Mileage or Power

[Rob & Cathy]

If you had the opportunity to get 20% better mileage towing but it cost you 10% of you engine power would you do it?

Rob

[Chief409]

Rob,
Not with all the mountain passes around here. Besides I can't see how that would work towing a heavy rig. If you have plenty of power, and don't "put it to the metal" the engine is not going to be working as hard, thus using less fuel. In practice that's how it's worked out in my experience.

Jeff

[Mike Clay]

Im going to have to agree with Jeff on this one. Now if you were to ask me when i had my 2006 Cardinal I might feel different about it.

[Chief409]

Rob, you are a SNEAKY SON OF A GUN! I was thinking about your question while I was shaving, and it's a darn good thing when I realised the answer I was using a safety razor!

Jeff

[Diesel Dave 04]

Rob, you are a SNEAKY SON OF A GUN! I was thinking about your question while I was shaving, and it's a darn good thing when I realised the answer I was using a safety razor!

Jeff

Help me out here Im lost

[EAW]

I want 20% better mileage AND 10% more power.

[trninich]

I had Banks booster installed on our 2000 Ford F-250 Ext Cab short box, and gained awhole a lot of power. As far I can tell we did not gain any mileage, however we did gain power. I was only concerned with power and not mileage, so I could not tell for sure. 7.3 lt. diesel coupled with 4 speed auto just was not enough and I was for ever dropping gears slowing down to snails pace. Zvonko

[Rob & Cathy]

Rob, If you have plenty of power, and don't "put it to the metal" the engine is not going to be working as hard, thus using less fuel. Jeff

True, but what if under those same conditions you got 20% better mileage than you do now?

Rob

[Diesel Dave 04]

Rob, If you have plenty of power, and don't "put it to the metal" the engine is not going to be working as hard, thus using less fuel. Jeff

True, but what if under those same conditions you got 20% better mileage than you do now?

Rob

Rob what MPG do you get now? I see you camp alot, Do you live in the unit or do you travel alot? If you travel that much Then you should get a diesel Just my .02 cents Note I did not say witch one. Any of the big 3 will do it and gane MPG over the V10.

[Chief409]

OK Rob, here is my guess.

1. Slow down
2. Treat the accelerator like it has an egg taped to it. No abrupt throttle movements.
3. Don't use the cruise control. Some drivers get better MPG manually, most don't. If you fall under the latter category, use the cruise control.

and ...

4. Always drive downhill, with a stiff tailwind.

These are the only things I can think of that you can change, without changing the physical condition of the engine, truck and trailer. Combined they should increase the MPG, bearing in mind the conditions of #3, with less power.

And if the rig is already tapped out for power, none of these will work. Then you get a diesel.

[Rob & Cathy]

Rob what MPG do you get now? I see you camp alot, Do you live in the unit or do you travel alot? If you travel that much Then you should get a diesel Just my .02 cents

LOL, believe me Dave I appreciate your two cents.

I get a steady 8 mpg per tank full. But to spend the money on a diesel to get 2-4 mpg more and be the first to the top of the hill and the higher fuel cost and the higher maintenance cost.... I just don't see giving up a truck that I paid cash for six years ago and have been towing this trailer with for five and half years with zero problems. Believe me, every time I go to the dealer for an oil change I look at the new trucks and I've tossed around the idea of getting a new truck now that we're retired and doing more camping but I just cannot justify it. Plus these new diesel are getting awfully complicated with regens and DEF etc. Maybe in three or four years when my truck is a little older. But, never say never.

Rob

[Rob & Cathy]

OK Rob, here is my guess.

1. Slow down
2. Treat the accelerator like it has an egg taped to it. No abrupt throttle movements.
3. Don't use the cruise control. Some drivers get better MPG manually, most don't. If you fall under the latter category, use the cruise control.

and ...

4. Always drive downhill, with a stiff tailwind.

These are the only things I can think of that you can change, without changing the physical condition of the engine, truck and trailer. Combined they should increase the MPG, bearing in mind the conditions of #3, with less power.

And if the rig is already tapped out for power, none of these will work. Then you get a diesel.

LOL, this isn't about me Jeff.

I'm simply asking if anyone would be willing give up 10% of their engine power in exchange for 20% more fuel economy if they could.

Rob

[Rob & Cathy]

Rob, you are a SNEAKY SON OF A GUN! I was thinking about your question while I was shaving,

Jeff, have you been watching The Hunt For Red October again?

Rob

[Don Wilson]

Rob I paid almost $300 for a Banks intake system knowing it would give me horsepower but probably not milage so YES I would go for power. The milage has not increased more than .3 of a mile per gallon.

Don

[bigbunkhouse]

I think we all would if that was the option, we have all had 10% less power than we have now and most way more than that. The power we had before did the job and did it fine, so did the older brakes, non computer controls and trucks that actually had to be driven but now most people think that the newest technology, most power is the only thing that will do the job. I for one would give up 10% to get 20%, I drive a 5.4L f250 work truck, it has towed 5ers, haulded everything, pulles a 10k enclosed trailer daily and plows snow by the foot all up to its current 230k miles with ZERO problems. Now I could accelerate faster, maintain higher speeds uphill and NOT push any more snow (we are all traction limited not power) if I had 10% more power but who needs any of that. 20% more economy would net me approx $8000 in unspent fuel costs over the life of my truck so far.

Think about it, the now 400 hp diesels, remember towing with just 250hp? thats 37.5% less and it did the job, and if you never had 400 hp you would not miss it.