Gas Mileage pretty bad pulling a trailer

[CindyC-IL]

Taking a 2 week trip pulling a trailer with the 2021 F-150 Lariat 3.5 Ecoboost. Picked up in Minneapolis and heading to Montana and then return via SE ND. Anyway first day pulling a trailer on this trip. Slightly uphill most of the way and cross or head winds at least half of the way. Gas mileage was pretty low, avg 7.3 mpg and this is with speed avg between 58 and 63 mph. Pretty disappointed. Not sure if there is anything I could do to improve mileage. Trailer length is 23, weight is 4400. Not using a WDH. Any suggestions?

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[Snakebitten]

RV?
Massive frontal area.
Gas motor.
Physics

With an Ecoboost 10r80, you could lock out 8,9,10th gears, increasing rpms and lowering boost and possibly increase your mileage by 10%? Maybe more.

 

[Xchevyguy]

Not surprised. Left my DOA Duramax Colorado in Pueblo, Co., and immediately towed the Lance almost exactly 1000 miles home. About 8.7 mpg as I recall. That would be downhill.

 

[Mosey]

Head wind! Every year when I make my deer hunting journey I swear there is a 20 mph head wind. Mileage always sucks. Towing my tall trailer is also bad due to frontal area. What I do is lock out 8, 9 and 10 gear to keep the engine out of boost.

 

[Gros Ventre]

Headwind? That makes a real difference.

 

[Gros Ventre]

Also note that on the twoing guide from FOrd, there is a square feet frontal area limit.

 

[Xchevyguy]

Mosey, so what are you getting by locking out OD? I would think tow/haul mode would operate pretty much that way.

 

[bwwF150]

Guy a spoke with at MX track said he bought a EB (I don’t think it was a PB). Took a trip with trailer/boat. Returned to dealer and grabbed a V8.

 

[Snakebitten]

So if the Ecoboost gets 9mpg, how much does a V8 get?

 

[tony72cutlass's']

Just a data point but I get anywhere from 9MPG in a wicked headwind to 13MPG on a nice straight tail wind.

This is my buddys 20ft enclosed trailer weighs in at 5,000 give or take. I never pull it more than 100 miles so take this with a grain of salt.

 

[CindyC-IL]

How do you lock out gears?

 

[tony72cutlass's']

How do you lock out gears?

I press up and down on the column shift lever and you’ll see them disappear on the dash

 

[Snakebitten]

I press up and down on the column shift lever and you’ll see them disappear on the dash

Exactly.
Locking out could probably be better phrased as removing gear ratios from availability.

 

[Farmerj]

How do you lock out gears?

By reading the manual.

 

[bwwF150]

So if the Ecoboost gets 9mpg, how much does a V8 get?

4:21 ... v8 @ 9mpg towing 7000#

8.5mpg 3.5EB

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