blackf3504dr --I generaly pull between 60-65 mph. ( I'm not on a hurry ) .

Does your 96 have an intercooler? drw or srw? What do you pull? What mpg do you get when pulling, apposed to empty?

 

No intercooler ,DRW .5 speed CC with 411s and 235 85R 16s .Pulling our 30' travel trailer I get between 11 and 14 mpg. . Empty it's 15 to 18 mpg. . I've had the truck a few months and have not taken it any distance with out the trailer in tow , so I don't really know how well it will do on the highway by it's self .

 

I pull a few trailers and with a 1999 F250 I noticed the front of the trailers really bowing in and out while towing at higher speeds. I then used my buddies F350 DRW 2000 model to pull the same trailer with the same mods and I guess the flare outs for the DRW dont cause as much air to hit the front of the trailer and it did pull it easier. Then he put a wing on the top of his to get the air over the trailer and it was like night and day. It makes a hugh difference to get the air off the front of the trailer. His mileage went up 3mpg just from the wing. he was getting 10 before the mod. Its paying for itself very quickly at todays fuel prices. I havent tried the wing of the F250 yet but I dont pull trailers on the highway that often or far so its not worth it to me. He spend over 600 on a really nice chrome wing. The one good thing is the wing looks SWEET and can be removed easily if needed.

Our thinking was looking at Semi trucks. They have all the power in the world to pull but they make sure they get all the wind off the front of the trailer. Plus my wifes Uncle and aunt are truck drivers (over 30 years each for both of them) and they say the trucks they use that dont have air scoops or air diverters makes a big difference when hauling a load.

 

Well, I was going to do a test with my Superchip in, but the roads got bad and I had to sleep a couple hours in a rest stop so my mpg test was toasted from idling. Seems to be getting about the same as without though. It just doesn't feel as good under the pedal. If I can get my wife to give me the combination to the piggy bank, I'm going to get a new programable tuner and some pipes and gauges this summer. Those wifes are funy things, seems she wants me to build her a new house before I can spend any more money on my truck.

 

On the 02 PSD we used to have it got 8-10 empty and 4-5 loaded. Pretty nice truck except for the mileage.

 

Just be sure to build the ultamate garage along with the new house !

 

Man that's BAD ! My '95 Volvo ( big truck ) with a 430 HP. Detroit could knock down those kinda numbers pulling a load ! Must be something REALLY wrong with that PSD .

 

That is bad, real bad.

 

FERacing66 --On the 02 PSD we used to have it got 8-10 empty and 4-5 loaded. Pretty nice truck except for the mileage.

That sounds like gas burner milage. My worst has been 8.5 pulling hard, 11,000# at 75 mph, against the wind.

 

Where can you buy these 'wings' at?

 

Yea where can you get the wings and are they hard to install ??

 

Here's one link, but I'm sure there are more. http://www.taylorwings.com/rvwings.htm
Be sure to paste this into your browser or you won't get to the designated site.

 

my 97 gets 8-14mpg towing 12k gooseneck horsetrailer

last time i was heading tward new mex i had head wind all the way and only got about 8. or through the mountains, get 12-14 most of the time though. runnin usually around 70. 3.55 gears cruise contol helps a bunch too

 

Here's a few more links. Taylor is the only one I noticed giving a gaurantee not to blow off or scratch your paint. But many have different idea's about design.

http://www.campingworld.com/browse/s...m?skunum=21344
http://www.rv-air-deflector.com/rv-a...quick-info.htm
http://www.wingmaster.com/aerotravel3.htm

 

I have a 97 f250 psd, quad cab with a bolted on 1000# pop top camper, i try to keep it at 2000 rpms, 72mph and it gets 16mpg if the head wind isn't a factor. pulling a 1000#boat drops it to 14-15 or so. A friend has a similar truck also un-chipped, no camper, but a 99 with a manual tranny, claims 24mpg empty at 2000rpm's, 18mpg pulling 8000lbs of horses, says the difference is the tranny and the 99 has a stock 4inch exhaust and is also not "necked down at the turbo like the 97". any truth to these claims about a 99 vs. a 97, and does that mean going to a 4 inch exhaust is useless unless you look at the restriction at the turbo? any thoughts would be appreciated, cheers, paul