I just picked up a 2008 Winnebago 35' RV that has the Ford V10 chassis. I love the motor and the power but the 6mpg on the way home was a hard pill to swallow. I've got a few questions some of the experts here might be able to help me with.
1) Are there differences in an RV V10 engine, driveline and engine management compared to the F series trucks?
2) What can I do to help the MPGs. Exhaust, intake, programming?
3) Any tricks I should know about?

 

Word of advice, don't check your mileage. That is not the reason you bought a RV, you bought it for enjoyment of travel, the freedom of the road. To relax, to enjoy, to share time with others.
Relax and enjoy your new life.

 

As for better mileage, most owners of the V-10 will tell you the control is in the amount of pressure applied by your right foot. Which is true, unless you are speaking of the V-10 powering an RV.
I am sure that you can get a tuner for your application, however I would wait until the powertrain warranty has expired before doing so. As for looking at changing the intake, exhaust, again, I wouldn't do this while the powertrain is under warranty. When it is out of warranty, then make sure you look long and hard as to how many miles you put on the RV and figure out at what point you will break even as to the driveline investment. Ford does an excellent job of engineering the intake and exhaust of their vehicles. However due to the engine bay size and design there are a few limitations. The intake is limited due to the restrictions of the air flow design. The exhaust is limited my the total overall length of the system. Usually the HP/TQ rating of the engine is programmed to provide less overall performance than that in a truck due to excessive heat build up under the hood or dog house of an RV chassis.
We had a 31' Jayco Class C which would fly down the road...if the wind was blowing the right direction (which seldom happens). We say anywhere between 6 mpg to 11 mpg, so I quit running the MPG numbers and the cost of fuel.
We now RV in a 40' diesel pusher powered by a 350Hp Cat. I can program the dash to read Average MPG or Instant MPG, but I don't....

 

Oh yea, don't forget to check out some of the good RV sites like
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Welcome to the RV Life, hope we can meet on the road in the future. Or if you find yourself down our way, I can offer you a place to park for a few days.

 

Have a good friend that has a 38ft Class A coach. He says he doesn't check his mileage per trip but per year. The coach is I believe a 2004 and it averages 8 mpg. This is since he has had it. Been right at 8 mpg since new. Some tanks more some less, so don't be discouraged by you 6 mpg. Your next tank will probably be more. Also I remember he said he never uses cruise control and the sweet spot is about 63 miles an hour. Good luck, John

 

Thanks for the help. I'm going to crawl under there and see what the exhaust looks like but I'm with everyone else in thinking that intake, exhaust might not be worth the cost. The powertrain warranty expires in just a couple of months so I would be interested to know if a programmer would make a big difference. My 7.3L diesel truck had a huge improvement in performance and MPG when I chiped it. Would a cold air bax make much difference on the intake side? The stock piece looks really restrictive.

 

Did a little site searching and it looks like the SCT is the favorite. For $400 I can get a tune and 1 custom tune. I wish someone made a switch on the fly version like the DP tuner I've got on my powerstroke. Anyway, If I get 1MPG better I'll recover the cost in 13 tank fills and probably have a smile on my face when I step on the gas. Thoughts?

 

There's a used SCT X3 in the classified section. Anyone know if the programs can be changed to match my application? I really like what the programmer does to the transmission more than anything else.

 

He's asking $280, seems fair as long as I don't have to buy programs from SCT or 5star.

 

In case you haden't noticed, I'm trying to get to 25 posts so I can put a few powerstroke parts for sale in the classified section

 

I've got some new in the box stuff that I never needed and the truck is sold and going to a new home later this week

 

I've really got mixed emotions about the f350 7.3L leaving the driveway. I loved that truck but its getting old and a number of things don't quite work right. It's also a dually and the wife won't drive it and honestly is sucks when I pull into the walmart parking lot

 

Great, back on topic. I would appreciate any programmer information and specifically how the SCT works in regards to engine programs and applications. I'd consider buying the used one if I can put the RV program on it

 

Well congratulation, your over your magic 25 post number.
As for the programmer, I would go with 5 Star and purchase new from him. When it comes to used electronics you never know the condition of what you bought until after you have paid for it. 5 Star will stand behind their product and work with you on a custom tune to your likes. You will be hard pressed to find any better customer service than 5 Star.

Don't expect the kind of improvments on a gas powertrain that you got with your diesel....ain't going to happen.

 

Thanks, I was thinking the same thing over lunch. I got a really nice email from Mike and it reinforced in my mind how important having ongoing support and updates can be. I think I'll be buying from him. Does he ever put those things on sale? I'm not in a big hurry and no big trip plans until April.