Horrible MPG's

[Toytec]

There's no reason to think a bed cover will significantly improve fuel economy on a modern truck. Might even make it worse.

Reason I brought that up as I have shorter cab, longer bed than most of you. And in an open box pick up, the tailgate seems to be a damming affect and the bed cover will spoiler it creating less drag.
My last truck was just a gas guzzler with a bed cover from day one and never paid it no mind.

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[ch47dmechanic]

It's an F-150, but yeah...

 

[Gizmokid2005]

It's an F-150, but yeah...

The problem is that the tailgate up vs down debate. And it's been known for a long time that down is less efficient *AND* more dangerous because it creates a low pressure pocket above the bed, increasing turbulence. They even say in this video that tonneau covers *ARE* more efficient, which was the original argument here. I still say the efficiency increase is likely negligible, but it definitely doesn't make it worse.

 

[ch47dmechanic]

The problem is that the tailgate up vs down debate. And it's been known for a long time that down is less efficient *AND* more dangerous because it creates a low pressure pocket above the bed, increasing turbulence. They even say in this video that tonneau covers *ARE* more efficient, which was the original argument here. I still say the efficiency increase is likely negligible, but it definitely doesn't make it worse.

Correct, I wasn't trying to refute the argument that tonneau covers aren't more efficient, just that, as stated in the video, it's likely more subjectively improving the mileage than objectively.

 

[Gizmokid2005]

Correct, I wasn't trying to refute the argument that tonneau covers aren't more efficient, just that, as stated in the video, it's likely more subjectively improving the mileage than objectively.

Fair enough! I think it helped my F-150's mileage meaningfully over the lifetime, probably a few hundred bucks over all the gas I put in it, but not too much on individual tanks. My '99 Ranger had a cap, which I'm sure likely also helped but I never ran it without so I have no data for comparison.

 

[RANGER_MARC]

Fair enough! I think it helped my F-150's mileage meaningfully over the lifetime, probably a few hundred bucks over all the gas I put in it, but not too much on individual tanks. My '99 Ranger had a cap, which I'm sure likely also helped but I never ran it without so I have no data for comparison.

Guys, thanks for all this information and discussion. I like a free access to the bed at all times, and so do not have a bed cover for that reason. I thought I was sacrificing significant mileage on that account, but, like the video demonstrates, the most important factor is to keep the tailgate up, which I do. Bed covers may make a slight contribution to gas mileage but not a significant one. Of course, if you like them for other reasons, so much the better.

 

[VAMike]

Reason I brought that up as I have shorter cab, longer bed than most of you. And in an open box pick up, the tailgate seems to be a damming affect and the bed cover will spoiler it creating less drag.

I've got the long bed option. The truck manufacturers have an incentive to improve fuel economy, and tweaking the aerodynamics in the bed is an obvious win. The little lip on the tailgate isn't decorative, and the roof isn't square for a reason. It looks kinda like a 20 year old pickup, but doesn't behave the same in a wind tunnel. Anyway, the point is that a modern pickup is much more efficient right out of the factory. If you put on a bed cover that's flapping in the wind, the energy it takes to flap the cover may actually be reducing efficiency. Or things may be a tiny bit more efficient. Probably it's just not doing much. At any rate, there probably aren't huge gains to be made, or Ford would have done some more tweaking to push the fuel economy rating up. I have a cover, but it's to keep stuff dry and out of the open.

 

[THLONE]

Today I set my readout to show average gas mileage. Then I zeroed the trip meter. Then I started a trip with the gas mileage average at 0. It took 10 miles to get to average 15 mpg. After another 10 miles it was up to 20 mpg. It was a cold start in 50 deg weather. Very enlightening. Another interesting thing is to set the readout at instant mpg, you can readily see what your foot does to mpg.
This is just a representation biased by me, Your results most likely will/may be different. Your truck driven by you will be different than my truck driven by me. But as Yogi said the differences are similar.

