[HEAVYHITTER]

So just got back from a trip from Portland to Salt Lake and back towing 5,500 lbs w/ the 7.3L Ex. Now on the way down going 65 MPH, RPM's under 2K unless there were big hills I got about 11-12. On the way back we were less about 50 gallons of race gas in the trailer and granted there was a head wind but I got a whopping 8.5MPG, driving the same. Does a head wind really cut economy that much?

Does this seem abnormally low? It sure does to me. I couldn't imagine a gasser if I got 8.5MPG w/ my 7.3L. Or what are the big rigs getting 2MPG?

It seems to be running fine. I have the stock programming in my truck and was suprised to see it pull 19 touching 20 for boost while pulling a big grade. I have a straight pipe MBRP full turbo back and just put a Ford AIS in before the trip. Going over the pass I hit about 1200 degrees EGT max without letting up.

So at this point towing I would say I did better w/ my 2003 F250 w/ the 6.0L a lift and 35's....This seems weird to me really.

Input? 8.5MPG? I really thought the 7.3L was suppose to do better than this under the same driving conditions.

Thanks

 

[FionaThe02PSD]

Pushing a brick into the wind can account for the loss. As well as, climbing long steep grades.. JMHO..

 

[HEAVYHITTER]

That has to be the only explanation I can think of. I don't know why the truck did better. Weighed a little less but had 35's and a lift.

You would think that the brick would help push the air around the trailer where an empty bed would drag and the trailer would cause a lot of drag....


????? Don't know but 8.5 is pretty sad though.

 

[JimTJr]

Oh yes, a decent head wind will suck the fuel down bad, do you have gauges? (I can tell when I am bucking a decent head wind, by watching my boost and EGT. (Normally 3-5 lbs of boost average on the highway,, at 70mph) if I see 9+ lbs then I know I am pushing alot of extra air!

 

[HEAVYHITTER]

I guess your right. Yeah I have gauges and I agree the head wind wich was steady for about oh 12+ hours was most likely the biggest factor to the suckage.

Wonder if adding a dp tuner would yield better economy w/ all other things being equal?

 

[FleetMan]

Headwinds do affect your fuel ecomomy significantly. My tale: Crossing North Dakota westbound, Fargo to Montana, towing a 7,000# travel trailer with headwinds - 9.5 MPG. Winds were such that I could not stay in overdrive, it would downshift in order to maintain speed (62 - 65 mph). East bound crossing Wyoming on the same trip with a direct tail wind, Evanston to Cheyenne - 17 MPG. Coundn't believe it at first but that is what it penciled out to. I fill to the top of the fuel neck for consistency in my calculations.

 

[bigblockbill]

I have been known to get 8-9 MPG any number of times towing with a head wind. In fact one time I could not even go 65 on flat ground drove with an eye on EGT's as they were in the 1250 range for over 50 miles and got around 8 mpg.