2000 F350 SD CC DRW 4X4 mpg

jessicaj1jessicaj1 Member Posts: 1
edited March 2014 in Ford
"Good" or "Bad" mpg is a relative term--give me
some numbers of what can be expected for a 2000
F350 SD DRW 4X4 Triton V10 Cab & Chasis?
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  • BrutusBrutus Member Posts: 1,113
    I can give you 1999 mpg for F-350 Supercab 4x4 V-10 dually with auto trans and 4.30 axle ratio. If you get the 3.73, you can probably add 1+ mpg. I've also heard the 2000 models are getting a little better mpg, despite having more horses and torque. My truck has 25,000 miles on it. I average 11.5-12 hwy and around 9.5 in a mix of city/hwy on my daily commute.

    I have a large slide-in truck camper. When I have it on the truck, th truck and camper weigh around 12,000 pounds. I get 8.5-9 on the hwy. I can get close to 10 if I keep the mph around 55, but that doesn't happen often.
  • ggosselinggosselin Member Posts: 22
    I own two Ford trucks, an F-650 and a '97 F-350 SD, PSD, 4x4, CC, SRW with 3.73 rear end and 4-spd auto. On average, i can get 12.5 around town and 14 easy on the highway doing 85 the whole time. I seldom pull anything with the 350, so I can't give any more info. I just like being up high and big! I never drove the gas before buying this, I just wanted something that would last for ever and could not be destroyed. ...And it hauls [non-permissible content removed] too!
  • scheffscheff Member Posts: 4
    I have a 2000 F-350 SD, PSD, 4x4, SRW Supercab. Commuting to work I get 18+ mpg. Highway mpg is slightly less, probably due to the optimum power curve and lower rpms in the city. I sometimes carry a slide-in camper that puts me at GVW (around 9,900 lbs). At 70mph, I get 13+ mpg. I've been ecstatic with the performance, especially in the mountains. The diesel is certainly worth every penny over the gas engines.
  • BrutusBrutus Member Posts: 1,113
    I had to jump start my neighbor's deisel (Chevy 6.5L) yesterday with my V-10. Neither of us plugged in and the temp dropped to about -10. My truck hadn't been started in over 36 hours, but cranked up. Those diesels don't like to sit around for extended periods with the engine off when they are not plugged in. It took him about 30 minutes of periodic charging and recranking before he got his truck started. Although there are alot of diesel trucks up here, cold weather starts was one of the reasons that I chose the V-10, since I plan to do some winter camping.
  • scheffscheff Member Posts: 4
    Here's a trick I learned from our snowmobile club. Most of us own Lance slide-in Campers and several have diesels in their trucks. During cold weather, we run an extension cord from our generator to the engine block heater. A couple of hours later the truck starts without effort.

    Of course, you do need the generator and that's an additional $2.5K, but it makes camping with diesels much easier.
  • BrutusBrutus Member Posts: 1,113
    I've got an Onan 2500 Microlite in my Bigfoot 3000, so I already thought of that option. Of course, the key is that the generator needs to be running. I haven't done any winter camping with the camper yet. How much of a typical weekend (assume 48 hours) do you run the generator if the temp is maybe 0-10 at night and 10-20 during the day? How long can you run the heater and some lights on a standard deep cycle battery before you need to recharge? How long does it take to fully recharge the battery with the generator on, maybe eight hours?

    I've heard of some super batteries that are even longer lasting than a deep cycle. Do you know anything about them or how big they are? I looked briefly at my battery compartment. My current battery appears to take up a little over 1/2 the space, but it doesn't appear that I could fit two of them it. The ideal situation would be to find a super battery that would fit in the compartment.

    This post would probably fit better in the cabover topic area on the first page, but I figured I'd pick your brain here since you seem to have winter camping experience.
  • scheffscheff Member Posts: 4
    I've got a Generac 3500 in my Lance but the power is not the issue. It's simply time vs. temperature. The diesel's need the block temperature within their specified starting range. I've found 2 hours to work for me on a day of 10-20 degrees which is fine after snowmobiling for the day. I've only tried a morning diesel start once; also with 2 hours generator time. The engine turned slower but still started. The trick is the oil viscosity and the antifreeze. And let those glow plugs until until the dash indicator light turns off. The computer will monitor your success.

