07 6.0 vs 08 V10 tow report

[mudfuel07]

Took a trip with my new to me 2007 F250 6.0 this weekend. Drove the same route that I had with the V10 many times. While the V10 did seem more stable, even with a lift, the 6.0 did well and it was windy. I definitely need to upgrade to the 08 tow mirrors, the 07 ones are dinky! The big thing, the main reason that I got a diesel, the mileage. All of this was hand calculated, so I know it's reasonably accurate. With the V10, I would get at best 4.5 mpg's towing the trailer. With the 6.0, I got an honest 10.5 mpg towing that included stop and start traffic and what we Floridians call hills. Broken down, it is cheaper for me to tow with the diesel and pay the slightly higher fuel cost. And please, don't bore me with all the 6.0 hate, I'm working on the known problems slowly but surely. Just wanted to give an honest report on the difference in mileage between the two engines.

[flat_twin]

I'd be real disappointed with 4.5 mpg too and would be looking to repair or replace a tow vehicle that couldn't do any better. I've never seen figures that low for towing a 8000 lb trailer on mostly flat terrain. Our 2008 F250 V10 gets 9-10 mpg pulling a 6500 lb toy hauler. Not towing in mixed driving we get 12-13 mpg and a little more on the freeway. These are hand calculated figures. My friends with a V-10 motorhome and a jeep in tow get 6.5-7 most of the time.

[JamesBr]

mudfuel07 - Before you go dropping a few hundred bucks on a 08+ towing mirror kit, check out the C-Betr Mirror set for the Super duty. I have them installed on my truck and they are just as useful as the later model convex mirrors. I have them set so that I can extend and retract my mirrors and they still worked fine for the 5th wheel after some minor adjustments. I been considering moving them to extended position but then ill have to get into a habit of folding my mirrors in some of the parking lots I deal with.

C-Betr Mirror Set

At 45 bucks, it was the only option before the 2008 set was out there and now still pretty economical.

[INDIAN347]

I have a 03 6.0 with 82 thou on it. I have had a few EGR problems UNDER WARRANTY. ( ITS BEEN UNHOOKED ABOUT 8 years ) Just in the last month i had a new alt put on and vacuum control. $ 269. total last month i had all hoses changed parts & labor about $800 .I sold my 28 Wildcat at 7500 dry .I've got as high as 14 and as low 10 . My new rig is at 5 ton dry and has a high front and gets 10 at best and low as 8 in high winds. I would love to have a new truck but this one does the job and has been paid for 4 some time. So if i put money in it now its cheaper than payments !!For a 11 year old truck i get alot of thumbs up .








iy has not had any head problems

[mudfuel07]

bid_time wrote:
All I can say is if I got gas mileage with my V10 like some of the people on here are reporting, I would sell mine also. Thank God mine's not like their's, cause I sure love it. Sorry the rest of you got such a big lemon.

I never said mine was a lemon. I loved the heck out of it, just hated the gas bill, especially on trips. The truck never gave me a bit of problems other than rotted body mounts.

[bid_time]

All I can say is if I got gas mileage with my V10 like some of the people on here are reporting, I would sell mine also. Thank God mine's not like their's, cause I sure love it. Sorry the rest of you got such a big lemon.

[jerem0621]

JamesBr wrote:
I am not aware of the 4.10 being an option for the V10, I thought it was the 3.73 or the 4.30.

A friend of mine has an F250 V10 with the 3.73 rears and I think 10mpg unloaded mixed driving is the best he has ever seen. I know when he is towing his little 5th wheel all I hear is about the gas milage being the 5-6mpg range and lower if we head into the blue ridge. Its his most common excuse if he does not want to go camping with me is how much gas costs.

I know my 2006 F350 6.0 gets around 16 highway, 12 mixed when unloaded, and 10.5 pulling the sanibel (at least that was what I hand calculated going to FL and back in various wind conditions.) I am satisfied with it and not looking at a 6.4L. I would move to a 6.7 if the deal was right, I drive one regularly for my PT job and its a smooth powerful motor. But out of the 6.4s that job has all I hear about is issues with the DPF filter.

I got rid of my V10 mostly for MPG reasons. I want a dual role vehicle. I put 60-70 miles plus per day on a vehicle. My 9.5 MPG V10 Dually was $120-170.00 per week in fuel.

It is a thirsty beast... On our last 1200 mile round trip to Disney I spent nearly $750 in fuel at 2012 fuel prices. That's an expensive fuel bill for such a short distance. My friend had a 2007 F350 6.0 pulling a 13k lb fiver and we traveled together on that trip. He only filled up every other fuel stop... That was frustrating to me. Now when he did fuel up he went to the truck lanes while I was having to maneuver my 58 ft long rig among the gas four wheelers...

