2012 Ford 6.2 w/4.30 towing Sabre 5th wheel. Est. GCWR 17,500. Starting with fresh MC oil/filter, fluids checked an running 80psi in tires. Truck tool box full. Tools, 2 cases water, 2 cases drinks and full cooler. Extra 5 gal gas can. 5th wheel prep, 2 full propane tanks, 10 gals fresh water, black tank prepped chemicals/2 gals water. Frig/freezer packed full. Food, clothing, pots/pans/ pet/human food/snacks, drinks.

Starting in southern Mo heading Northwest. Around Kansas City then North I-29 through Iowa toward Sioux Falls, SD. Started out using the tow haul mode with 5th gear locked out. Hit a bad north head wind all the way up to SD. Switched to Manual Mode and due to bad head wind held the throttle to the floor in 4th gear using 5th gear twice. Steady in 4th gear for 5 hours pinned with AC on consistant 3300 rpms. Mpg = 6.3. From Sioux Falls headed west I-90 through WY and MT. I really liked the manual mode and I think it ran a lot smoother rpm wise. Tow haul mode slowing down then upshifting and reving. In the manual mode I could look a mile ahead at hills coming and just push the + or - down or up for gearing. Normally using 4th on hills, couple times using 3rd. Traveling speed was 60-65. Couple times 70 to pass. Rpm wise it rolled nicely along at 2.5-3100. On occasions I used the cruise control 4th/5th gear. Hills would see rpms to 3100-4500 depending on terrain. Still not bad and was not noisey. Averaged mpg 6-10 depending where we were. We visited all the national parks(Mt Rushmore,Yellowstone,Tetons Etc...). Passing through 6 different mountain passes and continental divide twice. Using the manual mode going up and down. Very little brake usage on truck or trailer. My brake controller set a 7 for the rv. Most of the time going up used 3rd an on occasion switching to 2nd gear. Doing this held the truck/rv at 50-55 over the passes. Going down same thing using the gearing to hold back truck/rv. Only really tough climbing was when climbing to the Grand Canyon the temperature was 115 and we had been on the road for 4 hours already and crossed two passes with the AC running. Climbing one of the last hills I had to drop to 2nd gear reving to almost 5500 rpms. I kept hearing the engine and whooshing sound. My wife even said maybe we should stop and let the truck rest. I looked at all my guages and they had not moved. Throttle was to the floor but never did stop. Look out the side windows and noticed the trees swaying and realized the sound was a hot head wind. Truck never missed a beat. We averaged 280 miles a day. Which leads to 5-7 hours a day on the road. Stopping for breaks, gas, and lunch getting to our next camping site. We did two one nite camps and the rest averaged from 2-7 nites. Using the truck to go and see all the sites and attractions. I did take and extra air filter in case of dust/sand storms. Also, at 3300 miles I replaced the oil filter and added another quart. Figured spent $3.89 for MC 820-s, cheap insurance getting some of the sludge out. All in all the truck performed flawless and never hipcupped. I put it to the test all day running at seriously high heat. Checked the fluids a few times and all was good. I ran 87/88 octane on gas. I did notice that most highway signs advertising low gas price, this was for 85 octane. I Mostly ran 88 octane which they called mid grade. Ran fine. Maybe a little over kill but I purchased a 5 gallon Swedish made jerry can and holder for the trip. Kept 93 octane in it and switched it out twice. I kept and eye on gas gauge and when it was heading toward the 1/4 mark I started looking. I do remember somewhere between WY and MT about the time I was looking a sign on the road said "Gas now or Gas can later". So, I pulled in and filled up. So,, our trip went well with truck n trailer. Manual mode worked the best for me, reminding me of my old 1984 F250 stick but I didn't have to push a clutch pedal in. Total Mileage was just under 6,000 miles and 6 weeks on the road. At home the oil life meter said 18%. Right over 40000 miles on the odometer. Ready for another trip. Actually believe I did get the top end in on this trip. The truck wants to fly now. Sorry for being lengthy on report but wanted to share. Thanks for reading. Comments....

