Gas milage on a 1 ton ext Ford?

[DannyD]

Hi,

Would anyone know the approx. gas milage on either the 1 ton Ford extended vans? The government sites don't list it & I haven't been able to find it in a search on here. I get 17-18 highway on my 250, so am guessing the 350 would be around 14-15.

So if anyone has an E-350 extended van or just happens to know, I'd appreciate it.

 

[loner1]

Hi,

Would anyone know the approx. gas milage on either the 1 ton Ford extended vans? The government sites don't list it & I haven't been able to find it in a search on here. I get 17-18 highway on my 250, so am guessing the 350 would be around 14-15.

So if anyone has an E-350 extended van or just happens to know, I'd appreciate it.

My E350 gets 19-20 on the highway. 14-16 in city.

 

[guido4475]

Mine gets the same as Loners does, with my 7.3 diesel.

 

[Jack_Berry]

a stripped version of both carries approx 3000 lbs. why do you need a 350 if you have the 250?
my van had a scale ticket of 5500 lbs with 8660 gvrw. a 7.3 i weighed was about 6200 with 9600 gvrw.

my 250 already has the heavy duty parts found on a 350 just not the gvrw.

 

[Trailblazer]

Danny,

My 2003 E350, 7.3 consistantly averages between 19.7 and 20.3 mpg's. Hope that helps.
Jim

 

[guido4475]

a stripped version of both carries approx 3000 lbs. why do you need a 350 if you have the 250?
my van had a scale ticket of 5500 lbs with 8660 gvrw. a 7.3 i weighed was about 6200 with 9600 gvrw.

my 250 already has the heavy duty parts found on a 350 just not the gvrw.

If I am not mistaken, my 2003 E-350 has a gvw of 9,400 gvw with a 7.3 in it. My van weighs over 7k with everything including full of fuel and my fat *** in it.

 

[DannyD]

a stripped version of both carries approx 3000 lbs. why do you need a 350 if you have the 250?
my van had a scale ticket of 5500 lbs with 8660 gvrw. a 7.3 i weighed was about 6200 with 9600 gvrw.

my 250 already has the heavy duty parts found on a 350 just not the gvrw.

Well,

I was looking at straight trucks. Research has kind of steered me away from them at the moment. By that I mean talking to some ST owners, dispatch at the companies I work for, lack of parking threads on here, etc. If I decide on a ST afterall, I would work for an owner first. But my thinking is no sense in working for someone if I'm not going to buy my own down the road. In the end, I want to own my own vehicle no matter what type it is.

I've considered a box truck/cube van, but the milage on those wouldn't be feasable. I even considered a Sprinter again, albeit very briefly. I had such terrible luck w/ my last one though that I don't think I can make that leap again.

Yet I still want at least a small bed, APU, & some of the comforts out there. I know in my current van I'll be wanting to come home more often than I should. It's not so much about weight as it is room. I realize the things I want will add weight to the vehicle, so I have to keep that in mind. But I'm not getting this to be able to carry more weight. Hope that made sense.

I won't be making any hasty decisions by any means, but am considering a cargo van w/ a lil more room than my current one.

I've thought of taking the passenger seat out & that would give me some room in that spot. Maybe for a fridge or something. I'll still need something to power it, which I'll be asking about later. Generators have carbon monoxide to worry about. I don't want to smoke me out or the vehicles next to me if I have a portable one.

I guess what it comes down to is w/ just a few of the comforts of home, I'll be able to stay out for weeks at a time rather than days. Hence I'll be able to make more $$$. So I need a bit more room than what I have now.

If there was a way to get a bed, small tv, fan (I don't really need an air conditioner), fridge, mircowave, computer, & something to power it w/ while I wasn't moving, in my current van, that would be what I'd look at first.

Since I only have 108 inches from front to back in my current vehicle, that only leaves me about a foot of extra space if I have two skids in there. I was also thinking an extended van would give me the possibility of 3 small skids if I organized things well enough. I might lose the ability to sleep on the bed (like if it was a fold up) on those occasions I had 3 skids in there. But that would be so rare that I'd want to sleep while loaded like that it's not really a factor.

I definately don't have all the answers here. So if anyone has any ideas I'm all ears.

 

[chefdennis]

If there was a way to get a bed, small tv, fan (I don't really need an air conditioner), fridge, mircowave, computer, & something to power it w/ while I wasn't moving, in my current van, that would be what I'd look at first.