So, I don't think people buy diesel to save money, I think people buy diesel for more power and convenience. I know that as much of a gasser fan I am, there are some very positive benefits to owning a diesel, and cost is not really one of the factors.

It is nice to budget 400-500 for fuel instead of 700-800$

Thanks!

Jeremiah

[mudfuel07]

For people wanting to argue about the mileage, again, I will state, the truck had 37" tires, a lift and a replacement front bumper. Do I think that had a major effect on the mileage, yes. Other than an exhaust leak, the truck was in great mechanical shape. I can attest to that. The plugs had been done at 100k and the truck had 135k on it when I sold it. The calculator doesn't lie. The speedo was checked against my Garmin and was within 1-2 mph. The odometer was checked against the Garmin and Google maps, so I know my figuring was right. I'm glad others are getting such great mileage out of their V10's, I didn't and I was partly to blame. As far as saving money over the V10, I will, especially when we go on trips. While the maintenance will probably be a wash since I get a discount on filters and oil, the money that I saved on this last trip alone will pay for one oil change.

[JamesBr]

I am not aware of the 4.10 being an option for the V10, I thought it was the 3.73 or the 4.30.

A friend of mine has an F250 V10 with the 3.73 rears and I think 10mpg unloaded mixed driving is the best he has ever seen. I know when he is towing his little 5th wheel all I hear is about the gas milage being the 5-6mpg range and lower if we head into the blue ridge. Its his most common excuse if he does not want to go camping with me is how much gas costs.

I know my 2006 F350 6.0 gets around 16 highway, 12 mixed when unloaded, and 10.5 pulling the sanibel (at least that was what I hand calculated going to FL and back in various wind conditions.) I am satisfied with it and not looking at a 6.4L. I would move to a 6.7 if the deal was right, I drive one regularly for my PT job and its a smooth powerful motor. But out of the 6.4s that job has all I hear about is issues with the DPF filter.

[fla-gypsy]

My V-10/4.10 gets 9+ mpg towing and 12.5 around town (mixed driving), pretty much the same as my 5.4L did +/- 1 mpg. Something is very wrong with 4.5 mpg regardless.

[Lantley]

spadoctor wrote:
My Excursion with a v10 gets 7 to 10 towing with 4:30 gears. Your v10 had a problem. For me I would never go diesel...noise ad smell plus its actually cheaper to travel since diesel fuel is more costly then regular gas. When all is taken into account you will never run a diesel for less money.

Just not true. I had a V-10 and PSD Excursion. The 7.3 was with out a doubt cheaper to operate.
I could easily save $100.00-200.00 per month in fuel cost
11 MPG towing vs.7.
The 7.3 cost more to buy. however it retained its value and was worth a lot when I sold it.
There was a line of people looking to buy it!

[spadoctor]

My Excursion with a v10 gets 7 to 10 towing with 4:30 gears. Your v10 had a problem. For me I would never go diesel...noise ad smell plus its actually cheaper to travel since diesel fuel is more costly then regular gas. When all is taken into account you will never run a diesel for less money.

[mudfuel07]

45Ricochet wrote:
Your speedo was off cause of the tires, you really got a bit better mileage with the V10 than you think. 4.5 is pretty much the lowest figure I've ever heard of.
Not by much mind you :W
Enjoy the 6.0

45, the speedo was adjusted to compensate for the tires. I was tuned. It had 4.10 gears.

[brirene]

tim and amy wrote:


To the rest, he said he bought an 2007 6.0L, they don't have any issues, it was the 03-04. I wish these guys would stop making these comments.

Um, no, a 6.0 is a 6.0. Later years were less problematic, yes, but still had some of the design flaws which can now be addressed through after market applications. '07, '06, and even '05's were considered to be more reliable than early models, but certainly not problem free. Best bet is to learn what to watch, how to watch it, and then keep an eye on it while addressing the problem areas as needed.

[tim_and_amy]

Ok to the OP, your numbers are dead on if you are running 37" tires or so. My V10 excursion would get 7.5mpg avg towing 10k with premium fuel. I made the mistake of running ethanol at 87 octane and yes, it was sub 5's. So 4.5 isn't unheard of.

To the rest, he said he bought an 2007 6.0L, they don't have any issues, it was the 03-04. I wish these guys would stop making these comments.
Or I could say
Oh hey, you bought a duramax? Hope you like the repair bill when the Bosch injectors fills the block with fuel and bends your connecting rods.