OK, I finally found an F250 with a V10 that I like, and I put down a deposit a couple days ago and I'm flying to pick it up Friday, Oct 30. But knowing a little bit about Nevada, I'm concerned about finding gas stops to get from Logan, Ut until my first day's end in Reno, Nv. So I have a couple questions: first, what size tank does an F250 have, and what kind of range can I safely expect out of a stock one? Second, anyone familiar with that route and the stretch between stops? It looks pretty desolate in Nevada from what I see on Mapquest. Of course, I'd likely be traveling at night, so finding a 24 cardlock-type gas station would be ideal. Thanks!
Is it a long bed or short bed? The short bed's have a 29 gal tank, and I believe the long beds have a 36(?) gallon or so....
I would figure a conservative average of around 13.5 MPG (depending on how your driving it and gear ratio)
So figure you'll have 25 usable gallons with the short bed and 33 or so with the long bed. I know when my low fuel light comes on I'm still only able to get around 25-26 gallons in the tank.
If your still cutting it close, I'd stop by a gas station or Wal Mart on the way back and pick up some 5 gallon gas cans and keep those in the bed for a "reserve"
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1999 F250 Extended Cab/Short bed, V10, Auto, 4x4
235/85/16 BFG MT
12k Warn winch/Transformer bumper
164,000 miles and counting
Good idea about the cans. The truck is a shortbed, so it's got the smaller tank, which is gonna take some gettng used to since our Suburban has a 42 gallon tank, so even towing it'll go over 300+ miles, empty it's around 600 so while the milege is comparable, it looks like the stops will come sooner. Thanks again!
The fuel tank size in the SDs always burned me up. Aftermarket companies can fit a 46 gallon tank under a SB SD so why can't Ford.
I'd carry a gas can or two. In mixed driving I've seen 300 miles pretty easy before with my 29 gallon tank. BTW you can squeeze a lot of gas into the tank after the first click or two. I've stuffed over 2 gallons in mine after the first two clicks already. I'd carry at least 5 gallons of fuel in a can for a reserve.
A little off topic, but still amusing: we go to the Oregon dunes a few times a year, and once you cross into Oregon gas is anywhere from 50 to 75 cents cheaper, so we typically only put enough in the Suburban to make it to Brookings, the first town across the border. It's also illegal to pump your own gas in Oregon, so it never fails, we pull in with the gauge on "E" and tell the guy to fill'er up. He starts the pump, then helps someone else, fills their car, checks on ours, fills up another car, checks on ours again, occasionally does another car, then MAYBE ours is full. They always say the same thing, "Man, that thing was thristy, wasn't it?"
Logan, UT is north of Salt Lake City, so you should be coming across Nevada on I 80. There are plenty of fuel stops across I80. Easy truck stop gas at Wendover, Wells, Elko, Winnamucca, Fernley, and Reno which makes stops at 100 mile intervals easy.
Thanks, I've never been there, but was hope it would be more populated than it looks on Mapquest. According to it, I'll be joining I-80 at Oasis rather than heading down to Salt Lake and over. It looks like it goes from HWY 30 to 15 to 84 to get from Logan to Oasis. MapQuests shows it to be roughly 180 miles. Is that a better way than returning to SLC?
Always ALWAYS do a sanity check of Mapquest, google, or even the GPS units. I recently didn't, and regretted it, going through Pennsylvania and Upstate NY. It led me through these little twisty mountain roads that sucked, meanwhile a major highway went right around the area.
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- art k. - Moderator for the Superduty, V10, and FE forums
'01 F250SD SC SB XLT V10 4x4 auto 3.73 Warn hubs Volant CAI, eBay headers and y-pipe - 5-star custom tunes on SCT X3
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'74 F250 Highboy FE390 deceased! I've been wrong before, I'll be wrong again. Just wait and see.
OT: Having a traveling job for over 12 years I can attest to what Art said. Use a good old fashion map or at least scroll around the maps at Google or MapQuest and survey the route provided. Use to be paper maps was all I'd use (ok that's all that was available), then MapQuest and then GPS. I've gotten lazy and have stopped looking at maps and go by what the GPS says. Gotten burned a few times. Usually I'm in a rental car rushing back to the airport to take the last flight home when I do get burned.
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Mike
2000 F-250, SC, SB, 4X4, Lariat, 6.8 V10, Auto, 3.73, Ford Racing headers, SCT X3 93 Performance tune by 5 Star Tuning
If you are not familiar with the NV233/UT30 route from I84 at Oasis, NV to Tremonton I'd suggest that you follow I80 to Salt Lake and pick up I15 there. You will have 24hr gas at least every 100 miles but it will add 50 miles or so to your route. On NV233/UT30 you cannot count on gas between Wells, NV and Snowville, UT- 155 miles. It's a great road, but it's lightly traveled, open range, with a distinct possibility of cows, deer or elk on the road, particularly at night.
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Originally Posted by Sand_Man
Thanks, I've never been there, but was hope it would be more populated than it looks on Mapquest. According to it, I'll be joining I-80 at Oasis rather than heading down to Salt Lake and over. It looks like it goes from HWY 30 to 15 to 84 to get from Logan to Oasis. MapQuests shows it to be roughly 180 miles. Is that a better way than returning to SLC?
Great, that's the kind of info I appreciate. Nothing like local knowledge, which is something I learned the hard way. When we first got our GPS (which I plan to take with me) and it took me on some friggin' goat trail of a road, so I think I'll listen to you guys and head back to SLC, then over. Thanks a bunch!
I didnt even know the fuel tanks were smaller in the short beds when I bought mine, but for anyone browsing trying to decide on a purchase, this might be one more reason for the longbed. Personally the longbed with the crew cab was a big reason I went for the SD... not even available that way in the F150. And I can get +500 miles on a highway trip (not towing anyhow) on a tank.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ToaDisco
Is it a long bed or short bed? The short bed's have a 29 gal tank, and I believe the long beds have a 36(?) gallon or so....
I didnt see anyone state it yet but its 38 gallons (well at least mine is not sure if there were any changes over the years).
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