Wanted: 5 star tune f53 6 speed

[rvfigs]

Looking for a 5 star tune for 2018 Ford F53 6 speed chassis.

Please PM me.

Thanks.



View this ad at Thor Classifieds - 5 star tune f53 6 speed

[ducksface]

Just a question:
What advantage do you expect from the unit?
Are you aware of the programming limitations that might arise with a used unit?

[bilet69]

Buy a new one lol
You will not get the support with used.

[Bob Denman]

I agree... buy a new one, and you'll never regret it.

[16ACE27]

You just missed one advertised here a couple of weeks ago.

[Bob Denman]

Yeah... I had that one lurking in the back of my mind also.

Here's a link to that threa.

http://www.thorforums.com/forums/f38...eed-20114.html

[rvfigs]

Originally Posted by ducksface

Just a question:
What advantage do you expect from the unit?
Are you aware of the programming limitations that might arise with a used unit?

We are hoping to squeeze a bit more performance out of the V10.

What are the limitations with a used unit?

[rvfigs]

Originally Posted by bilet69

Buy a new one lol
You will not get the support with used.

I wasn't aware of this...

[Beau388]

Originally Posted by rvfigs

We are hoping to squeeze a bit more performance out of the V10.

What are the limitations with a used unit?

Each custom tune for a coach is based on the weight, rear axle ratio and tire size. In my case the first tune was not to my liking (not nearly as aggressive enough). The second tune was too aggressive. The third tune was good but not perfect. I have lived with the forth tune now for three years and 22,000 miles. If I wasn't extremely happy with it, I would have requested another. Did the last tune give more power? No noticeable increase in power. Did the coach get better fuel mileage? No. What changed was the drive-ability of the coach.

[Lt Keefer]

When you say drivability, please explain.

[ducksface]

I think the five star thing is being steadily debunked.
All I've read, and even five star reports say
'seat of the pants' should be your only expectation on the newer 6 speeds.

[Bob Denman]

Originally Posted by ducksface

I think the five star thing is being steadily debunked.
All I've read, and even five star reports say
'seat of the pants' should be your only expectation on the newer 6 speeds.

But the "Hiney-Dynos" are never wrong: are they?

[Lt Keefer]

I'm just curious what drivability improvements can be made via a computer program. My coach's drive train has never been a problem or source of complaint. It drags my toad and the load of crap inside the coach and every 400 miles I put fuel in it. It went from Texas to Pennsylvania and back at 65 MPH and never had a glitch. I have never calculated the MPG, nor do I care how many foot pounds of torque or ponies are produced. But, all that being said, if a tune could reduce the decibiles in the coach going up a long grade or give me a 5% increase in range I would calculate the return on investment and look into getting it.

[rvfigs]

Originally Posted by Bob Denman

But the "Hiney-Dynos" are never wrong: are they?

I was just about to mention that 5-star has done some decent dyno-testing on their 5-star tune.

I can't imagine that 5-star would finagle the dyno results? It would destroy their entire existence.

[rvfigs]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9N5M2WhIiI

[Bob Denman]

I'm sort of aware of their products... I came mighty close to ordering one of their tuners for my 2018 Outlaw...

But one thing that's been driven home to me over the years:
"Figures don't lie... But Liars can figure!"

(My Grampa Denman told it to me... )

I'm certainly NOT saying to avoid buying one...
I'm just saying that you'd be better served with a new product, and the full package of customer service that comes with it.

[rvfigs]

Originally Posted by Bob Denman

I'm sort of aware of their products... I came mighty close to ordering one of their tuners for my 2018 Outlaw...

But one thing that's been driven home to me over the years:
"Figures don't lie... But Liars can figure!"

(My Grampa Denman told it to me... )

I'm certainly NOT saying to avoid buying one...
I'm just saying that you'd be better served with a new product, and the full package of customer service that comes with it.

Excellent point Bob

[ducksface]

That video is the one I saw which completely unsold me on the product.
As unscientific as it was, those minimal changes on a giant hill convinced me that the changes on a regular drive would be too miniscule to measure.

They went pretty extreme in terrain to get a barely noticeable, and questionable differential in a very specific and massaged rv.

A few too many:
A Little
Few
Feels like
Seems

For me.

If I were interested I'd give the company themselves a call to see what the policy is on a used unit.

And
I did deeply consider buying one. I was sorely disappointed by my disappointment.
If I weren't happy with the tow/haul, I'd absolutely buy a five star for changing shift points and pressures. THIS is where the drivability and seat of the pants comes into play. Shift points.

And
If Beau said the world was flat, I'd have to do the math and research to counter.
Beau is a veritable bastion in the rv field.
He's not one to doubt. Factual, effectual, practiced.

[Pete'sMH]

Agree that the value is in the shift points. Ford has some pretty good engineers and if more power and better economy were available in a tune I expect they’d have tapped it. I traded a 6 speed class A for an older 5 speed and was amazed at how much less pleasing to drive it was. It shifted down at the slightest hill and too often skipped 4th gear and went all the way down to third. Tow/haul mode made it worse. The 5 Star Tune helped quite a lot and I was glad I bought it for the shift points only. But the thing isn’t magic. On big hills it still had to shift down to third and in those conditions the benefit was only marginal. Where it shined was in the ordinary world of small and modest hills. I have since traded yet again on a 6 speed coach and I’m happy with its performance and won’t be changing it. Had I kept the older machine I was considering asking 5 Star to put everything back to stock except the shift points. I am convinced that the “seat of the pants” impression of more power comes from making the throttle response to the position of the pedal more sensitive.

[ducksface]

Pete,
Thanks for your post.
I'm happy to know my research was confirmed by your real world experience.
I can't think of a better, easier to follow or more truthful scenario than your six speed, five speed, six speed, with and without tuner, testimonial.

I think, thanks to you and Beau, the decisions can be put to rest by anyone who values experience.

But.

One of the really great engineers on this site detailed a seldom reached adjustment Ford does to the v10 programming:
He said; if you can possibly go wide open throttle for 60 seconds, a whole new command set is reached.
I was able to accomplish this only once, up hill of Lukachukai Arizona. The road is so twisty and so steep I thought I'd have to reach for 4wd low(I don't have 2wd low) .
Floored for about 70 seconds, the incredible ROAR and the turbo lag type boost was astonishing. I went from a struggling 8mph floored to 22mph so quickly it startled me and I let off the throttle before I realized what was happening.

Reprogram THAT to a 5 second delay instead of a 60 second delay, and I'll buy a tuner(a tuner is on the list solely for this, the only reason I can find to consider one on a six speed v10).
I can't duplicate the 60 second throttle thing. The little 24.1 is too quick causing the speeds to get too high and I haven't found since, a hill as miserable to keep my speed down.