I have a 08 powerstroke with the DPF deleted and H&S XRT PRO chip installed with settings from stock to 300HP ........ Im planning a 8 hour trip towing a camper...

My questions are:

1. Whats the best HP setting to go with while towing 8000 to 10000 lb camper that long of a trip??

2. What would be the around about MPG on the trip?
Normally on a trip on the highway, I get 17-19 mpg (hand calculated ) on the 300HP tune

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I do understand that the 300hp tune will be creating alot of heat while towing so my settings range from 50, 160, 225, and 300hp .....

ANY HELP WILL BE APPRECIATED

 

Do you have a good exhaust temp gauge? I'd stick to a lower setting without one but with a good pyrometer you could probably run a higher setting if you're careful about watching the gauge.

 

Personally I tow stock tune with the trans adjusted only. You might be okay in the 50 with your camper, but that's it. Watch your temps, they'll tell you.

But my camper is close to 20k.

I'd expect 10-12 MPG towing.

 

Towards the end of my tenure with my 6.4, I became comfortable enough to run the bigger files while towing. I have a very disciplined right foot and had a Spartan for gauges so I would tow over 10k with the 275hp tune. Only on the long interstate runs. If it was a lot of stop and go traffic, I would turn it down. Never had a problem in the 35k miles I owned it doing this.

 

expect 7-8mpg with that weight

 

I do better than that towing almost double...

 

Thanks ....What do you normally do to your trans?? I also forgot to mention that I will be going up and over mountains

 

The trans is changed for shift points by the tuner regardless of tune. Since your pulling grades, for sure run stock. It's gonna drop your mileage more too...

 

With that weight I would normally tow with about an additional 50HP. I had a banks 6 gun for mine.


Must watch your EGT's.


Big tunes and heavy tow will lift the heads. That is why you want to be closer to stock power.

 

thanks!!! Guys

 

First you have to understand the tunes you have. Not all tunes are built with all the safety parameters in mind. Many race tunes focus on max power and no concern of safety. Im going to touch on the differences of timing, injector pulse width, and a half a dozen other things that are a consideration of these tunes, I'm just gonna hit the nuts and bolts of it.

When considering running a tune while towing you must have the actual engine coolant temp, EGT, OIL temp and trans temp to review in real time. The factory gauges in a 08-2010 are more or less idiot lights they will remain normal tell you exceed 230 coolant or oil or trans temp then the gauges moves to hot extremely fast basically at that point your overheated. Another point i like to add is most these tuners are not power at the flywheel they are power at the wheels. A stock truck only has about 275-285 at the wheels. The cooling system and drivetrain have been designed for this. With a 300 tune your probably around 540-550 to the wheels double the factory so we are reasonably straining everything 100 percent over stock.

I tell most people not to push more then a 200 hp tune when trying to tow, in reality there is no tune you cant tow with but each tune will require you to monitor and keep things in check. IF your not comfortable with that drop to a stock tune. In reality is there a difference in getting to your destination 20-30 minutes quicker at the cost of a 17,000.00 engine or 4,000.00 trans.

With that being said as a general rule i would not cross 1250-1300 EGT's, if running that high of an EGT closely monitor the water temp and oil temps along with the trans temp. if your coolant temps exceeds 220 or oil temp exceeds 228 and continues to rise without cooling down interment you are pushing the truck to hard and need to back out. The reason the pistons can take the heat is because they are oil cooled, after the oil becomes heat soaked the efficiency of the oil to cool the pistons and displace heat drops fast.

The best way to tow and this will apply to many different load ranges is picking a speed which the engine can sustain temperature without steadily rising. WHEN all the engine temps are rising with out an stabilization its a fact the truck will over heat and you will have problems.

Last but not least you have to watch the trans temps once you cross 215-220 your heading into a dangerous zone, i personal like to see my trans never higher then 215. The same towing strategy i mentioned above can be apply here as well if the trans continues to raise without stabilizing it will overheat, so we pick a speed and engine power level that the trans can handle and sustain temperature without rising.

You can not be set on any one temp to monitor, if you are going to be successful you most learn to look at all the info have and adjust your right foot as necessary , the life of your trans and engine depend on it.


[/QUOTE]. What would be the around about MPG on the trip?
Normally on a trip on the highway, I get 17-19 mpg (hand calculated ) on the 300HP tune[/QUOTE]

I can tell you i run one tune all the time, i run a 210 tow tune and running at a gcvw around 28-32K i get about 7-8.5 depending on the terrain. So for your application i would say plan for about 9-10.5 and anything more you should be very happy.

 

Does the tuner give you that much better MPG ? I have a 2010 with 21,000 miles on it and the best I can get is 10 MPG on trips. I get about the same towing my 5th wheel, although PA does eat a bit more fuel in the mountains.

 

Not the tuner so much, but the deletes that go with the tuners...

 

This is a common asked question. A tuner can help milage but, a tuner and DPF delete will have the most milage gain. Either modification comes with the price of your potentially losing your warranty if you still have any or your extended ESP warranty.

Most tuners today don't just add fuel they change a number of parameters in the engine that as a whole can improve milage thru better engine performance, but this is a doubled edge sword. If you don't drive the truck the same as when you did without the tuner milage will drop. Your right foot will dedicate the milage gains you get.

My truck got 9 MPG in town and 11.5 on the freeway stock. After all the mods i have done i get about 12.5-13.5 in town stop and go and 15.5-16.5 HWY 72mph no trailer which i am very happy with considering my truck weights around 9,000 lbs with all its accessories and 9800 + or -50 lbs with the 110 gallon transfer tank full.

 

I ran a banks 6 gun...a DPF on tune.


I could get 13 city and 17 on the hwy empty.


Towing heavy I would run in stock power and get 7-9 on average.


I sold my truck with 86K on it. Went to a DRW.


My lifetime average was 11.5 with the banks on there. I consider that pretty good as most of my miles (about 80%) was towing or hauling.