THRILLED with my 5Star Tune (V10 Minnie Winnie)

AstroPizza · 09-29-2023, 10:51 AM

Oh my gosh! My v10 Winnebago drives like a completely different beast! Before I had really bad pinging (w/87 Octane) and it really bogged on the low-end when I drove in town. Now that it all gone and she is SO responsive, I'm not sure yet if I'm getting any fuel economy benefit because I get a SEG every time I stomp the throttle off the line (the K&N CAI also helped

)

Anyways, For all you V10 owners out there, the $450 was the best $$ I've ever spent to make this thing beyond driveable, honestly, it handles like my wife's minivan. Now to get me some swaybars....

**creativepart** · 09-29-2023, 01:15 PM

To each his own on this mod. I have a 2017 Class A with the v10 and 6 speed transmission, same as you. I bought this mod right after getting my motorhome. I grant you that off the line acceleration was improved. But in my case, nothing else really made much of an improvement.

MPG is slightly lower -0.1mpg or so, probably due to that starting acceleration.

I ran my 5Star tune for 10,000 miles, then uninstalled it for 5,000 miles to make a comparison on my RV. That's where I found the 0.1 lower MPG and not a great deal of other differences. At the end of that "test" I reinstalled the Tune, but really only because I'd already spent $500 for it and might as well use it.

I'm really glad it's working well for you. No doubt you're driving around with a LOT lower weight than I am. With my 37 foot motorhome and Toad I'm hauling ~28,000 lbs.

AstroPizza · 10-03-2023, 08:59 AM

Just got back from a 500 mile trip into the smokeys.

Previous to this trip, I've been getting 7.5, 7.2 & 7.1 MPG when I do a full tank fill-up. (cruising around 65-70 MPH from San Antonio to NC, relatively flat).

I filled up after adding the 5*tune + K&N CAI (kn77-2570KTK) on my 2019 6.8L V10 Minnie Winnie 25b (26').

After driving about 50 miles I was pleasantly surprised that I got the best MPG on my next fill-up of 7.6 MPH.

On my way out to Gatlinburg (~250 miles) I was shocked when I got 9 MPG at my next fill-up

On the way home, I left it mostly in tow-haul mode through the mountains and we got 8 MPG! Right now, it looks like my gas mileage improved between 15-20% which is crazy...

Now before I get too excited, I spoke with a 2018 Jayco Redhawk 31' owner in the site next to me, he was saying that he normally gets around 11-12 MPG in his E450 V10 running around 65MPH. Is this even possible??

I know this is a very small and incomplete sample set, but initial results look promising. I'm going to keep tracking my mileage and will report back after we go to Disney in December.

**Eagle5** · 10-03-2023, 10:31 AM

Hi AstroPizza,
I believe another variable is the ethanol content in the fuel. I have access to ethanol-free premium down at Ocean Park, Washington, and I do get better mileage on that, as opposed to the ethanol ladened premium gasolines.
Interesting observations you are getting there. Also, please annotate when driving on wet road surfaces, as that will skew your observations negatively.
Are you using premium grade fuels?
Thanks, Eagle5

**creativepart** · 10-03-2023, 10:47 AM

I see plenty of folks that look at the "info" screen on the dashboard of the V10 to capture MPG Data. Those folks believe they get 9-10+ mpg all the time.

Of course, RV size and load matters greatly. The only way to compare to another RV is to compare two RVs of the same size, weight and traveling the same roads in the same wind at the same speed.

I track EVERY drop of gas I put in my RV and have done so since day one. In 49,000 miles my average is 6.4 mpg. But I also include all generator running and all idling at setup and breakdown, too.

Some, mark the mileage at fill up, don't run the generator and then fill up after a days drive and figure their MPG. They will report actual miles driven on a specific number of gallons of fuel. Which is their actual MPG.

So, there are so many variables that it's impossible to be sure what you're seeing. As I said, I average 6.4 mpg - but I have seen 7.2 mpg once. I have no idea why that one was so much higher. But when asked I tell folks 6.4 mpg. Even if they claim to get 8.4 mpg.

AstroPizza · 10-03-2023, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eagle5

Hi AstroPizza,
I believe another variable is the ethanol content in the fuel. Are you using premium grade fuels?