Ok, its not a ford but my ext gmc 1 ton van has, a twin size bed ( it folds up to allow for more then one skid), a small dormroom frig, a microwave, tv, satelite dish, laptop with internet service heat and ac 2 small fans ans i can haul 2 skids everyday and 3 small skids when i need to....but i am the only one that can ride as there is no pass seat...

oh i also have 2 6 volt golf cart batteries, 4000 watts of inverters battery isolator and enough electrical cords to choke a strangle a person....

You would be amazed as to what you can get in a van and not take away freight area.....

 

[guido4475]

In my E-350 extended Ford I can carry 2 full-size skids only because I wanted a separate sleeper from the cargo area at all times.It has a 30" bed with a full bulkhead, insulated, airtight, all walls.But by doing this, I added alot of weight to the van.When I first started in this business in 1989 things were alot different,including pay.Would you believe a load from Cleveland, Oh to Tucson, Az paid me $4,500 to the truck back then?That was in a 14' Ford cube, gas engine.But anyways, I really want to see Chef Dennis's van, cause I would like to put a tv,micro, etc in my van, but keep the passanger seat in it also.The hardest thing I have to get used to is the lack of room in a van.If the sidewalls were 12 inches wider,and the van cargo area 2 feet longer, than it wouldnt be so tight.But the freedom of where and what you can do in a van is worth it, by far, to me.Repairs are minimal,as far as expense, because I can do almost anything it would need including engine rebuilds, etc, myself.So that saves a ton of $$.I looked at it this way, when I bought this van, the tires were legal, but close. So I bought 5 new Firestones (spare included) for $800.00. If i were in a s/t, that would of only got me 2 steer tires.And then I compared the difference in pay,which was not that much in the beginning.The only thing about a van is freight is not as abundant.But it is more affordable to go home,use as a personal vehicle, etc.But I would definately not want to live out of a van. But any roof over my head is better than no roof at all.

 

[chefdennis]

i took the pass seat out. then built a enclosure that holds the frig on the buttom, microwave on top of that, then the tv channel box and sat dish box, and the dvd .vcr player, and alarm clock radio on the very top...my "hat" sits on top of the dvd player... i mounted a metal folding shelf i bbought from a Snap -On tool dealer on the rear facing side of the enclosure an a 13" tv sits there, The inverters are mounted on the front facing side and the batteries are in what wold be the footwell in the pass seat area. my laptop that as my gps in it is mounted on a "ram stand" comouter stand bolted to the ft mounting bolt for thr pass seat....

the bed is a 4x8 sheet of 3/4 in plywood cut down to 38 inches then cut in half the full length then i put a piano hinge in it so it folds...i use a twin size air mattress.

when i need room for 2 large skids, i deflat the matterss, fold and secure the board, and i have 110" of rear cargo floor.

Oh no bulkhead, but i do have a collapsiable shower curtain rod that i have a HEAVY quilt hung over to seperate my area from the cargo to keep heat and cool air up front. Walls and ceiling are insulated with blue OC form board insulation, then foil backed bubble insulation then covered with 3/16th finish grade plywood....the bed is mounted 10" offf the floor on top of 2 2x10's that run the length of the cargo area....e-track on eack of them and on the floor. there is no way i could do this with the pass seat in...

thats it...i am hoping to make the expo both days but it might be just sat...if anyone wants to see it...other then that...seeya on the road....

 

[guido4475]

It sounds great!!! As far as the Expo goes,it is still up in the air if I am going or not.Will not be able to make it on Fri, but maybe Sat.It's about 250 miles one way from the house,so I am not sure whether or not I want to spend 8 hours total driving time for part of a day.But I have not been to one yet,except Louisville. Why can't they have it on Sat. and Sun. instead of Fri/Sat?

 

[chefdennis]

I understand your question on why not have the expo on sat and sun...but the powers that eb need to cater to the masses, not a few...i do understand both sides.....

 

[guido4475]

I would think it would be easier and more convenient for most to be able to attend this over a weekend,not on a Fri and Sat,therefore taking away 1 day from available work.But I do appreciatte what Mr.Lawrence has done, and this is a great opportunity for anyone to attend,so many positive aspects to it.Thanks,Mr. Lawerence!!

