Five Star Tuning

tanda62 · 04-07-2022, 07:35 AM

Installed a tune from Five Star Tuning on our 2020 Intent 26m (2018 Ford F53 chassis Triton V10) and will be doing a big test as we travel from North Florida to Arizona and back via New Orleans, Fort Worth, Four Corners, Taos and Eureka Springs. This month long trip ought to really set in the program and give us a real test. I have already driven it on short trips and am impressed with the increased power and the way the transmission behaves. Our mechanic even commented there is more "pep in its step" when he changed the oil and prepped us for the trip.
I will report as we travel on how it performs and my impressions on various roads but so far so good.

Tom

**Eagle5** · 04-07-2022, 02:42 PM

Hi Tom,
I bet many folks will want to know if you can measure a fuel economy improvement.
As our zero-point, do you have an average fuel economy recording now?
We also must consider these variables:
1.) The alcohol content in the fuel
2.) Wet versus dry roadway
3.) Variation in the weight of the vehicle
4.) Average speed & number of stops
5.) Similarity of terrain
6.) Generator usage
Sounds like an interesting test.
Thanks, Eagle5

tanda62 · 04-07-2022, 03:10 PM

I have not really kept track of mpg as I figure it is crappy and sometimes maybe a bit less crappy. Five star did not promise anything with fuel economy when I talked to them just that some people may experience some improvement but that is not really the function of the tune. I will track some of this and see what happens but I don't really expect it to be that good.

The big improvement I hope to see if ability to get on the interstate quicker and keep up a nice 65 miles per hour pace. Right now I have noticed when doing 60 on secondary roads the engine is turning around 1800 rpm which is much better than the 2200 it was doing before at that speed. The other improvement so far is the transmission. In the past whenever going up a particular grade in cruise control at 60 mph the trans would down shift and go well over 4000 rpm to try and maintain the speed. Now on the same grade the trans still down shifts but turns around 3200 rpm to maintain the same speed. Now maybe that gives some insight to mileage as the engine is not working as hard on the same grade at the same speed...maybe.
Sorry this is probably not what you are looking for...btw glad you specified the alcohol content in the fuel not the camper in general, hehehe.
Tom

**Eagle5** · 04-07-2022, 03:13 PM

OK - that makes sense.
My brother had a sheet rock guy working on his house, and one day he turned to him and said:
"Alcohol and Drywall ... No-No"
Some truth in there, to be sure.
Thanks, Eagle5

**creativepart** · 04-07-2022, 07:03 PM

We have a 5-Star tune on our 2017 Adventurer... so it's a different animal.

We've found these things:

1. The Tune makes the throttle response from a stop quicker which makes the whole RV feel quicker.

2. It seems to hurt gas mileage a little. We've tested this and it's a .5 gal or less more consumption - probably from getting on the responsive throttle more.

3. It helps with transmission shifting points. It's better in the hills - but that's where the extra gas goes.

4. It would be a massive help for pre-2016 gas RVs with 5-speed transmissions. Not quite so dramatic with 2017 gassers with the 6-spd transmission.

We've had ours for 5-years now. I've done tests with 5,000 miles with it and 5,000 miles without it. I always put it back in use because overall it's better. But, if I had known how little it would help I would have skipped buying it.

We used to own a 5-speed Class C and it was terrible - the 5-star would be a huge improvement. And, that memory is exactly why we bought one for our 2017 Coach back then.

**Eagle5** · 04-07-2022, 07:52 PM

Hi Creativepart,
Excellent summary of the 5-Star tune. As my 22M is relatively lightweight, I have never wanted for more power, so I will leave mine as stock. Glad your tune is working well for you.
Still, the best thing to improve mileage is to keep your tires inflated well and limit your speed to about 60 MPH.
Thanks, Eagle5

wyocamper · 04-07-2022, 08:17 PM

I have 5-Star on mine with the 5-speed trans and it makes pretty huge difference with the shift points.

Wyatt · 04-08-2022, 12:25 PM

https://www.ultrarvproducts.com/Ford...-Custom-Tuning

Read up on this one before you pull the trigger…

tderonne · 04-08-2022, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tanda62

Right now I have noticed when doing 60 on secondary roads the engine is turning around 1800 rpm which is much better than the 2200 it was doing before at that speed.

So it wasn't in 6th gear before? And now it is?

2200 -> 1800 is about what the 5-6 shift should do.

tanda62 · 04-10-2022, 07:04 PM

So we have made it to New Orleans and I am impressed so far. Driving into some really strong winds we were able to keep the pace we wanted and when needed had the power to get out of a couple of hairy situations on the interstate. Our mileage is still crappy but is expected. It will be more interesting when we get west and into some real terrain with uphill climbs. More to come but in the meantime it is time to pig out on the awesome food in the big easy!

