I'll be here whenever you're ready, 94ruck.

Jaclyn

 

Just returned from a 300 mile round trip pulling the trailer. I did not make it to the scales but thinking my trailer is only around 10500 fully loaded. It is a bumper pull and I will get some pics up and it is a toy hauler and I have the inside packed!. 1 4 wheeler and 3 dirt bikes plus gear this trip plus water, etc.
we drove ne out of ft worth to just north of Bonham, Texas. a brisk north wind pushing at us took the computer mileage from just over 18 down to 10.6. I used about 3/4 of a tank but haven't filled it to check actual mileage yet. I had to be careful as i was running 70-75 most of the trip and found myself going faster at times. I used the tow haul mode and the fart button but my trailer isn't really heavy enough to effect shifting on accel but i could feel the engine brake and downshift mode as i approach stops. Handling seem to be on par with my short bed 05 with maybe a touch of sway at higher speeds that was felt on the short bed but it could have just been my mind and the wind. Will update with pictures and actual mileage sometime this week. I pulled the trailer into a very sandy off road park and never switch into 4wd. i saw several stuck 2 wd drives with rigs on the back and contemplated going into 4x4. or even though about locking the 3.31 rear axle but elected to do nothing but idle carefully and we had no problem forward or reverse.
I like this truck!

 

Thanks for the real world info.
Skip

 

Well, I filled up. 364.5 miles at 33.355 gallons = 10.927 mpg. Not great considering my trailer is lighter than most BUT i was pushing the speed and the air. Ol 6.0 got about the same.
I am making a road trip to Missouri this weekend empty up but picking up a quad while i am up there and road tripping back. this will be a test of the 3.31 gearing at highway speeds.
Still no regen process at 1248 miles on the truck.

 

Just got off the phone with the Ford IV team regarding my sync and they helped me get my phone and IPOD touch installed and playing. I poked that dang auxiliary button until my finger calloused but i was instructed to give voice commands. Line in for the simple 1/8 audio cord and USB for using the usb sync to my itouch. It even said that in the written directions and i still struggled. 5 minute call saved me a big headache for sure.
Below is a pic of us on the banks of the red river(oklahoma side) just north of Bonham Texas off 78 hiway preparing for a cross country race. what a great evening

 

I filled my truck up at 264 miles to prepare for a trip today. I used about 16.554 gallons for about 16 mpg. Not great in commuter traffic 30 miles each way with some stop and go. I am leaving for Missouri in a few hours and will be able to get true hiway mileage both empty and then wtih the weight and drag of a 4 wheeler on the way back.Eager to see how that 3.331 gearing works on the open road.
I do like the hands free phone, getting more comfortable with the voice commands but i need a guide on the dash for all of the danged commands( Jacklyn, you can help here!)
The sound is good for the stereo, i use my mp3 when i get tired of the talking heads. The truck is quiet, the ride semi stiff and about what i got out of my 05. No wheel bouncing or death wobble problems( yet) but i never had those in my previous trucks.
I drive pretty light footed from light to light and in traffic but can get the truck rolling at 75+ when on hiway so again, eager to find that sweet spot for economy on the road.
I played around with some plasti dip yesterday while trying to get tired after work( i work nights) and after using 3x5 cards and 2 cans of plasti dip and my jack and the ford lug wrench for wheel removal, i changed the look of my stock silver steel wheels for a more manly look( tongue in cheek here folks)

 

There isn't an on-screen guide for your system, 94ruck.

When you have some free time, familiarize yourself with the available commands:

Voice Commands By Category | SYNC & SYNC with MyFord | Ford.com

Jaclyn

 

I have the quick guide supplement and my wife read it to me and we practiced on our road trip to Missouri. I must talk like a redneck because it didnt recognize some of the commands right off.
It got better and we got better at it.
Fuel economy ans road trip report
We drove from Crowley after filling up at kroger and paying 3.17 inus 3 cents for 3.14! for regular diesel.. through Ft Worth in Mid day construction traffic. then we hit a side road and made a stop in Denton. Once we got back on the road, we cruised to Grain valley Missouri just making a diner stop in Edmund OK and a driver switch near Emporia KS. I ran about 78 mph while my wife was about 75. we were empty except for luggage.
I fueled up in the morning after arriving at our destination in Blue Springs MO, i drove over to Grain Valley and paying 3.59. Total mileage was 595.6 and i filled completely at 30.564 gallons for 19.486 average! I liked that alot.
However, after running around for 2 days, driving down to the Plaza and out to a wedding then down to our family farm north of Richmond and then heading back through KC(no traffic), we stopped in Towanda OK for fuel( 3.55 a gal)

