Ford V-10, towing?

Bigrox

Cadet
Joined
Feb 16, 2007
Messages
10
Who else tows with a Ford V-10? I have an Excursion and it's a dog! Has anyone done anything to help this? Looking for input thanks.
 

RV-Dean

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Mar 5, 2007
Messages
33
Re: Ford V-10, towing?

I tow a 10,000 lbs fifth-wheel and a 2,800 lbs boat (not at the same time). My F250 has a 15,500 lbs fifth-wheel towing capacity. Mine does great. It certainly does not know that the boat is even back there. However, I have a 4.30 rearend. If you have a 4.10 or 3.73 (I think?) then your performance will be less.
 

shipoffools

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jan 8, 2004
Messages
102
Re: Ford V-10, towing?

I tow regularly with an F 350 4x4 Dually. I usually tow around 8,000 lb small excavator or Bobcat,It sure doesnt haul like the 7.3 powerstroke but it holds up pretty well with that load, much more than that and it starts to bog down
 

Bigrox

Cadet
Joined
Feb 16, 2007
Messages
10
Re: Ford V-10, towing?

I have the 3.73 rearend with 35" tires. At first it was good going from 33" tires. I have some 4.56 gears waiting to go in but I don't want to install them untill I put on some 37" tires. I think the boat is around 6k loaded and all. But where I live you will always have to pull a pretty good hill to get to the best lakes. On the flats it's great,
 

steelespike

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Apr 26, 2002
Messages
19,069
Re: Ford V-10, towing?

Talk about deep pockets.That set up will pass everything but a gas station.
 

KM2

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Oct 15, 2003
Messages
556
Re: Ford V-10, towing?

Well the big tires explains why it's a dog, that v-10 has a lot of torque. That truck should tow 6k and not hardly now its behind you. Stock was 31" inch maybe 32" tires so you have increased the final drive ratio substantially. I don't know a easy way to do the conversion but you need the lower gears to offset increase in tire size. I think with 4.56 it will tow like a champ.

I would guess that 3.73 with stock tires is about the same as 35" with a 4.10 rear.
 

mike176

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Feb 18, 2007
Messages
202
Re: Ford V-10, towing?

I know how to fix your problem, just go down to your frienly dodge dealer and trade it in on a 2500 4dr with a cummings and your worrys will be gone.
 

Bigrox

Cadet
Joined
Feb 16, 2007
Messages
10
Re: Ford V-10, towing?

I really like the trade idea! but I still have a few years till I'm comfortable with that newer truck payment. I priced out the Banks system when it first came out $1600.00! I have been doing drivelines and gears for 10 years and I can't for the life of me figure out the torque curve of this motor. My biggest fear is getting even worse milage and not getting the results.... Oh well, I think I will regear it and see what happens.... Thanks for all the input.
 

jeffnick

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
May 24, 2004
Messages
695
Re: Ford V-10, towing?

My van has a V10 w/ Torqshift tranny. Over 5,000 miles pulling the Parker. Couldn't be happier. 11mpg towing, 17+mpg highway w/ no trailer (@ 55mph).
Tow.jpg
 

running cougar

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Nov 4, 2008
Messages
77
Re: Ford V-10, towing?

Oh i tow with a ford excursion and there is just nothing like it out there
!!!!!! Its a beast!!!!! All i can say is thats a mans truck!!!!!
 

dave11

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Dec 2, 2007
Messages
1,195
Re: Ford V-10, towing?

I have the V10 in a Super Duty F250 with a manual trans and the 3.73 rear end. My boat only weighs about 2500 lbs. When you are towing with the V10 you should keep your RPMs up in a higher range. You get the benefit of the higher torque and HP at the increased engine speed.
 

bowman316

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Oct 21, 2008
Messages
1,822
Re: Ford V-10, towing?

i heard the v 10s suck in fords.
i hear they get worse gas mileage than any other truck, just get a big v8.

the most imporntant thing about an engine is liter size, how big the actual engine is.

you can have a small v 10 cylinders, or big cylinders in a v 8
 

dave11

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Dec 2, 2007
Messages
1,195
Re: Ford V-10, towing?

I get 15MPG not towing and 12MPG towing at 65 to 70 MPH. That is good mileage as far as I am concerned. It is a tow vehicle not a light econobox.
 

jay_merrill

Vice Admiral
Joined
Dec 5, 2007
Messages
5,653
Re: Ford V-10, towing?

If you are expecting this engine to perform like a diesel, you are going to be continuously disappointed. This true because it can't match the raw torque of a diesel, nor does it develop peak torque at a point as low in the rpm band as a diesel. The 6.8 litre Ford V10 only develops 92 pounds/feet more (457 lb/ft) of torque than the 5.4, and it does it at 3,250 rpm.

In comparison, the 6.4 litre Ford Powerstroke diesel produces 650 lbs-ft of torque at only 2,000 rpm. There is a world of difference in this level of power v. what you will have in the gasoline V10.

That said, I think your problem lies in the wheels/tires that you are trying to run on your truck. A load of 6,000 pounds on an Excursion with a V10 should be a breeze, but you've pretty much killed your truck's pulling power, by making it expend an awful lot of energy driving the wheels. The 4.56 gears should help, but then putting 37" tires on it will probably kill any gain that you end up with.

I guess the question you have to ask yourself, is whether you want a cool looking truck or one that can tow well. If its looks, then big wheels/tires may achieve that. If your goal is towing capacity, you are pretty much shooting yourself in the foot with the big tires.
 

rebars1

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Feb 23, 2004
Messages
744
Re: Ford V-10, towing?

I have the V-10 (gas) in a Ford F250 2W drive with a tow package.. Like the others have said, it pulls the boats (18' IMP), as if it is not even there. When I tow, I usually turn off the overdrive switch to keep the rpms up going over the steep passes.
 
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