Interesting, nah, I just am using regualr E87 as I believe that's what the tune was programmed for.

Quote:

Originally Posted by creativepart

I track EVERY drop of gas I put in my RV and have done so since day one. In 49,000 miles my average is 6.4 mpg. But I also include all generator running and all idling at setup and breakdown, too.

So, there are so many variables that it's impossible to be sure what you're seeing. As I said, I average 6.4 mpg - but I have seen 7.2 mpg once. I have no idea why that one was so much higher. But when asked I tell folks 6.4 mpg. Even if they claim to get 8.4 mpg.

Interesting, yeah I pretty much just track the number of miles that I see on the trip odometer, and then do the math and reset the trip at every fill-up. Right now, I only have 3k miles worth of data, but I'm going to be trending it in the future.... the ethanol content & humidity are interesting variables that I hadn't considered, I've largely just been thinking about elevation changes.

Once I get about 10k miles on the CAI + Tune, I may revert back to the stock tune to see the impact of just the K&N vs Tune. I'm wondering if the K&N may be the larger factor here. That being said, my wife couldn't believe the acceleration difference, she's not a "car person" but she definitely had a small SEG on her face when she got behind the wheel for the first time after I added the tune.

**Eagle5** · 10-03-2023, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AstroPizza

Interesting, nah, I just am using regualr E87 as I believe that's what the tune was programmed for.

I would be curious if the tuners would made any recommendation for premium fuel.
In my 2019 V-10, Ford recommends the use of premium fuel. While the heating values are the same for either regular or premium (given the same level of ethanol,) the propensity to knock is reduced with premium. Because of this, the timing will be slightly retarded with regular, and hence that reduces the efficiency of the burn.
Thanks, Eagle5

**creativepart** · 10-03-2023, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AstroPizza

Interesting, yeah I pretty much just track the number of miles that I see on the trip odometer, and then do the math and reset the trip at every fill-up.

The "infotainment" system in my motorhome has a number of built-in apps, I'd guess you call them. Besides the GPS and audio system it has a section for pre and post camping check lists, maintenance records and refueling records.

So, when I get gas, I just hit - Add Fuel and enter the number of gallons added, the total price and the odometer reading. It enters the Odo automatically, but is occasionally off by a mile or three. I"m not sure why.

The system then logs the fuel, calculates the MPG since the last fill up and even logs the price per gallon. It then totals the cost of each trip, and each quarter of the year. All I have to do is put in the data. Which I've been careful to do since the first fill up.

If I wanted to I could easily see the total cost of each RV trip or even the entire time we've owned the motorhome. However, I'm smart enough to not ever look at those totals.

AstroPizza · 10-03-2023, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eagle5

I would be curious if the tuners would made any recommendation for premium fuel.
In my 2019 V-10, Ford recommends the use of premium fuel. While the heating values are the same for either regular or premium (given the same level of ethanol,) the propensity to knock is reduced with premium. Because of this, the timing will slightly retard with regular, and hence reduce the efficiency of the burn.
Thanks, Eagle5

Interesting, you and I probably have the same setup as my 2020 Minnie Winnie sits on a 2019 e450 chassis. I like this tune especially because they intentionally target e87 to maximize fuel efficiency, I definitely have noticed reduced pinging since I applied the tune as before, especially at the low end the pinging was significant.

Here's the video that I watched that made me interested in the tune: https://youtu.be/z9N5M2WhIiI?si=upgZDwI4r9FSwSp8

The fuel efficiency that they gained was not very significant but I was more interested in the low end torque and better shift points for drivability and possibly towing in the mountains. Given that their results weren't significant when it came to fuel efficiency, I'm really thinking that the k&n + tune specially for the added induction could be why I am getting better fuel efficiency. The engineer in me really wants to downgrade to the stock tube and see what impact the k&n is having... possibly this winter I'll downgrade for 1 tank of gas to see what the results look like

**Eagle5** · 10-03-2023, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AstroPizza

Interesting, you and I probably have the same setup as my 2020 Minnie Winnie sits on a 2019 e450 chassis. I like this tune especially because they intentionally target e87 to maximize fuel efficiency, I definitely have noticed reduced pinging since I applied the tune as before, especially at the low end the pinging was significant.

