boss 6.2l Towing

jrobb30 · March 30, 2020

Is anyone currently towing with there Trail Boss. I'm in sales and have a company vehicle so my wife is buying our new tow vehicle. The only truck she likes is the Trail Boss with the 6.2l. Just wondering what others experience has been towing with it.

AlaskaTB · March 30, 2020

How much weight are you going to be towing?

I have a 2020 TrailBoss with the 5.3 and a 6 speed transmission. The 6.2 and 10 speed will be a a great engine and trans for towing. The trail boss specifically is not the best package for towing in the lineup. Raised height, softer suspension, aggressive tires. All those things will effect towing and magnify any issues. I went with a trail boss mostly so I could get a 2 speed transfer case. I knew I would not be towing over 6,000 pounds. I did not have the budget to get a higher trim package to get the 2 speed t-case. I went with a custom level TB.

With my truck I have pulled dual axel 7500 pound Flatbed trailer loaded with lumber and found my setup just fine, truck did squat a little. Not sure what the actual tongue weight was, trailer loaded was 6500. My single axel TT weighs 4,000 pounds loaded and is no problem for my trail boss.

If you were towing over 6,000 pounds regularly the trail boss is not the best option in my opinion.

jrobb30 · March 30, 2020

We tow our 7000lb camper about 5 times a year. I've been currently doing it with my company f150 5.0 with zero issues. Unfortunately the company put s no towing policy in effect. Thank you for the feedback.

steve841 · March 30, 2020

You'll be SADLY disappointed in the gas mileage ... check out a diesel TrailBoss.

Other than that, it's perfect.

Edited March 30, 2020 by steve841

AlaskaTB · April 1, 2020

Towing 5 times a year is not enough to warrant a diesel.

Im actually quite HAPPY with the mileage of my 5.3 on my trail boss. I avg 17.5 with a mix of 50/50 driving. I keep it under 70 which I’m sure helps a lot. I get 21-23 on the highway no problem.

I’m not sure how the 6.2 does,

Sure the diesel will get better mileage, no one is arguing that.

TRKLGND · April 1, 2020

The 5.3L/10spd trans trail boss is actually rated to tow 100lb more than the 6.2L. 9400/9300 in crew cab/short bed layout.

Save the $2500 and get the 5.3L. It will also cost less in fuel. The 6.2L requires premium.

f8l vnm · April 1, 2020

2 hours ago, paracutin said:

The 5.3L/10spd trans trail boss is actually rated to tow 100lb more than the 6.2L. 9400/9300 in crew cab/short bed layout.

Save the $2500 and get the 5.3L. It will also cost less in fuel. The 6.2L requires premium.

No it dosent. If your going WOT then yes the 91 would be better for the 6.2 but around town and normal driving 87 and 6.2 does just fine. Also the MPG between the 2 motors are very close.

This is my 3rd 6.2 since 2014 and i mix 87 here and there and zero issues.

TRKLGND · April 1, 2020

23 minutes ago, f8l vnm said:

No it dosent. If your going WOT then yes the 91 would be better for the 6.2 but around town and normal driving 87 and 6.2 does just fine. Also the MPG between the 2 motors are very close.

This is my 3rd 6.2 since 2014 and i mix 87 here and there and zero issues.

“Premium unleaded gasoline meeting ASTM specification D4814 with a posted octane rating of 93 — (R+M)/2 — is highly recommended for best performance and fueleconomy. ...

This is taken directly from the manual. That begs the question, "why spend tens of thousands of dollars on a vehicle and not follow the manufacturers recommendations?"
You do as you see fit. It is your truck. My 6.2L was given the manufacturers recommended fuel.
I also used an OBDII scanner and an app for my phone that allowed me to record data from the truck. Under normal driving conditions (normal for me - yours may vary) the computer pulled FAR FAR less timing when I used Marathon premium fuel (93 octane here in IL) than when I used premium from a no name station. If no name premium caused a lot of timing to be pulled I can only imagine what 87 octane would have been like. Pulling timing results is less power and also poorer fuel economy.

Edited April 1, 2020 by paracutin

JohnMr19 · May 28, 2020

I tow a 5000 lb (loaded) cargo trailer a few times a year with my 2019 TB and it does great! I did swap out the tires for slightly less aggressive 33" BF Goodrich KO2's. Only the 5.3 w/ 8-speed was available that year, but I believe the 6.2/10-speed would do even better. My truck also has the Advanced Trailering Package which makes towing nicer, but is not essential. FYI, the diesel is not available in the TB.