# F350 V10



## echolewa63 (Mar 28, 2012)

I'm a brand new member to the forumn and fairly new to RVing. We just purchased a new 312BH last summer and love it. We towed it last year, beleive it or not, with a 2007 Dodge Durango, 5.7L Hemi with a 3.55 axle. Obviously not an ideal tow vehicle. It actually did better than I thought it would. We intentially did not load it heavily, no water, no bikes or firewood, bought groceries after we arrived, etc. And stayed in the relatively flat land of Michigan and never ventured more than a couple hours from home.

Just purchased a 2009 F350 Crew Cab, 6.8L V10, 6.5ft bed, 4.10 gears. I'm sure this will be plenty of truck for the trailer. Just looking to see who else is towing with the 6.8L V10 and any cautions, concerns or experiences that may be helpful. Such as hitch setups, performance upgrades, expected mileage, etc.

Looking forward to taking some longer (non-white knuckle) trips this year. Thanks in advance for any feedback.

I'll try and post some pictures of the new tow vehicle and trailer as soon as we get it prepped for the year.


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## kobuyashi (Sep 30, 2009)

Can't say much about towing but my company vehicle is an extended cab 2010 and I get about 14 mpg highway and 10 all around. It's definitely thirsty but runs great. I found that slowing from 65 mph to 55 makes a huge difference in mileage but on the PA turnpike its just not feasible. I know a guy who pulls his 5th wheel with one and says he gets around 8 mpg. My personal truck (Quad Cab Hemi Ram) only gets about 11 towing a 21rs and that's on a level road.


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## ORvagabond (Apr 17, 2009)

WELCOME TO OUTBACKERS!!!

My son tows with a 2005 F350 and V10...he loves it. Does not even know the trailer is there. The V10 is thirsty though.


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## WYOCAMPER (Mar 28, 2007)

Welcome to Outbackers! Nice trailer and nice truck! Congrats on both!

I too have an F350 short bed with the V10 and the 4.10 gears. Solid towing platform. We tow our Outback all over the Rockies up and down high mountain passes and it does a great job. Real world gas mileage is about 10-11 city, 13-14 hwy and I get about 9 towing the Outback. I live at about 5300ft and usually camp up in the mountains. Towing at higher altitudes can be tough on a gas engine, but the V10 has never let me down. Your V10 backed by the TorqueShift transmission in your truck is a solid, incredibly reliable towing platform. Maintenance is easy... change the oil and feed it gas. I have been replacing the trans fluid every 30K miles. Cheap insurance on an expensive transmission. That truck should last you a long long time.

As far as performance upgrades for your V10, do not expect any huge gains in power. These gas engines just don't see the power increases that diesels do when adding aftermarket upgrades. The gains from exhaust and air intake are minimal if any and in some cases can actually rob you of power and torque over the stock set up. Spend a little time on here for some really good info on the V10's:
http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/forum49/

The best performance mod I can recommend is a tuner loaded with custom tunes specific to your truck and your needs. I have an SCT -X3 tuner that I purchased from Five Star Tuning and it has been hands down the best bang for my buck. The tuner gives you a bit more power and torque (again, don't expect HUGE gains like a tuner on a diesel), but more importantly, it addresses shift points in the transmission, firmness, timing, throttle response, etc. It makes an already great truck even better. Below is a link for Five Star Tuning if you are interested. Ask for Mike, he does a great job and will take good care of you. 
http://www.5startuning.com/

The 312bh is a long trailer. Get a good weight distribution hitch with sway control. I have the Equalizer brand hitch and love it. Keeps sway to a minimum on the highway - even in the crazy Wyoming wind. I'm sure more folks will chime in with other options.

Other than that, enjoy your new truck and your Outback. Ask as many questions as you'd like. The folks on here are some of the most knowledgable and friendly people you will ever meet. Post some pics if you get a chance. We'd all love to see your rig. Congrats again!


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