466.7 miles at 30.248 for 15.429 mpg...not so good. there was a fierce cross wind and we had just turned staright south right into the head wind at wichita.
The computer has been within a .1 of being correct and as we drove in last night into a brutal wind( turbo boost at 10psi in the wind) carrying a 4wheelr in the bed from Richmond, the truck shows 16.3 mpg.
On the rode driving similar in the yellow truck(6.0) i would average 16-18 depending on the wind. I drove it to Tn in May with 3 bikes and gear for racing i the back and on a hitch hauler at 80 mph and got 17 all the way there and back but the wind was kind to us that weekend.
Still have less than 3000 miles on the truck. These are actual numbers. I am not complaining or comparing to other makes or models. Just reporting live numbers.
Handling, the truck is nice to drive but the ride on rough roads are hard on the body. Even with the Honda rancher in the bed, it still rode very stiff. I have the BFG tires and they seem a little soft but handled well. Truck is very quiet, the phone is easier to hear and the person on the other end of the line can hear me well, and my passenger decently well( she talks quiet anyway). The sync worked great and we played various artist on the ipod by requesting via voice command when we were on the open stretches of OK and KS. We packed a lot of luggage in the back seat by fliiping the seat up and placing the bags on the floor. I have the fold down middle seat in the front and our toy schnauzer enjoyed the country side from that perch.
The vinyl seats are comfortable and maybe not as luxurious as the nice leather ones in the old truck, the fit us well and he head rest worked. The rear head rest block the view in the back somewhat but I am a mirror driver anyway and din't want to pop the head rest out and try to store them.
the pockets in the door worked great fro dog leash, kindle book, and other necessaries. The console storage of the back of the middle seat that folds down is minimal and the in dash storage is less than my 05 truck. so my wallet, pocket knife and other crap i carry needs a place to go when seated. There is a small orifice for storage in the dash but really too small for anything. the glove box is filled with the manuals. There is a nice pace ON the dash but the only thing i put up there is my hat as I never like the idea of stuff flying around in the truck. I know everyone listens to mp3 and it is a good thing because I do have a cd player but no room for cds anywhere.
I vinyl floor is easy to clean but a few odd shape pockets in the floor collect debris.
Again, I am very pleased with my purchase, and just commenting on the things I have noticed. I have driven super dutys for years and have many things I like and I am used to an missing some of those!

 

Got around to filling up the truck Sunday afternoon. 560 odd miles on it with more than half of them hiway on the remaining leg of the trip from North OK back to Ft Worth and then commuting back and forth to work for the 3 days I had to work this week.
Computer showed 16.3 but the full tank math average was 16.5( i didn't wirte the numbers down but did the calculation at the pump). I always try to fill it up to the same click off point so my math should be close.
The temps took a tumble this week and i was leaving to work at (:30 at night with temps near or at freezing. Seems like it takes a while for the motor to warm up to operating temps enough to get the heater core wamred up and the inside of the truck warm. And I have it easy being down here in Texas. I do not have remote start so it is pretty much get in and go for me.
Find myself backing into parking spaces with the big ol long bed. The tail gate seems real light to lift and hoping that it is strong as I will be loading bikes, quads and stuff onto it a lot. I don't have a bedliner yet
And i have not witnessed a regen on this truck yet. not to say it hasn't happened as i wouldn't know what it was but have seen no indicator messages or?
I still can't get over how quiet this thing is compared to my 7.3 and my 6.0 motors. I can actually drive through and not shut off the motor!

