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ShinyRoad · 01-06-2011, 10:42 AM

Nice to see all the comments since I started this post a while back. We now have over 9,000 miles on our 2011 Ford F250 Diesel with zero issues.

We upgraded our AS to a larger 2010 Flying Cloud 30 last July so we are now towing around 10,000 pounds. From huge mountain grades to very strong crosswinds this truck is amazing. We pass cars going up major grades with our AS in tow!

Downhill the difference between the '10 and '11 is pretty remarkable. The speed holding downhill is even better whether towing or not.

I had originally chosen a long bed crew cab. My dealer talked me out of it and I'm very glad he did. Parking without trailer can be a real issue for long beds and personally I've never needed the extra space. If you really need a ton of space go for the long bed and F350. Most of us though will likely benefit from the F250 crew cab shorty.

Now I'm looking at replacing the stock 28 gallon tank with a Titan 50 gallon tank. Anyone been down that road? Does it void the warranty since Ford dealers won't install it (not that I can find anyway)?

Happy New Year!
Bill & Sheri Dettman
2010 Flying Cloud 30
2011 Ford F250 Diesel Crew Cab Short Bed

lkpills · 01-06-2011, 11:32 AM

You can check out forums like The Diesel Stop which have a section on the new superduty. They have quite a few postings on the upgraded tank.

THEPILL · 01-06-2011, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lkpills

You can check out forums like The Diesel Stop which have a section on the new superduty. They have quite a few postings on the upgraded tank.

Yes, from what i gather everyone is going with a Titan brand tank. Close to 1200.00 dollars , though. It's a 50 gallon tank.

I love my Superduty. 400HP and 800lbs of tourque is hard to beat.

The ride is unsurpassed and the quality is un believable.

FORD hit a homerun with this truck and they new Diesel engine!!!

Shane

newroswell · 01-06-2011, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by THEPILL

If your starting oh wise one ,..please educate us all on other negativities,please.
Shane

Some have unlimited time to troll threads and tell people that are completely happy with their decision how they made a mistake. A sure sign they aren't spending enough time camping.

nilesrob · 01-06-2011, 08:23 PM

We put in a 50 gallon tank in our short bed, giving us a total of 80 gallons. What a joy - except when you go to fill up - ouch.

Sometimes I miss the real estate I had to give up, but I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

hhendrix · 01-07-2011, 11:01 AM

I've noticed that the fuel gauge seems to be way too conservative. My guage said I only had 10 miles left to empty and when I filled it, it still had 5 gallons to go. Anybody else have similar experiences. I wonder if there is a way to recalibrate.

newroswell · 01-07-2011, 11:11 AM

5 gallon reserve is what I've seen mentioned in thedieselstop forum. Seems a little too much. I've found myself using the dash screen that shows gallons used.

JFScheck · 01-07-2011, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lkpills

You can check out forums like The Diesel Stop which have a section on the new superduty. They have quite a few postings on the upgraded tank.

Great folks (just like here) over at the "Diesel Stop" - we drink lots of "Ford Flavored Kool Aid" over there and I love it...

Myrtle lynn · 01-08-2011, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crispyboy

Nice looking truck. Is the 10 mpg towing or solo? I assume this is the 6.4 engine.

BTW - you may want to check the spelling in your signature.......

Thank you. It is towing. When I don't tow it's about 9.5 mpg. That truck is made to tow. Love the diesel breaks. Helps with slowing down. I will fix the signature. Lol thanks.

THEPILL · 05-22-2011, 04:30 PM

18,000 miles of pure bliss here. Best decision i made in awhile... Well besides my airstream, of course.

Shane

wrochdvm · 05-22-2011, 07:36 PM

Latest outing with just 1,500 miles on the Superduty, we got 14mpg. While it was not in the mountains, it wasn't on flat ground either. It was a short trip, just 89 miles with the following profile:
Average grade = 2
Climbing distance equaled descending distance
Climbing elevation = 4,795 ft
Descending elevation = 5,370 ft

Don't be deceived by the Average grade. I have calculated the route from Port Jervis, NY to Jackson, OH (we are going to Alumapalooza) to be only grade 3. That is not bad considering we will be crossing the Appalachian Mountains.

