9.5 Mpg???
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9.5 Mpg???
Yep, got my alltime low today of 9.5MPG pulling a 10' enclosed trailer weighing a slight 2400lbs. Strong wind it was, however I owuld have never expected that low, what gives? Any ideas what will affect MPG the most? Cant imagine filters, etc...any ideas? I tend to only get 13 to 14 pulling the same trailer on good days. Whats the best mod for fuel economy?
2002 PSD, 4x4, CC, 285/75/16, auto in OD all the way.
2002 PSD, 4x4, CC, 285/75/16, auto in OD all the way.
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Joined: May 2001
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From: Cabot, Arkansas
When pulling any sort of "box" trailer the vehicle speed and the wind are the variables more than the weight. Airflow mods (high flow intakes and exhaust) along with a chip calibrated for towing can give milage improvements whle towing, but the biggest key is to take your foot out of it. Taking off easy and letting the torque bring you up to speed as opposed to standing on it to keep up with traffic, and slowing your cruise down by 5 mph or so will do wonders for your towing milage.
Hotshot
Joined: Mar 2001
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From: Manhattan, KS
That sounds like pretty low mpg, but as Cookie 88 said there are a lot of variables. I've towed an older (heavy) 5th wheel camper into and quartering in a heavy cross wind that was gusting to 50 mph and managed about 11 mpg. I kept the speed down to 50-60 mph. I'm sure that if I was trying to cruise 65 mph or more in that wind I would have had much worse mileage. Also I've found that the auto shut off on different fuel pumps at stations can stop at different points, so I may not always fill to the same level. Third point, we are into winter blend fuel in a lot of areas and that will hurt mileage.
Del
Del
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From: Western, Montana
Fbina109
Sounds about like what I get. My experience and what other drivers have said is the wind. I have got a slow as 8.5 in Wyoming and Eastern Montana bucking the wind. Sometimes so bad that it kept going out of overdrive. I have found that cruise control in hilly country drops the MPG. I have learned (due to the price of diesel) to keep my lead foot out of it. I now try to stay under 2000 RPM's. Last trip it ran between 10.5 and 12.5 towing a fifth wheel. I get 16 to a high of 18.5 unloaded. I do use Diesel Kleen and Mobil 1 Synthetic. I believe that both of these have helped the mileage a little. Next I will ad synthetic to the transmission, based on information from this forum.
1999.5 F-250, Lariat, 4X4, Auto, X-Cab, Long Box. Banks Bighead, Banks Trans-Command, Gauges.
If you can read this thank a teacher. If you can read this in English, thank a soldier. In memory of Spec. James Wolf 1982-2003.
1999.5 F-250, Lariat, 4X4, Auto, X-Cab, Long Box. Banks Bighead, Banks Trans-Command, Gauges.
If you can read this thank a teacher. If you can read this in English, thank a soldier. In memory of Spec. James Wolf 1982-2003.
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From: Central Montana
I run a 99 f350 dually crew with superchip lowest program setting everything else stock. When pulling a 27.5 arctic fox appx 11,000# I get 8.5 to 9 running 80 mph. Don't know what I get slower cause it's too much fun using all that power.
BUT, with the current fuel prices!!! --for a test last week I pulled the chip and ran 85 mph empty from Montana to Utah got 10.5 Paid $80.00 for a tank of fuel, SLOWED down to 70 or a little less than 2K rpm and mpg went up to about 15. Putting the chip back in next tank and check again.
BUT, with the current fuel prices!!! --for a test last week I pulled the chip and ran 85 mph empty from Montana to Utah got 10.5 Paid $80.00 for a tank of fuel, SLOWED down to 70 or a little less than 2K rpm and mpg went up to about 15. Putting the chip back in next tank and check again.
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I keep hearing the same thing, SLOW DOWN. I agree, it's just so hard to do when the truck will blast along at 75 in OD and never shift out. My old gasser was in and out of OD all the time with the same trailer. I was driving at 70 on this trip however. So from what I gather the wind can and will drag the MPG down, no matter the weight, and this MPG is normal? I just can' drive under the speed limit!
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From: Leesburg , Fl.
Well ; I hate to tell y'all this ......But evan though your truck does fine towing at high speeds ( 75-80 ) the trailer and more importantly the trailer tires are not designed for high speeds . I like to drive fast too , but NOT while towing !
