Need help. Towing mileage sucks

[RidinFool]

The truck is all stock 2012 250 crew short box fx4 with the 3.55 gears. Driving around home i have been averaging around 15-16, this past weekend I towed our all alum v nose enclosed sled trailer weighs 2300 pounds empty, we had 4 sleds in the trailer all around 400 a piece so we are up to close to 5k for total weight of the trailer. Driving from Ohio to the U.P of Michigan so fairly flat ground, going up I was going average of 80-85 so I knew mileage would be low, but we averaged 8.2 for the trip up. coming home we never went over 80 mostly around 77 with the cruise set and we averaged 9.5. this seems really low to me. I could get 8 with my old chevy gas truck. Not bashing the truck at all just curious to what every one this of the mileage i'm getting. truck is completely stock with just over 5k miles on it.

[BIG Laing]

Originally Posted by RidinFool

The truck is all stock 2012 250 crew short box fx4 with the 3.55 gears. Driving around home i have been averaging around 15-16, this past weekend I towed our all alum v nose enclosed sled trailer weighs 2300 pounds empty, we had 4 sleds in the trailer all around 400 a piece so we are up to close to 5k for total weight of the trailer. Driving from Ohio to the U.P of Michigan so fairly flat ground, going up I was going average of 80-85 so I knew mileage would be low, but we averaged 8.2 for the trip up. coming home we never went over 80 mostly around 77 with the cruise set and we averaged 9.5. this seems really low to me. I could get 8 with my old chevy gas truck. Not bashing the truck at all just curious to what every one this of the mileage i'm getting. truck is completely stock with just over 5k miles on it.

I have seen 5 or so posts on here with people asking the same question. It seems to be the norm. Aerodynamics are a big part of it, even though it is a v-nose. Did you have a few regens? Also pulling anything at 80mph is asking for single digit mpg.

2300# for a 4 place inclosed trailer? I would guess 3500# easy. It is a tandem right?

I pull 5-7k trailers a few times a year. At 55-60 mph I get 18mpg on the freeway. Bump it up to 70 mph and my mpg drops below 16. Same truck as you.

[Clearview]

Were you in Tow/Haul mode ?
Drove from IL to Cali with a 3500# 7x14 @ 70-80 mph, got 8-9 miles to gallon ! Errrrr.

Then read the manual.. seems to me these trucks are built so strong shouldent need the T/H mode on the highway unless you need the added pulling and braking assistance.

Anyway took it out of T/H for a tank of fuel... jumped to 12.5 !

[sox3]

Originally Posted by Clearview

Were you in Tow/Haul mode ?
Drove from IL to Cali with a 3500# 7x14 @ 70-80 mph, got 8-9 miles to gallon ! Errrrr.

Then read the manual.. seems to me these trucks are built so strong shouldent need the T/H mode on the highway unless you need the added pulling and braking assistance.

Anyway took it out of T/H for a tank of fuel... jumped to 12.5 !

I have to agree here. Were you using Tow/Haul mode?

[YOURADHERE]

Also it's amazing what actually slowing down will do for milage. For example I'd run down the interstate about about 76-78 and seemed to average about 14-15 mpg. Now I run 68-70 on the interstate and get 18-19 mpg. With diesel at almost $4 it's not worth the 5 minutes that I would save.

[RidinFool]

I used tow haul for a short time, on the way home I didn't use it at all.I know that going 85 i wouldn't get good mileage at all, but thought coming home i would.. I used the cruise 90% of the time on the way home.

[RidinFool]

yeah it's a tandem 20' box with 4' V up front.

and wow that is a huge jump.. I'm just disappointed because we also pull the same trailer with a 2011 d-max and get 11 or a little over going 75-78 mph.

[mowdoc]

I had the same truck you have and your mileage is right on. The others are correct that if you slow down it will help a lot. The newer trucks with all the smog crap will never equal the older diesels. I had a 2001 DuraMax that I pulled the same trailer with when I had the 2011 F250 like yours. It (D-Max) did 3 mpg better than the new Ford in every condition. It's not your Ford, , , it's your government "protecting" you.

You will have to slow down or pony up for fuel with any diesel and the new ones are worse.

[RidinFool]

yeah just shocked a 2011 chevy get's that much better mileage.. i still wouldn't trade the truck for anything. just wanted to make sure someone wasn't wrong of "off" about the truck

[Painted Horse]

There are a lot of factors that go into your fuel mileage. Wind resistance and rolling resistance are two of the biggest.

I pulled a 16,000lb horse trailer up to Yellowstone and back at 11.5 mpg and then pulled an empty 6,000 lb similar sized horse trailer from Boise and got 12.0mpg 10,000 lbs difference only gave me 1/2 mpg better. The rolling resistance and wind resistance were much more a factor than the weight.

Another example was a dump trailer with 2' sides that weighed 5,000lbs empty, drove 200 miles out to a quarry and picked up 8,000 lbs of rock and returned home. Got almost the same fuel mileage on the return as the outbound trip, But 8,000 lbs heavier.

I dragged a 5th wheel up to ND and got 10 mpg, Return trip hit a head wind and got 7.5 mpg with the same trailer.

Don't worry about that trips mileage, Look at your average over several trips and see how it does. And towing you will do a lot better if you slow down.