jlktbk
Athens,TN
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Joined: 09/16/2008
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Wow 6 to 7mpg you have setup problems I have an 08.5 nissan titan cc which are notorious for poor gas mileage,I pull a 08 rockwood ultra light that weighs 6500 lightly loaded and 7000 heavy I'm in south carolina now pulled 350 miles from tennessee thru the mountains asheville etc. We never strained the truck 3250rpms in 3rd was it 10 mpgs all the way
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mosseater
Dillsburg, PA
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Joined: 10/19/2007
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I can get close to double digit MPG if I don't carry water and stay out of the big hills. That's the stuff of dreams, but alas, it makes for a boring towing experience. I love it when the bloody sweat literally drips from my knuckles and runs down onto the floor mat. The kids go wild for that.
"It`s not important that you know all the answers, it`s only important to know where to get all the answers" Arone Kleamyck
"...An unarmed man can only flee from evil, and evil is not overcome by fleeing from it." Col. Jeff Cooper
Sunset Creek 298 BH
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schwartzworld
Cleveland, OH
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Joined: 08/01/2008
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jlktbk wrote:Wow 6 to 7mpg you have setup problems I have an 08.5 nissan titan cc which are notorious for poor gas mileage,I pull a 08 rockwood ultra light that weighs 6500 lightly loaded and 7000 heavy I'm in south carolina now pulled 350 miles from tennessee thru the mountains asheville etc. We never strained the truck 3250rpms in 3rd was it 10 mpgs all the way
You have to compare apples to apples before you say that there is a setup problem. Our trucks are several years apart, the technology is different between the years, yours is new, mine has 40,000 miles on it.
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schwartzworld
Cleveland, OH
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This is the air intake mod I did on my F150.
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cardrb
Hamilton
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Joined: 04/19/2009
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I have a 2005 F150, 5.4 engine with a 3.73 rear end, we tow a Salem 30QBSS which is roughly 6700lbs, dry weight. I did a Banks Air Intake with an Edge Programmer, amaziing difference in the truck, the towing programing with the Edge made a huge difference in the motor and the performance of the truck, my mileage did go up, however not by much. The over all performance was worth the price of the intake system and the programmer. My next add on to the truck will be a banks exhaust system this will complete the mods to my truck.
I would recommend anyone using an F150 to get an intake system and programmer for their truck.
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Roy M
British Columbia
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Joined: 10/16/2009
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We need to upgrade our truck next spring and are torn between an F-150 or similar GM/Dodge and a 250. We are currently pulling a 17' fifth wheel with a Ranger but want a 23-24' down the road. The lighter trucks are much more attractively priced and more than enough to handle present needs but will we be back to a marginal vehicle with the larger trailer and need to upgrade again. We mostly travel in the B.C. mountains and prefer secondary routes, the road less traveled. I would not consider trying a 30' behind such a vehicle.
Old age and treachery always beats youth and enthusiasm
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smkettner
Southern California
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Joined: 03/21/2005
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Skip the 250 and get a srw 350 for the increased payload.
2001 F150 SuperCrew
2006 Keystone Springdale 249FWBHLS
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Wes Tausend
Bismarck, ND
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Roy M wrote:We need to upgrade our truck next spring and are torn between an F-150 or similar GM/Dodge and a 250. We are currently pulling a 17' fifth wheel with a Ranger but want a 23-24' down the road. The lighter trucks are much more attractively priced and more than enough to handle present needs but will we be back to a marginal vehicle with the larger trailer and need to upgrade again. We mostly travel in the B.C. mountains and prefer secondary routes, the road less traveled. I would not consider trying a 30' behind such a vehicle.
I think the main reason, besides initial cost, to get a F-150, is better mileage (better ride too) when using the truck for non-towing. The compared truck tare weight differences, possible transmission differences, and certainly differential differences make the 250 a bit of a gas hog under light load. When used for heavy towing, there is usually not a nickels worth the difference in fuel economy since the mpg is about the same. Durability used to be an issue but not so much anymore. If a properly equipped F-150 is rated to pull a particular 30 footer, why not? But if the truck will be mainly used for towing only, then go 250 or larger.
