What do you get? MPG on F350 4x4 Diesel or Gas

[SER]

I have to say thank you WTW folks!! A great site for ideas and figuring. I am looking for more comments on the number of mpg on a F350 truck, newer than 2012 with a camper on it? With weight similar to a flatbed Hawk or Grandby. I see some comments about decent mileage with their diesels and so so on the gas. What does decent or so so mean? I found 2 comments 20 mpg-15 mpg for diesel. I have been searching and as you know it is hard to find a general idea of mpg on larger duty trucks. When I find a F350 at the gas pump, I ask how they like their truck? mpg etc. and so far found 4 people with diesels. Any more out there? Gas or Diesel owners?

I hope to buy one more vehicle for the duration and configure a flat bed camper on it. If diesel gets > 5 mpg than gas I may go that route. I don't plan on hauling a heavy trailer, just plan on putting the weight on the truck. I am not a lead foot any more, but I must say the newer diesels drive/ride a bit nicer than the gassers. I like math and "figure a bunch before the build/purchase"
Thanks for the comments
SER

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

We just literally pulled in from a trip to Southern Oregon, the back via the southern coast, to Florence, then home through Eugene and up I-5. Going down, 13.7 mpg. Southern Oregon to Florence, 14.5 mpg, with a strong headwind. Florence to home, 15.1 mpg, with a headwind.

F350 crew cab, long bed, 6.7L diesel. Northern Lite 9.6. We weighed the truck and camper on this trip. It came in at 12,500 with a half tank of fuel and two people onboard

You should do better with a popup. The one time I had the Grandby on this truck, it was well over 16 MPG.

 

[Foy]

Real world, accurately calculated fuel mileage figures are about as rare as true golf scores or true statements as to the frequency of marital relations. Tough to get good data in that regard.

To further avoid comparing apples to oranges, one must consider individual driving habits in addition to make and model of the vehicle in question. Case in point, my 2002 F350 single rear wheel Crew Cab longbed 4wd automatic trans 7.3 liter diesel gets "xx.xx" mpg, where each of the x's will vary greatly with how heavily laden she is and greatly by how fast I choose to drive, with material variances related to weather--principally wind direction and windspeed.

No wind, flush-top fiberglass shell mounted, normal complement of tools and gear providing for around 8,500 lbs of truck and gear, fairly flat terrain, no A/C, and running not more than 55 mph: 21-22 mpg.

Add A/C use: 19.5-21.0 mpg

Rolling to hilly terrain: 18.5 to 19.5 mpg

Faster speeds on an Interstate: take away 1.0 to 1.5 mpg for each 5 mph cruising speed above 60 mph--lower end for 60-70 mph, higher end for + 70 mph. Another way of saying this is that if I want to run 75 mph, I'm looking at 14-15 mpg.

In short, I normally say my old fuel oil burning truck gets whatever mpg I choose, mostly based on how fast I want to go.

My experience with the newer diesels, or any other diesel for that matter, is nil. I am generally in favor of running a diesel when long life, high torque (remembering that we buy horsepower but we drive torque), better mpg, and simpler maintenance are the goals. Now that I'm seeing diesel fuel at lower price per gallon than unleaded regular for the first time in around 10 years, that will hopefully factor into the equation, too. I was a genius when I bought the diesel in 2004 when diesel prices were well below unleaded regular gas, became a fool soon thereafter when the fuel price lines crossed, wised up for a few months in about 2006, then a fool purchasing fuel for 25 to 50 cents a gallon more than regular gas ever since then. Could I be wising up again?

Foy

 

[rotti]

Not a Ford but my Chevy 2500HD crew 6.0 gas, Hawk on full time will get at the best 16 (driving 45 through Yellowstone) to barely 10 at 85 mph crossing WY. Usually somewhere in between those numbers.

I debated diesel when I ordered my truck and I have no regrets going with gas. I have all the power I need with my 2,000 pound load and I am at altitude with 10,000' plus passes the norm.

 

[SER]

I appreciate you taking the time to respond. Well said!!! comparing the apples and oranges. I do like hearing from you about the numbers you get, even with the different loads, speeds, wind, profiles etc... . I have noticed that there are more 350 or 3500 diesels out there or maybe it is the torque that helps people talk about their trucks. So far the sample size is 6 diesels to 1 gas owner. Thanks MH for responding about your gas motor.

With the small bowl of fruit to pick from I like to see some of the differences before buying a whole bushel. I also live at a higher elevation..7500 feet and drive some miles up and down the mountains. I was in Yellowstone a few weeks ago May 22-28 (Lamar Valley, rainy and sleet cold week) and noticed a white Chevy with a Hawk..maybe you? Nice Rig, good to hear you have enough power.

