Real gas milage new f150 towing?

[steve everard]

I am considering leasing an F150 or similar and would like to know what kind of gas mileage you ACTUALLY get towing an enclosed 20 ft trailer with formula car.

Thanks
Steve

[steve kramer]

Got a new F150 Platinum 4dr 2WD/3:55 gear/EcoBoost earlier this year; has about 9K miles now. It replaced an 09 F150 Lariat with the 5.4. Towing a 20' Vnose, 6'6"H interior, total est. weight is 6K.
Towing at 70-74 MPH it gets in the 8s. Slowed down to 65 it seems to be in the mid- high 9s. But that lower speed has rarely been maintained for long to really check it out; i am around Dallas and we have plenty of open space to tow through, traffic flows fast outside of the cities, and I don't like slow. Regular driving without trailer it's 17-18.
It's a great vehicle - comfortable, quiet, stable towing (no drama, i've been over 80 and it is just rock solid). Far more go than the 5.4 towing; great brakes, the integrated brake controller and the back up camera rock.
Like everyone, I thought it might get much better towing mileage, but it doesn't, especially at 70+. It is better than the 5.4 both towing and not, but by maybe 10-15%. Turbos spooling up really sound cool though!

[Malfred]

The answer is it depends.

I presoom your talking a Gas Engine ? Ford is now standard with a v-6 I think, not a v-8. I have heard some get 8 to 9 MPG when towing, but there are a lot of variables. What engine, what rear end gears, auto or manual trans, or Allison auto trans, tow load, 2wd or 4 wd, terrain, traffic, speed, etc... the list goes on.

Two big things & one small thing with towing -- 1st. - the weight when climbing is a gas usage increaser big time, the more weight the worse your mileage. & 2nd. - Aerodynamics drag is another as most trailers have the aerodynamics of a brick, so any speeds over 40 MPH also become fuel usage increasers due to their drag. There is also the towing friction drag from the tires, wheel bearings, etc. as well but that only cuts at most a couple MPG off the trucks normal MPG when towing on flat ground. - weight & aero are the big fuel users.

Are you towing over any mountain passes ?, if so how high, how often, with how heavy a load, at what speed, etc... Climbing a mountain is a real gas guzzler when your towing. Also the speed at which you wish to climb the mountain at is a big determinator on fuel usage when climbing. Speed costs fuel -- how fast do you want to go -- well how much fuel do you want to use ? They are directly related in an inverse ratio - faster speed means lower fuel MPG.

I think empty, with the Ford turbo v-6 engine on cruise control on flat ground they claims 21 to 23 MPG or so. That means the turbo is not spooling up to give much boost. Increase the load means the turbo kicks in more boost, & the mpg goes down. So I have heard that very few actually get this MPG in every day driving in my experience, but I guess some do. Their flat ground MPG is suposed to be the highest for light load flat ground NON-towing out there. Most pick up trucks get 15 to 18 MPG for real world mileage in normal mixed driving usage when not towing. But there is more to a truck that gas mileage. Ford makes a nice truck but there are a lot of choices out there to consider. Also remember no matter what brand truck you get your gas mileage will vary. Often by a lot.

For Towing a normal race car 20 foot box trailer with a race car in it the rule of thum I found to be close to accurate on flat terrain is you cut that MPG in half of what ever you get in normal mixed driving MPG with out the trailer as a best case seneario to estimate what it will get with the trailer. So if your at 18 MPG in normal driving then towing you will get around 9 mpg on same terrain & same driving style, speed, etc....

Another consideration is what else will you be using the truck for besides towing your race car trailer that one weekend avarage a month. I would take that into consideration as well for other usage.

I also found a 1500 serics truck was a bit to light duty & no reserve power for my towing & went to a 2500 or higher serice truck for the biger brakes, better cooling system, transmission cooler, & more towing capacity, etc.... So I personaly would go with a 2500 or 3500 my self & I did. It depends on how much weight you will end up towing, believe me what ever you estimate it at now, it will be way more in a year or two from now...

Maybe some of the other Apex Speed racers who tow a lot have some different experiences that they can pipe in with.

I ended up selling my Ford truck & getting a Chevy Silvarodo instead, but that is a whole nother story for another day.