 

[Gizmokid2005]

Today I set my readout to show average gas mileage. Then I zeroed the trip meter. Then I started a trip with the gas mileage average at 0. It took 10 miles to get to average 15 mpg. After another 10 miles it was up to 20 mpg. It was a cold start in 50 deg weather. Very enlightening. Another interesting thing is to set the readout at instant mpg, you can readily see what your foot does to mpg.
This is just a representation biased by me, Your results most likely will/may be different. Your truck driven by you will be different than my truck driven by me. But as Yogi said the differences are similar.

The other thing to remember is gas mileage is also affected by not moving while vehicle is on with a 0mpg reading. So if you burn 10 gallons at 20mpg and 10 gallons at 0mpg (idling but stopped), you'll average 10mpg.

 

[SubVet]

The other thing to remember is gas mileage is also affected by not moving while vehicle is on with a 0mpg reading. So if you burn 10 gallons at 20mpg and 10 gallons at 0mpg (idling but stopped), you'll average 10mpg.

That is so true. I left my car running the garage for almost an hour while doing the update. My mileage dropped As well at 19 But after four months only have 2990 miles. With that little driving, I'm not too concerned about gas mileage

 

[RangerThings]

I have over 5,000 miles on my truck and am averaging about 26mpg. Does OP have a lift, what size tires? That is horrible mileage.

 

[Youcanstillrockinamerica]

I am getting 18.6 but I'm only 600 miles into it, mileage improves when the average has some city some highway but not a lot of either one individually. Took a highway trip of about 200miles and mileage improved dramatically. I assume that Ford will publish the MOST favorable fuel economy they can get in testing. When doing the math on this purchase I ASSUMED my mileage would be about 18.0 based on the dodge charger I had previously with the V6, it was rated at 23 combined and I averaged 19.0 according to the computer(I did not compile a paper record as it was a company car and I honestly didn't care enough to do it) but since my new job just pays mileage I had to 'do the math' as part of the purchase evaluation. So it says 22 combined on the window sticker but the realist in me decided that 18 was a more reliable number. Anything above that and I am happy. If I let my wife drive it she would add 2 mpg in a couple of days, my mileage always improved in my charger after the wife had it for a few days.
My profile doesn't say (I haven't figured out how to edit it yet) but its an XLT, 4x4, trailer tow, locking diff, Fx4, super crew, 5' bed, ASS is off via forskin about 7 days ago so not sure how much of an affect that will have. If I remember I will post average mileage in 6-8 months, that should be a better indicator of mileage moving forward.

P.S. Tonneau 3 fold hard cover installed yesterday may improve that mileage, but the 150 lbs of catalogs, bed rug and equipment, that now resides underneath it may offset it an equal amount...or more. Nerf bars installing this weekend, can't seem to get a weight on those so I will be sure to pop them on the scale with all the hardware before I mount them.
Bottom line is a truck this size, with 270 hp/310 torque (that is almost equal to my wife's small block V8 in the explorer 290/300 when new ('08)but it only gets around 15mpg)

P.P.S. I see Ford Performance is offering a tune that sounds all software related, that adds 45hp and 60 lb/ft, with no mention of mileage effects, not sure why but my lizard brain thinks it wants that.

 

[SteveT]

Don't want to give you false hope, but when I took delivery of mine in April 2019 I was initially appalled by the mileage (measured by me, not the truck). Numbers were similar to yours. They gradually improved and I now get about 24 on the highway, 20 in the city and 18 while towing my popup camper. Not wonderful (I came from a Subaru Forester), but acceptable. What changed? Nothing except for more miles on the odo.

 

[4g63det]

Im getting 10.6-10.8 liters per 100 kms around 22 mpg. 2.5" level FX4 with the front air defelectors removed. Truck has just over 2800 kms on it

 

[db_tanker]

so been keeping track using just a simple spreadsheet on my phone but so far, depending on how I drive AND where I drive I've been getting between 22 and 24 mpg since I purchased the truck and now at 8500 miles. I have no lift or level, stock tires and a soft cover for the bed. I logged the 22 when I was up in Austin doing alot of short distance stuff...plus I made up a new game for me to play on RM 2244 (Bee Cave road)...really winding and lots of elevation changes....so my game...I have my lane keeping on, and I try to go as fast as I can without letting the lane keep nanny tap my steering wheel

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