Fuel Mileage - Page 2

Bench Racer · 07-08-2008, 09:47 AM

Art, a friend of mine has a newer 550 with the automatic and 4.88's and he has complained that he gets 7mpg towing a camper on the interstate. He just got back from the beach and drove the "old" two lane slow road this time and doubled his milage. I know a few guys with the 6.4's and they all really complain about them being gas hogs. At least with the 7.3 you have a MUCH more reliable engine than the later model Ford engines.Don Jackson

Dick Butler · 07-08-2008, 09:53 AM

Any word on Nose cone usage to reduce drag on Motor homes?

Ed Wright · 07-08-2008, 10:52 AM

A lot of guys with the '07 & '08 Duramax and Powerstrokes are crying. The particle filters, mostly their filter cleaning mode, kills mileage. They tell me they are getting gasoline-type mileage. 2006 appears to be the last good gas mileage Duramax. One friend traded a 200,000 mile 2000 Ford for a new Chevy and almost cut his mileage in half. He ain't happy. They make "off-road" pipes that replace all that, but that is illegal and your warantee goes out the window. Don't want to tune or "chip" one either. The '07 & '08 Duramax ECM stores a record of the last ten calibrations it has seen. Warantee work could include the dealer downloading that info for GM Powertrain to look at. Good by warantee. The only way to get around tuning one is to buy a new extra ECM for the tuning, and keep the orignal unmolested box to be reinstalled before it goes in for warantee work.

My '04 GM 8.1L gas motorhome will get about 9 or 9.5 if there is no wind (not many trips so far this year with no wind) and 65 mph. Buy some E10 gasoline and it gets about 7 to 7.5. Wind blows and E10, 5.8 to 6.2. At 75 mph, about 8 with straight gasoline and no wind. Tail wind? Ain't seen one yet this year. Running 75 mph, E10 in the tank and wind blowing, I don't even want to look. Got to thinking I should have bitten the bullet and bought a diesel pusher, until I talked to some guys that have them, and thier mileage is no better than mine. Their fuel also cost more.

Tim Kish · 07-08-2008, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed Wright

Got to thinking I should have bitten the bullet and bought a diesel pusher, until I talked to some guys that have them, and thier mileage is no better than mine. Their fuel also cost more.

yeah but they don't have to listen to the motor screaming the whole trip - my 7.4L GM has an exhaust leak at the manifold (rare occurrence on them!!) so it's even more annoying.

John Lang · 07-08-2008, 12:15 PM

I pull my trailer which is a Pace American with a Diesel Pusher, powered by a 350 hp Cummins and i get 9 mpg if i don't drive like an idiot, at 63mph. At 70 i get 7.5mpg! By the way my trailer weighs 12.000#. It's a Big Foot,28ft. Anybody ever been told about the Pace racers help program? At Joliet points race i tore the right fender off in the land of Lincoln's new toll booth's, 3" in clearence each side! At the track the guy's from Pace had there trailer there and checking Pace owners if they needed anything! To which my friend Wally Kreuger tells them about my problem. They looked at my fender,took off the old, and put a new fender on at no charge,Thank You Pace!!!!!!!!!!!!! John Lang, sorry i got long winded.

Eric Merryfield · 07-08-2008, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Polhill

The Funny thing is we are looking at diesel pushers to save on fuel LOL well and hotels.. Our Crew cab gets about 9-10 mpg towing our 32 foot trailer.. The smaller pushers get 10-11 towing.. and they are getting cheaper by the day..

2008 V8 4runner 10mpg pulling a 7000+ pound 24" Vintage enclosed from Massachusetts to MIR and back with whatever 87 octane gas I could get...tried to keep it at 60-65.....not look at the MPG setting...

Ed Wright · 07-08-2008, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tim Kish

yeah but they don't have to listen to the motor screaming the whole trip - my 7.4L GM has an exhaust leak at the manifold (rare occurrence on them!!) so it's even more annoying.