Lastly, Have you considered a Diesel engine instead ? Because a deisel gets way better fuel mileage than a gas engine with a heavy tow load. Something there to think about.

Best of luck.

m.

[Matt King]

We have a Harley-Davidson edition F-150 with the 6.0L V-8 at work. I towed a 20-foot enclosed trailer down to Indy with two motorcycles in it and got barely 9.5mpg. I was appalled. My 1996 F-250 with a gas 460 gets 8.5 pulling a loaded 24 footer. So much for technology and progress.

[Josh Pitt]

Lastly, Have you considered a Diesel engine instead ? Because a deisel gets way better fuel mileage than a gas engine with a heavy tow load. Something there to think about.

Best of luck.

m.

if your buying a tow vehicle, get a deisel. no comparision to gas.
i have a 04 dodge 3500 diesel dually that that replaced a similiar gas truck.; night and day difference in my experience.

[Jnovak]

I recently bought a used 2000 Ford F350 Dually with the 7.3 diesel. It had 64K miles when I bought it and it runs like a new truck. I have already put over 10K miles on it with about 6K towing our 30 foot tag trailer. We get between 10-11 mpg when towing and we are at 75mph when ever possible. I LOVE IT! Diesels are the only way to tow.

Thanks ... Jay Novak

[kc0stp]

Have a 2010 F150 with the 4.6 V8 and tallest rear end you can get with 4X4 (now semi retired from tow duty) and use it to tow my 24' enclosed (est 7-8k) and at 60-65 getting 8-9mpg at this altitude, kick it up to 75 and its drops 1mpg (7-8mpg) and is flatfooted with a headwind or any kind of hill. Ill be the first to admit it took that same trailer from Denver to Salt Lake city and even in the mountains along I-80 never dropped below 52mph (which considering its a half ton isnt bad). I will admit that Ive now got a 91 F250 diesel which has replaced this as the primary tow vehicle but have only used it once so far (still fixing the parts the PO neglected) so cant really comment there.

[Stan Clayton]

I recently bought a used 2000 Ford F350 Dually with the 7.3 diesel. It had 64K miles when I bought it and it runs like a new truck. I have already put over 10K miles on it with about 6K towing our 30 foot tag trailer. We get between 10-11 mpg when towing and we are at 75mph when ever possible. I LOVE IT! Diesels are the only way to tow.

Thanks ... Jay Novak

We have a 2000 Excursion 7.3 PSD with 180k on it, and nearly all of the last 100k towing. Like Jay, we get 10-11 mpg towing at 75, even out here in the mountainous west. I once towed to HPT at 55 to see how much difference slowing down made, and got 13 mpg. It gets an honest 20 mpg at 70+ without the trailer, and 18 around town.

Interestingly, I also have the '76 E-250 with carb'd 460 and factory tow package my Dad bought new. At 55 it gets 8 mpg towing the same 24' 9000 lb trailer I tow with the Ex. Subtract 1 mpg for every 5 mph over 55.

[Mark_Silverberg]

We have a Harley-Davidson edition F-150 with the 6.0L V-8 at work. I towed a 20-foot enclosed trailer down to Indy with two motorcycles in it and got barely 9.5mpg. I was appalled. My 1996 F-250 with a gas 460 gets 8.5 pulling a loaded 24 footer. So much for technology and progress.

Actually it is the technology and progress which both helps and hurts fuel economy of recent pickup trucks. The engines are somewhat more efficient and the transmissions are much more efficient. The extra speeds in the transmission do not help much if the tow mode or the operator keep the vehicle locked out of overdrive for needed performance. Probably more importantly the 1/2 ton pickups of today have a much higher curb weight than the mid 90's 3/4 ton truck - perhaps 600 to 900 lbs with additional equipment and features.

Regardless of the age of the truck the trailer still punches the same hole in the air and requires the same road horsepower to move.

Opperating cost for Diesel will alway be better for some one who is using the vehicle for many miles of towing per year - especially considering the much higher residual value on disposal of the vehicle.

The Eco-boost option was intented for individuals who needed occasional high peak power and torque demand while primarily running in a low load state. It provided some of the benefits of a Diesel engine without as high an incremental cost.

