I am thinking about purchasing a 2008 F-250 4x4 supercab with 4.10 gears and towing a 10,000 lb travel trailer. I just am wondering if will be enought engine to tow my trailer, and what kind of fuel mileage I can expect?

 

gas mileage will be a big fat 6. maybe 9 with a tail wind. I have the 2007 6.0 and have a 8,600 pound (dry) 5th and get about 9 MPG. But if you are only towing a few times a year and not making any long trips, don't worry about it. Just go out and get a aftermarket 50 gallon gas tank to replace the factory tank. At least with that you can get some mileage out of each tow.

 

just depends on how you drive it really. if you plan on running 70-75 mph, expect single digits. ive never gotten less than 14 mpg with mine, no matter what i was towing. but when im towing our tt i dont go over 55-60 mph. both of my trailers weigh in the 7-8k range and i have no problems with them at all. ive towed as much as 12k with mine and thought the engine was enough for it, but im a patient tower. i dont have to run 75 mph everywhere i go, and i dont mind downshifting from time to time if im going up a hill. so if thats you, the 5.4 will be fine. but if you like to set the cruise at 75 and stay in overdrive, then you may want to look at a v10 or a diesel.

 

Where you want to tow is also a factor...

A 10K# travel trailer on flat grounds running 55mph is one thing.

A 10K# travel trailer pulling Eisenhower pass on I-70 in Colorado is a totally separate thing.

If most of your towing will be east coast MD area and as suggested previously...you don't have to run in OD constantly...well the 5.4L may suit you well...

FWIW...I roll down the road at 17,000# combined weight. I have a 4.30 geared V10. I do not mind shedding speed on grades like the professional truck drivers do (5-10mph)...and with the cost of fuel...even though I could put my foot in her to maintain speed...shedding some speed saves fuel...so I'll drive that way...BUT the point is that I'm heading to the Rockies next Friday on a 4000 mile tow...My towing habits know NO boundaries...I'm comfortable with my setup...if your towing will include steep mountain passes...a 10K# TT will give the 5.4L a workout...but if you only venture there like I do...every once in a while...you certainly won't win any races...but you may find the combo works well.

Also...my 5000 mile towing average for last year was 8.3mpgs...but I drive right at 65...I'm sure even if I slowed to 55...I would not get 14mpgs as previously reported...and my V10 works much easier pulling a load than a 5.4L!...but that posted MINIMUM 14 is one of the highest towing averages I have seen in a while too...I sure wish I could figure out how to achieve it...

I think you should be prepared for 9mpg or lower with that load and you won't be disappointed...well steep pulls will certainly consume more petrol but that is to be expected...

Also make sure you are within all your weight ratings...

Good luck,
joe.

 

For pulling a 10k load I would definately go with the v10. You will have enough power and get just about the same fuel mileage. 4.30 gears are a good option.

 

Definatly spend the extra $600 and get the V10. Also don't forget to get the 4:30s, they are the best.

 

the 5.4 will do, mine does. no you will not win any races. i don't think it is worth getting the v10 unless you are doing alot of towing. when you are not towing the trailer i am sure that v10 w/ 4.30 gears is going to suck gas with the best of them. at $4 a gal that will add up pretty fast. i tow 10,000lbs 5th wheel(that is fully loaded) with my 2v 4sp auto, i have not been in the mountains but there are some very good hills in southern ohio and i have yet to think that i don't have enough truck. is the 10,000lbs the dry weight of the camper? if it is then a v10 would not be a bad idea. after water, propane, all of your stuff, and half the house the wife will pack you could be getting a little heavy. if fully loaded is 10,000lbs then you will be fine.

 

well, the v10 gets about 3-5 mpg worse than the 5.4 when youre just driving it. so youve got to subtract that right off the bat. but most importantly, i take my time when im towing. i pull out at a nice easy speed, keep her below 2500 rpm, and just take my time. i dont need to keep up with traffic when i pull out. and most of my towing is done on relatively flat ground with only a few hills here and there. would i get 14 mpg towing my same trailer up the hills in colorado someone else mentioned? no. i may be lucky to get 10 there. but ill be more than happy to take you for a ride with mine when im towing. if i get better than 13.5-14 mpg, then you buy the gas.

