So your Dad's 351 "oddball" E350 can go "about" 700 miles on a tank, even with a "towed car"? WOW!!!! He must have one of those miracle magnetic fuel stabilizers that align the molecules of gas?

You realize it likely has the optional 35 gal tank & "1/4 tank" is a maximum of 8.75 gal, making a "175 mile round trip" 20 MPG, not "17mpg"? A '92 brochure only lists a 22 gal tank. Imagine 32 MPG!

In actual use the tank has expansion space & can't be filled completely so you only have "about" 32-33 gal max. Figuring on the low side "1/4 tank" is just 8 gal & would mean nearly 22 MPG. If you could burn every drop, w/o expansion space OR a gal or 2 left sloshing around, 35 gal at 17 mpg is only 595 miles, not quite 150 miles on "1/4 tank". Allowing for both expansion & gas left after fuel pump runs dry, let's say you can use 32 gal, gives a range of only 544, just 136 mi for "1/4 tank" at 17 mpg.

Sorry, but when MPG is presented based on, once upon a time "(about a 175 mile round trip) on 1/4 tank of fuel" I tend to be suspicious. I respectfully suggest there's some problem w/your numbers & they do not represent "consistant" MPG most owners can ever expect. Usually when something seems to good to be true, it isn't true.

 

I appear to have started an interesting discussion here - hopefully can report back at a later date, after doing some work on the truck, with some more gas figures, having taken note of everybodys comments. Just out of interest, I am also about to convert to LPG (will run dual fuel), which is a whole different subject, but can save a lot of hard earned cash over here in the UK. This will bypass any engine sensors, gas being controlled by a new 02 sensor operating a stepper motor, and feeding a twin mixer on the throttle body. Interesting to see what mpg I get then.

 

Any sensor problem will hurt milage, this one is located midway down the drivers side of the lower intake, probably easiest to get at with the doghouse removed.

 

Good luck w/the LPG conversion. Can cost a lot over here.

Gasolene prices fell from over $4/gal to well under, but now back up to, $2/gal. However I still pay ~$4/gal for my LPG at home.

 

I must admit that while 17 mpg sounds a little high, 14 mpg is certainly obtainable I can assure you, with "consistancy"! I guess we're no differen't than those driving all these 24' Sprinter van motor homes claiming 23-24 mpg just because it's a diesel. As for me I just always make sure that I change the air in all my tires, especially the 'spare' at least once a month, and I continually check to make sure that my back wheels are going forward!! Have a great day.

 

I'd guess again, Econoline owners are in a "differen't" boat when it comes to MPG claims, as well as cargo volume, when compared to Sprinter.

'Car & Driver' has been "claiming" Sprinter has EPA estimated fuel economy of 26/30 which is "consistant" w/Dodge '06 sales lit "claiming" SAE Standard fuel economy figures as high as 30.6 MPG. As I've posted, EPA rated the subject vehicle, an '89 E250 5.8L, at 10/12. I don't know how you'd "guess" 10/12 is "no differen't than" 26/30?

The comparatively enormous Sprinter can often achieve twice the MPG of Econoline models, said to average only 12 MPG overall, NOT "just because it's a diesel" but b/c its a small, extremely efficient, 2.7L, 5 cylinder, turbo diesel & 5 speed automatic. A woman I know is a FedEx contractor, she owns/operates a Sprinter, logs every tank & confirms 'Car & Driver's' 26/30 MPG estimate. Never below 24, occasionally over 30 & consistantly in the high 20's!

In order to be comparable & "no differen't" Sprinter owners would have to be "claiming" exaggerated MPG in the 42 MPG range! That is, 12 is to 17, as 30 would be to 42, approximately & in whole numbers. You "claiming 23-24 mpg" for Sprinter actually under rates official estimates, instead of exaggerating them!

Another big difference is that FORD tradtionally has not published Econoline MPG figures in sales lit & instead conveniently said EPA estimates were not available at time of printing. Sprinter is proud of their fuel economy, uses the figures as a selling point & has a big chart of MPG for the different model's performance under different typical conditions.

While I agree "14 mpg is certainly obtainable" in an E350 w/351, IMO "consistantly" getting "17 mpg sounds" more than "a little high" & "claiming" 175 miles on "1/4 tank" (700 miles on a tank) sounds absolutely preposterous.

 

Car & Driver can "claim" what they want to, and lord knows we "always" beleive a car salesman or mfgr, don"t we? Especially when it comes to mileage figures. Speaking of "preposterous", "and a little high", I wonder what the FedEx driver delivers, bubble wrap, with a 40 mile an hour tail wind? Strange that most of the owners of Sprinter van motorhomes I have talked with say in all "honesty" they get anywhere from as low as 16 to as high as 21 or 22 depending on terrain, cargo capacity, weather, and speed. And even if we are in a "differen"t boat" when it comes to mpg, we're all in the same "pond". Some people will always exaggerate mpg and the price they paid for that new toy. By the way, I completly agree with your last paragraph!

