Info on Tow Vehicle

[FED 387]

Mine is a 2000 F250 extended cab---7.3 Powerstroke 2 WD auto-- Get about 15 around town just about 18 on the hiway empty --- towing a dragster and all my stuff in a 24 ft Haulmark gets about 11 1/2- 12 as long as its not hilly or windy-- 3:73 gear -- hafta keep it under 2000 RPM/62-65 MPH or the mileage goes to hell real fast--FED 387

[Mike Pearson]

Originally Posted by Alan Roehrich

Mine gets around 9 towing, around 11-12 empty. It has a 4.10 gear, which I think is too much. It's an 03 loaded crew cab, highest available GVWR. It hasn't had anything done to it. Yet.

I get about 9-10 towing my 40 ft goose with my 1996 F350 dually w/7.3 diesel it gets about 17 empty. My toter gets about 8.5 towing. I use the dually for local races and a weekend driver. Cost to run the toter is about the same as the dually because the diesel gen in the toter uses way less fuel than the gas gen in the trailer.

[Ed Wright]

Originally Posted by jim powers

they dont offer 8.1 engines from gm anymore

Had to get one built fairly early in the model year, when they were available. Same with the later 454". You couldn't order one late in the model year. GM could only afford to sell so many each year. Both were hard on GM's CAFE (Coporate Average Fuel Economy) averages. That average gets too low the gov fines them. Both can be helped a good bit with some tuning. Both engines had the timing so backed down to help Hydrocarbon emission, you could almost tow a building on kerosene with no detonation. LOL
The 8100 can perform much better (faster) while getting better gas mileage with the normal 4L80E transmission. It is hard to overcome the excessive torque management in the Allison transmission computer.