F-150 guys: Fuel tank size and 5.0 V8 questions?

[Regcabguy]

The old 302 and the 2011 to current 5.0 are completely different.
I have a 2011 f150 5.0 4x4 extended cab 8' bed 3.73 axles and can get 19mpg at 70-75mph on the highway. I also have ample power to tow a 6x12 enclosed trailer over anything out west.

I have the 36g tank it gives a pretty good range.


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That's better than my neighbor's F-150 3.5 Ecoboost. Stock pizza cutters and 2wd. He averages 15 mpg combined empty.
That F-150 with the 5.0 will be my next truck when it's time. Does Ford offera manual transfercase or has it all gone electronic?

 

[Jonnyo]

if you stay off the boost or drive conservative, the Ecoboost return good numbers. i have the 2012 ecoboost supercrew 5.5 bed. 36 gallon tank and driving the penticton to edmonton road at 55-65mph...i can get in the 22mpg range. that mean around 700 miles to a tank. Towing my jacyo 18bh (3000lbs 20ft) in the 16-17mph if not too hilly. 4x4

 

[RoyJ]

Size of the fuel tank is limited by frame length.

A modern crew cab short bed (5'7) is the exact same length / wheelbase as a traditional regular cab 8' bed. That's why they can fit the same size tanks.

Back in the 80's, a "short bed" meant regular cab and 6'6 bed, which has a shorter frame / wheel base by 1.5 feet, hence the smaller tank.

Any of the modern trucks (Hemi / 5.0 / EB / 5.3 GM) can squeeze out 600 hwy miles with the big tank.

 

[Machinebuilder]

That's better than my neighbor's F-150 3.5 Ecoboost. Stock pizza cutters and 2wd. He averages 15 mpg combined empty.

The ecoboost is slightly more top end power but much more lower end. It takes fuel to make power.

Then it’s fun to use the skinny pedal too.


My normal driving I average around 16.5mpg.
It’s common for people with the 5.0 to get higher mpg than people with the EB.


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[deserteagle56]

I ordered my 2016 XLT with the 36 gallon tank and I just love it - it is a very long way between gas stations where I live. Most times I have at least 600 miles on the truck before I decide to refuel, and that's with a quarter of a tank left to go.

 

[Martinjmpr]

Any of the modern trucks (Hemi / 5.0 / EB / 5.3 GM) can squeeze out 600 hwy miles with the big tank.

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I haven't researched the Dodge trucks but I have not been able to find a 1500 crew-cab Chevy/GM that has a tank bigger than 26 gallons. Which IMO is redonkuluous because the CC shortbed has a wheelbase of 143" - 13" LONGER than the Suburban, and the Suburban comes with a 31 gallon tank. So you can't say the small tank on the Silverado/Sierra 1500 CC is because there is "no room." There's plenty of room, GM simply decided most of their customers wouldn't care (and they're probably right, BTW.)
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I went over to a couple of GM forums and searched for info on fuel tank sizes, and while there were rumors of an "available" 36 gallon tank for the CC shortbed 1500, I could not find one person who actually used one (or even seen one in person.)
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In the old days, before emissions controls and fuel injection, a gas tank was pretty simple to build, and lots of aftermarket sellers had oversize or auxiliary fuel tanks available for popular vehicles. But I think the combination of EFI (which requires a pressurized fuel system and usually means a fuel pump in the tank), emissions controls (which require expensive EPA certification, evaporative controls, etc) and product liability (which makes manufacturers reluctant to make a product which is likely to get them sued if it leads to a fire or explosion) has just made the aftermarket fuel tank market all but disappear. And as for manufacturers, a bigger tank adds weight and takes up space and if most of their customers only need ~250 miles of range, there's no incentive for them to make a vehicle with 500-mile range.
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But that's why I started this whole thread - I was astonished (and impressed!) that Ford was offering a 36 gallon tank in a short bed crew cab truck.

 

[deserteagle56]

One of the reasons I ended up with an F150 was the fuel tank size - I saw NO Dodges/GMs with the short beds that had the large tank. All were only 23-26 gallons as I remember.

 

[Todd780]

That's impressive fuel economy and range. Your F150 has triple the range of my Titan.

