Never heard that one. But sooo true.

 

I've got 18+ mpg's in my 09, downhill with a 25mph tailwind...........

 

My question again is: is this on ALL GASOLINE or a mix.

When my 02' F-250 super crew was at about 36K I did a road trip from Florida to Upstate NY. and back. Watched the mileage on each tank full and I once put 100% gas in the tank and got a bit over 16 MPG from that tank. That was all highway with the cruise on around 75 MPH. It is hard to find 100% gas around my home and I do a ton of stop and go and AC on I see a usual 10.6 MPG. AC off = 11.6... Mine is 2wd. Stock everything with Michelins rock hard.

 

I am getting about 13mpg f250 with 4" lift on 35s and 3.73 gears with intake only.

 

I found a trick that really helped my mileage, I moved out of a hilly area to a flatter area! Until Last year, I lived in NorCal right on the coast were it always seemed I was traveling uphill and my truck got 11 or so. Now I live in Southern Oregon and my truck will get 14-15+ every day. Now three mpg may not seem like a huge deal, but consider it's about 20% better mileage and that IS a big deal. Plus I pay about 10% less per gallon. My point ( I do have one) is that like I've always suspected, the area you drive the truck and the speed you drive GREATLY affect the MPG's your gonna get. BTW, one of the guys I work with has a '12 Dodge Ram with the 6.7 and his gets 14 mpg.

 

New poster here. Just had to put a couple cents in. Decided when I bought my '02 F250 4x4 V10, lifted it 6" and put 35's on it and a hypertech program, that if I couldn't afford the gas, I didn't need to own the truck. Best truck I ever had, and I'm 50 and owned trucks all my life. Right now, she's got right at 230K on her and besides oil, brakes, coil overs and plugs, all she's needed is an alternator and a starter. She gets between 9 and 12 mpg, depending on driving. Never tried pure gas, but am considering it on a future long trip. BTW, she pulls trailers weekly, some heavy, all ov er florida (yeah, flatland mostly). Really enjoying the forum.

 

In my experience with a few SD's, the biggest factor to highway mileage has been speed. These trucks are happy as can be chugging along at 85, but the mileage will show it.

Keep it 65-70, gain a few mph before a big hill, and so on, and you'll see good mileage. This is even more apparent while pulling a trailer.

At this point, the only thing I really miss about a diesel pickup is being able to cruise at 80+ and not watch the needle drop.

 

OK, here's a wide open question. I currently have a two wheel drive 97 Super Duty with the 460 port injected gas engine in it. I haul a 13,000 lbs. backhoe on a 2,000 lbs. trailer. I am considering moving up to a four wheel drive 2011 F-450 with the V10. My current truck gets about 13 MPG on a good day and 10 or 11 when I'm towing on cruise control. How much difference will I see with the new truck?

 

At work we have a 2012 F-450 4x4 V10 w/a 9' flatbed. It gets 6-7 MPG running around town loaded or unloaded and 7.5 MPG on the highway empty.

 

This is not what I wanted to hear!


At work we have a 2012 F-450 4x4 V10 w/a 9' flatbed. It gets 6-7 MPG running around town loaded or unloaded and 7.5 MPG on the highway empty.

 

The 450/550 is never going to get good MPG as the axles are geared so low. Ours has 4.88's in it if I remember correctly.

 

What mods did you do to get 14mpg? Please tell!

 

If you are asking me, The truck is a 2001 F250 Super Cab, auto, 4x4 long box with 3.73 gears and stock tires. I have a Banks Power Pack (chip, headers, "Y" pipe, 3" cat back and low restriction muffler) and a K&N cold air intake. The mods make more difference MPG-wise when pulling the trailer than empty. And the 14 MPG was seven years ago. At about 175,000 miles my mileage dropped off to about 12.5 MPG and has stayed there. Probably due to general wear and tear, some blow by and perhaps valve seat erosion. The truck now has just shy of 250,000 miles. I calculate my mileage at each fill up, miles divided by gallons to the nearest 1/10 each.

Re-read my paragraph about pushing a wheelbarrow. As many others have said, how you drive makes more difference than what you bolt on it. You cannot drive these trucks like you do a car and expect to get good MPG's. BTW, if it helps, I've read that the V10's get their best mileage between 2,000 and 2,200 RPM's. I normally cruise right at about 2,000. Driving any speed over 70 MPH costs me 1-1/2 to 2 MPG, 80 MPH costs me 3 MPG.

 

OK, you want better MPG from your 3 ton 10 cylinder behemoth. Part of the reason you get poor mileage is because your truck was designed to tow and haul loads. Here is what can be done.

Mirrors - those big mouse ear mirrors add drag. Install smaller mirrors or keep them folded in.

Aerodynamics - a big chin spoiler may be ugly and drag on every driveway approach, but it will prevent air from going under your truck, because the dirty side is way less aerodynamic than the shiny side.

Weight - every little bit you can leave at home helps. Tools, spare tire, jacks, wife....the more weight you can shed, the better.

Driving - it is possible, but really hard to do, but drive your truck like you have an egg between your foot and the throttle, and never ever let the RPMs go above 2000. Yes, it can too be done.

Tires- get the smallest, skinniest tires you can, with the least rolling resistance. Keep them at the maximum rated PSI.

Engine - Keep your engine in good condition. Use a good quality synthetic oil, as low of a viscosity as prudent.

Battery - a marginal battery may start your truck, but the alternator has to work harder to charge it, which burns more fuel. Get a good battery, make sure your cables are good.

Accessories- check your belt driven accessories and the belt tensioner. A dragging bearing on the alternator or tensioner will waste fuel.

Brakes - check your brakes for dragging pads and sticking calipers.

Brake use - burning fuel turns to heat, which pushes the piston, which makes your truck go. Brake use turns the truck motion back into heat, which cannot be recaptured. The less you use your brakes, the better. Coast as much as possible, let engine compression slow you down.

 

X2! But don't buy tires that aren't the designated size and load rating for your vehicle. You will lose money if they wear too fast, and the wrong tires may adversely affect handling and braking. Reputable tire shops will refuse to install them anyway. And make sure the transmission fluid and differential fluids are correct and fresh. The differential oil is often overlooked. Fuel economy is one of the reasons our SD's came with synthetic gear oil.