18-20mpg empty...12mpg with 2000lb trailer???

[GSpeed]

Just pulled a trailer with 2 quads on it . Got anywhere from 12-13. 5mpg (there and back). I weighed my truck and it weighed 8400 lbs. and the trailer was 2000 lbs. Does this sound normal? When the truck was new I usually got around 16-17mpg. Now its got around 63000 kms on it and I got bad mileage and the power wasnt' really that great going up some fairly steep hills. I'd seriously hate to see towing anything heavy with my truck.



Thanks guys.

 

[MCornwell]

Have you checked Air and changed Fuel filters lately? The 3rd



Gen stock air filter(and my dads 2001. 5) gets clogged fast by



grime and blow-by residue.



P. S. If that mileage is all towing thats not bad.



-Mitch

 

[JARichard]

Does your trailer have a gate (ramp) that sticks up?

If so even the gate is a screen and not solid it ADDS A LOT OF DRAG!!!!!

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

How fast were you going GSpeed? When towing a sailboat and a bunch of junk I weighed in at 11,300 combined weight and did right at 17 mpg rolling along in the high 60s to around 70.



You can see a pic of the boat if you click on the link below.



http://groups.msn.com/VaughnsAlbum/vaughns2003ram.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=206







Vaughn

 

[GSpeed]

I just changed the air&fuel filter and i kept it around 60 mph for the whole 800 km trip both ways. The trailer does have a front on it but I did get around 16mpg when the truck was newer with the same type. Thanks for the replys guys, just a little disappointed in the power and mileage this trip.

 

[ttreibel]

My last pull with the trailer (6500lb. TT) coming up from Oregon I averaged 14. 3 MPG but I kept the speed around 60-65 mph it was a warm day about 80 degrees, little or no wind, and using the cruise about 75% of the time. The truck has 24K on it now. I have seen mileage as bad as 10. 5 with the same trailer I would never expect to see mileage as good as some of the older stock 12 valves.



On my last trip I met a guy with a 1997 12 valve Auto 2wd he claimed that he got 15 pulling his bigger trailer and a couple times empty he said he got 29MPG..... of course he was a retired truck driver so it needs to go through your BS meter

 

[LFarrar]

Looks low to me

I just wet desert Towing 30' 5er with 3 quads in it, No wind detected ( method bushes and trees along road) 65 mph most of the way( even up the grapevine). I averaged 12. 8 mpg and I weigh 22,000 combined and front is 12 foot high and flat straight up. I get 21 mpg runnen empty:--) So it sond low to me. but I do drive towards the mileage side on everything. I did not see what performance upgrades you have, but every one that I have added has helped increase mileage if you let them, if you are heave footed it won't matter. Alot depends on how you drive.

Lou

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

I find there is a far greater difference in MPG loaded/empty with my '02 as compared to my earlier '91 - got about 21 empty on freeway with the '91, dropped to 16. 5 in mixed flat/mountain terrain pulling a 7000 lb 5er.



The '02 will get 23+ mpg empty freeway MPG, but drops to about 15 MPG with the same trailer over the same terrain and at the same speeds.



I guess the occasional taps on the go pedal to use the added power makes the difference...

 

[opjohnny]

I pulled a pop top from KC to Pensacola with a 4. 5 speed and running 75-80 my overhead said 16. 4 when I got back home. 4x4 quad 3. 73 and tow mirrors. That was with 4 people and a bed full of bikes, coolers ect. With just 3k on the motor. I was real happy with that.

 

[cbunt1]

Well, I can only speak from my own experience -- and my arrangegement is a lot different.



With my 9200# (empty) flatbed (40') trailer, I can average between 14-15 if I keep the speed down under 72. I run with 3. 73 rears, 6 speed, and nearly stock HO (Glasspack muffler is only engine mod).



Now, that said, I find that wind resistance eats my lunch. I went from Dallas to central Kansas with 2 truick bodies on the trailer. They weighed in at around 5,000 each (total of 10K freight) putting my total gross at around 28,000. My total height was just shy of 13'. With the 2-5% grades between Kansas and Dallas, I was running in the 9-11 range. With flat freight weighing roughly the same (say a steel load) I'll average 12-13.



All in all, I'd say if you're running with 4. 10 rears, and pulling a 5'er (high front) that your mileage isn't outside the norm. If you're running 3. 73's it's a hair low, but not bad. The mileage will improve by leaps and bounds both with hard work to the engine (the harder you work it, the better it runs) and mileage (I average 10,000 a month, and have watched my averages climb as time goes on).



Hope this helps

--Chris

 

[mbaston]

I agree about the wind. While going through Canada and strong cross and head winds, I watched my MPG drop to 10 empgy



However, on a stretch of windless flat land, I got 21, the best I ever got for my 03 dually 4X4.



I have pulled a 6000 lb travel trailer and seen fuel mileage drop as low as 9 with no wind. I then pulled a 32 foot 11000 lb fifth wheel and got 12. This was over the same road, same weather conditions and same speeds.



It is not always just weight that kills our mileage, but the wind and aerodynamics of what is towed. I am guessing the front of the trailer you were towing created a lot of turbulence between it and the truck. It would be interesting to spray some smoke or water out the back while you are driving and see what it does.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

Of course, wind factor is pretty commonly understood as a fuel eater - but hadn't much thought about the possible difference in aerodynamics between my standard cab '91, and the quad cab '02 - mighta brought a whole new wild card into the towing game...