F-150 & 21' mpg reality check

[Chotch]

Originally Posted by Jill

Our axle code is 27. I think it's the standard axle because I don't remember paying for it as an option.

Oh and when driving we use cruise control as much as possible - I'm sure that helps the mileage as well.

27 axel code is 3:31 ratio, non limited slip. 😎

[Chotch]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

going 55 vs going 65, how briskly you accelerate when you need to get back up to speed, how insistently you try and hold your speed up grades, those all have huge effects on MPG

I'm really happy with my 2002 F250 diesel that no matter how much I ignore those things, I'm *still* getting a consistent 13+ MPG average even with going over big mountains on interstates, back country mountain highways, etc etc. I suspect if I tried, on a mostly flat long interstate run, I'd be getting closer to 15 MPG average.

I’m doing as good or better with my little 2.7 ecobost 😎

[James Gang]

I have an 2012 F250SD with a 6.2L gas engine and average 11 mpg pulling my 21. Although when returning from Chilliwack, I got 15 mpg for the first 100 miles from Cheyenne heading towards Denver. I was constantly checking the rear mirror to see if the trailer was still there. The dash reading has always been within .1 to .2 mpg of hand calculation. Whether I tow in 5th or 6th seems to make no difference in mpg, so I usually tow in 5th. The truck seems to like it better at a slightly higher RPM.

[John in Santa Cruz]

oh, last leg going home from our northerly loop, my 2002 F250SD 7.3 turbodiesel longbed got 14.7MPG towing the Escape 21 fully loaded plus quite a lot of gear in the back of the truck going 275 miles from Reno to Santa Cruz. I was mostly bombing along at 60-65. a few patches of crawl and go near Sacramento, and in the Bay Area. The 7.3 seems very happy at 1800 RPM going 65 in 4th. note we also had two bicycles on a hitch rack on the back of the Escape, I would expect that to add drag via turbulence...

[ericw]

Originally Posted by Jill

Our axle code is 27. I think it's the standard axle because I don't remember paying for it as an option.

Oh and when driving we use cruise control as much as possible - I'm sure that helps the mileage as well.

Jill, I believe 27 is for a 3.31 ratio axle in 2016. Thanks for the information.



I think cruise can sometimes help and sometimes hurt, depending on how you drive. Some people don't use cruise and carefully adjust speed going up and down hills to optimize gas mileage even better than cruise control. For many people it helps keep the speed consistent (and not too fast) so it helps gas mileage.



Thanks again for sharing your experiences. I appreciate it.

[James Gang]

Depending on traffic, I usually engage the cruise control. But the CC is kinda lazy. Going up hills, the speed will drop around 3 or 4 mph before the CC wakes up and downshifts. Then it may shift down 2 gears to catch up. So if I am awake, I manually toggle down a gear even before the speed drops 1 mph.

[NCBill]

I find the more TV you have, the less drop you see in fuel economy. My theory is the truck just doesn't work as hard. So our 2010 Lariat with a 5.4 V8 gets 15 to 17 MPG when not towing, and 12 to 14 MPG when towing our Escape 19. Our truck is 2WD.

I have no interest going 50 or 55 MPH. Its 65 MPH on the freeway +/-. Our lowest mileage was when pulling a long grade, western CO. Best mileage is in the flat lands of the midwest.


Years ago, we had a one ton dually. We got 8 MPH out of that truck (Chevy 454 engine) whether we were towing or not. No drop off at all. Dual 21 gallon tanks, fueled from both sides of the truck. Major PITA when fueling up.

[rotateclockwise]

Originally Posted by NCBill

Years ago, we had a one ton dually. We got 8 MPH out of that truck (Chevy 454 engine) whether we were towing or not. No drop off at all. Dual 21 gallon tanks, fueled from both sides of the truck. Major PITA when fueling up.

I had no idea older trucks used to have to be filled from both sides. That is silly. Why a manufacture would think that is a good idea is baffling.

