Question about towing
#21
Senior Member
well I just posted this in another thread, I have a 2013 ecoboost with 3.55 and tow a 2575 Bennington I/O with 350 Merc Mag and I get a whopping 6 mpg going 65 mph. No I am not really impressed. It seems to have plenty of power, but the truck very rarely sees 6th gear when towing. Usually 4th or 5th. I'm not sure how some of you are getting 10-12 mpg towing big loads. I would be thrilled with 10!!! Even if I slow down to 60 I only get about 6.5. On one 200 mile trip with the boat on flat ground I tucked in behind a big rig doing 62 mph and managed to get about 7.
Been thinking about a tuner but really dont think it would help.
Forgot to mention the boat, trailer, gear, tips the scales at about 7,200 lbs
Been thinking about a tuner but really dont think it would help.
Forgot to mention the boat, trailer, gear, tips the scales at about 7,200 lbs
6.5mpg at 60mph towing a 7200# boat? That's not right.
Is your non-towing mileage bad too?
If so, there must be something wrong with your truck.
Do you hand calculate at the pump to verify the mpg? I do and the truck's meter is right on. Maybe yours is screwed up?
Or is the truck lifted with big wheels?
#22
Grumpy Old Man
Good for you!
I always cringe when folks try to tow a trailer without enough truck. Usually they exceed the GVWR of the truck, then ignore that fact. But if you also exceed the GCWR of the truck, then you're really missing a few brain cells.
A Ram 2500 diesel is not too much truck for that trailer, but it should be enough truck. Probably a good match.
#23
6.5mpg at 60mph towing a 7200# boat? That's not right.
Is your non-towing mileage bad too?
If so, there must be something wrong with your truck.
Do you hand calculate at the pump to verify the mpg? I do and the truck's meter is right on. Maybe yours is screwed up?
Or is the truck lifted with big wheels?
Is your non-towing mileage bad too?
If so, there must be something wrong with your truck.
Do you hand calculate at the pump to verify the mpg? I do and the truck's meter is right on. Maybe yours is screwed up?
Or is the truck lifted with big wheels?
Truck is completely stock other than bak flip cover and tow mirrors. I get 15 -16 going 75- 80mph on the interstate. I can get up to 19 if I keep it under 65 with no wind. IDK I am just coming to the conclusion its normal and as good as its going to get. I have about 14k miles on the truck.
#24
Senior Member
Truck is completely stock other than bak flip cover and tow mirrors. I get 15 -16 going 75- 80mph on the interstate. I can get up to 19 if I keep it under 65 with no wind. IDK I am just coming to the conclusion its normal and as good as its going to get. I have about 14k miles on the truck.
So still surprised at that horrible mileage when towing the boat. Usually boats are more aerodynamic than TTs so you should easily get 10mpg when towing at 65mph with no wind (in the long run). Weird ...
#25
Member
Thread Starter
Usually boats are more aerodynamic and they also usually sit lower then the top of the truck but that is not the case with the Pontoon or Tritoon. The boat sits well above the truck and creates a lot of drag. The only thing I did not try when towing mine was a wind deflector that sits on top of the truck. Not really sure if that would make much difference. Also if your Bennington is similar you can try opening the front and the back door so that air will flow through the boat. *Make sure you do not have anything loose in the boat when you do this.
#26
Junior Member
So I just bought a 2011 XLT ecoboost and I am trying to figure out what my gear ratio is. Any help on how I can figure this out? Or am I just completely missing on how to know.
Thanks,
Jason
Thanks,
Jason
#27
Senior Member
iTrader: (1)
Scroll down to page 31. There's a table with the codes for the various rear axles, and below the table is a picture of what the sticker on your door will look like - you can see that the axle code is at the bottom of the sticker.
Also, other good info for towing is on the sticker - your truck's GVWR and GAWRs.
The tire pressure sticker will have probably the most important spec you'll want to know - the PAYLOAD CAPACITY of your truck - it will say something like "weight of passengers and cargo should never exceed xxxx lbs". The payload capacity is with the truck completely empty except for a full tank of gas. If there are mods that have added weight since delivery of the truck (tonneau cover, bed liner, etc.) subtract their weight from the weight on the sticker.
https://www.fleet.ford.com/resources...ng%20Guide.pdf
.
Last edited by KR Kodi; 08-01-2014 at 11:00 AM.
The following 2 users liked this post by KR Kodi:
Engineer Guy (08-01-2014),
novafan71 (08-03-2014)
#28
Grumpy Old Man
#29
#30
Something's wrong, I get 10.5 to 11 mpg pulling my wind sail that's in my signature.