Coast Resorts Open Roads Forum: Ford 6.2 gas vs 7.3 gas highway gas milage

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Topic: Ford 6.2 gas vs 7.3 gas highway gas milage

Posted By: flyte63 on 01/22/21 01:13pm

Anyone have real world HIGHWAY gas milage figures for a Ford Super Duty with about 3000lbs of truck camper in the bed? I’m specifically wondering about 2017-2021 F250 and F350 trucks with the 6.2 gas and new 7.3 gas engines. Reading online I see claims of similar or maybe only 1mpg less with the new 7.3 gas engine, but what about in the real world? (I know they have their place, but not interested Diesel numbers)

http://flyte63.blogspot.com

Posted By: Kayteg1 on 01/22/21 01:38pm

general comment
You should know that weight differences with different load plays minimal role in highway mpg. They do on city driving.
What matters a lot in highway/freeway driving is frontal area and aerodynamics.
Than last comment about gas engine mpg
"if you have to ask, you can't afford it"

Posted By: mellow on 01/22/21 02:29pm

According to real world MPG from owners the 7.3 is getting better mpg. I was surprised to see that.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1614398-updated-7-3-mpg-8.html#post19663873

2002 F-350 7.3 Lariat 4x4 DRW ZF6
2008 Lance 1191 - 220w of solar - Bring on the sun!

Posted By: Kayteg1 on 01/22/21 03:52pm

I think for real life comparison fuelly.com is the best site, even you will find some reports that are way off the line.
But standard procedure for comparing statistics - you ignore the high and low extremes.
The 7.3l owners report between 10.8 and 12.4 mpg
6.2l reports 9.6 to 12.4mpg
7.3 l is newer engine and expected to have better fuel management.
The above numbers are without explanation what load, so most likely empty truck.
Big camper will cut down 30-40%
We can split hair here, but reading the statistics - the higher mpg are reported by owners with just few fill ups, when those with 30-50 fill ups have it going down.
I would interpret that that new owners drive carefully for some time and lower speeds bring higher mpg. Once they start putting miles on it, they start pushing it and mpg drops.
It is also common that new truck is used for grocery getter and showing off, when aged trucks are getting beaten up with hauling and towing.

Posted By: Reality Check on 01/22/21 06:58pm

We have one 6.2... a 2017 4x ext cab, and although it doesn't carry a camper.... it tows a trailer, 26' box (read...wind resistance) which is approx 6000lbs. It gets about 8.1 avg in the mountains. Obviously better on the flats.

'16 F550 CC, 4x4 with Link Ultraride air suspension, '18 AF 1150. Just so we can play with our snowmobiles, dirt bikes and fishing boat. And new 20' tag along...kayaks, bikes, mc's and extra water and food!!

Posted By: billtex on 01/23/21 06:26am

We have a new 2020 6.2l with ten speed tranny. Hard to believe but all reports indicate both the 6.2 and 7.3 are getting very similar mpg.
At the time we purchased our truck the 7.3 were very limited in inventory. Don’t know what the supply looks like now.
In any case the 6.2 has been great for us-no complaints.
We haul a 4500# TC or tow up to 12,000#. No problems at all. Very pleased with this truck.
Bill

Edit; I realized I didn’t answer your question. An average weekend trip for us with the TC is ~500 miles. Fuel consumption is ~ 11 mpg. Pretty much what I was getting with the previous diesel. Love the 48 gal tank in this truck. I filled up yesterday and (without TC) have a projected range of > 600 miles.
We have now completed our first full season of hauling the TC or towing the Airstream to all of our usual haunts. Very happy with this truck and the decision to go with gas.

* This post was edited 01/23/21 11:02am by billtex *

2020 F350 CC LB
Eagle Cap 850
25'Airstream Excella
"Good People Drink Good Beer"-Hunter S Thompson

Posted By: Kayteg1 on 01/23/21 09:02am

Reality Check wrote:

I have opposite experience. When driving big vehicle in the mountains, driving in 40-50 mph range I am getting very good mpg.
Once I hit flat freeway, the speed goes one way and fuel gauge the opposite.
When I was moving from San Francisco area to Vegas, I made 3 trips with cargo trailer. Going from SF to LV loaded I always had way better mpg, than going back empty, even I always kept my CC at 60 mph. It was all in desert winds.

