Real world mileage numbers

Airstreamer67 wrote:


In my observations through the years, the 7.3 Ford runs about neck-and-neck with the 5.9 Dodge, which is reflected in the poll. Both are classics and highly regarded for their longevity and economy.

Maybe neck and neck MPG wise, certainly not power wise. The last years of the 7.3 they had what, 250 HP and 505 TQ in the automatics?
Last year of the 5.9 they were running 325 HP and 610 TQ. Of course the 5.9 lasted about 5 MY longer than the 7.3
I agree in that you just can't beat either one in longevity.

pappcam wrote:

goducks10 wrote:
For some reason my mileage is always higher on the internet:)

:B I take mileage claims on the internet with a grain of salt.

15 towing a big 5er is deer lick size salt.

goducks10 wrote:
For some reason my mileage is always higher on the internet:)

:B I take mileage claims on the internet with a grain of salt.

15 mpg towing a 5th wheel is impressive. Our truck is the non HO Dodge 5.9. Carrying our pop up Northstar TC-650 camper on our last long trip the hand calculated MPG was:

15.53 MPG, 15.12 MPG, 14.68 MPG, 15.84 MPG, and 15.45 MPG

For some reason my mileage is always higher on the internet:)

larry barnhart wrote:
I have talked to 2 guys with a 6.7 towing a large fifthwheel with their dodge and were getting 15 mpg. I was impressed.

chevman

Don't believe it!

Most people are full of Barbara Streisand when it comes to towing mileage.

...

What I want to know is what was the Honda Element and Honda Goldwing doing in the mix?

Sure, a Goldwing with a pop-up gets good mileage towing. But put a 2 cylinder Cummins in it, with thrifty cylinder deactivation, and get the best mileage on two wheels. Everybody knows how good the Cummins is. Well, Cummins been buildin' them for a while.

It does give me an idea. A while back I assembled a little 3'x4' trailer just for pulling behind my pre-Goldwing 1981 Honda CB900C OEM bagger. Go ahead and laugh. It has a 10 speed transmission. Unfortunately I blew a piston out of it while hot-rodding the darn thing. Cost more to repair than book.

However, my wife has a Prius, and it's out of warranty. They make hitches for these things.

So here's my masterplan. I'll build a 3'x4' sleek teardrop for it. I should be able to equip it with a microwave, fridge, stove, entertainment center and porta-potty.

The teardrop will hold all of that,and more, because it happens to have a 1200 pound load capacity. I know, because I actually weighed it at 1250 pounds, with two 55 gallon totes full of gravel on the back. Lot of spring-travel left. Pulled it with my 4 cyl Ford Escort and a hand dolly when I got it home. It was like pulling a lil red wagon right to where I wanted to dump it without buying an expensive Kubota tractor. Darn wife and her ideas.

We will have to sleep in the car, of course. But, with a 240 volt inverter stolen from a 240 volt UPS (uninterruptable power supply), we will have enough 110 volt power to run a house. Some Prius hacker guy did this with his Prius during Hurricane Sandy. The engine automatically runs intermittently and used slightly more fuel than a Honda genny. The other advantage is that the A/C works the same way. Just set a comfortable temp before bedtime and the battery powered A/C comes on when it needs to, just like at a stoplight.

I figure on getting the best trailer towing mileage ever, better than a Honda Goldwing (better aerodynamics). I don't think anybody could beat it... unless they put a Cummins in their Prius.

Wes
...

I have talked to 2 guys with a 6.7 towing a large fifthwheel with their dodge and were getting 15 mpg. I was impressed.

chevman

Your guys are so silly! Everyone one should know that you adjust the valves on the 5.9 at 120K and you are good to go! Which reminds me, I am due for that!!! I think mine is finally broken in, aa my towing mileage has improved in recent years, pushing 12.5MPG on the 1600 mile trip down to Arizona. Even on the up hill return trip the mileage is similar! Hills just do not seem to bother it!

Chris

Tvov wrote:
What surprised me was how well the 7.3PSD ranked. I had one for 3 years, great, noisy engine, but didn't think its fuel mileage was quite that good! I am not surprised by the 5.9 Cummins, I had always heard that it has crazy good mileage.

Some of those charts are a bit hard to decipher, they are mixing in large pickups with things like Honda Element? lol

The 7.3 ranking didn't surprise me. I still got mine, used almost exclusively for towing since I got it new in 1996. The only thing I've had to fix on it so far was the water pump, last year.

When towing my 27-foot Jayco travel trailer at 55-60 mph, I can depend on 14 mpg. When driving solo at 70 mph, I get 21 mpg.

In my observations through the years, the 7.3 Ford runs about neck-and-neck with the 5.9 Dodge, which is reflected in the poll. Both are classics and highly regarded for their longevity and economy.