In the January issue the letters column has an article about fuel economy with a diesel engine where Ernie claims 17.3 MPG. As I write this letter, we have a '03 Ford F350 with 3.73 rear axle that is getting a 'tune up'. EGR, a bad injector, etc. We had our rig weighed at a truck scale, 9840 trailer, 5300 drive wheels, 4300 lbs steering wheels.My question is what fuel mileage should I be getting? The truck solo is 19.8 MPG and towing is around 10 MPG.

32' DP towing a 4 door Jeep Wrangler 8.2 mpg over the last year or so MH is 26,000 lbs Don't remember the jeep, but not light.

2012 RAM CC 6.7 4X4 auto: around town, lucky to get 9 ish or so. Highway maybe 11 or so. All empty. Pulling TT about 9.5-10 maybe on a good day. Maybe I should drive it like I stole it and nothing actually works. It is what it is. Getting old (76) and health is shaky, so I'm thinking about selling both the TT and truck and just getting something to pull my boat with.

Ponzo wrote:In the January issue the letters column has an article about fuel economy with a diesel engine where Ernie claims 17.3 MPG. As I write this letter, we have a '03 Ford F350 with 3.73 rear axle that is getting a 'tune up'. EGR, a bad injector, etc. We had our rig weighed at a truck scale, 9840 trailer, 5300 drive wheels, 4300 lbs steering wheels.My question is what fuel mileage should I be getting? The truck solo is 19.8 MPG and towing is around 10 MPG.The fuel milage you reported is about standard for a Ford diesel. That is what mine gets ever since it was new.

Sounds about right to me as long as those are all hand calculated numbers and not off the lie o meter

My stock 2000 F250 with 7.3 diesel and 4x4 with 170k miles gets 16- 17 freeway empty. With my 4 wheel popup camper it gets 14-16. I don't tow my 5th wheel enough to measure mileage, but I towed a car trailer with my 67 GMC pickup last year, straight freeway at 65 mph and as I recall, I got 14 mpg. Hope this helps.

diesel fuel milage | Good Sam Community

17 Replies

down_home
Explorer II
Dec 19, 2013
Ponzo wrote:
In the January issue the letters column has an article about fuel economy with a diesel engine where Ernie claims 17.3 MPG. As I write this letter, we have a '03 Ford F350 with 3.73 rear axle that is getting a 'tune up'. EGR, a bad injector, etc. We had our rig weighed at a truck scale, 9840 trailer, 5300 drive wheels, 4300 lbs steering wheels.
My question is what fuel mileage should I be getting? The truck solo is 19.8 MPG and towing is around 10 MPG.

Our dearly missed Lariat F350 dualie, with 4.10 gears, averaged, at around 62 mph to Canada and back, including a mtn, about 19 something mpg. It got better mileage on stretches. If you gave it any fuel the mileage went down. We averaged about 13.5 mpg it seems towing a full 14,000 lb fifth wheel. That was at about 62mph or 1900 rpm neighborhood.
Our usual driving pattern we got about 10mpg towing and 14 mpg empty but then diesel went up to over a dollar a gallon.
Highbeam
Explorer
Dec 19, 2013
My F350 is a 2000 and a 7.3 liter, yours is a late 2003 to have EGR which means it is a 6.0 engine.

I can do 11-12 towing in the low 60s and 20 on the freeway empty.
mdamerell
Explorer
Dec 15, 2013
notruffinit wrote:
I think that they all have a switch that when you push the tow/haul button it is an automatic 10MPG
Airstreamer67
Explorer
Dec 14, 2013
I have a 1996 Ford F250 7.3 diesel automatic and get 21 mpg solo at 70 mph and 14 mpg towing a 27-foot Jayco travel trailer at 60 mph.
Dave_H_M
Explorer II
Dec 14, 2013
I towed an 11.5K fifth wheel down the road for 13 years with a 7.3. It avereaged 10 towing over its lifetime.
notruffinit
Explorer
Dec 14, 2013
I think that they all have a switch that when you push the tow/haul button it is an automatic 10MPG
brirene
Explorer
Dec 14, 2013
Mine is similar to yours, but with the 4.10 rear end, and i get around 15 empty and 11.5 towing. Yours is about average, maybe a bit above, imo.
Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Dec 14, 2013
Truck in signature....
Non-towing-------16-17
Towing 14K 13'3" wind sail 5vr------10-11 (worst was 7--40 mph headwind)
Executive45
Explorer III
Dec 14, 2013
I get 8 with the coach and 32 with the toad so my combined mileage is 20...YMMV.....:B...Dennis
Mootpoint
Explorer
Dec 14, 2013
I have 2011 dodge 3500, 6.7 diesel, 6spd. I get around 19-21 empty and any where from 10.5 (hills) to 14 (highway) with the 5'r depending on conditions. My travelling buddy has a 7.3 ford and the same size rig and is only a hair less, maybe 1/2 gal. Pretty close.