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After half the summer pulling my new boat around I have decided that I definitely need a new tow rig. The Dodge 5.9 360 pulls my boat OK, but I absolutely cannot handle the 8.1 MPG average that I'm getting. I thought maybe there was something wrong with my truck but we took my dad’s '05 F150 with only 1000 miles on it to Red Lake last week and we only got about 8.4 MPG with that. I have decided that the only acceptable solution will be to go diesel. Snapping the rear pinion on my Dodge last month is some of the motivation here too. BTW that’s about a 1,800 repair bill.
So, my question to everyone here: I would like to see some real world MPG results for the big 3 (FORD, DODGE, CHEVY) diesel pulling about 3k pounds. That’s the weight of my boat, but with the wind resistance it’s probably more like pulling 5-6k pounds would be my guess. I will be saving some cash over the rest of the year and I’m probably going to buy a slightly used rig sometime in the spring ’07.
Posts: 486 | From: Eagan, MN | Registered: Oct 2000
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Mike I have a friend with a 3500 Dodge here I will ask him what he is getting. I belive he get around 14 pulling a 30 ft fifth wheel. We do have the advantage running on Jet A 75-80% of the time.
Posts: 88 | From: North Idaho | Registered: Oct 2000
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Cool thanks Scotty B. On a side note what were/are you getting with your 7.3 Ford. Also, do you know much about the new 6.0 Ford?
Posts: 486 | From: Eagan, MN | Registered: Oct 2000
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I think you should consider a tundra. You can get a new or used one dirt cheep because the larger one is coming out soon.
I towed a 2k+ car haulder with a 3k+ race car on it and my bed was full of tools and tires a few times. and got almost 13mpg. When I was towing the samurai i got almost 14.
The new VVT-i 4.7 liter engine is supossed to do even better as far as gas millage.
The current tundra can tow over 7k. And you dont need to worry about breaking stuff as long as you arent over working it.
With the headers my tundra was pushing over 330ftlbs torque.
04-06 tundras have 271 HP and 325 ftlbs....
The larger trucks may have greater towing capacity by 1000lbs or so but i highly doubt your boat weighs near 7k?
Posts: 2331 | From: Rosemount | Registered: Mar 2001
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The problem with towing the usual 3-4k with one of the many 5.6-5.8 V8 1/2 ton rigs is the greater displacement and the 16 valve engines.
They are simply old tired technology pushrod 16 valve engines that are over bored and inefficent.
I just dont understand why none of those engines have been replaced with newer technology. The domestices just keep making small inconsiquential tweaks and never really make anything any better.
The 4.7 iforce (with or without the VVTi, which they added in 04) is a 32valve DOHC engine. It is simply far more efficent and advanced.
But even the nissan titan engine suffers from being to big for its britches.
Its almost like if you need more than 7k towing, the diesels are the way to go, but most fishing boats are lighter than 5k (save some river boat or cabin cruiser). Towing fishing boats just dont need all that displacement.
My dad loves his Tahoe but he woulid have all the same towing capability with a Sequoia but get better millage.
Posts: 2331 | From: Rosemount | Registered: Mar 2001
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I get 15-16 around town. I just towed Chucks International on a trailer from Hamliton to here. I think the trailer weight with truck and shit was in the 8000 or 9000 lbs. And I believe we were getting 10-11. We did get high fuel use when we came home with 1000 sq ft of flooring and 7000 lbs of boat. That was intresting.
Posts: 88 | From: North Idaho | Registered: Oct 2000
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