Tow Vehicle Mileage

[Tashmoo]

I am in the process of looking for a tow vehicle to pull my Tournament 275 which with trailer and a full tank of gas weighs in at +/- 8,500 Lbs.

I am looking at Ford F150 and GM 1500 pick-up trucks. From what I can read on the net all appear to have average gas mileage well below the published rates, in the range of 13 and 14 MPG average when not towing. My question is what have you experienced on new models of these trucks.

 

[JUMPNJACK]

Mileage?

Tashmoo! Hello from NW FL! This topic will probably bring a flood of response! I pull my 254 Sailfish with a Dodge Ram 1500 with the 5.9 Liter(360) My normal pull round trip from Chattahoochee to Appalachicola and back is right at 200 miles. Normal fuel burn is 18 gallons for the truck which is just a bit over 11 mpg. I think my boat and trailer weight would be similar to yours. Boat is 5400# empty and has always got 125 gallons of fuel and 20 gallons fresh water on board. Also on the boat is all fishing gear, supplies and probably 250# of ice. I drive at a pretty leisurely pace so that helps. (50-55 mph) I pulled it from south FL to Chattahoochee(500 miles) with an F-250 Ford diesel at little faster speed (65-70 mph) at 10 mpg. Looking forward to reading all the replys to this one! 8)

 

[magicalbill]

Tash..
I think Jumpinjack's numbers will be fairly representative of what you'll find. You hook up to 8500-odd lbs. on a non-diesel rig you'll be at 10-12MPG. towing. There is wind resistance and your driving style to factor in too.

I will resist my normal inclination to preach Diesel-Dually, since you don't need to go that big with your Tournament. I am surprised that your research turned up such low-mileage numbers on the 1/2 tonners.Seems like they should be getting 15-18 empty.
OK..One little stab..If you do happen across a 3/4-ton diesel, your towing mileage will go up to possible 13-14 with your Tournament. There are plenty of used diesels out there, I'm sure..
Keep us informed!

 

[TexasBomber]

Fuel Economy/New 275 Owner

Tashmoo, first I'd like to thank you for your several prior posts/opinions regarding different ways to power the 275. I am due to take delivery on a NEW 2008 275 on 2/27/10 with twin 225s. I will be towing it 150 miles from the dealership with either an '05 Ford Excursion 6.0-L powerstroke or a '00 Ford F350 7.3-L powerstroke. The old Ford ('95 to '03) 7.3L powerstroke diesel is one of the best-performing and still very sought-after engines for towing if you are in the mood to go used AND if you can find a good one...but that is becoming more difficult. Ford has not topped that effort yet.

Back to my new 275. Very excited. I know the single 350 "won" in your opinion and I'd rather have twin 250's than twin 225s but I'm hoping I'll be OK. In other words, I hope the 225s are better-performing than if it came with 150s when factoring in your weight vs. horsepower arguments. For what I'm paying vs. what a 2010 or 2011 model might cost with ANY power option, well, I hope I'm making the right choice. In fact, I'm getting my new '08 for less than any used 275 I've seen anywhere on the internet, and it's right here in Texas.

Do you have ANY advice for me as I approach delivery on ANYTHING? Thanks again for all your posts and thanks in advance for any advice from a first-time poster.

 

[magicalbill]

Good..Another diesel guy....

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

If you are going for a gas power truck, I would look at the F150 and add the Tundra to the mix. Towing my 288 we get about 12 mpg and 19 to 20 not. I love the crew max cab and the 14 inch rotors for stopping. Inspite of Toyota's gas peddle issues, which I have not encountered in my 08, I absolutely love my truck. The 5.8 liter with the right package can tow 11,000 pounds. The new F150 has some stability sway features the tundra does not.

As an aside, I am ticked off at the bailouts and what the feds did to the bond holders at GM and the entire GM bailout in general. I will never buy a GM product ever again. Ford did it right, but inspite of my beliefs on the bailout and bias towards Toyota, the F150 is a great looking truck and if I were in the same boat on buying a new truck, the F150 would get a test drive for sure.

 

[JUMPNJACK]

Diesel Power!

Hey magicalbill! Could'nt resist letting you know that JumpnJack is in the process of upgrading to the Dodge Ram 2500 with the 5.9 Cummins diesel. I feel this is the perfect truck for my rig! 8)

 

[magicalbill]

Great Choice JUMPINJACK!
I have lost count of the stories that have been told to me about the 5.9's going 300,000+ miles and more.
Plus, they will be better mileage rigs than my 2007 6.7-liter. Apparently they had to make the engines bigger from '07 on to meet the emissions requirements as they got stricter, and an unfortunate by-product of that was the loss of mileage.

I'm on serious roll here.....

 

[PA228G]

I've pulled my 228 with a F-250 at ~11 mpg and now the Dodge 2500 with 5.9L Cummins at ~16mpg. I've also used them both to pull a 24ft enclosed car hauler - short trips only. This is my first Dodge after two Fords. Anyway, in my opinion, the Dodge / diesel combo is just a better tow vehicle for my size boat and car trailer. Not so much fun when it's REALLY cold however ...

 

[Tashmoo]

Thanks for all the input, I am really looking hard at all the options out there and will keep you all up to date on what I find. My concern relative to mileage is not during towing as towing is a minor part of my use mix, very important but minor in mileage. The majority of my use is in the 25,000 miles per year of highway driving I do. I am hoping to get a consistent 18MPG for that use but am concerned that it will be less.

