Opinions wanted: 1989 Ford E350 Hi-top w/460ci & double overdrive

[highdesertranger]

that thing wouldn't get 22mpg going down a 10% grade with a 60 mph tailwind. highdesertranger

 

[GrayWhale]

The Ford 460 with a C6 trans  When I drove it for work, loaded all the time and not a lot of highway driving, plus a 1000 foot elevation gain on the way home every day, I averaged 9.5 mpg. My son took it on a 7000 mile road trip once, and kept it to 55 mph, and averaged 12 - 13 mpg with a best tank right at 14 mpg. I help the real world info helps with the decision - bottom line, great vehicles but not so great mileage.

Interesting. Because those Class B vans that are setup with really high top (where there's a bed upstairs) and bathroom, shower, counter, kitchen, etc.; those only get around 10mpg also.

So if you load up a van w/a smaller V8 full of stuff to live in, it ends up getting similar MPG as one with a 460, due to the chugging it takes to get it moving. Maybe a little better with the smaller V8 but compared to a heavily loaded Class B, it gets the same MPG it seems. Then benefit withe 460 is that you get a serious beast with power on tap.

 

[Almost There]

Interesting. Because those Class B vans that are setup with really high top (where there's a bed upstairs) and bathroom, shower, counter, kitchen, etc.; those only get around 10mpg also.

So if you load up a van w/a smaller V8 full of stuff to live in, it ends up getting similar MPG as one with a 460, due to the chugging it takes to get it moving. Maybe a little better with the smaller V8 but compared to a heavily loaded Class B, it gets the same MPG it seems. Then benefit withe 460 is that you get a serious beast with power on tap.

I have to question the 10 mpg. I have a 2002 GMC Savana 2500 with the 5.7L engine. It's fully outfitted except for the larger holding tanks (I carry 8 gal fresh and max 2 1/2 gray water) but I make up for the weight differences with my +/- 300 lbs of batteries.

With the 24" high top, which is higher than the Class B's, I got 16 mpg averaged over the entire trip back from AZ to Ontario last spring.

I suspect that driving habits have a lot to do with that 10 mpg than anything else. If you're out on the interstate doing 80 mph and waiting until you're 100 ft from a stop sign to put on the brakes, then you get the mileage you deserve!!

 

[steamjam1]

Interesting. Because those Class B vans that are setup with really high top (where there's a bed upstairs) and bathroom, shower, counter, kitchen, etc.; those only get around 10mpg also.

So if you load up a van w/a smaller V8 full of stuff to live in, it ends up getting similar MPG as one with a 460, due to the chugging it takes to get it moving. Maybe a little better with the smaller V8 but compared to a heavily loaded Class B, it gets the same MPG it seems. Then benefit withe 460 is that you get a serious beast with power on tap.

I have an '86 class-b Ford. It's fully loaded and it gets 15mpg on nice, flat highways. 17mpg when I'm easy on the throttle. It's powered by a 5.0 and AOD, so there isn't a bunch of power. When I'm driving up even the most modest grades I haveto shift out of OD (mostly to save the OD) and the MPG drops to 10. I chose this RV over the other ones I was considering mostly because of it being a fuel injected small-block.

Sometimes I do wish it had a larger engine as I have been overtaken by huge school buses full of kids while going up hill on freeways.

 

[ArtW]

yup, in hilly country with a heavy vehicle with a lot of frontal area, sometimes a big ass motor does make sense
me and a friend had 1970 chevy pickups, mine a small block, his a 454 (it was, IIRC, a 3/4 ton
I beat him fuel efficiency wise despite having a 4 speed with granny low and 3.73 rear end (start off in 2nd, don;t go over 55 )
untill it was time to pull heavy loads
then we were about even....except he was pulling more weight

 

[IGBT]

I get 9.5 to 10mpg in our Isuzu diesel pulling a 3200 pound sailboat but the truck itself is 19,000 pounds so really, not that bad.  Probably would be lucky to get 6mpg with the E350 pulling that much weight.

 

[BigT]

Probably would be lucky to get 6mpg with the E350 pulling that much weight.

That right there is probably a big reason it's for sale.  
Clearly the owner wanted better mpg out of it or they wouldn't have installed the aftermarket overdrive.  

Once your van drops into the low single-digit mpg, you might as well just buy a Class-A RV.