Posted By: Grit dog on 01/23/21 12:21pm

Not surprising that the 2 engines get similar mileage. Especially loaded.
At any rate, the difference between them and the other 2 brands will not be enough to sway a purchase.
It’s uncanny how folks get interested in fuel mileage. Pretty much all newer vehicles of similar size and configuration get about the same mileage.
And with a camper on, a big gasser will get about 8 if you drive it normally, and 1-2mpg better if driving slow, with an egg on the gas pedal.
But then the terrain, weather, altitude and wind will make more difference than the difference between vehicles.

2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5” turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29 - Sold.
Couple of Arctic Fox TCs - Sold

Posted By: flyte63 on 01/24/21 09:43am

Thanks for your inputs, I know there are a lot of variables that affect MPG but I was interested to hear about any truck camper experience with the new 7.3 engine. Planning to order a custom build F350 soon and spec’d the way that I want the cost difference in the engines is only $1000. Initially I was scared off from it with it being new and expecting it would have lower MPG, but given that owners are reporting highway milage is basically the same as the old 6.2 I think the 7.3 might be the right choice.

Posted By: Kayteg1 on 01/24/21 09:52am

New technology brings better stuff those days on daily bases.
I am diesel guy but I see that 6.2l is several years older technology, so you can expect more from newer engine.
Beside heavy vehicles, I drive 2 tons sedan who makes 60 mpg on highway and that's 7 yo technology, when newer engine is not only lighter, but more powerful and 15% more efficient.
Since you are buying new, go for the latest.
You would not buy 5 yo cellphone?
For custom build I strongly advise 360 cameras. I also had ultimate tow package, but that was expensive and did not work with camper skirts.

Posted By: Grit dog on 01/24/21 10:23am

Kayteg1 wrote:

New technology brings better stuff those days on daily bases.
I am diesel guy but I see that 6.2l is several years older technology, so you can expect more from newer engine.

Except the 7.3 is arguably a revival of old technology.
Aside from maybe a more complex engine management system, the 7.3 is a simpler, older basic design.
Nothing magic with the 7.3. Everything that is old is new again with that engine.

Forgot about your mythical 60mpg Mercedes though. Thanks for the laugh.
Where are the “new” 70 mpg models? Lol

Posted By: billtex on 01/24/21 11:13am

flyte63 wrote:

This is what is being reported. I would not hesitate to get the 7.3 gasser.

Posted By: gsutton on 01/24/21 11:43am

i just finished a 1400 mile trip with the 6.2 in an f250 super cab 8 ft. bed 6 speed and 3.73 axle hauling a lance 1010 @3500 lbs. and pulling a 7/16 enclosed trailer loaded to about 3500 lb.realy hammered the truck both ways at 70-80 mph when safe with strong head winds.plenty of power 7.9 mpg.

Posted By: Kayteg1 on 01/24/21 01:54pm

For me 7.9 mpg with TC and cargo trailer @80mph goes to the box with 3 foot fish everyone is catching

Posted By: gsutton on 01/24/21 02:36pm

little more realistic than 60 mpg.

Posted By: Kayteg1 on 01/25/21 06:22pm

Sad truth is that 60 mpg for European sedans is a norm, when 7.9 for US build trucks towing with gasoline engine is not.

Posted By: Highway Runner on 01/25/21 06:38pm

I am running the 6.2 Dually with a 4.30 axle. I am able to stay right around 10 mpg. The axle gear has something to do with mpg. The bigger the number, the lesser the mpg. Like one guy said, I didn’t buy mine for mpg, I wanted better pull going up hill.

