New Mbryson tow pig...”Sweaty Betty” - 2010 F350 V10

mbryson

.......a few dollars more
Supporting Member
Little update from this past week. Brett Davis aka @Maverick killed his 4R100 trans (turned out to be a torque converter) heading to Trail Hero last week. He secured a’14 F350 6.7 to tow his Excursion back home and asked if I’d go down and grab his Jeep and tow back with him.

I left work at 2:30 pm and tried to boogie (remember my tire/spindle/bearing issue on my trailer?) as I knew we were in for a potentially long day. I enjoyed almost 10 mpg towing my 6000 lb trailer south to St George. Really starting to like this truck as it gets that on bad commuting days (kind of it's use as we build our house). Lost an outer trailer wheel bearing at 5pm in Beaver (jokes aplenty there) and we had that fixed and headed back towards St George by 6.

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We got loaded up and headed for home. I had last fueled in Beaver on my way down and had just under half a tank of fuel left. Should get me to Cedar City even factoring in the almost constant hills?

That proved to be poor logic with a V10. Short bed Super Duty trucks are stupid because of their 25ish gallon fuel tanks. After running uphill into that now strong headwind to Cedar and able to maintain 70 mph (rarely below 3500 rpm and running in third gear about 4400-4700 RPM a lot of the time) I found that a Super Duty short bed fuel tank can take 29.5 gallons of fuel. The headwind was pushing my 7500 lb truck and 11k plus trailer load around pretty good at times.

My 50 mile fuel light came on about 15-20 miles short of Cedar. About 3-4 miles after that, I got pinged that I only had 25 miles to go and still had 15-12 miles to Cedar. I started watching for ANYTHING resembling a gas station in the night. Kicked down to about 60 and 3500 rpm while I watched the display tell me I’d be out of fuel in 10, 9, 8 etc miles. Talking with Brett on the HAM he was confident we could just hook the 6.7L ford to my truck and just drag it to the next stop if needed. I ran about 4-5 miles after the display told me I was out of fuel.

Run from St George this Cedar my active display told me I was getting 3.2 mpg. The trail wind that got me 10+ mpg on the way down was now KILLING me on the the way back.

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Looks like those tanks can take 29 gallons? I think I’ll stick to the 23-24 gallon thoughts though. In the future, I'll stick to keeping the V10 above half a tank when climbing hills similar to St George-Cedar. I learned my lesson from Cedar to Fillmore and stopped in Fillmore for fuel before trying to stretch to Nephi.

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I was a little surprised at the good and then poor mileage. My EJS trip to Moab with two Jeeps on the trailer was 7.1 on the way down and 6.8 mpg on the way back. Getting 10.5 or so on the way down and then 3.1 from St George to Cedar and the display got to 5.5-5.7 by the time we hit Provo was a little disappointing but I'll have to factor in the headwind while climbing a pretty respectable hill for 50 miles.

All in all, I still think the truck is a good value. It does the work I want it to. Like anything else, I need to learn it's limitations. If confronted with a strong headwind while towing, I think I'll have to drop the speed down a little more than I like? Time will tell
 
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Kevin B.

Big hippy
Moderator
Location
Vehicular limbo
The calculator in the Ex runs me short on me, too. I've gone up to twenty miles past when the calculator tells me 0 miles left, and still only put 41 gallons in a 44 gallon tank.
 

jeeper

Currently without Jeep
Location
So Jo, Ut
The wind is always a killer for my gasser also.

We left Wendover last weekend and the display told me I would have over 90 miles extra in fuel when we made it home. but the gas light came on as I pulled off the freeway at our exit. I can never count on it to me accurate.

What kind of mileage did that 6.7 get in the wind?
 

mbryson

.......a few dollars more
Supporting Member
The wind is always a killer for my gasser also.

We left Wendover last weekend and the display told me I would have over 90 miles extra in fuel when we made it home. but the gas light came on as I pulled off the freeway at our exit. I can never count on it to me accurate.