 

[MotoDave]

I like using www.fuelly.com to get a rough idea of mpg for various cars/trucks I'm looking at.

F-350's with the 6.2 Gas Motor: http://www.fuelly.com/car/ford/f-350_super_duty?engineconfig_id=299&bodytype_id=&submodel_id=

F-350's with the 6.7 Diesel: http://www.fuelly.com/car/ford/f-350_super_duty?engineconfig_id=300&bodytype_id=&submodel_id=

 

[2tallDA]

My friend has a 1999 F-350 Supercab 4wd 7.3 liter. Auto. Snugtop cab high shell
Factory pizza cutters and $7K worth of Banks top system. Mileage has always disappointing him.
16mpg max.

I get 16 max out of my '07 2500 Ram. G-56 manual,285's,8' Northstar popup and EFI Live.
I lose 3 mpg with the Northstar. It pushes a lot more air than a 4 wheel camper as it should for it's mass and interior comfort.
I have the equivalent of 4.10's on an auto with my year's G-56 0.79 final drive.

 

[elmo_4_vt]

I have a 7.3 and routinely get 13-15 mpg with the camper towing my small trailer (3k lbs max) on the highway. So far, under a year, all fill ups have been in that range. I am however happy with the power of the diesel, and not having to shift or take off cruise on all but the steepest of highway hills. I couldn't do that on my old fullsize gas truck, and was constantly hunting for top gear when pulling a trailer.

Don

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[norcalhawk]

X2 Foy...there are many factors to consider. Driving habits, terrain, tire size, gear ratio, aerodynamics, etc., etc. Also, keep in mind that the mpg gap in the new (environmentally friendly?) diesel and gas engines has narrowed considerably. Diesel mpg has decreased and gas mpg has increased.

That said, I have a 2016 Ram 3500, 6.4L gas, Auto, 4x4 CC. Stock tires and there are no engine enhancements or suspension modifications...non needed. One of many reasons I chose a 1 Ton. I carry my ~2000 lb Hawk full time. I have 1500+ miles clocked. My recent road trip included hwy and backcountry (gravel/dirt) roads...SW Oregon and NW California.

MPG: 14.8 hwy and 11.8-12.9 city and backcountry roads. I'm told these numbers will increase (some) as the engine clocks in 5,000-6,000 miles...we will see.

Do your research and get the engine that meets your needs.

 

[Connecticut Yankee]

Just completed about 8,500 miles cross country in a 2013 Ford F350 crew cab with 6.7 diesel and 2013 Hawk. About 3,000 miles were meandering on back roads and two lane highways in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona ending in California. Most was pure highway and I stay between 65 and 70, going 70 when it's flat, etc. My average westbound was 17.2 until I got off highway and by the time I landed in Los Angeles it was 16.3. My eastbound trip was 3200 miles and the average was 17.3. About halfway (in Nebraska) I installed a Yakima wind deflector for the hell of it and I saw the MPG climb about 1 or 2 mpg. The deflector pretty much matched the gap between the cab and the Hawk.
The best part about the F350 was the way it handled high winds and downhill breaking. My Hawk is 1384 delivered and the truck is rated for a 3800 payload. Probably too much truck.
Good luck.

 

[Bill D]

Just completed about 8,500 miles cross country in a 2013 Ford F350 crew cab with 6.7 diesel and 2013 Hawk. About 3,000 miles were meandering on back roads and two lane highways in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona ending in California. Most was pure highway and I stay between 65 and 70, going 70 when it's flat, etc. My average westbound was 17.2 until I got off highway and by the time I landed in Los Angeles it was 16.3. My eastbound trip was 3200 miles and the average was 17.3. About halfway (in Nebraska) I installed a Yakima wind deflector for the hell of it and I saw the MPG climb about 1 or 2 mpg. The deflector pretty much matched the gap between the cab and the Hawk.
The best part about the F350 was the way it handled high winds and downhill breaking. My Hawk is 1384 delivered and the truck is rated for a 3800 payload. Probably too much truck.
Good luck.

Awesome info, but in the end are you happy you went with diesel? Do you like the truck overall, or do you actually think it is too much truck?

 

[smlobx]

I'm convinced there is no such thing as "too much truck" in the context of this conversation.

By the time you add all your stuff with water people etc. you might be surprised at what your gross actually is.

You mentioned that your Hawk is 1380#'s. I'm interested if you actually weighed it or was that the "sticker" weight....

 

[norcalhawk]

X2 Smlobx...I'm absolutely astonished at some of the camper weights reported. Ready your camper for a road trip...in general, this includes absolutely everything in your truck and camper, books, cell phones, pens, everything on top and hidden away out of sight, people, creatures, etc. etc.. Weigh it! And know you will not have too much truck...The 350 or 3500 (1Ton) is the sweet spot, Respectfully!