2015 Eagle Cap 1165
2016 F-350 Lariat 4x4, 6.2 Boss Dually, 4.30 Axle
Air Lifter 7500 XL w Rancho 9000s & Torklift Stable Loads

Posted By: Kayteg1 on 01/25/21 06:52pm

Not trying to turn it into another diesel v/s gasser topic, but I bought my diesel mainly for mpg.
When couple of second gained at green light don't matter to me, the new diesel happen to have 440HP and close to 1000 torque, so coming from negative elevation and 124F in Death Valley I could just fly over surrounding mountains with 6000 lb camper just fine.
It is the old story "Pay less now and more later, or the other way around"
You see my long term mpg with camper in my footnote on 1st reply on the page.

Posted By: jimh406 on 01/25/21 06:55pm

99 is the mpg for all Fords I’ve been in. You only have to hit reset and go down a steep hill. It’s the norm. [emoticon]

Any way, larger engines generally get better mpg than small ones once the smaller ones are working hard. So, not a surprise that the 7.3 with more efficient transmission would get better MPG especially when the TC is loaded.

The other issue that always comes up on the MPG threads is we all have different types of terrain to travel in, some draft trucks (you know who you are), and some drive really slow either because that’s the speed on the roads they like to travel or because they like to be a roadblock other traffic. [emoticon]

'10 Ford F-450, 6.4, 4.30, 4x4, 14,500 GVWR, '06 Host Rainer 950 DS, Torklift Talon tiedowns, Glow Steps, and Fastguns. Bilstein 4600s, Firestone Bags, Toyo M655 Gs, Curt front hitch, Energy Suspension bump stops.

NRA Life Member, CCA Life Member

Posted By: specta on 01/25/21 07:05pm

jimh425 wrote:

9
Any way, larger engines generally get better mpg than small ones once the smaller ones are working hard. So, not a surprise that the 7.3 with more efficient transmission would get better MPG especially when the TC is loaded.

Years ago I worked with a guy who drove a Mustang with a 2.3L 4 banger.

He could never figure out why I got better mileage around town and on the HWY with my 5.0L HO.

His worked to move the car and mine didn't.

Kenny
1996 Jayco 376FB Eagle Series TT
1997 Jayco 246FB Eagle Series TT
1976 Ford F-250 4wd Mercury Marauder 410 - 4V
Regular cabs. The best looking trucks.

Posted By: Kayteg1 on 01/25/21 07:16pm

jimh425 wrote:

99 is the mpg for all Fords I’ve been in. You only have to hit reset and go down a steep hill. It’s the norm. [emoticon]

You have a picture to prove it?
I have 1 for my sedan.
Bad news, 99.9 is end of the scale as for some time I was doing much better.

Click For Full-Size Image.

Posted By: Grit dog on 01/26/21 09:52am

Highway Runner wrote:

Having run a lot of miles in 6.2 Fords. F250s, I can say your mileage is NOT the norm and either your reporting is, umm, optimistic, or you are basically hyper miling the truck.
Presume you’re saying 10 mpg with a big truck camper on. 10-12mpg sounds right driving empty.
Again, unless you have a bumper sticker that says “55 saves lives” and actually believe it!

Posted By: jsc253 on 01/26/21 06:22pm

I have a 2016 F250 with the 6.2 gasser with 3:73 and hall a Northstar TC650 pop up truck camper. On the highway at reasonable speeds, I get between 11-12mpg. In town, it is less. The performance is fine but mileage with truck campers is never good!

Posted By: noteven on 01/28/21 06:04am

flyte63 wrote:

My 2012 6.2 gas flatbed 4x4 Fordor Ford at 100000 miles does 8-10 mpUSgal campering and 14-15 mpUSgal bob tail. Towing a 16 x 8-1/2ft tandem enclosed doesn't change it much except when the crosswind blows. Then 7 is totally achievable.

