Need Advice
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Freshman User
Joined: May 2011
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Need Advice
Hi,
I'm new here. Just joined today. I need some advice from the experts here, please.
I have a 2008 F-350 Super Duty. Lariat, crew cab, 4X4 off road package, short wheel base. 6.4 Liter Diesel.
Ok, here's the "problem". I build power lines and travel around the country. My wife and I have a 5th wheel travel trailer. It weighs about 15,000 lbs loaded. I want to get good mileage from my truck and I want to be able to pull my RV up the mountains in Colorado with no problems.
I want to get an exhaust, intake and programmer.
Any suggestions on brands and a good place to buy from? Banks is the brand I'm leaning toward.
I appreciate your input.
Here are some pictures of my truck and RV:
I'm new here. Just joined today. I need some advice from the experts here, please.
I have a 2008 F-350 Super Duty. Lariat, crew cab, 4X4 off road package, short wheel base. 6.4 Liter Diesel.
Ok, here's the "problem". I build power lines and travel around the country. My wife and I have a 5th wheel travel trailer. It weighs about 15,000 lbs loaded. I want to get good mileage from my truck and I want to be able to pull my RV up the mountains in Colorado with no problems.
I want to get an exhaust, intake and programmer.
Any suggestions on brands and a good place to buy from? Banks is the brand I'm leaning toward.
I appreciate your input.
Here are some pictures of my truck and RV:
Post Fiend
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 5,470
Likes: 3
From: Pea Ridge, AR
Welcome, Very Nice Rigs! I have an earlier model with the 7.3 but try checking in the 6.4 forum 6.4L Power Stroke Diesel - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums
Cargo Master
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,413
Likes: 11
Welcome brother. That is a beautiful truck I like that trailer. I haven't heard any good things about the banks. I don't use a tuner in my 6.0l but just about everybody around me does. So from 2nd hand, but I'm with them daily sct and edges does very good job. The interface is seemless and both companie's tunes work well. My boss has an 08 KR and he had a 4" dual exhuast installed and he said he gained 1-1 1/2 mpg under load. AFAIK its not a name brand. He took it to local shop. They cut and bend their own pipe.
Super Moderator
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 37,370
Likes: 1,858
From: Frederick, MD
Welcome...I am very close to what you have and I have towed in Colorado and in-between.
I have the banks 6 gun and the IQ that goes along with it. I also have the ram air.
All work really well. Certainly you need something to be able to monitor temps with the weight and stress when you are at max ratings.
I think it works well with the emissions stuff. My pipes are nice and clean and regens around 130 miles when towing my 5er.
This works good and obviously if you have a warranty concern away from home it is easily removed.
I will tell you when pulling very heavy being close to stock power is important because of what you are asking of the whole drive train.
Hope that helps...I get about the 7-9 mpg range with a gross of 23-24K.
I have the banks 6 gun and the IQ that goes along with it. I also have the ram air.
All work really well. Certainly you need something to be able to monitor temps with the weight and stress when you are at max ratings.
I think it works well with the emissions stuff. My pipes are nice and clean and regens around 130 miles when towing my 5er.
This works good and obviously if you have a warranty concern away from home it is easily removed.
I will tell you when pulling very heavy being close to stock power is important because of what you are asking of the whole drive train.
Hope that helps...I get about the 7-9 mpg range with a gross of 23-24K.
Hotshot
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 11,591
Likes: 14
From: Pflugerville, tx
I was going to ask, what is 'good mileage' to you?
towing you will not get much more than 10. I get 9 towing 7000lb flat front enclosed car hauler. I put a tuner on, hoping to increase to 11.. not enough miles to tell yet.
but you will never get 15 towing
Sam
towing you will not get much more than 10. I get 9 towing 7000lb flat front enclosed car hauler. I put a tuner on, hoping to increase to 11.. not enough miles to tell yet.
but you will never get 15 towing
Sam
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I also have the banks and it works great. The banks is not set up to delete the DPF on its own, if that is what you are looking for I would be looking at a Spartan or a SCT but again none of them will really give you any more MPG. I would stay away from edge unless you are going to use just to monitor your temps etc, and not install the canned tunes.
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Freshman User
Joined: May 2011
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Thanks for all the responses.
Ok, this is where I'm at so far: K & N cold air for $247, Borla stainless steel DPF back exhaust side dials with muffler and tips for $559. Now I'm looking for a good tune.
SCT Extreme is in the finals. I'm looking for towing and mileage. I've found one for $599. A pre-programmed unit sounds fine to me. Any vendors here that can beat any online price?