[lancer360]

I pull with a 06 Dodge Megacab 5.9 Cummins. When I was pulling my 16' V-nose around 5K loaded I got 12-13 mpg at 65mph in overdrive. When I pulled the same trailer with my '01 F150 5.4 V8 I was getting around 7-8 out of overdrive and would bleed off some speed on the uphills. The Dodge is set on cruise at 1800 rpm (65mph) in overdrive and never waivers. I'll never go back to pulling with a gas engine again if I can help it. Plus when driving around empty on the highway at 65 I can get 21 mpg.

[JohnPaul]

I have a 2011 f150 eco boost with the tow package and I get 8 mpg at 80 and almost 10 at 70. It tows awesome. This package tows 11,500 lbs. It is the most of any other truck in the 150 class. I also have a 2004 F350 (6.0 & 24k miles)diesel dually and you get more gas mileage and towing capacity but I like towing with the F150 better (my trailer is only 20'). It pulls better and much smoother.

[terryeaton]

I tow with an 11 Silverado 2500 hd with 6.6 diesel and allison trans , I have a 24' Aluminum trailer with a CSR, equipment and tools.
I see 12-13 towing and normal 17-18 mixed driving. Have seen in low 20s all freeway driving.
I live in SF bay area and have towed 12,000 pound boat and trailer to lake Tahoe. that is going from near sea level to over 7,000 feet. I got 10 mpg up and 13 back down. And it just cruised up the hill. I was very happy with this.

[turnbaugh]

Does anyone have any data on the new EcoBoost turbo V-6. The ads sound promising at least.

[Malfred]

Steve Kramer said

new F150 Platinum 4dr 2WD/3:55 gear/EcoBoost earlier this year; has about 9K miles now. It replaced an 09 F150 Lariat with the 5.4. Towing a 20' Vnose, 6'6"H interior, total est. weight is 6K.
Towing at 70-74 MPH it gets in the 8s. Slowed down to 65 it seems to be in the mid- high 9s.

[turnbaugh]

Thanks. No different than the wife's Tahoe.

Can't believe politicians or TV ads.

[Westroc]

Had a dually Ford gasser @ 9mpg best. Now have a 4dr Dodge cummins w/8ft box and the allison trans (AT). If you take anything from advice buy the Cummins. I pulled a 49ft Pace goose and a 36ft Pace and had 2 or 3 FC's. Ford 9mpg and that is it. Dodge? 19.7mpg box stock- no chip no nothing. Zero problems. The Ford rode better but the Dodge is acceptable just not as "cushy". Chrysler seats generally suck. Ford is better and GM seats are the best period. Didn't buy it for the seats. Bought it to get me there for as little fuel and excitement as possible. I would buy a used Cummins over a new Ford and I am a Ford guy. Just my experience.

[Daryl DeArman]

Now have a 4dr Dodge cummins w/8ft box and the allison trans (AT)

Whose kit did you use and which Allison?

Obviously your 19.7MPG figure is while not towing, or towing downhill with a tailwind right?

[EACIII]

If you want to get decent milage with a gas tow rig, buy a GM product. It is that simple. I get 8 mps with my motorhome towing a 20 ft trailer. 8.1 gas "GM" motor. F150 and only 8 mpg? I think I would skip that.

Ed Callo

[Daryl DeArman]

I get 8 mpg with my motorhome towing a 20 ft trailer. 8.1 gas "GM" motor. F150 and only 8 mpg? I think I would skip that.

My thoughts as well. My gas (Ford V10) motorhome is a 34' with two large slides. While towing a 4500# trailer I get between 6-7MPG. No way would I trade that convenience for a 8MPG in a 1/2 ton truck.

My guess is that F150 getting 8MPG is running pretty close to WOT a bunch!

[Malfred]

I have a quote from " Wards Auto Dealer Business" on this exact thing.

Writer, Drew Winter, writes on page # 12 - Paragraph 9 as follows as he is Quoting Chrysler & Fiat CEO - "Sergio Marchionne" as saying: " The concept of going to a Turbocharged gasoline engine to increase fuel mileage does not work if the turbo is enguaged too often, such as when towing a heavy load. At that point," he says "fuel consumption skyrockets".

