04 3500 mileage

[jelag]

For the past 240K miles our 04 has been pulling a trailer around that weighs about 20-22K lbs... and most of that time it didn't do much over 11 or so mpg... .



We've just pulled the bed and installed a flat bed and will use this truck for short trips around town and local stuff, this means that it won't be pulling a trailer...



I just took this truck with a load of brake shoes to a customer... . 272 pieces @ 18 lbs with pallets, about 4,896 lbs, it crossed the scales at 13,300 lbs total...



We have air bags on the back... I drove it to and from our customer a round trip of about 860 miles... . maybe a little more... I filled the tank before I left and once on the road and once again upon my return... . We've installed our own kit to allow the tank to vent... ... .



This is the first time that I can remember since we bought this truck that it has gone this far without the trailer... and we've checked the mileage... .



I traveled most of the time at 72-74 mph, speed limit is 70 here... . it averaged a nice 17. 85 mpg with the load going over the mountains here in the Northwest... . I was surprised and quite pleased... ... ...



Now if my 05 would do this pulling my 5er I'd be really happy.....



BTW - 4:10 axle and no HP upgrades... . just a stock truck with a flat bed... .

 

[LesStallings]

Someone said the 04 was the perfect CTD - no cat, no 3rd injection event, etc. I certainly don't have the total mileage you do, but I do get almost 12 pulling my loaded trailer and 18-20 empty, depending on my right foot. It's never been in the shop for anything motor or drive train related. It's been a good truck!

 

[04 Diesel Power]

83,000 trouble free miles.

 

[kblranch]

I average 12 to 14 towing my 11,000# horse trailer and get around 17 in town running empty. I really like this model over the 1997 I had before. Much quieter and a lot more power.

 

[jjdiesel]

I average 11. 5 pulling my 10k fiver @ mostly 65 mph, and 18-18. 5 around town with two loaded 8' tool boxes on each bed rail and a full over-the-cab steel rack. If I manage to stay on the hwy, my mileage goes to 21. 5 @ 65mph. Very meticulous hand calculated mileage. This truck gets about as good as my '95 12valve did under exact same averages.

 

[Cattletrkr]

I drove to the dealer and back last week, about 125 miles. Was in kind of a hurry so about 1/2 the trip that was freeway went by at 78mph. Some wind to deal with too. The rest of the trip was 60-65mph I suppose.

Anybody care to guess what I got for mileage? 4. 10's, 6spd, 245/19. 5's makes 2000rpm 66mph.....







... I'll spoil it for ya in a sec...















... Are you ready???... .








... 12. 5mpg.

I've gotten at good as 18. 7mpg but that was running 8mph UNDER the freeway speed limit. I get 10mpg pulling my 30K trailer. Speed kills this particular '04. 5.

 

[Jeremiah]

We have air bags on the back... I drove it to and from our customer a round trip of about 8...

I traveled most of the time at 72-74 mph, speed limit is 70 here... . it averaged a nice 17. 85 mpg with the load going over the mountains here in the Northwest... .

Here at 9,000' in the Colorado Rockies, I get 19. 7 mph under normal toolin' around (that's empty). I top 20 on the highway. I'll bet you'd top 20 too if you kept your truck down to 65 or so. But it's hard to do with traffic flying by you.

How much did the airbags help? I haul 3,000 lbs of water in the back of my SRW truck (about the same as a Bigfoot camper) and would like for it to sit up a bit more when loaded. I've already switched to Bilstein shocks, and in combination with the commercial tires and 19. 5" wheels, ride and handling have improved 100 percent.

 

[jelag]

Jeremiah

We installed the air bags because the rear end settles so much before you touch the overloads... . we load the truck and increase air with a pressure regulator... under the dash connected to the compressor for the pacbrake..... we level the truck... . I actually take a tape measure to the end of the bed and raise the pressure so that the bed comes back to pre load conditions..... its a wonder how well the truck handles and the how well the lights work at night when the bed is sitting level.....

We get some side sway and are now going to build a small lift kit for the cushions for the overloads ..... so if the body sways it bumps the overloads and stops the sway.....

Hope this helps. .