Which engine do you have in your Ford van?

[hyperboarder]

92, 5.8L, just rolled 51k last weekend. It's seen more mileage this year than it did in the last 5 or so combined. Great family camper, 12mpg no matter what, runs like a top.

 

[Vanyonero]

We bought our 2013 EB 350 with 5.4 just before spring break. Installed 2 Sienna seats, hooked up a 4K lbs trailer, loaded up the gear and 7 people, and hit the road. We traveled just under 5,000 miles of up hill and into the wind both ways (20-40 mph headwinds at times), from well over 7,000 feet to below sea level. We idled quite a bit for comfort, and averaged 10.4 mpg over the entire trip.
Without trailer, we get 14-17 on the freeway...and I keep it around 5mph over posted limit. When pulling, slow it down on the uphills, keep it out of O/D, and enjoy the ride. Vanyonero has been a great rig, and the 5.4 with 3.73 gears has met our needs just fine.

 

[Mountainhound]

I honestly don't know how you guy's with the 5.4 do it. I had one in an 01 f150 and when I went 1 ton shopping there was no way in hell I would buy the 5.4.

 

[tgreening]

I like that the V10 is very quiet and is super reliable (someone on the first page said the V10's are just as loud as a diesel, but I don't see how that is possible).

Make it work and you'll find out. Just cruising it is quiet but when you load it up and it has to get into that power band she starts to sing. It makes its power up high and doesn't mind hanging out there when it's under load.

It's one of the reasons I got rid of mine. An 8.5k trailer up and down through W. Virginia and Virginia got old real fast at 4000-4500 rpm. Swapped that out for a 6.4 and pulling twice the weight it would take a serious hill to ever drop me out of OD. Rarely ever hit 3000 rpm in that truck, and mostly downhill when it was doing its braking thing.

 

[brianjwilson]

I honestly don't know how you guy's with the 5.4 do it. I had one in an 01 f150 and when I went 1 ton shopping there was no way in hell I would buy the 5.4.

I've been hunting for the right late model v10 and just can't find it. Occasionally one pops up online and it's gone the next day. I want the extra power and the 5 speed auto.

I had the 5.4l in my 06 f150 (made slightly more power than your 01), mild lift on 35s with an engine and transmission tune and 4.56 gears. Hauled a hard sided cabover camper, rolled around 8500lbs. The gearing and tune made all the difference in the world. No problems even on 8700ft pass, hauling the camper and towing a cargo trailer, and I drive hard. BUT I want more from a van, knowing that I'll be loaded up heavy. Mileage was crap with the 5.4 anyway so I'd rather have the power and better transmission with the V10. But if I just can't find the right v10 I may give in and buy a 5.4, gear it with 4.88s and 35s. I think the 5.4 would be waaaay more livable with a better transmission, it felt like it really had to reach to up shift to the next gear under a load.

I really enjoy driving diesels but I don't want to spend the time and money on the 6.0l.

 

[Mwilliamshs]

IMO, this poll should include the other engines available to be more useful.

I'd go with this list:

6.9/7.3 IDI
7.3 PSD
6.0 PSD
6.8L V10
7.5L V8
5.8L V8
5.4L V8
5.0L V8
4.6L V8
4.9L I6
OTHER _________

 

[jkam]

I have a 96 E350 on a Lazy Daze RV. It has the 7.5 V8, the last year for that venerable motor.
It is 24 ft. long, and about 11,500 lbs. the 460 pulls just fine, gets about 8 mpg no matter what you are doing.
The problem for me isn't the motor, it's the crappy E4OD transmission, it isn't up to the task on these rigs.

 

[Ty_Deschaine]

2003 7.3, I've owned quite a few of the 99-03 7.3 trucks and an Excursion and that engine was really the only option for me. I will admit that at times I was getting discouraged finding the right 7.3 Power Stroke and I did consider a newer V-10. I live just below 5000' elevation and the van will be used hard from Alaska to Baja.

I agree 100% with this. I have owned two 7.3l F350's. Current one is at 235k on original injectors and everything and I have never had any issues. Honestly one of the greatest motors of all time. I'm also in the market for an E350 and will wait years to buy if that's what it takes to own another 7.3L.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[hitek79]

IMO, this poll should include the other engines available to be more useful.

I'd go with this list:

6.9/7.3 IDI
7.3 PSD
6.0 PSD
6.8L V10
7.5L V8
5.8L V8
5.4L V8
5.0L V8
4.6L V8
4.9L I6
OTHER _________

I would never buy a van that had those motors as options though, so it would just clutter my poll up. The 4 engines listed are all that I'm considering.