 

[PA228G]

I get 20mpg on the highway in the Dodge when not towing, 17 mpg in stop-go. But it's not quite apples to apples since diesel is abotu $0.20 more per gallon here.

 

[JUMPNJACK]

Dodge 2500 Cummins Diesel

Hey magicalbill, The truck is awesome! As PA228G stated, 20 mpg on the trip home with it. Pulling the Saifish with it this weekend so they can get aquainted! 8)

 

[magicalbill]

JUMPINJACK...
Very cool..Let me know what your average is when you pull your Sailfish around for awhile.
Tash..
Again..I am puzzled that your research has turned up the low mileage figures that you stated. Like JUMPINJACK's, my Cummins is capable of 20 on the hiway, but only under 60 MPH. Generally it'll get 16-18 hiway, 14-16 city. (Both non-towing, obviously.)
My Daughter-In-Law's SUV..Ford Explorer gets 18+ on the hiway. My old Chevy 454 V8 got 14 or so empty.
I still think your not being unrealistic to expect 18-hiway empty with a full-size gas pickup.
Good Luck and get it before our esteemed President signs more legislation into law that puts more stringent emission controls on the trucks.

 

[alantani]

I am in the process of looking for a tow vehicle to pull my Tournament 275 which with trailer and a full tank of gas weighs in at +/- 8,500 Lbs.

I am looking at Ford F150 and GM 1500 pick-up trucks. From what I can read on the net all appear to have average gas mileage well below the published rates, in the range of 13 and 14 MPG average when not towing. My question is what have you experienced on new models of these trucks.

are you sure about the weight? i pull my 258 with a gas version ford excursion, getting 6-7mpg towing and 12 mpg without. i don't think i would want to pull a 27 footer with a half ton vehicle. is the tournament that much lighter? alan

 

[Tashmoo]

The boat weighs in at +/- 5,000, engine at 800, full fuel at 1,200 & trailer at 1,000, misc at 500 for a total of 8,500 Lbs. My towing needs are very limited, basically from storage to my house to the ramp in the spring, one pull in midsummer again local and the reverse in the fall. Total miles per season no more than 50.

I have solved the issue with a used Chevy 2500, which will be a tow vehicle and a business truck but will not be used for commuting thus negating my concerns for mileage.

 

[Barlow46]

You need to tell us what rear end gear ratio you are running when you state your mileage. I had a 91 F350 dually w/ 7.3 diesel and a 4:10 ratio and now have a F450 chassis cab dually with the 6.0 diesel and a 4:33 ratio (both auto and crew cabs) and I was towing the same 5th wheel at 14,000 lbs. The F350 would beat the F450 by 1.5 mpg at approx. 63 - 65 mph. Both were getting over 10 mpg in flat land but when I would push them up to near 70, both would drop below 8 with that load. The big difference was not in ability to tow but the ability to control and stop that weight even with excellent brakes on both axles on the trailer. The Cummins engine in the Dodge is well known for getting better fuel mileage than either the 7.3 or the 6.0 or newer 6.8 {never owned the 6.8} that Ford uses but the new auto transmission that Ford hooked up to the 6.0 seems to be head and shoulders above most others in that weight class. I personally blew out the seals in two E4ODs that came with the 7.3. Just couldn't stand the torque and heat buildup on long hills. If you are towing anything big, get a ISPRO or other decent brand transmission temperature and boost gauge. Towing an 8000 lb boat, gear and trailer should not be a problem for any of the diesel setups but if you are looking for the best mileage, be sure to get the 3.73 gear rear end. If you are looking for good all around performance go for the 4:10 rear end. I personally think the 4:10 is the best all around setup for a diesel but that's just an opinion from 30 years of towing stuff. Also, consider resale on what you buy, the diesel will usually give you a better bang for your buck if you keep it long enough and take care of it. Good luck in whatever you choose.

 

[PA228G]

Barlow46 raises a very good point about tranny / engine mix. The 3:73 auto in my Dodge is fine for the loaded weight of the 228G and highway although not optimal for my bigger car hauler. But it works.

Maybe I should pull the 4:10 out of the Firebird that I haul and put it on the truck - not a chance ... too much fun to be had with that 69 4-speed.

In my opinion the braking discussion is also relevant - but that's where the 2500 vs. 1550 enters - weight and wheel base matters.

 

[3rd Day]

If I may chime in. I pull the "3rd Day" with an 08 Chevy 2500HD Z71 Crew Cab, 6.0 gas and a 6 speed auto. Empty around town, 12.5, hwy 15-16. Trips to my local landing, about 5 miles ea. way and I've made the trip to the Lower Keys twice, 750 miles ea. way, and averaged 10 mpg@ 65 mph. This was with a loaded truck & boat. (4 adults, 190 gallons fuel & stuff for 7 days of fun). The truck did very well. I tried pulling around town with a 05 1/2 ton Z71 and it would pull ok, but stopping, even with brakes on both axles was a little scary when having to stop quick and a steep landing at low tide was a whole other issue with a lighter truck. I wanted a diesel, but could not justify the $8,000 upcharge for no more towing than I do and have been happy with my rig. Thanks, just MHO. Good Fishin.