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V10 gas towing fuel economy

noteven
Explorer III
Explorer III
For those of you towing 5th wheel RV trailers in the 13,000 to 16,000lbs gross trailer weight rating with Ford gas V10's, what are you seeing for fuel economy?
29 REPLIES 29

JBarca
Nomad II
Nomad II
06Fargo wrote:


What if a guy had a V10, normalized for high altitude with a turbo kit ?


A tubro I'm sure would help. Pending what year truck your starting with make sure the drive train can handle the extra power
2005 Ford F350 Super Duty, 4x4; 6.8L V10 with 4.10 RA, 21,000 GCWR, 11,000 GVWR, upgraded 2 1/2" Towbeast Receiver. Hitched with a 1,700# Reese HP WD, HP Dual Cam to a 2004 Sunline Solaris T310R travel trailer.

JBarca
Nomad II
Nomad II
06Fargo wrote:
For those of you towing 5th wheel RV trailers in the 13,000 to 16,000lbs gross trailer weight rating with Ford gas V10's, what are you seeing for fuel economy?


While not a 5th wheel, the rig in my sig below,

When we are fully loaded with water and gear, GCW = 17,780#

The camper weighs 9,920# full fresh water and bikes.

2005 F350, 3 valve V10, 5 speed torqueshift tranny in TH mode, 18" tires, 4.10 rear axle. I only tow 55 to 60 mph. All elevations so far has been 3,000ft or lower.

I get between 7.5 to 8.5 mpg on a good day runnig 87 octane. Average is ~ 8.0 mpg. This will go up a fair amount if I could ever get full straight gas again. The ethanol blend we get pulls the number down.

The truck has no problem pulling and covers all my pulling needs. Although she does have a drink'in problem.... and a small gas tank... It's all paid for and I am not trading any time soon unless gas goes totally nuts (what ever "totally" is now a days)

Empty, I get ~ 12 to 13 mpg
2005 Ford F350 Super Duty, 4x4; 6.8L V10 with 4.10 RA, 21,000 GCWR, 11,000 GVWR, upgraded 2 1/2" Towbeast Receiver. Hitched with a 1,700# Reese HP WD, HP Dual Cam to a 2004 Sunline Solaris T310R travel trailer.

noteven
Explorer III
Explorer III
Thanks for your responses so far -

I forgot to also ask what your truck's empty mpg averaged?

What if a guy had a V10, normalized for high altitude with a turbo kit vs. a late model smogdiesel?

Bumpyroad
Explorer
Explorer
bid_time wrote:
Bumpyroad wrote:
bid_time wrote:
APT wrote:
All gas engines, 7-10pg. Weight is not much of a factor, it's the poor aerodynamics of TTs and 5th wheels.
Only time I get less then 10 mpg is towing up a steep hill.


what are you towing and what are you towing it with?
bumpy
Why does any of that matter, the statement I quoted was weight wasn't much of a factor, and my trailer is full size 25-footer.


I was wondering what you were towing and towing it with to get over 10 mpg.
bumpy

bid_time
Nomad II
Nomad II
Bumpyroad wrote:
bid_time wrote:
APT wrote:
All gas engines, 7-10pg. Weight is not much of a factor, it's the poor aerodynamics of TTs and 5th wheels.
Only time I get less then 10 mpg is towing up a steep hill.


what are you towing and what are you towing it with?
bumpy
Why does any of that matter, the statement I quoted was weight wasn't much of a factor, and my trailer is full size 25-footer.

bikendan
Explorer
Explorer
APT wrote:
All gas engines, 7-10pg. Weight is not much of a factor, it's the poor aerodynamics of TTs and 5th wheels.


yep, this is a pretty standard range for a gasser.
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n7bsn
Explorer
Explorer
With the 10,000# 11ft 6 trailer I got right about 10
With the 12,000# 12ft 6 trailer I get in the 7's.
2008 F350SD V10 with an 2012 Arctic Fox 29-5E
When someone tells you to buy the same rig they own, listen, they might be right. When they tell you to buy a different rig then they own, really pay attention, they probably know something you don't.

WyoTraveler
Explorer
Explorer
Bumpyroad wrote:
bid_time wrote:
APT wrote:
All gas engines, 7-10pg. Weight is not much of a factor, it's the poor aerodynamics of TTs and 5th wheels.
Only time I get less then 10 mpg is towing up a steep hill.


what are you towing and what are you towing it with?
bumpy


I owned a 2002 F250 V10 with a 3.73 axle. Had about 120000 miles on it when I sold it. It did get better than 10 mpg towing but wasn't the best tow vehicle in WY over mountain passes. I got 15 to 16 not towing. compared to 12 with my 2008 V10 with the 4.10 axle. However, I gave up the mileage economy for the better axle in the 2008.

Bumpyroad
Explorer
Explorer
bid_time wrote:
APT wrote:
All gas engines, 7-10pg. Weight is not much of a factor, it's the poor aerodynamics of TTs and 5th wheels.
Only time I get less then 10 mpg is towing up a steep hill.


what are you towing and what are you towing it with?
bumpy

camp-n-family
Explorer
Explorer
V10 and "economy" don't belong in the same sentence. Less than 10MPG is guaranteed.
'17 Ram 2500 Crewcab Laramie CTD
'13 Keystone Bullet Premier 310BHPR
Hitched by Hensley

bid_time
Nomad II
Nomad II
APT wrote:
All gas engines, 7-10pg. Weight is not much of a factor, it's the poor aerodynamics of TTs and 5th wheels.
Only time I get less then 10 mpg is towing up a steep hill.

WyoTraveler
Explorer
Explorer
I still have my 2008 F250 V10 with the 4.1 axle. I got 9 towing a small TT and little over 8 towing my 20 ft stock trailer loaded with cows. Great truck and great engine.I never got much better mpg when I owned the 7.3 L F250 diesel. it was a 2000.

APT
Explorer
Explorer
All gas engines, 7-10mpg. Weight is not much of a factor, it's the poor aerodynamics of TTs and 5th wheels.
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gijoecam
Explorer
Explorer
7-10. Size won't make much of a difference.

brirene
Explorer
Explorer
Lots of threads on this. I used to have an '05 drw with 4.10 and usually got mid to high 7's while towing. It could easily be less than that, depending on conditions. Its why I USED to have one.
Jayco Designer 30 RKS Medallion pkg, Trail Air pin
'05 F350 6.0 PSD CC 4x4 DRW LB B&W Companion, Edge Insight

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