Wayne

JFScheck · 05-22-2011, 08:40 PM

Speed really plays a factor with these trucks and mileage - it's that big sexy brick of a front end...

wrochdvm · 05-23-2011, 05:04 PM

I've always thought I had freed myself from the influence of commercial design, looked past it to examine the utilitarian aspects of a vehicle. But, damn, it is has a big truck look.

Gringo · 05-24-2011, 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hhendrix

I've noticed that the fuel gauge seems to be way too conservative. My guage said I only had 10 miles left to empty and when I filled it, it still had 5 gallons to go. Anybody else have similar experiences. I wonder if there is a way to recalibrate.

I don't know the new Fords, yet, but I have been running a couple of Land Rover diesels down here for several years now. From what I have heard and read, running a fuel line dry on a diesel is quite a pain in the posterior. It's not as simple as just filling the tank, starting her up and moving on. Perhaps the 5 gallon, unadvertised, reserve is a way for Ford to try to keep you from getting mad at them for what happens if you run completely out of fuel....

**DKB_SATX** · 05-24-2011, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gringo

I don't know the new Fords, yet, but I have been running a couple of Land Rover diesels down here for several years now. From what I have heard and read, running a fuel line dry on a diesel is quite a pain in the posterior. It's not as simple as just filling the tank, starting her up and moving on. Perhaps the 5 gallon, unadvertised, reserve is a way for Ford to try to keep you from getting mad at them for what happens if you run completely out of fuel....

I think it's more likely to just be a Ford tendency. In general it's a bad idea to run a tank nearly dry... for gasoline engines, there's an electric fuel pump in the tank that's designed to be cooled by the fuel in the tank and frequently running the tank very low will shorten the life of this pump. In diesels it can be a pain to get air out of the system once you've introduced it.

My F150 with a nominal 30 gallon tank has nearly 9 gallons in the system when the low fuel light first comes on. I didn't check the info center to see how many miles it thought it still had to empty.

newroswell · 05-24-2011, 04:43 PM

My Nissan's, Toyota's, Ford's, and Chevy's have all had at least a couple gallons left on E, even reading 0 miles to empty. My 2010 Jeep Wrangler with a 19 gallon tank reads empty with 4 gallons in the tank! (20%). The Duramax has a bleeder valve and prime procedure similar to the Fords (or at least they did, don't know about the Cummins).

Gringo · 05-24-2011, 04:56 PM

yeah, I know it's a priming procedure. Would your wife automatically know about that if they ever ran the diesel completely dry, and then managed to get a few gallons into it somehow (good samaritan, walking to a gas station for a can, etc) ? They never had to do that when they ran out of gasoline...

newroswell · 05-24-2011, 05:50 PM

The 2011 Ford Diesel's have automatic priming now (I'm sure the others do also) and we spent a good hour going over all the relevant owner's manual sections on emergency's. My wife is a lot smarter than you're giving her credit for.

Gringo · 05-24-2011, 06:32 PM

That's good to hear. I have been living outside the USA for six years, and the diesels I am familiar with require you to raise the 'bonnet' and get greasy. I am looking at TVs and still flipping back and forth between gas and diesel. So you're saying she doesn't need to know about the fuel line air lock because it's automatic now. Great!

That's a good approach, though. I doubt I ever had to go over an owners manual with my wife for five minutes total in my life. That must be some manual to take an hour just for the emergency parts.

newroswell · 05-24-2011, 07:02 PM

The Diesel Supplement manual says;

Quote:

Do not run your diesel vehicle out of fuel as this will allow air to enter the fuel system which will make restarting difficult. Longer engine cranking time may be required once air is in the fuel system. If air enters the fuel system (either through running the fuel tank(s) empty or during a fuel filter change), the engine will self-purge the trapped air once it starts running. The engine may run roughly and produce white smoke while air is in the fuel system; this is normal and should stop after a short time.

Air purge procedure
Turn the key on for 30 seconds, then turn off. Repeat the procedure six times.

Haven't had to test this yet. I'm usually the one that is lost, with a flat tire, out of fuel, or crashed and totaled the vehicle. I also know where the fuel pump automatic shut-off switch is in case of "substantial jolt".