7.3 Godzilla Towing over 200 miles, Myth Busting MPG Lies! Super Duty F250

@herb7877 11 days ago

'21 F350, 7.3l 3.73 rear gears. Tow a 8400# travel trailer (brick) Not as aerodynamic as a boat. Over ~14k towing miles, I have averaged 10.3. Ave speed is 62mph. I too got a little worse mileage with the tailgate down. Last week went on a 200 mile round trip & 9.6mpg. A 50 mile portion was gaining altitude from ~100' to 2000'. Before the hills I was at 10.5mpg. Yes I returned going down but in very heavy traffic having to slow down a lot and had a side wind. Last winter had a leg of 7.5 against a pretty good head wind. Best has been 13.5mpg a couple of times, on a very flat road only able to go 50-55mph for ~100 miles on both trips. I feel pretty good when I get 10 though. I usually drive at 62-64 towing. I i go over 65 the mileage drops a fair amount. I bought it to tow, not mpg's. Thats what our Honda CRV is for.

@johnhumphries4632 21 days ago

I agree with you. I bought the 7.3 Godzilla strictly for towing. I always wanted a mule to pull the cart and I got just that.

@mileshiles1287 21 days ago

It ain't no prius. My truck loves gas. 21 7.3 4.30

@Lastcall115 21 days ago

Have the same truck with a 3.73 rear end. Just towed a 9k lb boat about 385 miles and ended up at 8.6 mpg for the trip. Kept it at 65mph for the trip. Stop and go kills mileage. Next time bypass I-4 using the 417, you will pay the tolls but avoid downtown. Pick it up where it meets I-4 and run it back i to Sanford. Or the 429 does the same now. Glad to see another truck video, hope you enjoy the trip.

@monte99cm 21 days ago

Do the same loop with premium. There's a reason Ford recommends it when towing. Modern engines have the ability to make changes on the fly. Give it a try before you knock it. In the PNW where there are hills everywhere premium nets me about 1.5-2 mpg more than regular. Id be interested to see your results.

@nooch8it197 21 days ago

My 22 chevy 2500 6.6l gasser gets 14-15mpg unloaded and 12-13mpg towing a 22ft boat. With my truck bed camper and towing it does 11mpg. Just for reference.

@charlesb4267 21 days ago

Stop and go traffic with an empty pickup is bad but with a load is just that much more of a killer. Raining like it was is quite a drag as the tires literally are plowing through it pushing it out of the way and that takes power. And yes to state the obvious which you pointed out, driving fast creates so much wind resistance and the mileage sucks. Put that all together on this trip and its amazing you even got that good a fuel mileage ! LOL. I'd bet as a comparison that if one drove that very same route in the middle of the night ( assuming traffic was very light ) with no headwind or rain and kept a steady slower speed ( like 55 mph ) you would see a nice bump in fuel mileage.

@justinboyer4745 14 days ago

Can we get the speed at which you arre hauling, grade of gasoline, type of oil, aircleaner(K&N?), and any Mods? All this plays a role. Also rear ratio can play major role. I don't own this truck but I do own a 6.2 f250. No mods ford syn blend oil, and do faily well around d 10 to 11 mpg when hauling. Only time it sucks down the petrol is when I get up over 65 with a load.

@kootenaycat 21 days ago

If you want to tow your boat longer distances all the time, buy a diesel. Weekend tows of less than 50 miles this truck does the trick. Mind you so does an Eco boost/coyote F150, Hemi Ram or a 5.3 Silverado lol! And the half tons ride nicer for a daily. I owned a 1 ton diesel for 12 years then sold and bought a hemi Ram because it gets better fuel economy (not towing) and does everything I did with the big diesel. I miss my deleted G56 Cummins but just don't need that much truck anymore.

@Captain-Awesome 14 days ago

Just some general information for the comment section. I have a 2024 F350 SRW 6.7HO Platnium Tremor. Just last month I towed our 2024 Brinkley Z3610, 18,000 pound 5th wheel from Dallas, Texas to Santa Rosa Beach, Florida +/- 1,500 miles round trip at 78-80mph the entire way I averaged 9.8 mpg. Note with three passengers and the truck we are moving down the road right at 26,000 pounds. The truck is at Max payload and at Max GVWR and at GAWR. We are maxing out the truck weight wise on the truck itself. Normally around town unloaded I get 15.5-16.7mpg depending on several factors obviously. A couple of months before that I drove with the same RV to Ruidoso, New Mexico round trip +/- 1,200 miles averaged just the inverse of the Florida trip at 8.9mph likely because of the mountains and thinner air at a mile above sea level. If I were towing just 6,000 pounds 1/3 of the weight we typically tow, I bet the MPG would be in the 12-14mpg range. Just passing it along as general information. You have a great looking truck!!

@johnw4999 2 days ago

It kills me when guys buy these big trucks and B (and or) brag about fuel economy. I have a ‘22 7.3 Tremor and enjoy every moment in it. Who cares about the fuel economy. If I did, I’d probably get a Prius, lol. If I were to tow/haul heavy (maybe 2/3 or more of the rated capacity) a lot or tow/haul interstate often, yes, I’d get the 6.7. Oh, if I were to mod the truck for Baja type fun, I’d probably put 37s or 38s on the truck and a Carli Dominator system. With that, I’d opt for the 6.7. Since I’m working a second retirement, that’s a dream at this point, lol. Maybe my next truck will be such build.until then, my trips to the hardware store, range, to work, etc., the 7.3 is more than adequate, and it’s lighter weight than the diesel engine and reasonable for the average off-roading, mudding experiences.

@davesauerzopf6980 21 days ago

100% agree with not paying attention about mileage. I am a diesel guy but, you bought it to pull the toys. If, you cannot afford the gas/diesel, stay on the porch. Hope to see some catching out there on the boat.