Took a trip from here in north central Montana to Colorado Springs last week. I said in a previous post that I would like to check milage on a tank that made 12 mpg. Well I did it on 3 tanks on the trip. Two of them were coming back across Wyoming in the typical wind there while running 75-80 mph on the interstate. The last tank from Billings to home was back down to 11.1 but on 2 lane into a tough wind with lots of power and fuel used to pass slower rigs.

Average on the whole trip was 11.6 mpg. Most all at 75 and up. Slower through Denver but with more speed changes in all the traffic. I won't say that it is gaining alot more power but with a little over 5000 miles the throttle response is definately improving. Oil is still at the full mark with 3000 mile on the change.

All in all very happy with the big 10 overall. No doubt 13 mpg is very possible with a little less speed and wind. Man am I ever sick of wind. Seems like we've had more wind in the last few months than we should have in a year.

I would also like to thank all the people on this board that helped me to decide on the v10. If it pulls like everyone says I'll be a very happy camper.

 

Nice to hear...and good report.

Dropping those mph...will certainly help your mpg. Especially since you have the 4.30 gears.


biz

 

Sorry about the double post guys. My computer showed it trying to submit after 20 min. Stopped it and hit submit again and wound up with twins.


Yeh, I know that speed is hurting milage results. Just seems that with the miles we have to cover that I can't make myself slow down much. Never did run a whole tank through my last rig at 65 or less to see what it would do.

 

Glad you like the towing of the V10. What size tires are you running on?

 

You've got a couple legs up on my 2V 4 speed V10 with your 3V 5speed V10...

I roll down the road at 17,000#'s and have pulled 5 mile long 7% grades on I-64 thru West Virginia (Appalachians) this summer at 70MPH!!!...this motor can motor!

I've pulled thru your neck of the woods in 2006 (Black Hills, Big Horns and Rockies) and am planning Rockies again (Eisenhower pass ~11,300' ) this summer...

You've got the PERFECT combo (IMO) of V10 and 4.30's for shear grunt and pulling power...plus you've got more HP and Trq than I do and that extra gear you've go will do wonders for you as well.

One tip I've learned on my V10...when pulling grades...for my 2V motor 3200RPMS is MINIMMUM you need...3150 is too low (trust me)...

With your 3V motor...my bud has found that 3000RPMs to be the MINIMUM (trust him). The power curves on our motors has a small plateau below that number...while you would 'think' that plateau is strong...in my experiences if you hit that plateau you fall backwards...remember I've pulled 7% grades at 70mph...that 3200RPM was KEY.

PLUS you've got altitude working AGAINST you out there...the higher you go up...the more power you lose. It is a simple fact of normally aspirated computer controlled motors. The air/fuel ratio is held constant by the computer...the less air means less fuel is released...less fuel means less power...so for each ~1000' of elevation you lose ~2-4% of your power...thankfully you are starting with MORE than me!

Sorry for the long post...sounds like you are having a ball!...I know I do when I hitch up and ask my lady to PULL...she LOVES TO PULL...and the 4.30's make life effortless for the driver...

CAMP and PULL ON!

joe.

 

Mmaxxed, What grade fuel are you using in that 08? I was running 88 but went down to 85.5 and havent got it to ping so I think Ill stick with the cheap stuff. I live in billings, and found on this website that because we are at higher elevation the lower octane is actually better?

 

Tires are the 275/75-18.

I'm starting to really look forward to towing Hemi Guy. I know what you mean about using the RPMs. On long hills into that nasty wind in WY it would run about 37-3800 at 80 mph in 4th. If I let off and let it shift into OD it took alot more pedal to keep the speed. Almost wish it didn't have a tach. I thought my Dmax was rapped out at 3k RPM.


I'm running the 88 oct fuel. Mine really didn't seem to like the 85.5 stuff. Runs much better with the 88 although I had no pinging with the regular. Shouldn't suprise me though. I've never had a rig that ran decent on the low grade crap. Well, we had a Buick with the 3.8 that ran OK but got 3-4 mpg better with the 88. Maybe I'll try the regular again just to see.

 

I actually got 1.5 better with the lower stuff but it could have been from different stations too. I guess ill have to do some experiments when going on my coyote hunting trips! That is if we ever get any snow!!! haha

 

If any snow does fall from the clouds over Billings it may not hit the ground until some where east of Miles City the way the wind has been lately.

What kind of milage heve you been getting? What Gears?

 

You arent kidding haha. Ive been getting around 13-14 on the highway using the 85.5 in my 00 f-250. I also have an 03 e-350 van and got 17.2 from casper to billings, also with the v-10. I couldnt beleive it. These are both the 2vs though. 3.73 gears in both

 

Hey MT guys, I live in Gillette WY. I used to run 88 octance but tried 91 to see if there was a difference and there was. I won't say there was a big difference but it just seems to run a little better. Congradualtions on your 2008 Mmaxed. I went to the dealership just to test drive one and I loved it. Maybe one day my 2001 will crap out on me so I can get an 2008.

 

I just put 10 gallons of 88 in it and my idle seems a lot smoother so it must be better, im looking forward to highway trips to see if mpg is affected at all. Thanks for the input ill have to try a tank of that also!

 

I fueled with 91 at one stop recently. I didn't think I could tell any change from the 88. It seems like there is more variation in the fuel station to station than we would like. I know that typicaly the higher octane stuff gets a better additive package.

All we should need is enough octane so that the computer isn't pulling the timing back to control pinging. The higher the elevation the less octane should be needed. Maybe here at home at +/- 3000 ft, I need more that the 86 offers.