Been towing a 18ft jon boat periodically for the last few months. Then I'll drive a few tanks without towing and the motor doesn't seem to recover in the regular driving in regards to mpg numbers on the odometer. Read this thread and might try unplugging the battery.

https://www.f150online.com/forums/to...owing-mpg.html

Are there any other things I should be checking? The maintenance on the truck is current ie. motor oil/filter, air/fuel filter, tire pressure, trans fluid, etc.

Does your motor burn oil while towing? I'm using MC 5-20 semi synthetic.

Not so sure about the winter/summer gasoline thing effecting the performance.

 

I think that thread about covers it... Mpg should bounce right back....

 

i have the 4.2 v6... surprisingly my mileage gets better when i pull my 18foot boat..(but usually when i pull the boat all my miles are interstate).. it usually gets 2mpg better pulling my boat on the interstate... than when i drive it in town and to work all week... im sure it would suffer if i pulled the boat in town and to work from my avg mpg to work

 

hahaha yeaa totally...

I have the 5.4 v8 and when I tow my girlfriends dads CP jetboat I get to the arizona river which is 300miles from LA where i live in half a tank! thats 600miles to the tank. Thats roughly 23mpg!

but driving in town jeez, lord have mercy on the gas prices and keep them under $3.15.... I just filled up 20gallons and drove 230 miles. So rougly 11.5 mpg :\


BUT TO THE ORIGINAL POSTER

Oil burning: well has the gauge gone down? Im sure miniscule amounts can burn but not enough to affect mpg. Youd have to lose about 2quarts for it to start acting poorly...

Whats probably going on is that as your towing and driving steadily on the freeway you have more kinetic energy from all that weight. And if at anypoint while your driving the road is slightly downhill your cars coasting....

Comparing mpg all highway + tow VS. town stop and go... Is an irrelevant comparison.