 

[Vanyonero]

I honestly don't know how you guy's with the 5.4 do it. I had one in an 01 f150 and when I went 1 ton shopping there was no way in hell I would buy the 5.4.

Only places I've "needed" more power was in the Guadalupe Mountains, and westbound 190 out of Panamint Springs. Both are places I'll not frequent. Most of my treks are very manageable with the 5.4...we'll see how it handles Kings Canyon and Kaiser Pass this summer.

 

[Bikersmurf]

I was just speaking with an ambulance attendant today whose friend ran a business which has Excursions with 6.0l Diesels. The friend had a bad week with them... $28k in engine repairs in one week. Bills like that could bankrupt someone. When the break... Watch out.

 

[Jsweezy]

I've been hunting for the right late model v10 and just can't find it. Occasionally one pops up online and it's gone the next day. I want the extra power and the 5 speed auto.

You wanna buy mine?! I have been having all kinds of issues with this Advanced Schmorgasboard of parts thrown together to make a 4wd van... Other than the front axle its awesome, I don't mind the loudness of the V10 when its working, it definitely scares you the first time it hits it though. Going from a 6.7L "Quiet" diesel to this v10 is really nice when just cruising around town or sitting in a parking lot because of how quiet it is when it isn't under load.

Just kidding btw I cant afford to sell it, as much as I would love to pass its problems onto someone else.

 

[dcullen]

I have a 2006 6.0 in my quigley E350 EB that had 38k on it when I got it and so far it has been really good considering what I was expecting from reading about this engine. I also live just outside Denver and use the van for camping in the winter for snowmobiling. It has never left me stranded despite the fact that my glow plug controller was on the fritz all last winter (thought it was just one glow plug due to the code, but turned out it was the controller) along with several sticky injectors when cold. That has all since been fixed but it hasn't been cold enough to do a real cold temp start. I tow a enclosed trailer every weekend up to the mountains whether it has 4 dirtbikes and gear or two snowmobiles and gear and it does just fine getting up to the Eisenhower Tunnel. I get between 11.5 mpg and 13.5 mpg between commuting, towing, four-wheel drive etc, but I do tend to go-70-80mph especially on longer trips like heading out to Moab. Hope this helps.

-Dan

 

[kevman]

Does anyone with the 5.4 have a hard shell top like the Fiberine Super Camper? I would never need to tow but I'm curious if the added wind resistance of a hard shell top is asking too much of the 5.4 at highway speeds.

 

[F451]

Great thread, its very interesting to hear the different opinions on the same motors. I wasn't too impressed with the 5.4 in my '06 F150 crewcab pickup when it was loaded down or when towing. It did "ok" but I felt like I was killing it, plus the whole 1/2 ton platform had me feeling under suspended and way under braked when I was hauling, especially going down the mountain passes out here. Seemed like it was more of a suburban cowboy truck then a real truck which is what I thought I was buying.

Traded up to a '12 F250 crewcab diesel, the 6.7, with the 6.5' bed. LOVED it for about a month until I realized I should have gotten a F350 with the 8' bed (for hauling the horse trailer and all the horse crap for horse weekends with my kid). Regarding the noise of the 6.7, it seems very quiet to me, not gas engine quiet, but no where near as noisy as the old school diesels. The '12 F250 has been very reliable with the exception of a very spendy radiator and some other bits replacement that cost me $1500 bucks or so, not covered under warranty for some reason.

Its got 60k on it right now and I can feel the front end loosening up and I feel like I'm walking on egg shells with it waiting for something to break on it. I'd really love to sell it now before something goes wrong with it, but we're looking at keeping the horse for at least another year, so unfortunately I'll have to keep it for at least that much longer. Thinking it over, I guess I could trade it in for a new, or newer 6.7, but I'm not sure the numbers would work out as far as total outlay.

And its great to hear people are liking their V10's, I had pretty much ruled it out as I wasn't too thrilled with the 5.4, but its now on my "would consider it in the right vehicle" category.

AND, I just bought a '02 E350 Turtle Top RV with the 5.4 to use as a moto hauler. Its got the 4.10 axle, did just fine on the ride from IL to Seattle when I did the fly and drive to get it home. I averaged about 12.5 - 13.5 (65 - 75 mph). For this vehicle, I'm more tolerante of it being a bit wimpy in the engine department since I'm not planning on hauling a horse with it, and the suspension are brakes seem ok for what it is. Although the entire trip I was thinking "man, this thing would be awesome with the 6.7 platform under it", ha ha...