What kind of mileage did that 6.7 get in the wind?



He was towing about 13-13.5k and got a little over 9 mpg if I remember correctly
 
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mbryson

.......a few dollars more
Supporting Member
The two Cummin's I've had got better mpg than my 7.3 trucks but not what people told me I'd get. I had an '04 555 truck and a '98 24 valve. Both auto trans trucks. At 70 mph I'd get about 16-18 mpg. Towing a single rig on a trailer, I'd get about 11-14 mpg depending on speed. Two rigs on a trailer I only used the '04 truck and it would get 9-11 mpg (exact same as my 7.3L trucks). Most of those runs would mimic the same conditions I've towed with my 7.3L trucks and this V10. (I've towed the same route with one car hauler and same Jeep with 3.5L Ecoboost (8-9 mpg) in a Navigator and 8.1 Suburban (7 mpg))

I'm counting on this truck running "forever". Hopefully it will be retired from daily driver duty in about 9-15 months? Truck is paid for. I kind of don't care what gasoline costs. Running the headwind from St George to Cedar a few weeks ago scared me a little but the Ford 6.7 behind me got 9-10 mpg and has double the torque. I'd be curious of my mpg with 4.56 gears and the 35" tires running the same load with the same wind on the same route. I'm running 4.10 gears and was running in 3rd gear all the way up the hill. I could maintain speed pretty well but that girl was eating fuel. The two steps up in diff gears should bump my back into 1:1 drive (from 1.55:1) on the same hill? dropping RPM pretty considerably while still maintaining speed. (I could and probably will accomplish the same thing by running a 32-33" tire at least as a test---just not a fan of the "look" of the 20" wheels and 35" tires)

For the $, I think the V10 is a good solution, similar to an 8.1 GM truck. I've kind of enjoyed not having Dodges or late model Jeeps in my fleet. I think the V10 could work out for the long haul in my situation? Here's for hoping.
 

glockman

I hate Jeep trucks
Location
Pleasant Grove
My mileage in my cummins. And the computer is set to my tire circumference.

I’d go broke if I got 8mpg.

Those V10s do last forever.

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When you figure Diesel fuel at $3 per gal and gasoline at $2.6 given the 8 mpg vs 21, which I'd bet a grand the dodge doesn't actually get, you would spend $2,100 less to drive 15,000 miles. Even if maint was the same price on Diesels, which it isn't, and given that Bryson spent at least $20k less on the truck, you'll only have to drive that Dodge for 10 years (at 15k per year) to make up for the purchase price with fuel savings. At that point (150k miles) the Dodge will need a new DPF for $8-15 grand. Diesels just aren't economical. Cool, yes.
 

sawtooth4x4

Totally Awesome
When you figure Diesel fuel at $3 per gal and gasoline at $2.6 given the 8 mpg vs 21, which I'd bet a grand the dodge doesn't actually get, you would spend $2,100 less to drive 15,000 miles. Even if maint was the same price on Diesels, which it isn't, and given that Bryson spent at least $20k less on the truck, you'll only have to drive that Dodge for 10 years (at 15k per year) to make up for the purchase price with fuel savings. At that point (150k miles) the Dodge will need a new DPF for $8-15 grand. Diesels just aren't economical. Cool, yes.

DPF removed. Stored in the garage. LOL - your argument dead. Calculated fuel mileage matched my display, was only off 0.01 mpg.

Saving loads more fuel while towing and driving. 8 MPG is abysmal.

I'm running around on 35" tall tires, 3.56 gears. 6 speed auto.

Only thing majorly different at this point is oil change. But the new Rams are 15K miles for oil changes. I do mine every 10K miles. 3 times a year. I do it myself. Filter $10 Mopar, oil $25 a gallon (3) synthetic. Fuel filters 2 times a year $50 a time.

The diesel engine will outlast the V10.

