Hey Guys,

I have a stock F150 SuperCrew with the towing pkg and 3.55 gears 5.4 triton

THis week end I took it on a 1000 mi round trip with a 24ft enclosed car trailer weighing about 3500# (blount/squared front end)

The truck has a fiberglass toneau cover.

Regardless of speed over 60 mph I could only get 10 MPG is I was lucky and avg was 7 MPG.

IF I was to put a camper shell that is raised in the back to help deflect the air over the trailer would it help my MPG?

Also does the superchips increase MPG when towing?

I was really amazed at the power this truck had! It pulled EVERY hill on I44 from Springfield MO to ST. Louis at 70 MPH!

Thanks
John

 

I average about 9.5 pulling a 16' steel horse trailer. I'd guess with the 2 horses I usually have it would wiegh around 7K or so. That is with a 2000 5.4 4x4 Excab, 3.55 rear end. It realy doesn't pull to bad. If the wind is blowing I kick od off and set the cruise around 70. If there isn't a wind I can pull it bout as fast as I want too.

 

I just took my 4.6 4x4 scab on a camping trip pulling a 16ft travel trailer and had no trouble on the 7% plus grades. From my experience the camper shell makes a huge difference. When I made the same trip a year or so ago with my reg. cab GMC (which trust me had more power than this ford) that camper was kicking its butt because of the wind hitting it. I talked to my dad and he had the same problem towing that camper with his reg cab chevy. He could tell a huge difference from the times he pulled with the big camper shell on and the times with the toneau cover. I would say even the scab made a big difference by having the short bed and the extra cab to push the air up over it. I noticed while pulling it my toneau cover laid almost flat and wasnt flapping around like it normally does. I would have to say it makes a big difference.

My $0.02

 

I tow a 26 foot 6500lb(actual) 7700lb(GVWR) travel trailer and the best I get is 8 MPG or so. Not towing I get 12 city and 16 highway.

 

By the way, because I'm an idiot and forgot to answer the questions , I get about 13-13.5 towing and I don't tow in OD (at least not that camper).

 

Hola! I tow a 23 foot TT. I get bout 8-10 mpg, depending on how its loaded, and if theres head wind or tail wind. last trip from Los Angeles to Chico, was about 9 mpg...I normaly dont get the gears shifting on me as im driving around 60 mph so I can keep the RPM's round 2500 to 2800. I have gone up many passes with the trailer and dont really see a change.
Im driving a F 150 4.6 v8, 3.55 LS, tow package...

When im not towing...I get some 20 mpg highway. City is bout 17-19 pending if its stop go-stop go.

My last trip to LA was 22 mpg which was the best I have gotten...not sure why it went up but I didnt care! pays to be stock set up I guess.

my 2¢

 

Towing my car on an open car trailer at about 5,000 lbs total, I average 10mpg. I have no topper and set the cruise at 70.

 

Thanks guys!

Looks like I am in the ball park with the mileage but I see I can do better somewhat.

I just had 6500 miles on the truck on that trip and now I have 7800 so I havent done any mods yet. Looks like some exhaust and a superchip may help some too.

Thanks again for the good info!

John

 

Wind resistance is a BIG deal. I tow a 2,000 pound tent trailer and it hardly affects my gas mileage at all. Of course, it is not very heavy but I think the big factor is that it sits at about the same level as the top of the bed (has a fiberglass cover) and is pretty much totally out of the wind. We towed it from Minnesota to Colorado and back and averaged 18 mpg @ 70 mph for the whole trip.

I would think that a topper would help your wind resistance and fuel mileage quite a lot.

4.2, 5 Speed, 4x4

 

Here's my situation for a reference 2001 F-150 Scab 5.4 3.73ls, Superchips 87 performance, K&N FIPK, Helwig rear anti-sway bar, Rancho RSX, Michelin E range LTX. I tow a 2001 27' Sunnybrook TT which ways out at around 5600 loaded for camping. I'm averaging 9-9.5 mpg towing.

A tiny bit. I have an ARE topper that is the same height as the top of the cab and it helped a little tiny bit. It did however raise the 'bug line' which is the amount of trailer front that gets covered in bugs up quite a bit.

Not one bit. I run the 87 octane performance program and the ONLY thing it did was take out the hesitation in the transmission shifting. Someday if I can stand the price I will try the higher octane towing performance. The problem with that is that the higher cost of fuel will negate any savings in mileage.

The very best advice I can give is to keep your speed below 65 and try to keep the towing weight to a minimum. This means keeping any tankage to the lowest of minimums and don't pack a ton of junk to take along. Also, keep those tire pressures up while towing this also seems to help with sway but then I run 65-70 psi when towing.

I have found that OD tends to make the engine bog somewhat and that will kill mileage. I run with OD off and stay on cruise control most of the time except when going over overpasses. The first few miles of hearing your engine at 2500-2700 RPM's can be a little unnerving but you'll get used to it.

I keep wondering if going to say a 4.10 gear would bring the RPM's up enough so that I could run OD without bogging or hunting.

Russ

 

I think it pays to "spin" your motor rather than "load" it. It's easier on bearing, valves, piston. One thing to consider, why put in lower axle (higher numerically) with the expense and all when all you have to do is run in a lower transmission gear? Just lock out overdrive or run your 5 Speed in 4th. Then you have the more relaxed gearing for when you are NOT towing. I'm guessing most people spend more time NOT towing. Just a thought. And I guess it assumes that you have adequate power when not in overdrive.

 

The F-150 trannies are 4 speed though. I was also wondering if the 4.10 gearing would let me run in overdrive more often, but its a pretty expensive swap, so I doubt I ever change it.

 

Hey Ksuroper,
I was towing horses with my 97 5.4L 4x4 and the 3.55 gears in OD were pitiful. 60mph was 1700rpm, barely above a fast idle, and 70mph was 2000rpm. Needless to say I never towed in OD and my 16' straight load with 2 900lb arabs weighed on a truck scale at 3680lbs. I paid $1100 to have a speed shop install 4.56's in both diffs. I now have rpms up in the real power range. I towed a 6700lb (paid $8 to CAT Scale) trailer 1100 miles from San Diego to Hurricane Utah and back and averaged 10.7mpg. Cruise set on 55 in OD about 50% of the time. The gears also reduce the heat and strain on the tranny. 55mph OD = 2000rpm. 65mph OD = 2300rpm. 55mph 3rd = 2800rpm. 65mph 3rd = 3200rpm.

 

Id like to change out the gears, but I'm sure I won't. Ill get a diesel before I do that probaly. I definately would like to have 4.10 gears though. I think 4.56 would be overkill for me though. It would run to high of rpms when I'm just driving. As it is now it doesn't pull to bad, the trailer may be closer to 6K than 7K, I have never wieghed it though. If I'm not going into a wind, I can get it rolling to about 75 on the interstate and hold that in overdrive pretty easy. If I turn od off and set the cruise at 70 or 72 it pulls like a champ, running about 2600-2750 rpms though.

 

I have a 2001 Supercrew with the trailer package on a 4.6 engine 4 x 2. I tow a Coleman Utah tent trailer, I installed a Cap on my truck and noticed an improvement in gas mileage right away. Difference of almost 3 mpg. We took a vacation out west in 2001 and I averaged 17 - 20 mpg towing. One tank in Alberta gave me an average of 24 mpg. Have never matched that, but have come close a couple of times 21, 22 is the best since then. I get better mileage when towing, than when the truck is empty. Average about 14 - 18 empty, (I have a lead foot), and about 16 - 20 when towing.
The tent trailer is rated at just under 4000 lbs.