Since everytime I google this I find a few replies but then it turns into the epic battle about Eco vs 5.0. So here is the deal, I already own the truck and the trailer, and the truck is a 2012 5.0 crew cab 4x4. The trailer is a 28 foot camper trailer that is around 5000 pounds. We are planning our first long distant camping trip. We are going from Arkansas to Yellowstone about 2600 miles round trip. I am only looking for responses regarding the 5.0 so that I can get a fuel cost estimate. I would like to find out if there is anyone that can tell me fuel mileage differences between stock tune, 87 perf/tow, and 91 perf/tow which are the tunes I have from Mike at 5 Star. I think that I might try the 91 perf/tow as making more low RPM power should help keep the truck in higher gears. Lets keep this thread clean and not debate motors since I already own my truck out right and have no plan to trade. However if the eco guys have some reference to if tge added cost of fuel is worth it and would at least wash out in total trip cost that would be welcome, but lets not debate eco vs 5.0 please.

Thanks
Corey

 

Being that you are pulling a camper i would bet you will average around 11 to 12mpg. i wouldnt hold my breath on getting better mpg's while towing with the tune, but the truck will sure pull better with it. Good luck and safe travels

Neighbor just got back pulling 5600lb car and trailer from las vegas and his average for the whole trip was 12.8 mpgs with is 5.0

 

Cool I was fearing it would be more like 9 or 10 on the highway at 65 or so. Campers are like big sails behind you after all...lol

 

exactly.. If i were you id figure the mileage at 10mpg for fuel costs, then IF it gets better then you will have a little cash left over

 

Maybe a good idea!

 

Run the 87 tow tune - you can't get 91 octane fuel in high altitude areas. Also, even where you can get it, it's averaging 30 cents higher than 87 these days and your net cost will be higher. At high altitude, you will have to buy midgrade to get 87.



Picture taken in Feb 2009 in Colorado - sure wish that was still the price today.........

 

Follow a tractor trailer and the fuel mileage goes up.
When I towed a 25' TT with my 86 F150 swb 5.0 and was having the overheated ignition module problem it would not run over 55mph. The engine would start missing if I tried to go faster. I tucked in behind a tractor trailer and went 60mph without missing. I wasn't all that close either, at least 5 car lengths as I remember. Makes a big difference.

 

^^^ Bad advice. REAL bad. ^^^

I thought you said you were smart.

I'll bet that rig could just about outbrake you, so at 88 feet/second, with only 5 car lengths, you'd have had no time to react if that thing suddenly stopped in front of you. '86 F150's had crappy brakes as well as crappy ignition modules.... add a towed 25' TT ( which likely also meant you were over yer limits ) and ... well, do the math.

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/crstp.html

Fail. EPIC Fail.

MGD

_______________________________________

 

I don't know if this will give any perspective because I have the 6.2. But I do have the SCT Livewire and a 91 perf/tow tune from 5-star. I have an '11 Lariat Supercrew 4x4, max tow, 6.2 with 3.73's. I tow a custom built 14x7 V-nose, tandem axle enclosed trailer that is 7' feet tall. I carry a '12 Polaris Ranger HD. With the Ranger and gear in the trailer, I'm in the 3,500-3,600 lb. range. I have a place in Burlington, WV.. From here in Delaware it is about a 265 mile trip. First half is mostly flat with some hilly areas, the last half is all mountains. Traveling at 65 mph on the flat/slightly hilly roads, I was averaging 11.9-12 mpg., with a high of about 12.6. Thru the mountains it gradually dropped, but by the time I got to my place I think my final average was 10.9 mpg.. When I did the math the trip average was 11.2.. The 91 perf/tow tune I got from 5-star initially had a problem, but Mike sent me a revised tune and it was awesome. Off the line torque was great. The trans shifts were very quick and solid, and the torque continued as I climbed some grades that were usually 3%-4%. Although some say not to, I usually have the cruise on. Only on the longer grades did the truck down shift to 5th. gear. On one longer, steeper grade it down shift to 4rth. gear, but just shortly and never struggled to maintain speed. So I'm guessing the 91 perf/tow tune you have for your 5.0 should be nice as well...

 

Towing a TT is a high risk operation any way you do it. I think I am safer behind a big truck if I make sure the driver knows I'm there. Several times I had young stupid Honda drivers switch lanes right in front of me and brake hard totally oblivious of what was behind them. Besides I'm a left foot braker and I keep my left foot poised to brake when I'm close to another vehicle at all times not just when towing. My reaction time is much better than a right foot braker. To each his own. I'm almost 70 and I haven't caused an accident in over a million miles. To each his own.

 

Expect to get 9-10 or so pulling a camper across the country. A few years back I went from Little Rock to Wyoming on an antelope hunt with some friends. We took his Super Duty with the 6.0 and if we kept the speeds below 70 we could get 11-12 MPG. If we went over 70 it dropped to 9ish.
I don't know the route you're planning on taking but heading due west on I-70 is always a mileage killer. There's always a nasty headwind on that road. Last summer I drove from Cabot to Denver. From Cabot to Salina, KS I averaged right at 21MPG doing about 72MPH. When I made the turn there I hit a headwind that was steady 30+ with gusts a lot higher. By the time I turned north again my average had dropped to around 16MPG. Keep the speed down if you want to save gas

 

Thanks everyone! I did not even think about not being able to get 91 oct gas. I think I will run the 87 perf/tow for sure. I have towed smaller trailers bit around the same weight (Cattle Trailer with livestock inside about 5500 to 6000 total weight) and I avg about 12.5 to 13 however we only travel about 100 miles at speeds between 45 and 60. The camper is so much taller the winds and things is exactly what I am concerned about impacting the mileage. Thanks again for all the input and staying away from the motor debate.

 

The main issue for me (as for gas mileage), is that how tall my trailer is. It really creates a lot of drag. On trips out to West Virginia I travel on I-70 thru Maryland. When I get to the top of a grade, then start my way back down, I almost never have to hit the brakes. Even when I'm in T/H mode, the trailer causes so much drag that the truck hardly downshifts to a lower gear on the shorter distances. And on the longer grades it's not until I'm a good ways down.

 

Every time I've tried to budget for fuel on a long trip, mother nature has stepped in and skewed my results. Even a light 10mph headwind/tailwind plays a significant role at 60mph road speeds.

So, for towing my Jeep, I budget for 10mpg, ±10mpg. Then I'm always within my budget tolerance!

 

We have a Keystone Passport 245RB its around 5k dry and has an ultra-lite aerodynamic shape. We get 10-11mph at 65 and 8-9 at 75mph. it takes fuel to do the job, a tune isn't going to work some miracle of physics... My diesel was tuned to 500hp, it still got 9mpg hauling the toybox 80mph...