Waco Joe,

Welcome, and you are not butting in at all. That's what this place is all about. Helping each other out.

How much rougher of a ride is the 550 compared to the 350?

 

Hi Joe and thanks. As you can see from my signature I have spent a ton of money and time trying to avoid a DRW truck. As you know the problem is that when we get wherever, we have to drive what we towed with and the 550 is just more than I want to go to the movies in. What I have is OK but just OK. I came upon a good deal on the 08 DRW and I think I'm gonna buy it. There doesn't seem to be much negative feedback except for the fuel mileage and I guess I can live with that. just pump till it's full and don't look at the pump numbers, you know.

 

You will need the 4:30 diff to pull that big ole Mobile Suites but it will pull it fine and be within all specs. We pull a Montana 3400 all over the country with the same truck with the 4:10 diff. MPG is in the eye of the beholder. You are yanking around 16,500 lbs .That is not in the featherweight class. We just returned from a 2500 mile road trip. Ohio, Ind, Ill, Mo, Ar, Ky. We run 62/65mph. Truck and 3400 weighs in at @ 22,500lbs you will be heavier.Over all average mpg on the mpg O meter which is very accurate was 10.4 mpg. you may get a bit less but the trade off is well worth it. We just turnned 21,000 miles wth not a single problem. We have pulled some of the best grades in the country with little effort. The comfort level is high... BTW I am not a Ford person. Whatever badge does the job and this truck is awesome.

 

The ride is about the same because the 350 was a long bed pickup which has 60 inches cab-to-axle. My 550 has 84 in. cab-axle so the longer wheel base, plus a steel 11 ft modified and lowered flatbed, underbed tool boxes, etc. the truck weighs 12,300 without the trailer. I would hate to ride in the back seat if the bed wasn't on it though

 

Wow, thanks. I think that's the best mileage report I've seen for an unmodified 6.4L. That's almost exactly what I get towing with the 7.3L. Funny thing when we had the cardinal which is about the same size as your montana we got about 10.3 in a calm wind trip, when we moved to the heavier MS we started getting about 10.8. I couldn't figure it out but I was thankful for it. we only lack 4 states on our little map so I guess i can start over with the new truck and a new map and a new forum here on FTE. Kinda like turning the clock back 8 years. Come to think of it, I like that idea.

 

I avr about 11 pulling 10K on mine. 3.73 gears. It is all in how you drive the truck

 

Great. I'm in the right lane at 60 and out of everybodys way when I tow.

 

Out in the real world is where you get real MPG reports. There are many variables. I find that the MPG on this 08 IS about the same as the 7.3L pulling the same weight. We have a friend who pulls a MS like yours with a 06 Durimax and his MPg is also about the same towing. The newer Duimax and Cummins do better solo but we are all within 1/1.5 mpg of one another pulling the same weight. We could have got much better MPG by going with a smaller camper and smaller truck.

 

I think one reason the Dmax and CTD get better mileage solo is that they weigh 800-1000 lbs less than the F250/350. Although my '08 F250 gets about the same mileage as my '06 CTD.

Once you hook up a trailer it is all about the wind resistence and the total weight if you are in a lot of hills or stop and go driving.

One advantage to all the 6.4L horror stories of low mpg is you feel pretty good when you get even 14-15 mpg solo.

 

I should clarify one thing about my truck and it's low mpg. I have the heavy duty towing package that comes with 4:88 gears, plus I have a "RanchHand" front bumper (heaviest one they make) and a modified "J & I" 11ft flat bed and an overhead rack from the headache rack behind the cab to the front bumper. I have two posts from the front bumper up to the rack to suppost the rack. Then we put a "Club Car" golf cart up above the cab of the truck. Then I have a 22k Reese 5th wheel hitch recessed into the bed. I have 84 in cab to axle so I have 36 inch underbed tool boxes on rach side plus mounts under bed for spare 40 lb propane tanks for the 5th wheel. With all that wind resistance plus gross weight of 34,000 lbs, 6.5 mpg is not bad.

 

Wow, that's a load. Is that scale weight or guesstimated weight?

 

It's scale weight. To be exact 33,984

 

Wow Waco, you probably carry 100 gal. of fuel too? Nice set up!

 

Hey Waco, are you from waco TX. I sold an old isuzu car to a guy from waco. It was a real rare car but a POS. Price was like 1700 or so. He rode the bus to ATL and i picked him up at the bus station. I'd been chasing a miss in that motor for months, he just took off for waco, miss and all. Sent me an email saying he drove it home no problem. a few months later he found the miss to be an intermittant injector problem. You Texans are tough.

 

Waco Joe,

I had a F250 with 7.3 and was pulling a 5th wheel at 15,200#. I had it chipped with larger exhaust and air bags. It pulled the trailer but it was work. I now have an 08 F350 with 6.4L 3.73 RE. The difference is remarkable and I feel so much more secure. The mileage while pulling this bigger trailer is actually betterwith the 6.4L.
I could get up to 22 mpg with the 7.3 unloaded but was about 9.5 while towing. I now average about 10.3 with the 6.4 towing and about 15 if I keep my speed down unloaded. The 08 is very smooth so it is easy to let the speed creep up on you. Sounds like you have found a good buy!