 

Gasoline prices in the UK are a bit up and down at the moment, probably like yours over there. However, LPG here in the UK always seems to level out at about just over half the price per gallon of gasolene. OK until the government decide to up the tax on it, which they seem to do on everything else when they see it could be a moneyspinner.

I'm still hoping I might be able to get somewhere near 12/14 mpg on gasolene with the E250, which I think may be realistic.

 

Hope the LPG system works out for you, I still think you can acheive 12-14 mpg, with everything working like it's supposed to. Goog luck.

 

Thanks bobbyv, Conanski for the pic. and everybody else for their help and comments.

 

You really think; "FedEx driver delivers, bubble wrap" AND "a 40 mile an hour tail wind" are viable as "consistant" possibilities? What's not "preposterous" is the fact that at some points during a day a typical delivery truck may run w/no load at all & a "wind" of any speed is often encountered at every angle during a typical delivery route.

Do "the owners of Sprinter van motorhomes (who you) have talked with (&) say in all "honesty" they get anywhere from as low as 16 to as high as 21 or 22" also maintain fuel logs of every tank, so they can prove it? My friend keeps every fuel receipt & a GPS log to confirm miles. Even your "22" for Sprinter is more than 50% better than the 14 mpg we agree is "obtainable" on E350.

The Sprinter does well at 70, but is a high profile vehicle, meaning its remarkably efficient in delivery mode at slower speeds. From what I see "Sprinter van motorhomes" often flirt w/max loads & may spend a lot of time over 70 mph. EPA estimates seek to compare vehicles equally. Sprinter lit also includes MPG at Max Load, as well as 50% load & 4 different speed ranges on the chart. It shows 21.9 mpg at Max Load & 70 mph, presumably "consistant" w/your claim, BUT also 27.6 mpg at a more modest 55 mph! FORD E250's 10/12 mpg EPA figures are Unloaded, where Sprinter is listed over 30 mpg at 55 mph!

"I completly agree that" that the relatively much smaller Econoline w/the relatively much larger motor, should be more efficient hauling the heaviest load at highest speed. Trouble is that for most trips the load is lighter & the speed is interrupted by stop & go, which means the oversized motor ends up Guzzling Gas. Sprinter's forte is delivering enormous volumes of cargo, very efficiently. In many cases 1 cavernous Sprinter can replace 2 partially loaded Econoline trips for enormous gains in efficiency! Most fleet operators NEVER, EVER have to "exaggerate" anything to bank these very significant savings. Think about it, delivering all the bulky cargo in 1 bigger truck, instead of 2 partial loaded smaller trucks & burning ~1/4 the fuel!

I'm still hoping FORD will come out w/an E-Series designed for maximum MPG. Keep falling back to a big, state of the art, 4 cylinder turbo diesel, a super efficient high tech tranny & discussion of 30+ MPG.

 

Still can't justify the initial "inflated cost" and the high price of diesel fuel. Ran the numbers for me personally and it would take me 7-8 years just to break even. Sorry, life's too short.

 

bobbyy, Regardless of whether or not you can "personally....justify" it individually, there's little doubt that many fleet operators who "Ran the numbers" discovered "life's too short" not to invest in Sprinters. IMO not only do they beat traditional full sized vans like Econoline hauling bulky cargo, but they also beat traditional Step Van designs. In my 2 to 1 scenario the initial cost is not offset by fuel economy, or even by the cost of the 2nd vehicle. In fleet use you'd have to factor in the cost of hiring all those 2nd drivers. Sprinters also maintained much higher resale values.

Your claim was about MPG, not cost/mile. The relative costs of diesel vs. gasolene continue to vary greatly over time & place. I recall times when diesel was cheap & gas expensive, times when they were the same & see today's reversal in prices. MPG doesn't change based on the pump price.

 

one thing to remember is the first 1/4 tank is a whole lot differant than the last 1/4
my e350 gets 11 mpg with 99% in town driving and 8000 lbs.
the first 1/4 tank is about 14 gals.
the last 1/4 of the tank is maybe 6 gals.
and mine will hold 35.2 gals. and still be pumping gas

 

When I went to school 1/4 of a volume of liquid was exactly the same as another 1/4.

When I went to school 1/4 of a tank holding 35.2 gals was exactly 8.8 gal.

It was a long time ago. However if you don't know if you consumed "14 gals" or "6 gals" you can't calculate MPG anyway.