Posted By: jaycocreek on 01/28/21 09:24am

These MPG threads are totally dependant on the driver and his habits..There are some here that could make a VW Beetle get bad mileage.LOL

My last two 7.5 Fords(460) have both gotten 10mpg+ loaded ready to camp because I know I have a zippy/gas guzzlin' engine if I do not keep my foot out of it..I easily get 13+(never 14 yet) empty and 10+ with the TC on and the other was a Class C..LOL

I would not hesitate to get either of Fords engines or the Chevy 6.0 like my son has that's been bullet proof..

Lance 9.6
400 watts solar mounted/200 watts portable
500ah Lifep04

Posted By: billtex on 01/28/21 11:10am

flyte63 wrote:

Keep in mind all the F350 are ten speed as of 2020. So comparing 2017-2019 to 2020+ will be slightly different with ten speed having the advantage.

Posted By: Kayteg1 on 01/28/21 12:06pm

I guess 10 speed can help in city and mountain driving.
My dually spend about 95% of its life on the highest gear and highest gear usually is the same regardless how many other gears you have.

Posted By: egarant on 02/02/21 05:33pm

I will be picking up a new 2021 Ford F-350 dually 4x4 in less than two weeks.
It will have the 7.3 gas with 4.30 rear end. I will be putting an 2013 Eagle Cap 950 on it.

I is too bad, and always the case, that aftermarket shocks/sway-bars are not available this early in the model year.

I will update the forum as to how this truck performs.

This truck will be replacing a 2013 RAM 3500 4x4 dually.

2021 FORD F350 dually 4x4 with 4.30 gears
2013 Eagle Cap 950
480 Watts Solar, 3K VictronConnect Multiplus II, VictronConnect smart DC-DC charger, VictronConnect 100/30 solar controller, 250 amps of lithium batteries by LifeBlue

Posted By: billtex on 02/02/21 05:58pm

egarant wrote:

Sweet. I doubt you will need any suspension mods. Payload on that truck is crazy! Of all the mods I have done, sway bar was the least effective. You should be fine.

Posted By: hedge on 02/02/21 06:08pm

egarant wrote:

There are no changes from 2020 to 2021 so should be easy to find aftermarket parts. I wouldn't expect that you'd need any mods for that camper.

I also recently went to a 7.3 gas after owning diesels for ~12 years, mine's a single wheel with the Tremor package. Haven't had the camper on it yet. Don't really expect great gas mileage but not really a factor in my decision to go gas.

2017 F350 Platinum DRW
2013 Adventurer 89RB

Posted By: jimh406 on 02/02/21 07:35pm

egarant wrote:

I will be picking up a new 2021 Ford F-350 dually 4x4 in less than two weeks.
It will have the 7.3 gas with 4.30 rear end. I will be putting an 2013 Eagle Cap 950 on it.

Congratulations, should be a great truck.

Posted By: CaptJD on 02/03/21 06:40pm

I am the owner of a one week old Thor Coleman 19CM with 7.3 engine on it and during the last week I drove it from AR to CA.
Despite being the tiniest possible C class when we hit the strong windy conditions I was making 9mpg average on the flats and 8 to 8,5 on the hills.
Then when we hit the flats again and on a calm evening hours from Blythe to LA we were averaging 10 to 10,5mpg when I set the cruise control at 70mph.

After a while I decided to slow down and set the cruise control to 60mpg and it went up to 11mpg.

Today for the first time on a calm day I was driving back to home on flat roads and decided to cruise at 55mph and it went up to 11.4...
That was my best so far during the 2300 miles in my first week.

To be honest when I first started the engine it scared me. I thought it sounded like a big muscle car! Still think it's a little overkill for a 19' long mini-C class but what do I know?

Posted By: specta on 02/03/21 07:20pm

This is the mileage display on my work truck, a 2009 F-450 with the 6.4L diesel for power.

If I calculate the mileage on paper it always comes out 1 mpg lower than the display, the same with my Lincoln. I think ford does that intentionally to try and make us feel good. [emoticon]

362 mile round trip, all freeway and empty.

Posted By: jaycocreek on 02/04/21 07:05am

specta wrote:

362 mile round trip, all freeway and empty.