 

No it wont be enough. We did that for one summer and went and bought an F350 diesel again the following summer. It was dangerous for us in the mountains because the load was controlling the truck more than we were. Also when we lost our power band there was no getting it back on a hard climb. If you are going to do hills/mountains I'd recommend a v10 or a diesel.

 

Not quite - all other things being equal, such as terrain and driving style, the 5.4 and the V10 will get comparable mileage, within a mpg. Been there done that.Both ran between 12-13 mixed driving unloaded. (Comparing 3V modulars). Loaded w/ same load and driving conditions, the mpg will be very close, up to about 10k load. I routinely get about 9 with either engine hauling 10k. And I don't care what brand truck is pulling 10k, if it's a gasser expect in the neighborhood of 9 MPG.

 

My theory is that if you are towing something that heavy you really shouldn't be concerned about mileage, you should be concerned about your safety and the safety of those on the road around you. If you are going to driver slower than the posted speed limit to save on fuel you are holding up traffic and you are a danger to everyone else on the road around you. If you don't have the power to do the posted speed limit and are donig well below it again you are a danger to not only youself but those on the road around you. JMHO though.

 

Tell that to the thousands of big rig drivers out there -- they drive at the speed they choose, and it's not always at the limit --

 

I'm not really sure what the point is in the quote above. The OP asked about a very capable 3V 5.4L Triton V8 motor in a 3/4 ton chassis. Will it be the fastest on the road?...well with today's fuel prices...we ALL could learn something about speed and how it directly relates to MPG's...faster means lower and slower means higher...

Many states have posted speed LIMITS of 70-75 yet trucking firms are setting governors to 66mph...are THEY a DANGER to those around them?

This past holiday weekend I drove home on the interstate (not towing)...I drove 58mph in our mini-van. It was amazing how many trucks and other cars were driving right around 60mph with the LIMIT being 65 here in Indiana. A LIMIT is the MOST you can travel not the LEAST...

Sure you had your folks driving 70+...but hey they're driving ABOVE the LIMIT...since they are breaking the law and exceeding the limit...I must drive faster to not be a danger to THEM?...

The OP's question about a 2008 F250 with 3valve 5.4L Triton V8 tugging 10K#'s likely does NOT exceed any of his tow ratings...I don't know I didn't look them up...but everyone doesn't have to top every grade accelerating to prove they have the power.

My V10 with 4.30's can pull like a freight train...but that doesn't mean I don't feather the throttle on grades and OMG shed some speed to save on fuel...do I feel unsafe?...well no more unsafe than being around folks EXCEEDING the speed limit by ~10mph or more...

The limit is the most you can travel and many roads post the MINIMUM you can travel...and I've seen 40-45 mph as the MINIMUM...

If someone rear ends a slower moving vehicle...it is NOT the slower moving vehicles fault...sorry...

I leave on a 4000 mile pull next Friday...you can be assured that I am going to employ some of philips techniques in an attempt to save a few gallons of fuel...I'm not in a rush and I know my V10 can do amazing things...I'm not insecure that I have to prove that to anyone...she has proven her worth to me and now I'll let her pull at a slower speed...

This is also simply my $0.02

joe.

 

id much rather have a tire blow out on a trailer doing 55-60 in a 65 than to have one blow out doing 80 trying to prove how bad a$$ my truck is. id also much rather have time to stop in a reasonable amount of time when an impatient driver like you cuts me off because im not doing 20 mph over the speed limit. trailer brakes are great, but when youre towing that kind of weight you arent going to stop on a dime. and towing isnt a drag race either. i dont need to run my truck to 4k rpm pulling out from a red light to show what kind of power it has.

 

where you lose the most of your mpg is accelerating up to speed and the aerodynamics of what you are pulling. not how much your load weighs. once you get the weight moving you dont have to work as had to keep it moving, unless you go up a hill. i got better gas mileage pulling a 10k lb horse trailer than i did a 5k lb camper simply because my horse trailer was more aerodynamic and let air flow through it.

more resistance=worse gas mileage, no matter what the terrain. more weight=slower acceleration, but doesnt affect mileage unless youre in a hilly terrain. take about a 1k mile ride down i-40 on the flat lands and pull a 15k lb airstream one way and then pull a 10k lb 5th wheel on the way back and then tell me im wrong on that one.