So there is little advantage to turbocharging over a normaly aspirated gas engines for the same given HP output when pulling heavy towing loads. It only works to help increase MPG when it is a light load & the turbo is designed & ecu programed to not be spooling up & working in the higher boost modes.

He goes on to say: "Fuel Efficent towing remains a strong point of diesels".

Under a heavy load the higher energy & BTU content of diesel fuels along with a diesel engines higher compression ratios gives the diesel engine a strong advantage over gas engines for that application, be they turbo charged or Normally Asperated, with the same HP rating for towing a heavy load.

IMHO - I think the best fuel mileage towing the size trailers we all tow with typical 1500, 2500 & 3500 type pick up trucks will occur with a Diesel engine, wheather it be a Cummings Diesel, Duramax Diesel, Ford Diesel or others out there. With diesels the HP may be the same but the torgue produced at a lower RPM range from the higher BTU content of the fuel & the higher compression ratio makes it a clear leader in heavy duty towing applications.

With any gas engine, Turbo or otherwise, made by any manufacturer, be it ford or who ever that we have seen talked about here, they are all religated to under 10 MPG zone when towing at speed.

So that what I think.

m.

[FASTDAD]

Since I didn't want to spend many thousands on a tow vehicle (I'd rather spend it on race car improvements, testing etc) I looked for along time for something that I could massage into getting decent mileage and is heavy enough for towing. In otherwords a really nice tow vehicle that is not expensive. So here's what I ended up with, a 1989 Chev Suburban 2500 No four wheel drive 454 TBI with a 400 trans. It has all the options except electric windows and rear AC. I get upwords of 16mpg not towing and 10 towing (28 ft featherlite, FC with tools equipment, etc). Trailer has electric brakes and I use a equalizer hitch for stability.
Here's what I did to the truck; installed a crankshaft kit-oil pump for reliabilty reasons, clean the oil pan, installed a engine oil temp sensor, pulled the trans sent it out had it rebuilt along with a shift kit, serviced the diff (gears looked great-refilled with syn 80-90). For the fuel mileage stuff I replaced the cat with an after market straight thru, did a complete tune, replaced the valve stem seals, had the throttlebody bushings sleeved, made sure the egr system worked, advanced the timing about 5-8deg, installed twin electric cooling fans fans with the control modul (this did two things helped mpg and quited the entire truck down) and built the bracketing to install a new H style AC compressor and an 140 amp alternator and rear AC from a 1998 Sububan incuding the overhead counsole, Chassis stuff I installed rear coil overs, Cooper tires Hwy Tread LT265/70/17 Load range E. It tows the trailer like a champ with plenty of get and go. I also built a guage panel that monitors temps, fuel press, and Oxy operation. Even if it breaks it will be cheap to fix. The truck is all original sheet metal and paint, all I do now is wax it and change the oil. To replace the truck with something that has the same capabilities and is newer I'd have to spend something north of 30-35 grand. I got 6 thousand in it. Got way more time than money.

[chrisw52]

Whose kit did you use and which Allison?

Obviously your 19.7MPG figure is while not towing, or towing downhill with a tailwind right?

In my '98 dodge 2500, diesel/5-speed I get about 18-19mpg in commuter traffic. Highway millage unloaded is around 21-23mpg. When I was towing a '20 foot enclosed trailer with my old car ('03 mitsubishi Evo @3300lbs) I would get 17mpg on level ground, and 13mpg towing in the CA mountains

Now I tow a FF with a small lightweight open trailer and I don't even notice the difference in millage..

[GT184]

I think alot depends on how often you will be towing, and how far. For shorter trips, say under 200 miles one way, maybe six times a season, the Eco-boost or gas v8 should be fine. Just doesn't seem cost effective to go the diesel route for the occasional use. I haul a 16ft enclosed with a DSR with a '96 Chev K2500 with 5.7L, figure around 6K all loaded up. Usually get around 11mpg towing. Surprisingly, towing empty is about the same, so it appears to be mostly aero and not weight related, not that I'm hauling all that much. Really surprising is that the MPG on the truck is getting better with age...could barely squeek out 12 mpg empty years ago and am pushing almost 14 now. Not that 14 mpg is much to get excited about....


