Have a 2001 F250SC CC 4.30 V10, pulling a 30' Keystone Montana travel trailer. Doesn't seem to want to pull in overdrive very long, even bridge overpasses cause overdrive to shift down. Doesn't like cruise control very well, can use it but wants to hunt and search. Take it out of overdrive and run the engine a 3000rpm at 61 to 62mph it is a real hog. Run it in cruise controll and never have to touch it, goes up and down and hills without shifts and just keeps hogging. The trailer weighs 8800lbs so that probably is the reason no overdrive.
The 3000rpm and 62mph seems like a real sweet spot for the engine only problem is it only gets 7 to 9 mpg according to the wind. Does anyone relate to this rpm and mph. Normally get 11 to 12mpg unloaded.
Cheers
Frankk
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F250SC CC V10,4X4,4.30,Leer Topper.
Ford Expedition XLT, 5.4L, 3.55, 4X4.
I have 3.73s with 285/75s, so my effective gear ratio is probably closer to 3.47, but those figures and the unusable OD on minor grades seem par for the course. My configuration gets about 9mpg trailering 6k lbs and it will kick out of OD on most inclines, how quickly depends on length and grade. On the open road, moderately loaded, at 67 in cruise, I'll regularly get about 15.5 mpg. In town figure is 11-12.
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Robb Wing from Cincinnati,Ohio FOKISDCharter Member/Founding President
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Yep, that's my F350 V10 (4.30 gears) exactly! Downshifts from OD at the slightest hill and is quite slow to go back into OD after the top of the hill. I haul a 9.5 foot Hallmark camper that weighs about 3500#. I get about 9.5 mpg in good conditions. Wish the V10 did better in both power and efficiency. I've been considering the mod to keep the transmission from locking up (easy I'm told.) This would allow the torque converter some range which might keep it in OD longer. My '92 460 would lug some and I liked that better. Maybe the new multivalve repacement V10 will do better (I hope!)
Doesn't anyone remember the old days when there was no OD? Most engines make no power in OD. Just enought to keep you moving and save some fuel. Like you said, 3000rps+ is the sweet spot. Unless the transmission is hunting back and forth alot, keep it in OD. A locked converter saves fuel and reduces heat. The tq converter will unlock with light touch of the throttle so it is possible to use that for a little increase in power. I would recomend intake/exhaust mods for better drivability.
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2005 V10, AT, Fx4 Dark Stone Metalic, Crewcab F350, 4.10LS, shortbed, towcomand, Extang tonno **SOLD**
I tow a 13,000 lb fifth wheel. I recently added a Superchip for $330. Shift points were changed and there is more power. I'm able to stay in OD on slight hills. The chip requires at least 89 octane and the engine performs better with even higher octane gas. Towing mileage has been about 7 to 8 mpg. I was going to use the chip only for towing but I like the increased performance. The extra cost of gas is balanced by increased highway mileage. In town mileage is worse but I don't do very much of that.
Just retuned from my first trip towing my #5000 travel trailer with my 01' V-10 4x4 w/AT and 3.73 gears.Drove from Reno to Las Vegas and never dropped below 65 MPH and never put my foot on the floor. To say I'm pleased with my new truck would be a under statement.I did spend a good portion of the time in direct as opposed to OD, but according to the owner's manual I'm not suppose to tow in OD at all.
When pulling a grade I let it shift out of OD on it's own and then hit the OD button to keep it from hunting for a gear.
My previous truck was a 84 W/460 T-19 and 4.10 combo.I'm towing the same trailer with my '01 and can guarantee the '01 would flat eat that 84 up in the hills.
Don't think I'm not a fan of old trucks tho.I have a 68 Bronco and am restoring a 76 F-250 4x4 with a 428.I'm as surprised as any one that the V-10 perfroms as well as it does.
<font color=blue>but according to the owner's manual I'm not suppose to tow in OD at all.
<hr></blockquote></font color=blue>Can you tell me the page number where it says this?
I haven't been able to find where in the manual it says to not tow in overdrive. All I can find is where it says you should tow in overdrive, but cancel overdrive if the transmission shifts too often.
__________________ Mark
Former Automatic Transmission Engineer 1988-2007
>> but according to the owner's manual I'm not suppose to tow in OD at all.
>>Can you tell me the page number where it says this?
My apologies
I would have bet a truck payment I read the OD towing statement in the owner's manual.Good thing I didn't because as far as I can tell my 01' manual does NOT say anything about towing in OD.
Must have read it some where else.
I have lurking for a while and finally made my first post to this board......and I supplied bogus information.Sorry
Yep, that's my F350 V10 (4.30 gears) exactly! Downshifts from OD at the slightest hill and is quite slow to go back into OD after the top of the hill. I haul a 9.5 foot Hallmark camper that weighs about 3500#.
<hr></blockquote>
camperguy,
You sure your truck is running like it's suppose to? A V10 with 4.30's kicking down on a slight incline while only pulling 3500# doesn't seem right. Then again, neither does a 9.5' camper!
I have a F350 Supercab with the 158" wheelbase. The Hallmark camper is fairly tall with a lot of wind resistance. I failed to state that I live in colorado and much of my travel is at elevation (7000' in WY.) With the V10 out of OD it goes like a bat out of H@!!. But I do have a lot of records (every mile and gas) and the 9.5 is pretty good estimate of all driving. I try to drive about 70 MPH. My truck was built just after the switch to the new necked-down Y pipe. The reduced diameter of the exhaust just can't be good for mileage! I did drive about 1000 miles before I loaded the camper. I think for the first 1000 miles empty I got 10.8 MPG. I think that if I had the 3.73 gears I'd never be able to use OD!
My 2002 F350 4.30 geared tows great w/o hunting for a gear. It will pull my car trailer loaded with 4 wheelers all day and only down shift into 3rd on very long hills. I am estimating that loaded trailer weight to be around 4500 pounds.
It will tow my jeep (total trailer loaded weight 6500-7000 lbs) just fine with the only downshifts being again on the long steep hills. In Colorado I will lock out the OD and tow in 3rd, but it won't ever downshift to 2nd like my 2001 3.73 did WAY TOO MUCH OF.
Average mpg with 4500 lb trailer is 11, while 9-10 with the heavier load.
Maybe the 5th wheel height is providing enough wind resistance to really hurt highway travel???
Dan
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2002 F350 4x4 CC V10 4.30
Custom Y pipe, Flowmaster 70, SCMT
Dan4X4,
You may have the complete answer, wind resistance. I've read somewhere that you shouldn't have over 60sq ft of surface you are pulling into the wind. I think this is right. Most travel trailers are 8ft wide and about 8 or 9ft tall. That is anywhere from 64 to 72sq ft into the wind. I don't know how this is measured but I think there are a lot of trucks pulling a lot more than 60 sq ft.
Does anyone know how this is set and measured? Would like to satisfy my curiosity.
Cheers,
Frankk
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F250SC CC V10,4X4,4.30,Leer Topper.
Ford Expedition XLT, 5.4L, 3.55, 4X4.
It's a slide in camper and I might be a little short on the 3500#. It weighs 2850 bone empty before the wife loads it. I figure I'm pretty close to the 9900# GVW going down the road. The fact that I had to raise it 2" to fit the SD truck didn't help either!
I also on occaision tow my Explorer with the rig. It drops the mileage to about 8.7-8.9 (lots of data) and of course make the OD problem worse. As I've stated before, the V10 rig is a little bit better than my '92 460 rig. But I do like the truck.
Automatic Transmission Engineer 1988-2007
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