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The first time I towed a 25' T/T from Washington State to Nebraska, I started off going 60 mph, keeping the RPM's at about 2K. I realized I could drive 70-75 mph no problem. Since this was alot more fun, I kept at that speed all the way there eastbound on I/90. I had a horrible headwind, but I kept my foot foot/cruise control there none the less. My son wanted to me to go faster and I tried and tried 
. Anyway, my mpg was about 8.5 per gallon. Speed and headwind were definately big factors.
On the return trip I was empty, no trailer, with a great tailwind. My mpg at about 65 mph was 16.5 to 17 mpg. The trailer, headwind, and speed definately affected my mileage.
On a side note, my PSD really liked running ***** to the wall against a headwind, gas mileage be damned!!
. Anyway, my mpg was about 8.5 per gallon. Speed and headwind were definately big factors.On the return trip I was empty, no trailer, with a great tailwind. My mpg at about 65 mph was 16.5 to 17 mpg. The trailer, headwind, and speed definately affected my mileage.
On a side note, my PSD really liked running ***** to the wall against a headwind, gas mileage be damned!!
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From: Central Montana
Blackf350fdr- I like to drive fast too , but NOT while towing !
I'll concede that 75 or 80 is too fast in most pulling situations. On more than one occassion I've seen pull-behind rv's laying on their sides or absolutely shredded spreading debris for a half a mile in high wind zones. As a matter of fact, just last night I saw a guy pulling his rig and flatbed trailer out of the ditch on Monida pass. Seems he didn't know that snow packed roads are slick too. My truck and trailer operators manual says something about not driving over 55 when pulling. Is that the speed you pull?
My fifth wheel is very well built and my towing equipment is capable of handling those speeds or I wouldn't do them. Although, I can't imagine why my ten ply heavy duty trailer tires arean't as capable of spinning at 75 just a quick as my ten ply truck tires.
I'll concede that 75 or 80 is too fast in most pulling situations. On more than one occassion I've seen pull-behind rv's laying on their sides or absolutely shredded spreading debris for a half a mile in high wind zones. As a matter of fact, just last night I saw a guy pulling his rig and flatbed trailer out of the ditch on Monida pass. Seems he didn't know that snow packed roads are slick too. My truck and trailer operators manual says something about not driving over 55 when pulling. Is that the speed you pull?
My fifth wheel is very well built and my towing equipment is capable of handling those speeds or I wouldn't do them. Although, I can't imagine why my ten ply heavy duty trailer tires arean't as capable of spinning at 75 just a quick as my ten ply truck tires.
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From: Central Montana
Come to thiink of it. I saw a guy a couple of years ago in Arizona. He had a louvered tailgate and a aluminum fin on top of the cab that diverted air over the trailer. He was pulling a 36 fiberglass rv with a 96 f250 getting about 17 mpg (so he said). He wasn't stock, had 100 hp tune gauges, big pipes etc... He wan't driven 55 either.
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From: Chicago suburbs
Well, I have an 01 7.3 PSD CC 4x4 Larial and I put on my 35x12.5 when it only had 1000 miles. Got about 16.5 mpg until 2 summers ago and brought it to the stealership's attention that it was getting about 11 - 12 mpg. They said that the diesel does not have an EPA mpg and they could do nothing for me. They said it was due to the tires I put on. I tried to explain that I've had the tires on for two years and was running fine at about 16.5. Would not listen. So now I been running about 11 -12 mpg in the warmer months and 8 - 10 mpg during the colder months. Now it hurts when I fill up every week. Funny thing is that when I had to pull off the batteries for something a few months ago, after putting the batteries back on, for the first day or so, I got 16 - 18 mpg, then went down from there.
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I have noticed an overall drop in milage as well. On the highway I was getting 17, now it is down to about 15 with no trailer. Thats at 75mph and 2200rpm. Around town has diminished as well, mostly due to my foot. I just changed the filter today, it was very dirty, only 10,000 miles on it, so I'll see if that helps.
Lets be honest here, 65mph on any highway in the midwest and you are blocking traffic.
Lets be honest here, 65mph on any highway in the midwest and you are blocking traffic.
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From: Leesburg , Fl.
Originally Posted by Clemzeter
My truck and trailer operators manual says something about not driving over 55 when pulling. Is that the speed you pull?
My fifth wheel is very well built and my towing equipment is capable of handling those speeds or I wouldn't do them. Although, I can't imagine why my ten ply heavy duty trailer tires arean't as capable of spinning at 75 just a quick as my ten ply truck tires.
My fifth wheel is very well built and my towing equipment is capable of handling those speeds or I wouldn't do them. Although, I can't imagine why my ten ply heavy duty trailer tires arean't as capable of spinning at 75 just a quick as my ten ply truck tires.