    The camper battery should be a Type 31 or 32. These are huge and will fill your compartment. My use of a heater and typical lights with amplified music never uses more than a third overnight. I have a 55W solar charger which completely restores the battery each day. The solar cell is the true secret ingredient. Generator recharging is highly inefficient and really a waste of LPG.
  • BrutusBrutus Member Posts: 1,113
    They had a $2,500 solar option for my Bigfoot, but I got the feeling it was an alternative to the generator. I'm not sure if that is the same thing you are talking about. I don't know much about solar power and was a little concerned about charging time up here in Anchorage. We just had our shortest Day 12/21 with about 5 1/2 hours of daylight.

    My battery is a deep cycle marine battery that is about the size of a standard auto battery. I think it might have been flawed from the time I bought it, because I'm not convinced it ever held a full charge. I have no idea how long it sat at the dealers lot. It's a moot point now. I left it in the camper for a couple of months at subzero temps, so it's history now. It wouldn't charge at all. I'll be getting a new one. Thanks for the info on what to look for.
  • rshornsbyrshornsby Member Posts: 200
    might try a truck battery. A friend of mine had trouble with his battery, in his camper. So he got a heavy duty, BIG truck battery. Didn't have a single problem after that. Sort of spendy, but worth the extra money if that is a major problem.
  • scheffscheff Member Posts: 4
    A solar panel putting out around 55 watts will do the trick. I've seen several catalogs listing them for around $400-600. I also saw a kit at our local electronics store (Fry's) that cost around $350. You have to add a control box (unknown cost) but the whole thing costs $650 through Lance so it can't be that much.

    Regardless of the panel, you do need a long daylight period since the current is low. In Alaska the benefit would be proportional to the daylight duration.
  • stangdudestangdude Member Posts: 8
    Where did the topic go. MPG GUYS!
  • cvx2seacvx2sea Member Posts: 1
    Trying to decide if a 3.70 axle ratio would be acceptable for pulling an 8000# boat. Anyone had experience with the 3.70? I have 4.10 on my '96 F250 and have had no trouble but would like to improve my gph some if possible. I will be staying with the powerstroke.
  • wwhite2wwhite2 Member Posts: 535
    With all the praise of the diesel it's hard to justify the cost when Diesel fuel is now 2.30 per gallon here in Massachusetts
  • cmeldercmelder Member Posts: 4
    I had a 96' F250 PS SC LWB w/ 3.55 gears & 5 spd. manual and pulled better than 8,000 lb. at 70-75 mph no problem, but I live in the flat land of Texas. There were a few loads that gave the 5th gear (overdrive) problems, so I simply went to 4th and cruised right along.

    I'm now driving a 97' F350 PS CC SRW LWB w/ 3.73 gears & 5 spd. manual and handle the same loads with ease.

    Empty running on the highway it will knock down 20 mpg at 72-73 mph on cruise (Houston to Pensacola,FL)no problem.
  • cmeldercmelder Member Posts: 4
    Considering 10-12 mpg with 1.40 gas vs. 18-20 mpg with 1.49 diesel (I live in Houston) AND a 300,000 plus mile engine, I think so! A friend of mine has an 1990 F350 CC LWB Diesel with more than 900,000 miles on it and NO MAJOR OVERHAUL! Yeah sure, a couple of injection pumps, a few injectors, etc., but no major overhaul. He travels TX, LA, AK, OK, & NM and obviously relies on it for his daily living & transportation.
  • cmeldercmelder Member Posts: 4
    Yes, it is true. You must add the FW-15 I believe every 2 yrs /60K or just flush and re-fill with new coolant. As far as oil, oil filters, fuel filter, air filter you should plan on that religiously or don't buy the diesel. They are a great piece of equipment, but if you don't take proper care of it, it WILL cost you dearly! Do not skip any recommended service intervals and you should not have any major problems.
  • bigrigwannabebigrigwannabe Member Posts: 2
    Can someone tell me if there is a way to get 19" wheels on a 2000 Ford F-350 dually? The 16" are the only factory option I'm aware of. I know 19" come w/the F-450 & 550. I don't know if hubs would have to be changed out or if there is some kind of conversion available.
  • suburbank2500suburbank2500 Member Posts: 29
    Bigrigwannabe,
    I've read on sevearl posts elsewhere that you can get the F450 wheels to fito onto the F350.
  • charlesbradencharlesbraden Member Posts: 1
    Hope you find your big wheels. If your 16" wheels are Alum. and you are close to AZ, I may take them off you hands (if the price is right).
    I have a F250 that I would like to make a Dually.
    charlesbraden@hotmail.com
  • meredithmeredith Member Posts: 575
    After 30 or more days of inactivity....

    this topic is being "frozen." It will be archived or deleted in the next 10 days or so.

    Front Porch Philosopher
    SUV, Pickups, & Aftermarket and Accessories Host
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