 

Now that you got your first good trip out of the way it will become natural, I don't check mileage between tanks just overall trip so I'm sure there's been a few time I down in the 6 range. You will learn to keep your rpms down around 4500 rpm when pulling a grade , that's where the torque peaks out. I. Change oil at 5K even when pulling hard.

Denny

 

Sounds like you had a nice trip. I enjoy going out west for our vacations as well; our favorite region to visit. (have been to all 48 of the lower States either by RV or motorcycle).

Headwinds can wreak havoc on mileage for sure. Most folks don't know that air resistance is exponentially parabolic. Double your speed and the resistance is squared! So when the air pushes at you, and you're vehicle is doing 55mph with a 20mph headwind, it's not linear; it's MUCH greater. The power demand becomes almost obscene. And "power" costs fuel; there is no way around that.

The "whooshing" sound was the radiator fan coming on. Typically they will freewheel under light to moderate loads, but heavy loads can cause the clutch to lock up (or electronics to engage). It can nearly become a "roar" when fully engaged and higher rpm. This is normal and nothing is wrong.

Changing your oil filter at 3300 miles is a waste. The filter is nowhere close to being loaded up. In fact, filters actually get MORE efficienct as they media loads up. The filter will pass more particulate and larger particulate when new, as the pores are at their largest size. You didn't harm anything, but you didn't help in the manner you believe. If your oil is "sludging" at 3300 miles then you have problems FAR LARGER than a new filter will ever solve.

 

Rvpuller,

You have a lot more experience with the 6.2 than I do, but don't you think instead of keeping the truck in manual mode at 3k rpms and pedal to the floor he would have been much better off going down a gear and letting the engine rev a bit more, which would actually let him let off the pedal a bit?

At least in my truck that is much better with heavy loads. Higher rpms but less pedal. 3k is not high rpms for this truck.

I've also noticed when doing a full throttle start the truck REALLY pulls harder once it hits 3.5k rpms with my tune. It's kind slow to accelerate or pull up hill until it hits that point and drops off around 5k, so when I'm going up a steep hill with a heavy load I like it around 4-4500. Just did this the other day towing close to 17k pounds and it pulled it awesome on the highway

 

Thanks for replies. I plan on using the MM when towing from now on. Only reason kept the throttle to the floor north to Sioux falls was because of the head wind. Other than that, like Denny said I have to get in the 4500 band when climbing and shouldn't have to use full throttle. Also, thanks for the information on the fan noise. Did make sense, sounded loud coming from the engine. But, 115 heat traveling 4 hours, ac on, climbing and hitting a head wind, glad it has a way to cool it down. I guess, on the oil filter change, I was going on what a friend said who runs a service station. Better off changing the filter, which cost $3.97, add a quart and run it another 3000. My dad used to do it back in the 60's., he complained then about price of oil. So, probably do the 4-5000 mile range from now on. Really proud of my truck and now I know what it will do when towing. Again, thanks.

 

Those winds going up to Nebraska/SD from Kansas City can be killer on the gas mileage.

I averaged 7.5 mpg carrying my truck camper going up there.

Looks like a nice trip. Going out west in a couple of days to the Grand Canyon and surrounding areas.

The 6.2 in the Super Duty is an awesome combo.

 

Another thing to consider when going west through Nebraska is the altitude change, you enter at 1200 ft and if you go all the way to Wyoming you will be at 5400 ft plus you are going against the prevailing winds but it never blows in Nebraska . I've come out of Wyoming headed east to SC Nebraska where we live (at 2K ft) and have gotten some great mileage pulling but if you average it with going the other direction it comes out to my normal 8, 8.5, 9.

Denny

 

I think there is a risk running 3K RPM and wide open for extended periods. That would be like taking a blow torch to the tops of the pistons. There is a reason Ford programs their transmissions to downshift and let the engine spin.

 

Thanks for the info!

 

That is a really clean tool box install

Sounds like your truck definitely got a work out. Lots of hot thin air where you went.
I'm sure you you know the weight of your rig far better than I ever would but that looks like a big ol' trailer I'd like to see it scaled.