 

4500 mile update, 3 longer pulls, 4x4 use and lock in rear end use.
Pulled the trailer from Ft Worth to Thackerville Ok in the rain. Ran around the speed limit going up with the wind and got around 12 mpg. Got to the track location, which was damp but not soak, pulled the 4x4 switch out to lock in the rear dif and pulled right in to our camp spot including backing up in sand with 0 wheel spin. no use of 4x4 needed. It proceed to rain the next 24 hours and then we raced our dirt, er, mud bikes in it...we left late Sunday evening and used 4x4 and the dif lock and still no wheel spin. I eased it out so not to splatter the camper and not a slip one. I really like this 4x4 with the dif lock over the non lockiing dif for sure.
Comutting home against the wind and again my mpg dropped to 10.5. My trailer must be a big parachute...
Commuted to work for 2 weeks and then loaded up and drove to Ft Smit Arkansas. Loaded a 4 wheeler in the back and 3 bikes in the toy hauler and headed out. With the wind, speed around 75 ish and we got about 11.7 mpg. Turned east on 40 with cross wind and dropped down to 10.8. Arrived in ft smith some 6 hours after leaving and a nice long sandy entrance road. pulled the dif lock and right in we went.
Traveling in this truck is rough. With the quad in the back and the 400+ pounds of tongue weight the truck squatted slightly but we can feel the rough roads pretty easy. Empty the thing will beat you to death. Of course, i probably run a little too fast but it seems to be rougher even the my short bed 05. The interior is very comfortable but wish it would absorb more of the bumps.
Fuel mpg overall from ft smith and back was around 10.8. we ran about 70 on the way back into the wind and from a cold front into a warm one( we literally watched the temperature change on the thermometer in the truck from 59 to 70 in 12 miles.
The great lie o meter is actually spot on to our pumped fuel vs miles calculations which i do like. I try to watch the mpg graph to optimize mpg but like to run a little too fast. The truck never shifts down with the 10,000 pound trailer loaded, is very quick on the on ramps and passsing, drives pretty straight down the road even in the wind. I don't use an equalizer hitch but i do use a sway bar and the truck and trailer track real well together with minimal sway.
expecting the smurf pee warning light anytime and planning to stop by autozone to pick up the box of blue def for the easy spout fill deal. Haven't changed oil or gotten any warning yet either. all is good at 4500 miles!

 

It's almost universally accepted on these forums, that the Rancho-branded FoMoCo shocks put on the FX4 trucks are total junk. I feel bad I haven't prioritized replacing mine yet , but I'd be willing to bet you if you went with some Bilstein 5100's or some 9000 series adjustable Rancho's your ride would improve 100%

I'll have some real-world reviews after all this year-end dust settles, my New Year's resolution is to replace my crap shocks with some better ones

 

I have driven it 4500 miles in 6 weeks so I am getting some seat time in it for sure. I do like the truck and hate the idea of having to replace the shocks right off the bat but if it doesn't settle in, then that may be the right way to go. I am not interested in lift kits but would like some bigger tires eventually but right now, getting a better ride will become a priority before spring.

 

I get approx the same mpg as you.When towing my fiver at 14k or so I get around 10-11... Everyday driving around 16.A regen will bring my overall mileage down on a tank of fuel about 1/2 to 1 mpg.I also dont have a light foot.I think its good for the truck to drive it hard sometimes anyways.I replaced my shocks with ones that are recommended here on this forum,the ride is somewhat better.I also have bags in the back too.It still rides rough like a truck with stiff springs will.But it rides leaps and bounds better then my 7.3 did.I wouldnt count on a substantial improvement with new shocks.

 

Air pressure in the tires plays a big part of the ride comfort in these things. Check what pressures you are running - I run 60psi all round, unless I'm towing or have my camper in the back, then I increase it to 80.

Also, as mentioned, might be worth replacing your shocks.
As for milage, I find keeping it around 60mph, I can eek out 20-21mpg unloaded.

 

5300 miles on it today. Been to Missouri once, Arkansas pulling the trailer, Oklahoma twice pulling the trailer and commuting 60 miles round trip to work.
I have noticed the motor is breaking in and making a little more noise but still very quiet.
Fuel mileage commuting in traffic is around 16...but stop and go drops it quick.
Making another Missouri trip over Christmas so we will get another chance to check mpg on the road with the motor broken in.
The Phone only gave me trouble once and I simply re sync'd it. The voice commands work great. I have used both sync and line in capabilities to play ipods and mp3 players.
No complaints at all. love the long bed, like the ability to fold up the rear seats and utilize the space. I did put in 2.5 gallons of smurf pee but didn't have a notice. I did not want to get surprised on the road.
I have hauled and pulled almost every weekend. I need to slow down when pulling my camper as i ruined my wheel bearings on the front right coming back from arkansas at 80 plus!