For those of you that have an F450, what do you get for fuel mileage? My dad has a 2010 F350 CC LB and gets around 11.5-12. I'm looking at a 450 to tow my 15k trailer. Don't want a pig but need a big truck to pull that trailer ....

 

I have the same truck and get the same mileage. I have on order a tuner and DPF delete pipe. I also run Opti Clean witch helps a little and is good for your injectors and fuel pumps.
The tuner will stop burning fuel in the DPF wasting it and make my engine run better, cleaner and longer burning less fuel. BTW I will be able to get 250 more horsepower if I want.

 

Yeah unfortunately I am in California so there is no chance of getting away with a dpf delete kit here .... And some tuners wont even ship here so I am stuck with moderate tunes at best. Mostly looking for a little power and a lot of mpg if I go the 450 route ....

 

I get 12-13 around town. 10 hauling my 5th wheel.

 

If you cannot get a DPF Delete then you are screwed on fuel mileage. Mine was getting 10-12 unloaded and when I pulled my 16,000# fiver I could get anywhere between 5-7. The fuel mileage on the 450 is really bad, especially if it has the 4.88 rearend gear. I have since deleted the DPF and now I am seeing 13-15 unloaded and I have not pulled the fiver yet with it so I do not know how that will be.

 

I get 11-12 around town and 9-10 with my 14k fifth wheel behind me (488 gears). I would of course like to get better, but it is worth it to me because the truck pulls so well. Still completely stock. -Glenn

 

You might want to consider an F350 DRW truck. It will tow 15,000 up a tree. My trailer goes 17500 and over when everything is on board. I towed for a year and a half with DPF on and climbed all the rockies without a problem. Now there is a trade off with the 350 as you can get a 4.10 rear axle or even a 3.73 and I think the 2009s and 10s had a 3.55 available but maybe not. With the 450 I think all you can get is the 4.88 which is a real fuel eater. So, you give up a little power and gain a little economy with each higher rear axle. Mine is a 4.30 and I got 7.5 to 9 towing. Didn't drive it enough to check non-towing mileage.

In addition to low fuel mileage the primary problem with the DPF technology is diluting the oil with diesel and the extra wear this causes. If you can't delete the mileage is what it is, but there are some things you can do with the DPF on to keep the dilution under control. I was doing OK with an oil management program that went like this: added a quick drain oil spigot. Changed oil and filter at 5000 miles. Between changes at each 1000 miles I would drain the oil down to one quart low and add a quart of fresh. It helped a lot as verified by oil analysis reports and cost $17 each oil change cycle. Hope this helps.

 

The 2008 F450 had two axle ratios from the factory. 4.30 and 4.88 in a Dana s110 rear end. That rear end is big and very heavy. One big advantage of the F450 is the bigger brakes front and rear. Getting it going is one thing stopping with a fully loaded trailer is another. I moved up from a F350 to a F450 and what a difference. I did lose a mile per gallon going from a 4.1 to a 4.3 rear but it was worth it. My old 99 F 350 was highly modified and had more hp than the stock 08 F450 but not for long. The 450 was more stable and sure stopped better.

 

I didn't know the 4.30 was even an option. I guess that would be a little more economical than the 4.88. I'm sure the 450 being a bigger platform feels more stable when towing. My trailer has brakes designed to stop it and they work well. I towed it with a short bed extended cab F250 for a year and stopping was never a problem. Towing was OK except for down hill curves where the trailer was always pushing and the ride was uncomfortable, maybe exciting would be a more accurate discription. The 7.3 with mods pulled it fine but the DRWs are just so much more comfortable. One factor to consider for 5th wheel towing is that when you get there and unhook you have to drive what you towed with. Driving the DRW 350 around tourist towns is enough of a pain, a 450 would be even worse. The point I was trying to make is that there are a number of options available and they all involve some level of compromise.

 

Actually, my 450 is much easier to drive in tight city areas than my old 350 was. The 450 has a much tighter turning radius than the 350 because of the wider front axle. My wife did not even like to drive the 350 because t was so hard to park. Now with the 450 she loves to drive it to town.

 

Ditto on the driveability. During the summer my 450 is my DD, when it's not towing the camper. I was unaware of the turning difference when I purchased it and was expecting the same as the '06 F350 I've got at work. Amazingly surprised to say the least.

I have the 4.30 axles, and I don't how some of you guys drive but when I drove it back from Texas I ran anywhere 65-75 and was averaging 13.5 till I took a left and headed into the mountains.

Deleted now running a 210 HP tune and fairly confident I could hit 17 mpg if I can stay out of the mountains. Towing my 16.5K camper I average around 8.5-9.0 normally, but did manage to do 10.5 once.

Admittedly that 17.0 isn't going to happen unless I stay at 65mph max, relatively flat terrain, and drive like that fuel money is coming out of MY pocket.

 

***REPLY***Just bought in Nov-2012 a used 1999 F450 7.3-liter auto transmission Lariat crew cab to pull CGWR of 29,000 lbs. Fuel Mileage thus far = close to 12 mpg running light. Just installed K&N air filter that boosted hp and added 1 additional mpg fuel efficiency = now 13 mpg. Next will install Cortex 1950 superchip and hope to gain additional fuel efficiency. Also use Amsoil products exclusively and hope to see engine efficiency (runs cooler) improve as a result of Amsoil products.

 

I have the 4.56 rear end and love its turning ability I have not towed 31-foot MS 5er yet ... but in-city driving is great ...I am cautious about suitable Seattle parking space for truck is my only concern, but once parked, do not mind walking couple blocks to my destination.

 

Seattle, the only place they have ever made me pay for two spaces to park my DRW in a pay lot. It was 6:30 PM and the place was nearly deserted, but I had to pay for two spaces or go elsewhere. Would have exercised the go elsewhere option but we were late for a dinner date.

 

I have a 08 f450 I love the truck it is the ultimate for pulling. I drive mine daily also every day. It will out turn a f350 and out stop one as well I call it my 10,000 pound Porsche.. lol. There is alot of miss information about these trucks. As far as axle ratios you can get gear ratios from 3.50 on down to 5.13 and lower. I have a set of 4.88, 4.30, 4.10 and a set of 3.73's I am running the 4.10 now. and yes its a 4x4 so I have both sets complete with carriers. Mine is DPF deleted with a H&S tuner, cold air intake and EGR delete among other things.I can get 15-17 mpg crusing at 75-85, keep in mind speed limits here are 80 and most drivers will run 85-90. this is my second 08 f450 its a great truck but the stock gears are what will kill your mpg. I would not tow my trailer with anything else. Just the braking alone is worth it.