I just completed 4,100 miles of RV trip covering 7 states that included two mountainous regions ( Smokey Mtns. of TN and Ozarks of Arkansas ) .<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
RV unloaded weight : 9,500 # ( loaded weight for this trip : approx. 11,000 # ) 5<SUP>th</SUP> wheel trailer<o></o>
Hitch weight : unloaded trailer hitch 2,800 # , loaded hitchweight (payload): approx. 3,800 # )<o></o>
Total miles travelled : 4,100<o></o>
Total towing miles : 2,728 , total solo driving : 1372 miles<o></o>
FUEL CONSUMPTION : we used a total of 349.07 gals. of fuel which makes an overall average of 11.74 mpg for the trip . I checked the mileage for several towing segments and they were between 9.5 -9.85 mpg , just like I have been having for the past 8 years ( driving @ 55-60 mph with minimum use of brakes ) . I think V10 gets good mark at this department.<o></o>
RELIABILITY : This is very important issue for me ,since a vacation trip can easily turn into a nightmare due to a costly breakdown . Our V10 worked flawlessly. At only 75K miles , it never been to a repair shop yet for any powertrain issue ( except to re-seal a leaking A/C joint once ) . I encountered several motorhomes powered with Triton-V10 and never heard of any complain from owners yet . On the other hand, I am yet to see any substantial 5<SUP>th</SUP> wheel towed by a Ford-V10 powered truck ( though I saw several Dodge-V10 trucks in the past ) . Almost all 5’ers I saw in campgrounds were towed by some diesel truck . I have been enjoying my truck’s reliability during the past 8 years and I give good mark at this department too .<o></o>
PERFORMANCE : I do not feel the weight of trailer when driving under most interstate conditions (except steep hills ) . We encountered some pretty nasty roads with winding steep hills during this trip , some examples are, Arkansas SR 65 from Conway to Harrison and Arkansas Hwy 7 from Hot Springs to Harrison . They come close to being as nasty as Colorado Hwy 550 Durango-Silverton-Ouray . Although my V10 was not a power-house along the AR Rt.65 and Hwy 7 , it managed to do the job of towing a fairly substantial trailer . I have been passed by diesel trucks several times ( though , I do not know the weight they were towing ) . Since I do tow recreationally only and study the topo maps before attempting to take the hills, we are happy with V10 overall , although the performance on steep hills is only mediocre .<o></o>
Possibly v10 would not be the right choice if I were to use my truck commercially to tow heavy loads (like horse /cattle trailers ) every day on roads like Arkansas Hwy 7 . On the other hand , I think , that very same commercial load would be acceptable on flatlands (towing between Florida , SC or AL ,etc.).<o></o>
Eight years ago I had the task of selecting a tow truck for our full-time RV’ing . I had to evaluate 3 diesel engines and 3 gas engines . I spent more than a year at 6 websites reading the troubles and their frequencies that the owners were experiencing and compiling them in a chart . Ford-V10 stood above the rest then (with only one problem of occasional plug issue ), the Dodge V-10 was the runner-up (with numerous Dodge related issues ) . Now looking back , I can say it was the right choice for my application .
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Nice report Wolf!

Reps comin'

 

Yes---from me too BUT I can't just yet, told I have to spead the love around first?? Geesh can't show favoritism huh?

For your occasional use it sounds like the V10 gasser was a great choice. As you said were you towing big heavy loads daily maybe the diesel would be a better choice but that's not an issue.

This is a great write up and sharing of experiences----thanks!

 

Great report. The V10 is a very capable and reliable engine.

 

As good as your V-10 combo is, the newer one's with the Torqueshift tranny are even better. My 2008 with the 5 speed has 98,xxx miles and has never been to the shop for any reason. The more I drive it, the better I like it. Best truck I have ever owned.

Pap