3347 miles towing
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 349
Likes: 0
From: San Diego, CA
Originally Posted by top that
4x4 I don't know the weight i keep my speed below 65 I am pulling a 3 horse trailer with 2 horses it is all alum. with a 10ft. living quarters same trailer I pulled with my o3 6.0 and averaged 14mpg with it same load dealer says he is getting same complaint from eveyone that has bought one but he has no answers. Everone in the campgrounds fom N.C. to S.D. semms to have the same problem
With a 3.73, you should be getting better mileage than me with a 4.10 unless you are constantly pulling in the hills. With the 4.10s on mine, I can just go up the grades without slowing down. My transmission doesn't have to shift to a lower gear as often to climb, but I'm just guessing.
For me, with the weight I'm at, I'm happy to be getting 10 MPG towing.
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 278
Likes: 0
my dads new 250 with 3.73s empty is getting 14-17 mixed driving and if you really romped on it racing around town... you could get the average to fall to 11.9 but he hasnt towed yet
the reason the chevys get better mileage is because they run 245s on about everything to keep the factory rated "torque to the ground" numbers up , also that is why they do better in stock vs stock pulling tests, 275s vs 245s with the same gears, how can you compare, my f150 would smoke 245s but wouldnt chirp 275s
notice how the halfton chevies have 275s and 265s, they dont give a rip on towing on those because people are less li kely to view that when buying a halfton, but at the same time there is a 1ton right next to it with little sissy tires on it......there is a gravel pit company that my neighbor works for, they buy all chevy diesels, just about all of them go straight to the shop and they put 265s and bigger on them, one or 2 of them are on stock tires and will run circles around the others pulling on the highway...
the reason the chevys get better mileage is because they run 245s on about everything to keep the factory rated "torque to the ground" numbers up , also that is why they do better in stock vs stock pulling tests, 275s vs 245s with the same gears, how can you compare, my f150 would smoke 245s but wouldnt chirp 275s
notice how the halfton chevies have 275s and 265s, they dont give a rip on towing on those because people are less li kely to view that when buying a halfton, but at the same time there is a 1ton right next to it with little sissy tires on it......there is a gravel pit company that my neighbor works for, they buy all chevy diesels, just about all of them go straight to the shop and they put 265s and bigger on them, one or 2 of them are on stock tires and will run circles around the others pulling on the highway...
Junior User
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 65
Likes: 0
From: Hanover, PA
I have a F-550 with 4.88 rear. The truck empty weighs in at 11,400lbs. I should mention it has a landscaper dump on it. It has 600 miles on it and I usually tow a 13,000# trailer in 90% city. I am getting 9.2mpg. Might want to get that looked at. I also have an 06 F-350 6.0L and I feel the 6.4L tows better...
Last edited by Als03FX4; Sep 3, 2007 at 07:27 PM.
Posting Guru
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 1,380
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by fruth04
my dads new 250 with 3.73s empty is getting 14-17 mixed driving and if you really romped on it racing around town... you could get the average to fall to 11.9 but he hasnt towed yet
the reason the chevys get better mileage is because they run 245s on about everything to keep the factory rated "torque to the ground" numbers up , also that is why they do better in stock vs stock pulling tests, 275s vs 245s with the same gears, how can you compare, my f150 would smoke 245s but wouldnt chirp 275s
notice how the halfton chevies have 275s and 265s, they dont give a rip on towing on those because people are less li kely to view that when buying a halfton, but at the same time there is a 1ton right next to it with little sissy tires on it......there is a gravel pit company that my neighbor works for, they buy all chevy diesels, just about all of them go straight to the shop and they put 265s and bigger on them, one or 2 of them are on stock tires and will run circles around the others pulling on the highway...
the reason the chevys get better mileage is because they run 245s on about everything to keep the factory rated "torque to the ground" numbers up , also that is why they do better in stock vs stock pulling tests, 275s vs 245s with the same gears, how can you compare, my f150 would smoke 245s but wouldnt chirp 275s
notice how the halfton chevies have 275s and 265s, they dont give a rip on towing on those because people are less li kely to view that when buying a halfton, but at the same time there is a 1ton right next to it with little sissy tires on it......there is a gravel pit company that my neighbor works for, they buy all chevy diesels, just about all of them go straight to the shop and they put 265s and bigger on them, one or 2 of them are on stock tires and will run circles around the others pulling on the highway...
Last edited by DMAX-HD; Sep 3, 2007 at 07:02 PM.
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 175
Likes: 0
I've got an '08 f-250, crew cab 4x4 with 3.73's. I've towed a 13,000 lbs boat from cincinnati to knoxville tn. and averaged 8.5 mpg and that was not being nice to it...70-75 the entire way there and back. Empty, I'm averaging 16.5. I had a 2004 with the identical setup and would average somewhere around 17.5-18 empty and around 9 pulling the boat, the only difference was the '04 did not have NEAR the pulling power the '08 has. Needless to say, I'm happy.
Elder User
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 759
Likes: 0
From: Central Massachusetts
towed 16650# with my 450 this summer averaged 8.726 hand calculated. My 99 V10 averaged 7.5 by the computer probably about 7.1 actual. Big difference was towing my 450 I could keep it at any speed I wanted on the hills. Liked it better out of cruise control, I could pick it up a little more at the bottom and it wouldn't have to downshift often. On cruise it would drop to about 62mph downshift and get you back up to 67 in a hurry, you could really feel the torque. Couldn't be happier with the way it towed. Oh ya if it got 18 mpg like my Firehawk towing a lot of hot air.
FTE Stories
Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts
Top 6 Best Deals Available on New Fords & Lincolns Right Now
Brett Foote
This Hennessey Takes the Expedition Tremor's Off-Roading Capability to the Next Level
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Fords at 2026 Carlisle Ford Nationals
Joe Kucinski
3 Best / 3 Worst Parts of Modern Ford Ownership
Brett Foote
10 Amazing Upgrades That Solve Common Ford Truck Owner Headaches
Pouria Savadkouei
Every 2026 Ford Engine Explained
Brett Foote
10 Ugly Ford Trucks That We Still Kinda Love
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Every Truck Owner NEEDS (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath
Verdad Gallardo
Elder User
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 684
Likes: 2
From: Tucson, AZ
I get 8-8.5 towing 20k with my 450. I got about 5.5 towing the same trailer with my 250. And yes my 250 was WAY overloaded hence the reason for the new vehicle. However the V-10 with the 4.56 gears pulled it almost as good. Not a big difference in that respect except the V-10 is rapping out about 5,000rpm whereas the 6.4 purrs along at 2,500 or so. The 10 loves the rpms though.
Junior User
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 50
Likes: 0
From: Southeast Texas
Originally Posted by top that
I was not in tow mode I talked to a guy from florida who had over 10000 miles on his truck and he said mileage hadn't changed lucky if he got 8mpg towing very unhappy
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Fomoko1
Manitoba / Saskatchewan Chapter
51
May 21, 2007 02:50 AM