2011 Fords

[Wingate]

Well... With 1450 miles on it... I have had a CEL once, Fuel consumption isn't very consistent although my driving/idle time is... Some tanks get 4. 8-5. 2 mpg..... then other tanks get as far up as 8. 7 mpg... Still not sure what the reason for that is... Like I said, the driving conditions have been virtually identical.

The new Ford transmission seems ok, but with the use of the PTO system, the gear noise is UNBEARABLE at idle. I asked abouut the backlash settings and was assured they were all ok. All the new trucks we are getting sound the same. Its running a Chelsea PTO box, but due to Fords PTO drive gear design... . It sounds like crap!.

The interior appointments are still great, I WISH my Dodge had seats as good as this Ford!!!. Driving down the highway it has good power and is able to maintain speed going up a hill... . for those who dont know, thats something special for a service truck!!.

There seems to be some sort of glitch in the throttle/turbo that makes the response at take off "consistently inconsistent!!!" I've been trying to change my driving style and see if that helps... . but so far, no cigar.

Its been awhile since I've ben in a Ford, but they have really done a good job of making a work truck interior comfortable for us guys that seem to live out of them. Not sure why they put the radio so far away, but that really ok since I got CD/MP3 player!!!.

 

[CUMMINZ]

Cumminz,



Go buy the Furd but please remain a TDR member. We'll enjoy reading about your initial excitement about "all the wonderful advantates" and then, over a year or so, we'll enjoy your dismay, then dawning dissapointment, then dissatisfaction, then hatred of the Furd.



We know you so we'll trust you to report honestly here in TDR.

"we'll enjoy your dismay"



Harvey I am very disappointed in you for bending so low. :-{}

 

[HBarlow]

Cumminz,

Seems to me you're the one who is stooping low to seriously consider a Furd.

 

[RGardner]

anything new on the ford diesels?

 

[Simplysmn]

A buddy just got a 2011 and all I can say is Yuk they r butt ugly you lift the hood and you try n find the motor and it's hard but he said that Ford offer's life time Maint. on them so that's what he got . We tried are hardest to talk him out of it but he's a die hard ford man and there was no changing his mind . His first pull with it will be going to Texas with a Blazer on his trailer so we will see how it goes . I will say it sure is quiet but I'll keep my Dodge much easier to work on . Biggest thing I didn't like was the Plastic look of everything inside the truck .

 

[Wingate]

well, with about 7K... its CELS, CELS, CELS, EGR valves stuck open, EGR tubing breaking, fuel mileage won't climb past 7 mpg. and the delay in accelleration from a standing start is going to get somebody killed.

Usually, the CELS will reset themselves after 1-2 days. The fuel consumption is serious enough that our fleet manager is in constant contact with Ford engineering and marketing group due to being assured these trucks would get 10+ mpg average.

There is a piece of the EGR system that is a steel tube/bellows assy. that is prone to breaking and is on national back-order... We just had one break and after the first dealership didnt want to help out, a second one pulled a new truck off the lot and got the tube off of it to get us back going.

 

[HBarlow]

I"m laughing. What happened to the 20% improvement in fuel mileage Furd was claiming and the 22+ mpg some early Furd professional liars were spreading around on the internet?

I'm not too smart but I knew the claims of 400hp and 750 ft. lbs. of torque and 22 mpg were utter nonsense the first time I heard it.

I expect the 2011 Furds will be nearly as big a disaster as the junk Navistar Sick. Ohh engine was.

Wingate, I feel sorry for you having to drive that piece of stuff every day.

 

[rscurtis]

Perhaps the MPG will improve when the truck is reflashed to 400HP/ 800 ft. lbs.

 

[CUMMINZ]

I think the new Ford engine will be a winner but they placed ugly fenders over the rear wheels.

 

[Wingate]

Perhaps the MPG will improve when the truck is reflashed to 400HP/ 800 ft. lbs.

Maybe... but personally, I dont think so. The new 6. 7L PSD in the F550 trucks is only rated at 300hp. If it can't get decent MPG at 300, I doubt it will improve with added fueling.

From what I understand, Ford isn't claiming 20 MPG in the F-550, but when given the loaded GVW #'s of what we typically run, we were assured it would get double digits... (10+ MPG) THe trucks are no where close, and we are actually about 2K lbs. uder where we rated them...

I checked mine on a 100 mile run @ constant interstate speeds and it got 7. 4 mpg!!!. . My old d-max would do better than that... if it didnt break down!!

 

[rscurtis]

I was being facetious- I know it won't improve FE. As a point of reference, I had a 2002 IH 4300 flatbed when I had my rental business. It had the 195 HP DT466 engine, which had no emission controls on that year. It also had a heavy Holmes steel body made for moving equipment, not cars. It would typically get 8MPG with local driving and PTO time. On the road, the MPG indicator would show 14MPG at 55 MPH. A light trip to eastern LI netted just under 12 MPG at 65 MPH. It could have used a few more ponies for the times when it was carrying a heavy skid steer, but I thought this mileage was very good, espescially when you consider this is a lot more truck than an F550.