That's not all that bad considering..I had an old 454 that never got better than in the 8's and 6-8 loaded and the weight didn't matter..

Posted By: Kayteg1 on 02/04/21 08:55am

jaycocreek wrote:

That's not all that bad considering..I had an old 454 that never got better than in the 8's and 6-8 loaded and the weight didn't matter..

I disagree.
As Specta says -real value is 1 mpg lower, what considering mostly empty truck is very lousy for diesel.
My Dually averaged real 12 mpg with 6000 lb camper on it.
This is what my cluster said after Alaskan trip. Pretty close to fuelly calculations.
[image]

Posted By: Grit dog on 02/04/21 11:29am

^Because the old 6.4 Flowerjoke is a turd of a motor. Heck, even Ford who gave the 6.0 about 3 more years than it should have, dumped the 6.4 after only 2 years.

Posted By: specta on 02/04/21 03:25pm

jaycocreek wrote:

That's not all that bad considering..I had an old 454 that never got better than in the 8's and 6-8 loaded and the weight didn't matter..

It s 390 CI diesel. I would expect better than 8.7 mpg empty on the HWY.

Posted By: jaycocreek on 02/04/21 04:27pm

It was never known for its mpg..

8-12 mpg
6.4pstroker

Most 6.4s get b/w 8-12 mpg stock.Apr 5, 2011
www.powerstrokenation.com › how...
How many mpg should a 6.4 diesel get | Ford Power Stroke Nation

Posted By: specta on 02/04/21 05:16pm

jaycocreek wrote:

Its a slug no matter how you look at it.
This truck has had the engine replaced twice with new factory 6.4s at the dealer.

I know the lease company has spent over $8000 repairing this one over the last two years in less than 10,000 miles.

I marvel that they have kept it this long.

Posted By: jimh406 on 02/04/21 06:05pm

I don’t think many people run 6.4s stock, but my F450 with 4.30s got better than that stock. I expect most SRWs with 3.73s got much better unless you are talking higher MPH. I didn’t buy mine for MPG.

$8000 is a lot, but not outrageous considering how much new trucks are. Other than DPF issues that no longer happen, mine has had zero issues. I could have bought a new one for 40K more when I bought mine 6 years ago which would have been double the price.

Posted By: specta on 02/04/21 07:28pm

jimh425 wrote:

I'm sure there are lots of good ones out there and I'm glad that you have one of them.

I'm sure that this one is actually the oddball, especially with the engine having been replaced twice. this is only the second year that I've used it and its only during the winter months.

I used to tow the snow cat with a 1-ton Chevy and I much prefer towing it with this F-450. Longer wheel base, its heavier and has better brakes and when the going get rough the limited slip or what ever it has in the rear diff helps a lot.

This one has the 4.88 gears but for one reason ort another speed doesn't seem to affect the MPG.

Since it came out of the shop about 8 months ago it runs as good as it ever has. I think someone who knew how to fix it finally got to work on it.

Posted By: deltabravo on 02/05/21 08:44pm

jaycocreek wrote:

These MPG threads are totally dependant on the driver and his habits.

...unless the DW is driving.

2009 Silverado 3500HD Dually, D/A, CCLB 4x4 (bought new 8/30/09)
2018 Arctic Fox 992 with an Onan 2500i "quiet" model generator

Posted By: Kayteg1 on 02/06/21 08:09am

deltabravo wrote:

...unless the DW is driving.

For decades we've been driving 560 miles route between San Francisco and Las Vegas, often splitting the drive with DW.
We both drove at the same cruising speed, yet DW was making better mpg.
Slower acceleration, less aggressive passing did make noticeable difference in overall mpg.
Than I was coming to the destination 20 minutes faster.

Posted By: jimh406 on 02/06/21 08:38am

Kayteg1 wrote:

We both drove at the same cruising speed, yet DW was making better mpg.