Making 450 horse and 1100 ft lbs of torque on mine. No smoke out the tailpipe. I can pull my travel trailer at 80 and still get 12-15 mpg.
 

mbryson

.......a few dollars more
Supporting Member
....The diesel engine will outlast the V10....


Likely true. The Cummins is a great engine. I have had VERY POOR luck with the Dodge and modern Jeep vehicles I've owned. I'd be hard pressed to buy another. The Chrysler vehicle itself is to questionable for me to invest in again. I bought this truck after not wanting to deal with another Chrysler product. To me 6.0L and 6.4L Ford diesels are a total disaster (I know you have experience here). 6.7 Fords seem to have a good rep but are more $ than I'd like to pay especially when setting myself up to build a new house like I am now. Hope your Cummins/Ram is awesome though!

This thread is about my Ford V10 and not intended to be a diesel vs gasser pissing contest. Your diesel works for you, you get 43 mpg and it will go 1.4 million miles before it needs anything. I've heard it all before. I've lived it before, although I got different mpg and service with my vehicles. The V10 will work great for what my needs are. FOR ME, THE 7-8 MPG towing is not to bad at all compared to MY EXPERIENCE towing with diesels at 10-12 mpg. I'll take the trade off. This thread is basically to detail the V10 trade off long term vs an "equivalent" diesel that gets 35+ mpg and tows 40k lbs uphill in a headwind while making coffee and having a naked orgy in the cab

EVERY turbo diesel will be capable of passing me on a hill. I'm OK with that for the $ saved. Life is about trade offs/compromises. I'm trying out the gasser compromise and am pretty happy with it so far.
 
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sawtooth4x4

Totally Awesome
See when the guy can't win the argument he starts calling people names. There is a few groups of people that do that.

You own a Ford, I'll tow you home when you break down...I'll be there for you. Because I'm a nice guy regardless.
 

moab_cj5

Well-Known Member
Supporting Member
See when the guy can't win the argument he starts calling people names. There is a few groups of people that do that.

You own a Ford, I'll tow you home when you break down...I'll be there for you. Because I'm a nice guy regardless.
Why not keep your shit in your own thread instead of dropping it in this one? Do you need validation of your truck so bad that you feel compelled to post here when the OP is just trying to document his own truck and his experiences? WTF is the point of posting your garbage here? You have a thread going already where you can post your thoughts to your heart's content to spank to later.

I dont follow where you are even coming from with your comments. I certainly dont see any name calling happening unless being called a fan boy offends you...
 
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Hickey

Burn-barrel enthusiast
Supporting Member
See when the guy can't win the argument he starts calling people names. There is a few groups of people that do that.

You own a Ford, I'll tow you home when you break down...I'll be there for you. Because I'm a nice guy regardless.
Weren't you telling us how great your Ford with the 6.0 was a couple years ago?
 

mbryson

.......a few dollars more
Supporting Member
See when the guy can't win the argument he starts calling people names. There is a few groups of people that do that.

You own a Ford, I'll tow you home when you break down...I'll be there for you. Because I'm a nice guy regardless.


For the record, I didn't call YOU a name, just the fan boyz. If you are one, I guess I called you a flat billed hat, deezel fan boy. I haven't posted ANYTHING in your Cummins thread. I have kept up with the updates and have respectfully kept my anti-Dodge rhetoric out of that thread. I respect what you're trying to do with your truck. Using what you have to do what you want it to do.

I'm just trying to do the same but somehow we've denigrated into the age old pissing match of gas vs diesel. We've all heard it all before. This thread is either going to prove or disprove that a gasser can actually tow a gooseneck and be somewhat reliable.

Ford vs Chevy
.308 vs 30-06
Yankees vs Red Sox
deezel vs gas


It's all kind of pointless if you happen to be a fan of whatever. I've tried to drink the Cummings Kool aid. It doesn't taste good in my mouth. Someone else can swallow that swill
 
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