Mtn Charlie · 04-10-2022, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tderonne

So it wasn't in 6th gear before? And now it is?

2200 -> 1800 is about what the 5-6 shift should do.

That was my exact thoughts. At cruising speed, the only thing that would cause a consistent 400 rpm difference would be different gearing.

Ronzo · 04-13-2022, 05:06 PM

We have a 2015 27Q Minnie Winnie E-450 Ford. What a great engine this V-10. Installed the 5-Star at about 22,000 miles. Noticed a slight increase in the power...gas mileage--eh? Drove it for 20,000 more miles and decided to have 5-Star re-tune for a better performance and shift points. What a difference...much better. However, since this is a California tune, 5-Star could only do so much for the ol' V-10. I know it's partly psychological, but it is a better runner. I still haven't figured out how to not pass up a fueling station...if anyone has some insight on this, please to let us all know.

Brooks · 04-13-2022, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tanda62

Installed a tune from Five Star Tuning on our 2020 Intent 26m (2018 Ford F53 chassis Triton V10) and will be doing a big test as we travel from North Florida to Arizona and back via New Orleans, Fort Worth, Four Corners, Taos and Eureka Springs. This month long trip ought to really set in the program and give us a real test. I have already driven it on short trips and am impressed with the increased power and the way the transmission behaves. Our mechanic even commented there is more "pep in its step" when he changed the oil and prepped us for the trip.
I will report as we travel on how it performs and my impressions on various roads but so far so good.

Tom

I am also interested in fuel economy so yes keep us posted

tanda62 · 04-16-2022, 04:50 PM

Trip update. Made it to Santa Rosa New Mexico today. The winds in west Texas did thier best to throw us off the road but we conquered them! The coach is performing great and I am able to hold 65mph on cruise control even going uphill. Still very happy with the tune. Our mileage has worked out to about 7 miles per gallon. Hopefully tomorrow we will not have high winds on I-40 towards Gallup...

tanda62 · 04-18-2022, 06:49 PM

Newest update. Went from Santa Rosa to Gallup New Mexico on interstate 40. The winds really tossed us around along with the many trucks! Speaking of trucks I have noticed only about 20 percent acknowledge me flashing them it's okay to pull into my lane after passing me.
The hills gave us a workout and we were only able to average around 60 mph, I would have really been in trouble without the tune.
On another note Red Rock camp run by the city of Gallup is a real joke. They confirmed online our spot and when we arrived the area we reserved was locked up. When we went to the west campground no one was there but some of the people there said just take whatever spot you want. Of course someone else showed up and said they reserved the spot we set up in. Thankfully they were understanding and took another spot. No one ever got back to us about the situation and the bathrooms were locked. Not a place I would recommend to anyone.

Mtn Charlie · 04-18-2022, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tanda62

Newest update. Went from Santa Rosa to Gallup New Mexico on interstate 40. The winds really tossed us around along with the many trucks! Speaking of trucks I have noticed only about 20 percent acknowledge me flashing them it's okay to pull into my lane after passing me.
The hills gave us a workout and we were only able to average around 60 mph, I would have really been in trouble without the tune.
On another note Red Rock camp run by the city of Gallup is a real joke. They confirmed online our spot and when we arrived the area we reserved was locked up. When we went to the west campground no one was there but some of the people there said just take whatever spot you want. Of course someone else showed up and said they reserved the spot we set up in. Thankfully they were understanding and took another spot. No one ever got back to us about the situation and the bathrooms were locked. Not a place I would recommend to anyone.

When we stayed at Red Rock, three years ago, there were no reservations. If a site was open, just claim it. Restrooms were primative but reasonable for the price. Overall, I wouldn't give it a negative review. Not a 5 star but I've been in a lot of highly rated campgrounds that weren't much better.
PS. We had a KOA yellow hanger in our cab and the ranger mistook it for their tag. I felt guilty and paid on the 3rd day.

tanda62 · 04-24-2022, 07:10 PM

Newest trip update. Went from Taos to Clayton NM and then to Guymon OK Corral drive in RV park. We encountered 20 mph winds with gusts up to 40 along the way. Also drove thru a brush fire for about 500 feet. We are having a great trip and the tune seems to be getting better. We are averaging a little over 8 miles per gallon now a whole 1 mph improvement! We have better pickup and have been able to keep up with traffic even up hill. Ii seems the tune is getting better as we go along.