 

[Wingate]

exactly... . guess we will be doing our part to help BP pay for all the oil they lost... At 7-8 MPG, it wont take long to get them back into the black!!. .

 

[MChrist]

Wingate, could you give us an idea of what your average driving conditions consist of? I'm curious, because I just bought a new International with the Maxxforce 9 engine (570 cubic inch version of the DT 466) 315 hp, 950 tq, Allison auto and empty weight of 19,200 lbs. I drove it home and registered 11. 1 mpg on the computer, and 10. 9 hand calculated, all driving 65.

 

[Bill Stockard]

well, with about 7K... its CELS, CELS, CELS, EGR valves stuck open, EGR tubing breaking, fuel mileage won't climb past 7 mpg. and the delay in accelleration from a standing start is going to get somebody killed.

Usually, the CELS will reset themselves after 1-2 days. The fuel consumption is serious enough that our fleet manager is in constant contact with Ford engineering and marketing group due to being assured these trucks would get 10+ mpg average.

There is a piece of the EGR system that is a steel tube/bellows assy. that is prone to breaking and is on national back-order... We just had one break and after the first dealership didnt want to help out, a second one pulled a new truck off the lot and got the tube off of it to get us back going.

Why don't they buy you real medium duty trucks from International or Freightliner instead of overgrown pickup trucks?



Bill

 

[HBarlow]

Wingate, could you give us an idea of what your average driving conditions consist of? I'm curious, because I just bought a new International with the Maxxforce 9 engine (570 cubic inch version of the DT 466) 315 hp, 950 tq, Allison auto and empty weight of 19,200 lbs. I drove it home and registered 11. 1 mpg on the computer, and 10. 9 hand calculated, all driving 65.

I have a secret lust for one of those. If I was a full-time RVer I'd probably own one.

What will you use it for?

 

[rscurtis]

That's not a bad MPG figure, espescially when you figure all the emission controls on that engine and IH's use of heavy EGR instead of urea.

 

[MChrist]

My wife and I own a septic tank pumping company and a separate portable restroom company. I've done this kind of work since '85 and run a fleet of 6 large, tandem axle trucks for the septic division, and 6 trucks for the restroom division, with 2 Dodges, 3 Isuzus, and a GMC 5500 (duramax/Allison).
The International I just bought has 40,000# rear tandem and a 14,000# front axle, so it's a tad bigger than what you may have been secretly lusting after, but "Oh My Gravy" is it nice to drive!!! The Allison shifts so sweet, the motor is so smooth and quiet, and being a huge truck, the cab/chassis was only $69k. You get a lot of truck for the money!
Harvey, after reading all these posts about "will my truck haul this?" Or "is this camper too big?", it really makes me wonder if a truck like a single axle international, lo-profile suspension with a gvwr under 26,000 (for CDL purposes) would be the way to go for full time trailer haulers. No load would ever be "too big". And I think those smaller versions of my new truck are in the low to mid $40's.
Just a thought. By the way, our highest mileage truck is a '97 Freightliner Century Class with a 430 hp Cummins M11 with over 940,000 miles, original injectors, original turbo.

 

[HBarlow]

I've read lots of posts and drooled over lots of photos of full time rigs pulling large and heavy fifth wheels with IH 4400/4700s with the 570 ci or 530 ci Navistar engine and Allison six speed. If I was going to become a full time RVer (I'm not) I think I would buy one. I admire them in the mean time.

Lots of really serious long term full-time RVers on the Escapees Forum website claim a retired high mileage OTR tractor with sleeper, air everything, a 10 or 12 speed autoshift, 450 hp, 1500 ft. lbs. of torque, and a single rear axle is the way to go.

 

[mwilson]

I am considering a retired OTR tractor when I get to the full-timing point.

Most of you may already know this, but for those that don't and are sniffing around old highway tractors don't be afraid of an air ride twin screw either. Not a huge issue when done by a qualified mechanic to remove the forward drive axle and move the rear one ahead which makes a perfectly good single axle air ride tractor.

If you desire a larger sleeper, etc. there will be many more to chose from that are twin screws sitting on the lots. Used road tractors are dirt cheap bargains right now. They are sitting all over the country.

 

[HBarlow]

The guys on the Escapees Forum swear by the retired OTR tractors singled as you wrote. A really nice one can be purchased for about a third of the price of a new IH 4700 with RV towing options and plush features.

They claim the big tractors will run up a 6% or 7% grade with an 18k or 20k fifth wheel behind without even downshifting and then they've got a three stage engine (not exhaust) brake and air brakes for descending the other side.

If the seven pin plug falls out of the receptacle and a light suddenly turns read the big rigs can stop a heavy fifth wheel without trailer brakes. They offer lots of advantages.