Ok, this is where I'm at so far: K & N cold air for $247, Borla stainless steel DPF back exhaust side dials with muffler and tips for $559. Now I'm looking for a good tune.
SCT Extreme is in the finals. I'm looking for towing and mileage. I've found one for $599. A pre-programmed unit sounds fine to me. Any vendors here that can beat any online price?
Hotshot
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 11,591
Likes: 14
From: Pflugerville, tx
Thanks for all the responses.
Ok, this is where I'm at so far: K & N cold air for $247, Borla stainless steel DPF back exhaust side dials with muffler and tips for $559. Now I'm looking for a good tune.
SCT Extreme is in the finals. I'm looking for towing and mileage. I've found one for $599. A pre-programmed unit sounds fine to me. Any vendors here that can beat any online price?
Ok, this is where I'm at so far: K & N cold air for $247, Borla stainless steel DPF back exhaust side dials with muffler and tips for $559. Now I'm looking for a good tune.
SCT Extreme is in the finals. I'm looking for towing and mileage. I've found one for $599. A pre-programmed unit sounds fine to me. Any vendors here that can beat any online price?
Sam
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2006
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Edge, junk.
Likewise with K&N intakes; get better filtration with aFe. Dust the turbos on these trucks but cutting corners on an intake and you've going to have an extraordinarily expensive driveway ornament.
DPF-on tuning; Banks.
DPF-off tuning, Spartan, Innovative Diesel, H&S, Kem. These custom tuners all have various versions of a tow tune, but at the load you're towing you wanna stay real close to stock power levels. Some of the tow tunes vary between 40 to 75 HP over stock and are plenty safe. You need to avoid "canned" tuners like SCT, Superchips, etc.; they're likewise garbage.
You don't need a full intake or exhaust. You can save some money over the purchase of a full intake by just going with an aFe drop-in and mod the stock snorkel. If you're doing DPF-off all you need is a DOC/DPF delete pipe, most are designed to work with the stock downpipe and DPF back stock exhaust...
Likewise with K&N intakes; get better filtration with aFe. Dust the turbos on these trucks but cutting corners on an intake and you've going to have an extraordinarily expensive driveway ornament.
DPF-on tuning; Banks.
DPF-off tuning, Spartan, Innovative Diesel, H&S, Kem. These custom tuners all have various versions of a tow tune, but at the load you're towing you wanna stay real close to stock power levels. Some of the tow tunes vary between 40 to 75 HP over stock and are plenty safe. You need to avoid "canned" tuners like SCT, Superchips, etc.; they're likewise garbage.
You don't need a full intake or exhaust. You can save some money over the purchase of a full intake by just going with an aFe drop-in and mod the stock snorkel. If you're doing DPF-off all you need is a DOC/DPF delete pipe, most are designed to work with the stock downpipe and DPF back stock exhaust...
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Freshman User
Joined: May 2011
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Thanks. I bought a Banks Ottomind at their outlet direct site. $213
Gear Geek was impossible to deal with. Their good deal for the Borla cat back exhaust for $556 was not worth the trouble of going through their maze.
I started looking harder and found that Streetside auto sells the same system and with the $55 off coupon from here: Streetside Auto Coupon Codes - all coupons, discounts and promo codes for streetsideauto.com ,
I got it for $469. No tax, free shipping.
That puts my total for cold air intake, Banks programmer and Borla exhaust at $929.
Booya!
Gear Geek was impossible to deal with. Their good deal for the Borla cat back exhaust for $556 was not worth the trouble of going through their maze.
I started looking harder and found that Streetside auto sells the same system and with the $55 off coupon from here: Streetside Auto Coupon Codes - all coupons, discounts and promo codes for streetsideauto.com ,
I got it for $469. No tax, free shipping.
That puts my total for cold air intake, Banks programmer and Borla exhaust at $929.
Booya!
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Freshman User
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You talked me into it. I cancelled the K & N and ordered the aFe Magnum Force Stage 2 with Proguard 7 filter (AFE Stage 2 Intake System: 08-10 Ford Powerstroke Diesel - Grimm Performance - intakes, programmers, exhaust, lights). Still, that brought my total to $1022.
Hotshot
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 11,591
Likes: 14
From: Pflugerville, tx
You talked me into it. I cancelled the K & N and ordered the aFe Magnum Force Stage 2 with Proguard 7 filter (AFE Stage 2 Intake System: 08-10 Ford Powerstroke Diesel - Grimm Performance - intakes, programmers, exhaust, lights). Still, that brought my total to $1022.
I did a cat/dpf delete $200
I kept the stock tailpipe.
And I found a used Spartan tuner for $475
$100 Spartan relicense fee
Sam