My 2019 was delivered with a full tank of regular gasoline, and it definitely had low end pinging. Switching to premium pretty well eliminated that, and quelled the vibration from that pre-knock too.
Thanks, Eagle5

peggwn · 10-08-2023, 05:11 PM

We have a Workhorse w/Chevy 454 Vortec, etc. (see Signature). We swapped our OEM's ECM for an UltraPower Custom Tuning ECM. Our performance dramatically improved as far as acceleration, and our shift points. This made for a smoother, quieter drive, and we did get a slight MPG improvement. It cost about the same as AstroPizza's 5-Star Tune. Admittedly, we did not have any engine issues that needed addressing beforehand. I did the swap myself in about 20-minutes working in my own driveway. Just thought I'd introduce an alternative approach to "tuning" your engine performance. Cheers

jimgossett2 · 10-08-2023, 08:54 PM

I have a 2014 Access Premier with the E450 V10. I have never felt the need for tuner upgrades. I average 8.5 mpg using regular unleaded. Most states seem to have 10% ethanol. No problems with pinging or lack of power.

paof6 · 10-09-2023, 04:33 AM

2019 25B on a 2019 E350 chassis. 5 Star for me was a big meh. Mpg down about .5 w/5 Star over 25K miles worth of on & off testing. Miles driven against gallons used. Boy do these use a LOT of gallons! Pros--better accell w/5 Star, no crazy engine revs in the mountains and I like the available speed limiter.
Overall I don't feel it was worth the money.
I run 60-65mph @ 8mpg (miles vs gallons) w/o 5 Star.
As far as the OP ping/rattle/knock---mine started at 7k miles & drove me knuts for about 10k. I tried premium, octane booster, upper engine cleaner thinking it was old school low octane pre-ignition until I found the threads online about the infamous "missing fan belt idler pulley" $38, 20 minutes work & noise gone. 15K miles of normal so far. To this day I'll still swear that it was old-school engine ping.
I couldn't believe that these things really needed premium fuel otherwise there'd be melted down V-10's everywhere from all the U-hauls out there.
Your results may vary...............

**Eagle5** · 10-09-2023, 10:03 AM

I will have to check this out on my 2019.
E350 idler pulley missing
Unstable Belt Syndrome at approx. 2100 RPM with V-10 E-450

Belt Vibration

paof6 · 10-09-2023, 01:23 PM

This pretty well nailed it. You'll prob have to get creative with the Ford parts people for the pulley & bolt as it hasn't been listed as a part on these engines in a really long time.
Or get the part numbers off the forums as I did in the end.
Fyi-food for thought,
My OE steering damper at 31k miles had nothing left to it. I was fighting every little imperfection in the road. New Monroe at $35 & 30 minutes of time.
The E350 OE front sway bar (thinking the 450 chassis has the big bar already?) is so small as to not do much-I installed a new Hellwig bar (roughly twice the diameter of the stock bar) early on at 2K miles.
Then a good wheel alignment after chassis break in (a year & 10K of use)
and it drives pretty dang good.

DryCreek · 10-10-2023, 08:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AstroPizza

Now before I get too excited, I spoke with a 2018 Jayco Redhawk 31' owner in the site next to me, he was saying that he normally gets around 11-12 MPG in his E450 V10 running around 65MPH. Is this even possible?? .

Absolutely. I run at 65 mph all the time. A lot of people run at 65 mph. I bet you could too!

But seriously, what some people might have missed is that you have the E-450. If my memory serves me correctly, then you still have the two-valve engine, vice the 3-valve (due to deck height fitting under doghouse). I can see how the tune might make a very noticeable difference.
Does your van chassis have the five-speed or six-speed transmission?

**Eagle5** · 10-10-2023, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eagle5

I will have to check this out on my 2019.
E350 idler pulley missing
Unstable Belt Syndrome at approx. 2100 RPM with V-10 E-450

Belt Vibration

I just tested my 2019 E-450 V-10 for the harmonic belt vibration, and I cannot reproduce it. I ran the engine speed up to 2,400 rpm. One can clearly see where an idler wheel would attach in the photo below.
Thanks, Eagle5