DanN

[-pru-]

Attached photo of my setup : 2010 Titan CrewCab 4x4 5.6L towing 19x7 V-nose Pace Aluminum (~4000# loaded).

Recent 1600+ mile trip to/from NE/MI trip computer stated 11.75 mpg which matched up with odo and fuel receipts. Towed at the speed limit or slightly above the whole trip (~70 mph). Very happy with this mileage as this setup tows great and is very comfortable.

[Amon]

I have a 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee with a Hemi (5.7L) and get 18-19 mpg on
the highway NOT towing. When towing my 16 ' enclosed trailer with 4-5k of weight,
I get around 11-12 mpg depending on my speed and terrain....

[Rob E]

Since I didn't want to spend many thousands on a tow vehicle (I'd rather spend it on race car improvements, testing etc) I looked for along time for something that I could massage into getting decent mileage and is heavy enough for towing. In otherwords a really nice tow vehicle that is not expensive. So here's what I ended up with, a 1989 Chev Suburban 2500 No four wheel drive 454 TBI with a 400 trans. It has all the options except electric windows and rear AC. I get upwords of 16mpg not towing and 10 towing (28 ft featherlite, FC with tools equipment, etc). Trailer has electric brakes and I use a equalizer hitch for stability.
Here's what I did to the truck; installed a crankshaft kit-oil pump for reliabilty reasons, clean the oil pan, installed a engine oil temp sensor, pulled the trans sent it out had it rebuilt along with a shift kit, serviced the diff (gears looked great-refilled with syn 80-90). For the fuel mileage stuff I replaced the cat with an after market straight thru, did a complete tune, replaced the valve stem seals, had the throttlebody bushings sleeved, made sure the egr system worked, advanced the timing about 5-8deg, installed twin electric cooling fans fans with the control modul (this did two things helped mpg and quited the entire truck down) and built the bracketing to install a new H style AC compressor and an 140 amp alternator and rear AC from a 1998 Sububan incuding the overhead counsole, Chassis stuff I installed rear coil overs, Cooper tires Hwy Tread LT265/70/17 Load range E. It tows the trailer like a champ with plenty of get and go. I also built a guage panel that monitors temps, fuel press, and Oxy operation. Even if it breaks it will be cheap to fix. The truck is all original sheet metal and paint, all I do now is wax it and change the oil. To replace the truck with something that has the same capabilities and is newer I'd have to spend something north of 30-35 grand. I got 6 thousand in it. Got way more time than money.

That's my kind of tow rig there.

[Steve Demeter]

Fastdad has the idea. You have to balance the $$$ on a new efficient tow vehicle against how long it will take to pay back that $$$ in improved mileage then make your choice accordingly.

Unless you tow lots of miles, Fastdad has the way to go.

[steve everard]

Appreciate all the help guys,I was really hoping the new trucks where going to be the answer but seems not (for towing anyway). Guess track and event selection is also a way of being economic. Keep closer to home.

Thanks again
Steve

[smsazzy]

I purchased a 2005 Dodge RAM 3500 with the Cummins. (2005 is pre-smog equip)

I get 26-27 MPG at 60 MPH.

17 MPG towing at 60 MPH

15 MPG towing at 65 MPH

14 MPG towing at 70 MPH

I have been stunned, as that's better than the 2 door Mercedes I drove before it.

[carnut169]

My 11 Ecoboost got 12-14mpg towing a 20' trailer with my FC in it and averaged 18mpg not towing. If I really try I can get 21+ mpg.

If I don't think about it at all it's closer to 17.


AWESOME truck, and really feels like a diesel when towing.

[Matt King]

Fastdad has the idea. You have to balance the $$$ on a new efficient tow vehicle against how long it will take to pay back that $$$ in improved mileage then make your choice accordingly.

Yes, and especially when comparing diesel to gas, you have to consider the difference in fuel price too. I was at a station yesterday and noticed that the differential between 87 and diesel has gone way up again. It was an 80 cent/gal difference, or about 23 percent more expensive for diesel.

[turnbaugh]

In Europe the price of diesel is lower to encourage the use of more fuel efficient cars.

A high percentage of cars (>30%) are clean diesel getting as much as 60 mpg.

Our leaders are missing an opportunity on this topic.