Gas engine fuel mpg?

[noteven]

Anyone using a 350/3500 class SRW gas engine truck for a camper hauler I would appreciate hearing about your mpg’s

- make and powertrain spec
- empty truck, camper on board, and camper & trailer- boat, enclosed, horses, or whatever

Thanks

[mountainkowboy]

jimh425 wrote:

mountainkowboy wrote:
Nothing like the scream of a 460 doin 5,500 rpm...sweet sound!

Ok under acceleration in my Mustang, but not so good in a DRW climbing a mtn. ;). For that, I’ll take the smoothness of my F450 doing less than half of that number! I guess we drive what we want though.

She was the best truck I could find way back when, that I was willing to pay for, and I've never regretted it. Red is without a doubt the best truck I've EVER owned. Even over the newer CTD and PSD that I owned...she just does her job flawlessly, and is quit the hotrod empty.

ticki2 wrote:
68 divided by 16 = 4.25 mpg . That's a hefty price for sound affects lol .

That's what it took to get UP the canyon at any decent speed...it is what it is.

[ticki2]

68 divided by 16 = 4.25 mpg . That's a hefty price for sound affects lol .

[jimh406]

mountainkowboy wrote:
Nothing like the scream of a 460 doin 5,500 rpm...sweet sound!

Ok under acceleration in my Mustang, but not so good in a DRW climbing a mtn. ;). For that, I’ll take the smoothness of my F450 doing less than half of that number! I guess we drive what we want though.

[mountainkowboy]

jaycocreek wrote:

My currant '94 got 11.6 loaded and 13.6 empty at probably 1,000 pounds less than MK and BF Ford.I have not hit 10,000 pounds total weight with my TC and truck...I have been running 96-9750 loaded when I weighed..It is heavier now but under 10K..

Heck I got 9.5 mpg overall on the 1,100+ mile trip last year at just under 17,000 gross. At one point I went through 16 gallons of Oregon garbage fuel in 68 miles...climbing a 4-7 percent twisty canyon Highway in a 20mph+ headwind the whole way, in 3rd and 4th. Nothing like the scream of a 460 doin 5,500 rpm...sweet sound!

[Fishbreath]

2019 GMC 3500 SRW 6.0 Gas Long Bed, 4Dr
Unloaded 12mph
Loaded with a 2400 lb camper and towing a 2500 lb trailer 9 mpg

The new truck is much quieter inside than an identical 2013 that I had.

Hope this helps

Bill

[ticki2]

Grit dog wrote:
No one said the newer engines get significantly better mileage, but they may pull a hill better with some more power and gears.

True enough , but the reference was for the very same truck over the years with significantly better mpg when new . I think Morsnow explained it . First year truck empty , then camper was added , then trailer was added .

[MORSNOW]

Grit dog wrote:
No one said the newer engines get significantly better mileage, but they may pull a hill better with some more power and gears.

Agreed! These new transmissions are wonderful, much smoother shift transitions with less aggressive jump between gears with a 6 speed vs an old 3 speed.

[Grit_dog]

No one said the newer engines get significantly better mileage, but they may pull a hill better with some more power and gears.

[MORSNOW]

ticki2 wrote:
Morsnow , to what do you attribute the loss in mpg from 2012 to 2018 ?

No camper in 2012-2013. Other fluctuations are due to weight changes of my load. Most of our trips include running up and down Alaska's mountainous highways with a trailer loaded with a SXS, firewood, 20 gallons of extra gas cans, and a ice/beer cooler. The campers weight is pretty steady, always a full water tank and food/clothing. We are at a much lower elevation than the Rockies which helps with a gasser's power.

[noteven]

Aerodynamic power requirements definitely affects mpg.

I spoke to a man driving a 15 or 16 F350 6.2 gas 4x4 with a Cirrus 820. He sees 11 to 12 at 65 mph in calm wind at 6-8000 ft, as low as 7.5-8 bucking a Big Headwind.

[jimh406]

It would be interesting to see how high the numbers would be if many of the diesel owners drove 55-60. Maybe we should start another thread (Diesel MPG at less than 60) ... 😄

[jaycocreek]

1990 F350 dually
460 EFI
ZF-5 manual
4:10 limited-slip

Empty at 55-58 mph nets 12.5-14 mpg highway and 10 mpg around town

With the S&S TC @ 10,500lbs at 55-58 mph nets 9-10.5 mpg highway and 8 mpg around town.

That old saying that the 460 will pass everything but a gas station isn't really true..That old 460 is getting as good or even better mileage than some of the newer engines.

My last 460 was a '93 in a 21 ft Class C motorhome and the one time I checked the mileage on it, loaded at 10,800 it was 10.4 mpg on an easy drive at 55-60..Never measured empty..Didn't care..

My currant '94 got 11.6 loaded and 13.6 empty at probably 1,000 pounds less than MK and BF Ford.I have not hit 10,000 pounds total weight with my TC and truck...I have been running 96-9750 loaded when I weighed..It is heavier now but under 10K..

The 5.4 and 6.0 I had and have get all but identical mpg...17 or so empty and 10-ish pulling the same 30ft 8,000+ trailer.Both weighed almost the same..

So many things go into gas mileage where two people with the same engine/truck could probably never get the same mileage.

[mountainkowboy]

Eric&Lisa wrote:


Drove a classic car from Oregon to Minnesota & back last summer. I always run premium. Charted my mileage. Once I got out of the coast states I started to see pumps offering 100% gas. Of course I filled with that fuel instead. I jumped from 14-15mpg to 15-16mpg with the 100% gas. This in a car with 60+ year old aerodynamics & a 350ci motor, running the interstate at the posted 80mph.

(I know there are a lot of different studies & stories about the effects of ethanol and the value of premium fuel. I totally admit this is a small sample and is only one guy's experience. I am just sharing, not debating. Do what works best for you.)

Oh, and the prices were a lot cheaper too. That, however, is more a function of the coast states having much higher gas taxes.

-Eric

I can tell you that the fuel in Oregon is absolute GARBAGE! Coming down last summer Red didn't run good till I got fuel from Idaho and my mileage went up too. This corn stuff is nothing but another Washington "shove it down ur throat" scam that does nothing but make someone else money, and hurts the final users.

[Eric_Lisa]

Grit dog wrote:

Kayteg1 wrote:
If I remember it right between 2012 and 2018 the gasoline become less gasoline and more ethanol.
Same with diesel having 5 to 20% of bio in it.

Ethanol (up to 10%) in regualr gas was present before then. Started mid 2000s and was full swing by 2010 or before.
And AK does not have any ethanol gas at all, at least up until a couple years ago. Not sure now, as there's some city gas stations that now have multiple grades of gasoline. Through 2016-2107 though, I never saw eth or mutli grade. Whole sate is/was 90 octane no ethanol.

Drove a classic car from Oregon to Minnesota & back last summer. I always run premium. Charted my mileage. Once I got out of the coast states I started to see pumps offering 100% gas. Of course I filled with that fuel instead. I jumped from 14-15mpg to 15-16mpg with the 100% gas. This in a car with 60+ year old aerodynamics & a 350ci motor, running the interstate at the posted 80mph.

(I know there are a lot of different studies & stories about the effects of ethanol and the value of premium fuel. I totally admit this is a small sample and is only one guy's experience. I am just sharing, not debating. Do what works best for you.)

Oh, and the prices were a lot cheaper too. That, however, is more a function of the coast states having much higher gas taxes.

-Eric