At 65 mph my engine is turning 2200. Can't hear it inside. Usually tow 70 to 75, however. My trailer is only a 24' ATC aluminium tag. Nothing heavy, thank goodness.

bobby · 07-08-2008, 05:08 PM

I have a 04 C4500 Kodiak with the Duramax. The truck alone weighs 11,000 lbs. Gets 13 empty. Got 9 towing my 38' trailer with one car, added about 11,000 lbs to it. Get 8 towing 2 cars in a 48', added about 17,000 lbs to it. That's at 65 mph.

07-08-2008, 09:47 AM	#11
Bench Racer Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: Green Creek (Tryon) North Carolina Posts: 331 Likes: 69 Liked 99 Times in 21 Posts	Re: Fuel Mileage Art, a friend of mine has a newer 550 with the automatic and 4.88's and he has complained that he gets 7mpg towing a camper on the interstate. He just got back from the beach and drove the "old" two lane slow road this time and doubled his milage. I know a few guys with the 6.4's and they all really complain about them being gas hogs. At least with the 7.3 you have a MUCH more reliable engine than the later model Ford engines.Don Jackson

07-08-2008, 09:53 AM	#12
Dick Butler VIP Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Richmond Indiana Posts: 1,196 Likes: 5 Liked 32 Times in 19 Posts	Re: Fuel Mileage Any word on Nose cone usage to reduce drag on Motor homes?

07-08-2008, 10:52 AM	#13
Ed Wright Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Sand Springs, OK Posts: 8,132 Likes: 896 Liked 390 Times in 170 Posts	Re: Fuel Mileage A lot of guys with the '07 & '08 Duramax and Powerstrokes are crying. The particle filters, mostly their filter cleaning mode, kills mileage. They tell me they are getting gasoline-type mileage. 2006 appears to be the last good gas mileage Duramax. One friend traded a 200,000 mile 2000 Ford for a new Chevy and almost cut his mileage in half. He ain't happy. They make "off-road" pipes that replace all that, but that is illegal and your warantee goes out the window. Don't want to tune or "chip" one either. The '07 & '08 Duramax ECM stores a record of the last ten calibrations it has seen. Warantee work could include the dealer downloading that info for GM Powertrain to look at. Good by warantee. The only way to get around tuning one is to buy a new extra ECM for the tuning, and keep the orignal unmolested box to be reinstalled before it goes in for warantee work. My '04 GM 8.1L gas motorhome will get about 9 or 9.5 if there is no wind (not many trips so far this year with no wind) and 65 mph. Buy some E10 gasoline and it gets about 7 to 7.5. Wind blows and E10, 5.8 to 6.2. At 75 mph, about 8 with straight gasoline and no wind. Tail wind? Ain't seen one yet this year. Running 75 mph, E10 in the tank and wind blowing, I don't even want to look. Got to thinking I should have bitten the bullet and bought a diesel pusher, until I talked to some guys that have them, and thier mileage is no better than mine. Their fuel also cost more. __________________ Ed Wright 4156 SS/JA

07-08-2008, 12:15 PM	#15
John Lang Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Sheboygan Wi Posts: 391 Likes: 0 Liked 6 Times in 2 Posts	Re: Fuel Mileage I pull my trailer which is a Pace American with a Diesel Pusher, powered by a 350 hp Cummins and i get 9 mpg if i don't drive like an idiot, at 63mph. At 70 i get 7.5mpg! By the way my trailer weighs 12.000#. It's a Big Foot,28ft. Anybody ever been told about the Pace racers help program? At Joliet points race i tore the right fender off in the land of Lincoln's new toll booth's, 3" in clearence each side! At the track the guy's from Pace had there trailer there and checking Pace owners if they needed anything! To which my friend Wally Kreuger tells them about my problem. They looked at my fender,took off the old, and put a new fender on at no charge,Thank You Pace!!!!!!!!!!!!! John Lang, sorry i got long winded. __________________ John Lang 365 STK, SS

07-08-2008, 05:08 PM	#18
bobby Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: League City, Texas Posts: 243 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Fuel Mileage I have a 04 C4500 Kodiak with the Duramax. The truck alone weighs 11,000 lbs. Gets 13 empty. Got 9 towing my 38' trailer with one car, added about 11,000 lbs to it. Get 8 towing 2 cars in a 48', added about 17,000 lbs to it. That's at 65 mph.