 

[DannyD]

Dennis,

That sounds like a pretty neat set up you have & something along the lines of what I'm interested in. I guess I'm on the right track removing the passenger seat. No one rides there anyway. You have the 1 ton w/ the extra room.

What I'm wondering now is how long can you sit until those batteries run dry & also how long to charge em back up once ya get running again?

Also to both Dennis & Guido, what's the MPG in your vehicles?

Last but not least, to anyone.. about how many miles can a gasser get in total? Not meaning MPG there, but more like how many miles can you get out of it before the engine will be needing to be replaced? I realize this will vary. I run synthetic oil in my truck & take care of it as best I can. I'm just wondering about the range, if ya will.

 

[guido4475]

The mpg I get is between 17 and 19 mpg,highway, depending on my foot, terrain, load, etc.I do have afreind who has a Ford gasser that has 500 k on it, original, never opened up. he ran regular oil,changed religiously every 2,500 miles. And it still runs like new.

How many miles does anyone in a Ford with a 7.3 diesel get out of an air filter? I replaced mine 5,000 miles ago, and the restriction gauge shows 1/2 restricted already.Maybe I am still used to a big truck instead of a van, but this sounds premature.

Also, autozone has valvoline premium blue 15w40 on sale right now for 10.00 a gallon.

 

[chefdennis]

Danny a couple of things...one of the items i mentioned was a battery isolator. what that does is "isolate" your starting battery from your accessory battery bank. It also allows you to charge the accessory batteries from tha alternator on the truck, so those batteries are being charged anytime the van is running. So charging them is not an issue.

Now the batteries are "Trojan" golf cart batteries, not deep cycle boat batteries. For reasons that some here can explain better then me, even deep cycle batteries can not continuially take the affects of being drawn down and recharged, yes they will do it, but there life cycle isn't as Now, one of the worse things you can do is draw a battery down to dead...you kill the life of it..so i have a battery alarm that is set to go off at 10.9 volts, at that time i start the truck and the alternator charges them back up. So has to how long the batteries last before needing charge, there are alot of variables that affect that, but don't let them go dead period...I also run the truck everytime i use the microwave, everytime....other then that, i can lay in the bunk and watch a dvd and have the frig going (the frig is always on) and have everything else plugged in and have no issue with dead batteries.

Oh one other thing you can do with the battery isolator, because of how it is setup, you don't need jumper cables and another vehcile to jump your van...yo can do it right at the isolator....with a 10 inch cable with lugs on each end...may new QC keeps drawing my starter battery dead...yea its an old battery, but i didn't have the problem until i got the new QC...so it has ti be drawing more amps then the old one...oh well..

Turtle and i think Rlent and 1 or 2 others have posted some great articles on batteries and their installation and use here on EO..do a search..it is worth it...

as for mileage, i get a high of 18 when everything is right (not very often lol) other then that 16-17 at 65-67 mph, past that it goes down like a rock in a pond....how long will it last...well a bolt driver had a newspaperarticle on him and his van...no rebuilt heads never been off..normal replacement stuff, the motor has over a million miles... its a ford...but i know of several chevys fords, gmcs that have over 3-400,000 miles.... i have 191340 at this time, i run ams oil in the engine, trans and diff, all full synthtics...i change the engine oil at 15,000 miles add one quart in between....i have haven't added to the trans in over 100,000 miles....

 

[highway star]

How many miles does anyone in a Ford with a 7.3 diesel get out of an air filter? I replaced mine 5,000 miles ago, and the restriction gauge shows 1/2 restricted already.Maybe I am still used to a big truck instead of a van, but this sounds premature.

I replaced them between 15&20 thousand and never had the gauge move.

 

[chefdennis]

the air flow gauge on my gmc for the air filter never moves....and it does function, just not as it is suppose to...

 

[guido4475]

I replaced them between 15&20 thousand and never had the gauge move.

Yea, but is this in a s/t or a van? Sounds like a s/t to me, that's when I would change my airfilter on my s/t.

 

[flattop40]

2007 E350 5.4L and I get 18-20 depending on load, terrain, and foot. I travel at 61-62mph. Any thing more and you start to decrease. Have ran at 70 a few times and I get barely 16mpg.

My co-driver has a heavier foot then I do and now get around 17. She runs faster when I am sleeping yet she doesn't know I know.