Wow, over 100 mpg. [emoticon]

Posted By: burningman on 02/07/21 05:09pm

Engine size isn’t the whole story.
The 7.3 is usually running at much lower RPM, so even though 7.3 liters of air/fuel mixture goes through it on each revolution, it does fewer revolutions and actually displaces less volume while moving down the road than a 6.2 thats spinning faster.

2017 Northern Lite 10-2 EX CD SE
99 Ram 4x4 Dually Cummins
A whole lot more fuel, a whole lot more boost.
4.10 gears, Gear Vendors overdrive, exhaust brake
Built auto, triple disc, billet shafts.
Kelderman Air Ride, Helwig sway bar.

Posted By: flyte63 on 02/20/21 06:46am

Pulled the trigger and ordered a F350 with the 7.3, now just a long wait due to backlog of orders!

Posted By: otrfun on 02/21/21 06:35pm

flyte63 wrote:

Pulled the trigger and ordered a F350 with the 7.3, now just a long wait due to backlog of orders!

What's the estimated delivery date?

Posted By: flyte63 on 02/22/21 07:07pm

I don’t have a tracking number yet but dealer said to expect as long as 24 weeks, so we are thinking might not be until August 1st.

Posted By: Grit dog on 02/22/21 10:09pm

flyte63 wrote:

I don’t have a tracking number yet but dealer said to expect as long as 24 weeks, so we are thinking might not be until August 1st.

I really wish I had a couple extra trucks to sell this year!
What are the mfgs excuses now? Is it really that much demand?
I mean, the Rona isn’t really affecting stuff now.

Posted By: otrfun on 02/23/21 07:02am

flyte63 wrote:

I don’t have a tracking number yet but dealer said to expect as long as 24 weeks, so we are thinking might not be until August 1st.

Have a friend that's looking at special ordering a 2021 7.3 F350 CC SB. His mid-west dealer is telling him 8-10 weeks for delivery. They said Ford is putting "sold" orders ahead of routine orders from dealers.

* This post was edited 02/23/21 07:08am by otrfun *

Posted By: Kayteg1 on 02/23/21 08:46am

Grit dog wrote:

What are the mfgs excuses now? Is it really that much demand?
I mean, the Rona isn’t really affecting stuff now.

Riots on Mexican border?

Posted By: Grit dog on 02/23/21 11:34am

Kayteg1 wrote:

Grit dog wrote:

What are the mfgs excuses now? Is it really that much demand?
I mean, the Rona isn’t really affecting stuff now.

Riots on Mexican border?

???
Lol

Posted By: flyte63 on 02/23/21 04:54pm

8 to 10 weeks is what we were originally told as “normal”. But apparently orders are up this year, possibly due to stimulus checks making their way to contractors and then being converted into new trucks - one theory anyway. From banter on the ford truck forums it does sound like some orders are being built sooner than others, maybe due to different cab/chassis configurations and trim levels.

Posted By: otrfun on 02/23/21 05:14pm

flyte63 wrote:

Let's hope it's sooner rather than later. 6 months is a crazy long time to wait.

Posted By: billtex on 02/23/21 06:42pm

Supply chain is still a fuster cluck. You can always do a nationwide search and see if there are any trucks that meet your requirements. Good luck.

Posted By: Bert the Welder on 02/25/21 09:22pm

flyte63 wrote:

I don’t have a tracking number yet but dealer said to expect as long as 24 weeks, so we are thinking might not be until August 1st.

WOW! I was told 16 weeks when ordered mid-Jan. Hope it doesn't take longer. New camper will be here soon so I'm kind in a spot.

"> 1998 GMC 2500, 10.5 Okanagan, My better/smarter half, George and Finnegan(APBT), all I need.

Posted By: Bert the Welder on 02/25/21 09:29pm

I understand people wanting an estimate on mileage. But really, you'd need half a toilet roll to list all the variables that go into that number. I think the phrase "If you have to ask...." really is true in this instance.

I have a '21 f350, 7.3, Lariat, CC,LB,DRW,4:30 ordered and a '21 Northern Lite 10.2 LE, DB coming too. Mileage never entered my mind....

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