Cheers

It is. But, my commute is also all freeway / highway and I drive very conservatively. So that helps the fuel mileage. I should also point out the duratrac's are the stock size as well...

 

[Martinjmpr]

One of the reasons I ended up with an F150 was the fuel tank size - I saw NO Dodges/GMs with the short beds that had the large tank. All were only 23-26 gallons as I remember.

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Yep, that's what I'm seeing too. The more I look at them the more the F-150 seems like an ideal choice to replace my Suburban as a trailer tug/mild overlanding vehicle. Big fuel tank, V8 with no AFM, and the F-150 has a couple of features that GM only gets in the 3/4 ton trucks: Built in trailer brake and transmission temp gauge. The rear E-locker on the FX4 is also nice, AFAIK GM only offers the G80 auto-locker, no E-locker option.

 

[Martinjmpr]

My 2016 f150 4x4 has the 36 gal..it is an option and one of the reasons I went with the ford...26 is standard size....

With 34 in tires and level kit I could still run almost 500 miles on a tank running cross country on a trip to Chicago

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What does the leveling kit consist of? Does the F-150 use torsion bars or coilovers on the front? If it's coilovers, do you go with a longer coilover or a spacer?
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You said 34's - is that 305/70/18?

 

[phsycle]

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Yep, that's what I'm seeing too. The more I look at them the more the F-150 seems like an ideal choice to replace my Suburban as a trailer tug/mild overlanding vehicle. Big fuel tank, V8 with no AFM, and the F-150 has a couple of features that GM only gets in the 3/4 ton trucks: Built in trailer brake and transmission temp gauge. The rear E-locker on the FX4 is also nice, AFAIK GM only offers the G80 auto-locker, no E-locker option.

And don't forget, Max Payload option is also available on the F150. Gets you 7,700lb GVWR (or something like that). For trailer pull duties, especially if it's a bigger trailer, the extra payload would come in very handy. The payload package comes standard with the 36 gal tank, 3.73 with e-locker, trailer brake, and aux trans cooler. I believe only 6.5' bed, though.

 

[Riley]

Max payload is with the 3.5 ecoboost. Gets towing up to 12,200 and includes the 36 gal tank with some other stuff for around $1,200.

 

[Mako1114]

Max payload is with the 3.5 ecoboost. Gets towing up to 12,200 and includes the 36 gal tank with some other stuff for around $1,200.

I don't think i'd want to tow 12k pounds with a half-ton.

Cheers

 

[phsycle]

Max payload is with the 3.5 ecoboost. Gets towing up to 12,200 and includes the 36 gal tank with some other stuff for around $1,200.

It's an option with the 5.0 as well as the 3.5 EB. $1,500 option. Includes 36 gallon, elocker, 3.73, HD springs, trans cooler, HD specific wheels.

Towing chart for reference.

https://www.ford.com/resources/ford/general/pdf/towingguides/17RV&TT_Ford_F150_Sep7.pdf

 

[RoyJ]

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I haven't researched the Dodge trucks but I have not been able to find a 1500 crew-cab Chevy/GM that has a tank bigger than 26 gallons. Which IMO is redonkuluous because the CC shortbed has a wheelbase of 143" - 13" LONGER than the Suburban, and the Suburban comes with a 31 gallon tank. So you can't say the small tank on the Silverado/Sierra 1500 CC is because there is "no room." There's plenty of room, GM simply decided most of their customers wouldn't care (and they're probably right, BTW.)
.
I went over to a couple of GM forums and searched for info on fuel tank sizes, and while there were rumors of an "available" 36 gallon tank for the CC shortbed 1500, I could not find one person who actually used one (or even seen one in person.)

Can't speak for the GMs, but Dodge definitely has a 32 gal option in CC short bed (5'7) - I have one in mine!

It may be an option that few people spec when ordering, but I made sure I ticked off the big tank when building mine.

I doubt safety is the reason, because either way the fuel tank will protrude into the passenger area. Heck, in an SUV, the entire tank is underneath the passenger area.

And regardless tank size, the space between the drive shaft and frame rail is wasted anyway. I really don't know why they even offer the smaller tank on long wheelbase trucks, other than to save a few bucks...