 

[Connecticut Yankee]

Yes, happy I went with diesel. Guess what I was getting at about too much truck is that I would have been happy with an F250 but got a deal on the one ton and the dealer back then actually had no F250s at the time. I also agree with the notion that there is no such thing as too much truck because when you don't have enough it's no so comforting. It's really surprising how much stuff weighs, like water and fuel, for example. One gallon of water weighs 8.3 pounds. My Hawk weight at 1384 pounds was on the factory shipping slip and that included the camper jacks, which are 57 pounds each. And I don't drive around with them attached.

 

[Bill D]

Yes, happy I went with diesel. Guess what I was getting at about too much truck is that I would have been happy with an F250

Thanks for the reply.
I used to drive a Ford F350 Superduty without enough weight in it at times. With the stiff suspension it basically hydroplaned while driving over washboard at speed. Sure I could slow down, but often you hit the washboard all of a sudden and I drove 100's of miles of gravel daily generally at the posted speed of 50-60 mph. A F250 would have been better for the weight I was carrying.

I'm glad you like the diesel. There are 100's of threads that lead to get a 1 ton. I don't want to sidetrack this thread into another 1/2 ton, 3/4 ton, 1 ton discussion as it is about diesel vs. gas fuel economy and I appreciate your input. I was somewhat curious as too whether or not you though the diesel was overkill as well.

 

[Wango]

My current truck/camper setup (one pictured in profile) is a 2002 F250 5.4 gas, if I get 15 mpg with the camper on I am very happy. Most of the time it is a few mpg's less. Have a 2016 F350 diesel, mpg in it has been all over the place. High of 28, low of 12. Still breaking it in and am working it pretty hard. Am putting a flatbed on it the end of the month, then going to see the ATC boys, hoping to keep it around 15 to 20 with the camper on. Have been pulling a medium sized job trailer with it quite a bit, am getting mileage in my desired range.
Very glad to have made the switch.

 

[Connecticut Yankee]

In addressing the question whether I thought a diesel might be overkill, I would answer that it might just boil down to personal preference and how the truck gets used. Don't need the torque to get rolling but I think my fuel budget benefited. Again, I am just sharing my experience, which wasn't super scientific but I kept my eye on mpg.

 

[norrisd]

This is my experience so far. My truck is 2016 F350 XLT 4x4 short bed 6.2L gas. I left New Orleans May 14 to drive to Sacramento for installation of new FWC Hawk to be installed May 20. Including side trips, drove 2800 mi at speeds of 65-70 mph. Truck only had 200 miles on it when I left, so was trying break it in slowly. Averaged 15.3 mpg. Spent next two weeks driving east, spending a lot of time driving in mountains. With camper on, factory weight 1467 lbs, I tried to keep speed at 65 mph on hwy. I averaged 14.1 mpg for next 3500 mi. Truck rides better with the weight of camper. A little stiff without, but I tend to bring lots of stuff with me. I don't regret getting F350, price was fair and I prefer a little "overkill". At times when driving in mountains, I wished I had a little more torque as it would shift down from 6th gear to 4th to maintain speed. For me, diesel option was not worth the 10k more, and I can live with less torque. I don't put a lot of miles on vehicles which was another decision when choosing gas over diesel. Salesman and my mechanic advised me maintenance for diesel was more expensive was anther factor. Overall, I'm very satisfied with my truck and camper, wheelbase is short enough to easily park anywhere, seating is comfortable for long drives and does job I expected.

 

[SER]

Thanks for adding more info, that's what I'm talking about! Glad to hear what you think of your gas vs diesel experience.

norrisd your truck pic looks like the super cab shorter wheel base, my dream truck size. I also would pack ready for anything and your story is what I guessed it might be. Appreciate the time spent for the details.

After 40 years camping/backpacking with not much cover in the elements, I am excited for the luxury truck/flatbed/camper in the wilds. It will be comfort 365 days a year, whether it is a diesel or a gas motor.

 

[Advmoto18]

Agreed, no such thing as too much truck!

I sold my 2003 F-250 with a 8800# GVWR and moved into a 2016 F-350 with the 11500# option. Now I have no weight considerations or worries either with my Hawk or pulling a trailer. My F-350 came with the engine brake and trailer brake controller installed. After all the rebates Ford Motor Company is offering, I decided to buy now rather than wait a few months.

We are heading to NM in a week for month of camping in the Santa Fe and Carson NF while bouncing around Santa Fe and Taos. We went through ABQ via I-40 last summer in my F-250, 7.3 so it will be interesting to compare fuel economy/range of the new 6.7.