What is this mythical tail wind you speak of, lol

 

I just got done driving over 1400 miles in 2 days towing my 5th wheel. My average over the whole trip was 5.9mpg towing at 72mph. The fuel economy is quite a bit better at 65mph BUT I had to drive 1400 miles and the speed limit was 75mph almost the entire way. My truck had a lifetime average of 9.9mpg until this trip it must have reset. My empty mileage has been in the 12mpg range which is actually worse now than my 3.73 truck got. In the hills I was getting 5.6mpg. In the flat states I was able to stay in 10th gear at 72mph about 2200rpm. In the hills it shifts from 10th to 8th and back. 8th gear at 72mph is about 2800rpm and the fuel economy difference between 8th/2800rpm and 10th/2200rpm is like .5mpg.

Pretty terrible.

 

@OBS460 pulling heavy and fast with these pigs can sux the fuel for sure but amazing the power of the 7.3 doing it and not running in the high temps either on the engine or transmission. I think Ford did a good job with all the coolers especially on mountain climbs.

I just finished a 1,000 mile move myself from AZ, NV, UT, WY, SD which seemed like uphill the entire way. We also were moving along at mostly 70-75 when the dually 6.7 towing the 5th wheel 16k+# was slowing down on the mountain climbs, it's losing power on climbs and need to get in the shop. I mentioned to the wife she might need to push me up the grade with the 7.3.
Hand figured for the 6.7 was 8.68mpg which is down a 1-1.5 mpg and the 7.3 carrying my work stuff and towing the Wolverine X4 was 12.19mpg which is on par for mileage and not bad at all for mountain territory. 😉

 

I drove from AZ to UT, ID, OR and WA last spring and I do remember A LOT of uphill. I didn't drive 70mph most of the way and I got at least 6mpg that trip. My trans only hit 219 this trip because I didn't really go through any mountains in western TN and KY. My truck goes in the shop in a week and then my 5th wheel goes in the week after that so I might be looking for a shorter, lighter 5th wheel while I'm houseless.

 

I've got a 1200mi trip in 2 weeks. Up and down I-81, VA to NY and back. I'll be empty though. I'm not sure if I'm driving yet, because if my dad is going the same dates as I am, I'll just ride with him. It would be a good test though.

I should just take my 42mpg Mazda if I was smart

 

Thats not as fun though. When we had 3 vehicles, 2 that got over 30mpg, I still daily drove my 460/5spd. Way more fun and worth the 11mpg. I just put insurance back on it and dropped my 2022 off for warranty work today.

 

Whenever my family goes just about anywhere, 99.9% of the time we take my truck over my wifes Edge.

 

Got my front crank seal replaced and the pump seal in my 10R140. They replaced 15quarts of ULV and the trans filter. I got 14mpg driving 70mph for 170 miles round trip this morning. Uppers 60s, high humidity and a light breeze under 5mph and below 1000ft elevation.

 

Purchased new in Sept. 2021 and just crossed over 23,000 miles. In town driving MPG creeping up towards 13, averaging about 12.7 -12.8 but will peak for a moment above 13. For what it's worth, I run the big can of Seafoam in a 1/2 full tank at oil change time and half way between oil changes. I don't top off the tank. When the pump shuts off, it's full. It is my understanding overfilling is not good for the emissions systems.

We towed the 5th wheel (#8500 or so) out to Arkansas to see the eclipse and thus got to tow through the Ozarks. On some of the trip the towing MPG was 9.8 - 9.9. I kept watching for it to go to 10 so I could get a picture for bragging rights. But it never did.

Got some bad gas at a Pilot truck stop. Bad service, too. After that we ran ethanol free 91 octane (at $4.14 a gallon) for the rest of our trip.and some Seafoam. Got a lot of pre-ignition clatter going uphill and on acceleration. Took two more tanks of good regular gas when we got home to get back to normal with no clattering.

But, as others have noted, the longer these trucks are driven, the better the MPG seems to get, slowly but surely.

 

I have 3 cans of Seafoam sitting in my garage. I use to run it religiously in my 460 but I just ran 2 cans of Schaeffer's Neutra fuel treatment in the 460. I'll probably dump some Seafoam in my 7.3. I find out what is happening with my 5th wheel next week and I might be selling my 2022 if my 5th wheel is going bye-bye. I cant justify owning my 2022 anymore if that's the case.

 

Frame flex.... aka broken frame?

 

We shall see. The shop took measurements and said everything was within spec and then mentioned the tail section being 3/16" off in one part. They must say 1/4" is within spec. I went and pointed out the areas of concern and they checked with a square and then it was obvious to them and they said it's unrepairable. There is also a cross brace that has broken welds and it is pushing down on the underbelly. Now I'm waiting to hear from the powers that be whether it is repairable or not. They move like pond water. I dropped it off 3 weeks ago Monday and the shop had an estimate done up right away but they had to submit it for approval.

 

That sux... Let me guess... Grand Design

 

of course. I explained to them that they designed a camper rated for 14k lbs on the axles but when you load it to 14k lbs it is 7800lbs on the driver's side and 6200lbs on the door side. Even if I didn't load anything into the driver's side and only the door side it is impossible for it not to be over the 7k spring rate on that side because it is 1100lbs heavier on the driver's side empty. I showed them a picture of brand new springs with no weight on the trailer and the driver's side are flat.

 

I have run a can of Seafoam just before oil changes in Ford fuel injected trucks since 1994 for about half a million miles total across 3 trucks. It's the only "additive" I ever use. I have never had a fuel system related problem or a fouled plug. Or any other engine problem internal to the engine itself. I have started running a can halfway between oil changes since Ford says to run the oil much longer now.

Lucas and Walmart have the same thing only cheaper.