Thought I’d share an upgrade to our truck. This isn’t a review; just some thoughts on why we bought it.
A Slide for Our F-250 Super Duty Truck
Category Archives: Ford F-250 Super Duty
2020 Ford F-250 7.3L “Godzilla” Gas Engine Towing MPG Update 9/20/2021
Okay, now we have lots of data.
Over 5,000 miles of towing in all sorts of conditions.
Some other points:
- Our trailer usually weighs between 8,000 and 8,500 points
- We tow at max speed of 55 mph (this is a California law)
- Always use “Tow/Haul” mode
- Use cruise control most of the time
- Most trips our routes include some steep hills
Continue reading 2020 Ford F-250 7.3L “Godzilla” Gas Engine Towing MPG Update 9/20/2021
Bargman Trailer Hitch Cable Routing
In over 15,000 miles, I never had a problem with the Bargman cable that connected our Milan 26RLS travel trailer and our 2012 Ford Expedition, even though the socket on the Expedition was below the bumper. That changed a bit with our 2020 Ford F-250 Super Duty, which has the connection socket above the bumper. The connection plug above the bumper is a huge advantage for easy access.
Back in August we were driving home with the trailer in tow and the dash had a message stating, “Trailer Disconnected,” or something similar. When I pulled over the cable was connected and secure, but I noticed it had been pinched and the rubber covering was cut along with a wire. I was able to quickly repair it and continue home. Continue reading Bargman Trailer Hitch Cable Routing
2020 Ford F-250 7.3L “Godzilla” Gas Engine Towing MPG Update 8/22/2020
A while back, I wrote a detailed post about our towing mileage, along with a baseline comparison to our 2012 Ford Expedition towing the same trailer.
We just go back from another ~ 500 mile round trip towing our trailer. This included hills, stop and go, long flat stretches, and some slight wind. I towed in “Tow/Haul” mode all the time, and whenever possible used cruise control. So here is our most current data. Continue reading 2020 Ford F-250 7.3L “Godzilla” Gas Engine Towing MPG Update 8/22/2020
2020 Ford F-250 7.3L “Godzilla” Gas Engine Towing MPG
For the 2020 model year Super Duty trucks, Ford released a brand new gas engine (7.3L or approximately 445 cubic inches) and a new 10 speed automatic transmission. When I was researching the new engine and transmission there was almost zero feedback from owners on towing miles per gallon. Now that we’ve had ours for a while, here is some information on our 7.3L MPG. Continue reading 2020 Ford F-250 7.3L “Godzilla” Gas Engine Towing MPG
F-250 Bed Mat
In my recent post about our new truck cap, I mentioned that a camper shell was important because I wanted to sleep in the bed at times, and in the past, I had often slept in the back of our SUVs when arriving or leaving a trailhead at night for backpacking trips. I also, sometimes sleep in the back on long roads trips at rest stops when traveling alone, and even when doing solo car camping trips.
Sleeping in the back of a large SUV is easy, because the rear is carpeted, only requiring an inflatable backpacking air mat and a sleeping bag or quilt. But a pickup truck offers a new challenge because the rails that are built into the truck bed do not offer a flat surface. A solution for this was needed. Continue reading F-250 Bed Mat
F-250 Camper Shell
Before we bought our F-250 Super Duty, I had decided we needed a camper shell, or what is now mostly called a “truck cap.” There are several reasons why I wanted a cap. Before purchasing I did a little bit of research, which I am going to share here. Continue reading F-250 Camper Shell
Adding Satellite Radio to an OEM Vehicle Radio
Back in 2007 I purchased a “lifetime” subscription to Sirius Radio. The subscription was first tied to our 2003 Ford Expedition, and then to our 2012 Ford Expedition, which we sold to purchase our new F-250. The F-250 did not come with a SiriusXM capable radio. But our 2015 Hyundai Genesis is SiriusXM radio ready.
I asked Joyce if she wanted to move the subscription to the Hyundai. She said she would rather have it in the F-250, since we spend more time driving together in our trailer tow vehicles, often traveling in remote places without any radio reception when towing the trailer. Adding satellite radio wouldn’t be simple, but it wasn’t impossible. The question was, could I come up with a suitable solution. Continue reading Adding Satellite Radio to an OEM Vehicle Radio
Wheel Locks for Our F-250 Super Duty
The first thing on my To Do list for the new truck was to buy a set of wheel locks so we don’t have to go through the stress, anger, aggravation, lost time, and money we experienced with our 2012 Expedition back in 2014. The first step was to decide where to buy them. Continue reading Wheel Locks for Our F-250 Super Duty
Online Tools for Buying Automotive Parts & Accessories
Regular readers of this blog know I hate to go to a brick and mortar store to buy anything, preferring to do all my shopping online. Online purchases can save a lot of time, money, and gasoline. My first choice for online shopping is Amazon. Amazon is quick, easy, and almost always accurate. But Amazon isn’t always the best. What follows are a three sites I use and how I use them. Continue reading Online Tools for Buying Automotive Parts & Accessories