[ericw]

Originally Posted by rotateclockwise

I had no idea older trucks used to have to be filled from both sides. That is silly. Why a manufacture would think that is a good idea is baffling.

"Good" memories . Though the old Ford straight 6 with 3 on the tree was my favorites. More good memories than great performance though.

[John in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by ericw

"Good" memories . Though the old Ford straight 6 with 3 on the tree was my favorites. More good memories than great performance though.

hah, I have one of those in my driveway, but its a base model 1965 F100 shortbed, with the 240 CID straight 6 and said 3-on-a-tree. its been sitting for years, but with a new battery and some fresh gas would probably fire up. it mostly served as a dump run truck.

[Doug2000]

The best money spent on towing is the purchase of a Scangauge2, an OBD2 programmer. I used to mainly tow in 4th, 5th on downhills and long flats. The Scangauge2 has allowed me to tow in 5th most of the time. It shows me when the transmission is warming up, and when to downshift. When you hit a hill in 5th, the torque converter unlocks, and the temperature spikes. I used to get 13 to 14 MPG before the Scangauge, my last trip (6000 miles) I got 14 to 17 MPG.

2017 Toyota 4Runner 4.0 V6

[Rossue]

Ahem- this is a Full-size discussion- & we don't need no stinkin' scangauge

[John in Santa Cruz]

actually, I sometimes use a bluetooth OBD2 adapter and the Torque Pro app on my android phone to realtime monitor ALL the engine parameters of my 2002 Ford F250, including transmission temps. I found out its REALLY hard to overheat that transmission as long as you give the torque converter a chance to lock in 3rd or 4th before hard throttle, so now I'm not so concerned. there's actually a trans temp idiot gauge on the dash, but its one that sits dead center until its too hot, then pops up to yellow or red so its really no more use than a warning light.

I do wish the 7.3 had a exhaust gas temp sensor.

[rotorbudd]

Just so everyone knows, drag increases with the square of the speed. 60 to 70 mph isn't a huge increase in speed but the square of that increase IS huge.
If you have a big barn door behind your truck that's a heck of lot of drag.

Just an old airplane mechanic telling everyone to slow down.

[Chotch]

You calling my 5.0 a barn door 😡

[rotorbudd]

Originally Posted by Chotch

You calling my 5.0 a barn door 😡

Well, at least it's a fiberglass barn door.

[Rapha]

Originally Posted by rotorbudd

Just so everyone knows, drag increases with the square of the speed. 60 to 70 mph isn't a huge increase in speed but the square of that increase IS huge.
If you have a big barn door behind your truck that's a heck of lot of drag.

Just an old airplane mechanic telling everyone to slow down.

I've never met an airplane mechanic who didn't have some interesting stories to tell.

[cpaharley2008]

I found my sweet spot to be right around 100 km/hour....more my gas drops, less my gas goes up but my driving time increases....1/2 dozen vs 6 of the other....

[rotorbudd]

Originally Posted by Rapha

I've never met an airplane mechanic who didn't have some interesting stories to tell.

Well, I was an aircraft mechanic. I retired this AM!
45 years of fixing stuff is enough. Everything I buy now is going to have an extended warranty and someone else can fix it.

[emers382]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

I found my sweet spot to be right around 100 km/hour....more my gas drops, less my gas goes up but my driving time increases....1/2 dozen vs 6 of the other....

Ditto for me, only have to go 105 then you're over 65mph which is the max for the standard Carlisles.

I too have the 2.7EB 3.55 axle, and can get up to 16mpg but cannot depend on the computer since it always shows short on actual litres used. I filled up last week, unfortunately in northwest ON at 1.45 a litre and put in $142 worth. It took 98 litres but the computer which I'd reset on last full fill up said I'd only used 90.

Unlike others have said I seem to get worse mileage on the prairies, it seems I'm always fighting a head wind, except last year between Lethbridge and Medicine Hat had a great tailwind and the computer read 10 l/100km (23.5mpg).