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This is really getting old.

Old 04-29-2015, 12:36 PM
  #21  
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Originally Posted by brulaz
16 mpg??? That's really good. Have usually heard the latest big diesels will get ~25% better, or about 12.5 mpg if you're getting 10mpg now with the EcoB or a big V8.

And unloaded they might get the same as an EcoB.

Have been looking at the Nissan Cummins Titan XD as a possible upgrade in a year or two. But even there they say only a 20% mileage improvement when towing.
That is tough to believe. My Duramax ('06 LBZ) got 12 mpg at best towing my little travel trailer. Usually around 10.5-11 at freeway speeds (68 mph, usually). Maybe .5 to 1 mpg better than my EB gets in similar conditions, but that's about it.

Unloaded, it was a little worse than the EB (it averaged 16 lifetime, my EB is at 17.8 mpg so far for essentially the same duties).
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acadianbob (05-02-2015)
Old 04-29-2015, 07:21 PM
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Originally Posted by xcntrk
Apparently the Eco in my EcoBoost is broke. Every time I tow my enclosed trailers my MPG's are lousy! This trailer weighed in at 7800# and has 12" extra height so it's not the most aerodynamic, but damn single digits suck!
Originally Posted by xcntrk
There's a number of factors contributing to my terrible gas mileage. First, it's a MaxTow and has the taller 3.73 gears and huge elephant ears. I also run aggressive AT LRE tires which have more rolling resistance (and weight) then OE. Lastly there's a number of grades around my area. Nothing crazy but certainly not flat prairie towing. Also I don't drive like a maniac. Set the cruise and stick to 65mph even though many of the highways in my area are 70mph.

Usually I average between 9~10mpg with my travel trailer (in sig below). This tow above was with a new enclosed car hauler trailer and vehicle payload. The trailer has 12-inches of additional height (above the standard) so I'd say it's about 11-foot tall going down the road. Definitely not as tall as my travel trailer which is closer to 13-foot.

A travel buddy pulls a 15k pound 5th wheel with a Duramax diesel. When we travel, I get the 9~10mpg and he gets closer to 16mpg. My point with the EcoBoost motor is that it CAN be fuel efficient without any real load and sip by at higher MPG, but as soon as you load it down the little turbo 6 has to constantly spin those fuel hungry turbos to produce enough power to sustain the load.
If your only truck selection criteria is heavy towing fuel mileage, get a diesel. But around here diesel fuel costs 20% more than gasoline. That would lower your friend's 16 mpg to 13.3 mpg cost equivalent.

However, I only have one four-wheeled vehicle, and I only tow heavy for recreational activity, maybe 15% of my annual mileage. I would not want to endure an HD diesel engined truck for the other 85% of the miles. If I were towing for 85% of the miles, I would likely get the diesel. I really like my Ecoboost and I am quite satisfied with the fuel economy and would not trade it for a diesel HD truck.

Mine has P metric tires and a 3.55 axle, which are fine for towing a 6700# camper.

I get 26 mpg unloaded at 65 mph, 16 mpg towing a 6x14x6 enclosed trailer 60 mph 9200# GCVW, 12.5 mpg towing a 27 ft. camper 60 mph 12,900# GCVW. Try slowing down. "I'll get run over if I don't go 65 mph." I don't think so.

26 mpg




16 mpg, 9200# GCVW Yes, I towed it on a 4,276 mile trip.






12 mpg; 12,900# GCVW




Last edited by atwowheelguy; 04-29-2015 at 07:26 PM.
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Old 05-02-2015, 08:06 AM
  #23  
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If I tow my 7,600 lb toy hauler 65 mph or above my milage drops in to the 8's. If I stay at 60-63 I get 10 ish. I panicked the first time I towed with my 2011 Screw, 4x4, 3.5 Eco with 373 gears.

A buddy of mine just got a F250 diesel and is towing up I-95 right now pulling same trailer and is getting 10.5 mpg. Trucks pulling campers hate speed and wind.

The Ecoboost pulls great but it is not so ECO.
Old 05-04-2015, 12:12 PM
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Originally Posted by xcntrk
Apparently the Eco in my EcoBoost is broke. Every time I tow my enclosed trailers my MPG's are lousy! This trailer weighed in at 7800# and has 12" extra height so it's not the most aerodynamic, but damn single digits suck!


I would say your lucky. I get around 6.5 mpg when towing my boat. If I remember correctly it weighs about 7,000. It is a tritoon so it does sit fairly high and not real aerodynamic. I usually tow around 65 to 68 mph. Not towing at 60 to 65 if I REALLY try I can squeeze out about 18. Normal is 13 mixed. In town I get 10 to 11. Of course I feel there is something wrong with my truck but Ford dealer says its normal and that's what most of there customers get for milage.
I use to get much better before some update they did when they had my transmission out to fix a leak.

I really am considering trading it off.
Old 05-04-2015, 12:35 PM
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When towing a 10k seed tender behind my 5.0L I get 11mpg. I lock out 6th sometimes to keep the rpms up high where the 5.0s power is
Old 05-05-2015, 12:04 AM
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I tow at 65-72mph for the most part and worst I've gotten is 10.8mpg towing the camper and best was 14.2 towing our boat. These were both on 300+ mile trips.

Around town I average high 15's to low 16's not towing. I work 6 miles from home all city streets so truck doesn't even get warmed up really.

Not towing I have seen a hair over 20mpg on a long road trip, but typical is 17-19 mainly due to speed, 78mph sucks gas.
Old 05-16-2015, 04:59 PM
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I have the 5.4, 3.73 4wd crew. Tow a 19 foot airstream. I run the speed limit, but never over 65.

So far, burning "winter blend gas" the best I can get is 10.9. On pure gas and similar driving conditions I get 12.6.

Fuel economy when not towing is pretty much the same between pure gas and winter blend. Biggest difference between fuels is only when towing.

Over 63 mph or so my economy droops quickly. City and highway doesn't make a big difference.

You should try regular ethanol free gas.
Old 05-17-2015, 11:01 AM
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My father in laws eco gets way better mileage than mine does till we hook up the camper trailers. We do about the same at that point but I can walk away from him on the bigger hills.


The eco boost is awesome, Glad chevy thought about it in the 80s, but never put it in a truck. Shame on them. For day to day driving the eco does awesome, but with a heavy load its still a v6.
Old 05-17-2015, 11:11 AM
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Originally Posted by frobotz
My father in laws eco gets way better mileage than mine does till we hook up the camper trailers. We do about the same at that point but I can walk away from him on the bigger hills.


The eco boost is awesome, Glad chevy thought about it in the 80s, but never put it in a truck. Shame on them. For day to day driving the eco does awesome, but with a heavy load its still a v6.
What are you driving?

With a heavy load, the 3.5L EcoB has way more torque and HP than any normally aspirated V6 and is even better than the 5L V8.

With a heavy load, it compares well to the 6.2L V8. The EcoB actually has better low end torque and HP than the 6.2L, but the 6.2L beats it over about 4300 rpm.
Old 05-17-2015, 12:00 PM
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Originally Posted by brulaz
What are you driving?

With a heavy load, the 3.5L EcoB has way more torque and HP than any normally aspirated V6 and is even better than the 5L V8.

With a heavy load, it compares well to the 6.2L V8. The EcoB actually has better low end torque and HP than the 6.2L, but the 6.2L beats it over about 4300 rpm.
Not on a 6% grade and 6000' above sea level.

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