A strange thing about differentials. As an upside, Ford used to use the 9 inch in half tons which was a very strong gearset because it meshed more teeth and had a front pinion support bearing. But one of the downsides to the 9 inch was that, because it meshed more teeth than the Chevy 12 bolt, it caused greater drag. The 9 inch pinion ran low in the case allowing the teeth to mesh at a tangent to the ring gear, engaging more teeth at one time. So Ford switched to the 8.8 inch, which rides higher on the ring gear, meshing less teeth, and more closely matching the lower driveline friction loss of Chevy. The Ford 8.8 and Chevy 12 bolt are almost the same.
The Ford Ranger started out by using the tiny 7.5 inch gearset which just happens to be about the size of the Chevy 10 bolt. By having a high mounted pinion and meshing very few teeth, the diff was able to offer very low drag and consequently compete with renowned Chevy fuel economy. As more demands were made on Ranger weight capacity, Ford upped the engine and gave it the half ton gearset, the 8.8.
Now, even greater demands are being made on the half ton, so Ford offers a heavier duty gearset for it, 9.5 inch I believe. They don't do too bad on fuel economy, so perhaps there is a trick to gaining durability and yet maintaining low drag fuel economy under light load conditions.
In the case of the 10.5 inch offered in the F-250 Super Duty and in the one time Excursion, Ford did spec Synthetic lube, at least in the Excursion. I assume for reasons of lowering drag and extending fuel economy. A lot of folks used these gas hogs for daily drivers and the backlash from the "Green" sector eventually caused Ford to discontinue this beloved 3/4 ton in favor of an upgraded and more fuel efficient 1/2 ton extra long Expedition XL.
Wes
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- 2000 Excursion V-10 - 1995 Coachmen Catalina 280RK, 5091# tare
- Hensley Arrow pending - McKesh mirrors - Champion 4000w/3500w gen
- 1994 Mazda B4000 1/2 ton, 4.0L V6, 3.73, 125"wb
- 1978 Pace Arrow 25' Motorhome, GM 3500 chassis 454cu.in
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shum02
Burlington ON CDA
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cardrb wrote:
I would recommend anyone using an F150 to get an intake system and programmer for their truck.
I got a warranty so that won't happen. My dealer warned me in no uncertain terms that if I put on a programmer and break something in my motor\drivetrain I'll be on the hook to prove that the programmer didn't do it as they will void the entire engine and powertrain warranty.
Don't have a warranty? Go for it as I've heard the 5.4L responds fantastic to it due to Fords very conservative factory programming! If on the other hand you have a 4.6L in yours don't bother wasting the cash as she's pretty much at the wall unless your going to go old school with hardware and not software upgrades.
2007 F150 XLT CC 4x4 5.4L 3.73LS
2007 KZ2505QSS-F Outdoorsman
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Wes Tausend
Bismarck, ND
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Joined: 12/04/2008
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shum02 wrote:cardrb wrote:
I would recommend anyone using an F150 to get an intake system and programmer for their truck.
I got a warranty so that won't happen. My dealer warned me in no uncertain terms that if I put on a programmer and break something in my motor\drivetrain I'll be on the hook to prove that the programmer didn't do it as they will void the entire engine and powertrain warranty.
Don't have a warranty? Go for it as I've heard the 5.4L responds fantastic to it due to Fords very conservative factory programming! If on the other hand you have a 4.6L in yours don't bother wasting the cash as she's pretty much at the wall unless your going to go old school with hardware and not software upgrades.
Such as if one uses a 4.6L crate 1999/2001 (320HP/317ft) or 2003-2004 (390HP/390ft) Ford Mustang SVT Cobra. Warranty? If it breaks of course, a man has to convince Fedex that it happened during shipping. 
Wes
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