3500 mpg's whatcha getting

[Riverboy]

Just wondering what you are getting for mpg's on your SRW 3500's. I am hoping the 315's have something to do with mine getting a lousy 16 when I hear guys getting in the lower 20's. :{

 

[mberry]

Sorry Riverboy. Mine generally gets around 21 during summer. 16-17 in town in summer. Usually 2-3MPG less in winter respectively.

 

[LFarmer]

Fuel economy is easily stretched. The last cummins that I got 20's mpg was my 98. 5 two wheel drive. My 06 4x4 was steady between 15 and 16. Then I added the bigger tires and lost a solid 1 mpg. Just my . 02 cents.

 

[njoiler]

Currently 15 to 16 in town and at best 19. 3hwy this winter.

 

[04blackcherry]

What gears you got in the rear end. My 2500HD 6spd has the 11. 5" rear end with 3. 73 gears. I'm getting 18-18. 5mpg. I have 315 BFG AT's. The adjustment calculation for 315's would be around 10% over the stock 265's. I'm getting better mileage with the bigger tires. I think it's a ratio thing more than a more rolling resistance thing. As soon as I load it up for hunting with the quad trailer, it goes way down. Still have boat loads of power though. My brother swears he gets better than 20mpg with their 3500 srw and 285 BFG AT with an auto trans. The Chevy guys I know keep their Edge at 1 or 2 to get the best mileage.

 

[MiCummins]

I just filled up yesterday and I got 14. 3 MPG, with 30% highway and 70% city. I'm sure my right foot kills it a mile or 2.

 

[CDonaldson]

I'm seeing 19/20 empty, 15/16 towing 12K TT. You and I have basically the same truck, you should have 3. 73 gearing, the 315's take you to somewhere around 3. 42 gearing. I'm running the Smarty Jr, set for towing all the time.





CD

 

[KIKER]

I guess I have a lemon. It got a little over 10 on the very first tank, and gets 11-12 consistently on every fill up since. I drive about 80-150 hiway miles a day and a few slow miles in the dirt, pipeline right of way. I try to drive easy, no fast starts, very few wot passes, cruise at or just below the speed limit, and very little idling. I drove it to Dallas and back, 850 miles round trip, and it got 15. 3 going over, and 13. 3 coming back, and that is the best it's ever gotten. I bought it new 12/06, and it has 78,000 miles on it now.

 

[SCClockDr]

I see 20-21 on most general tankfuls, up to 23 on an all day tankful (country roads - US routes 45 - 65).
13. 5 - 14. 1 towing a 28ft Titanium 5th 45 - 65.

I am quite pleased with my 2004.

 

[HHhuntitall]

Wow!! I've got an '07 and '06 2500 quad cab 4x4s. Both have 325/70/17 Toto A/ts, and the '07 get's 21-22 hwy, not compensating for the tire size. It has an Edge Mileage max on it. The '06 has nothing, and gets 17-18. Both are standard 6 speeds. My '03 3500 gets 19 hwy, with dual 315/70s, not compensating for speed. This is all calculated mileage, not what the Fibometer says on the overhead. I have a TST Powermax CR on my '03, DDP 60hp nozzles, and on setting 2 it does 409hp, 900+ on the dyno. Hauling around 15-20k lbs it gets 10-15 depending on the wind and terrain. But you don't downshift on hills.....

 

[mxaaron]

I left Royal City Wa yesterday and when I rolled into Seattle, I was at 21. 4. That was with 3 dirtbikes and all of our gear in the back, running at 70 the entire way. Its bone stock by the way, with only 3300 miles.



I usually get around 20 on the highway, and 16 around town, if it is a tank burned evenly between the two, I average around 17. 8. I hand calculate and it is usually around . 3 to . 4 off of the overhead console.



My buddy had an 07. 5 and he got rid of it because he couldn't get over 14.

 

[KSears]

around town , probably 14-16 , on the road , maybe 18-20, with some additive (power service), maybe 1- 1 1/2 more mile to gallon on each

 

[Bigiron]

I've got an 03 3500 QC DRW with stock size tires. I average 18-20 highway at 55-70. Get 11-14 towing a 40' gooseneck weighs 14-15,000 loaded. Never go more than 65 when towing. Run a Bully dog on TOW with the trailer and Extreme when empty. Only changes about a mile to the gall on any setting when empty. Wind is a big variable when towing.

 

[TFucili]

In mixed driving with lots of short trips, I'll see 15-16. I don't do very much highway, but have never even approached 20 by a long shot. Towing my box trailer gives 11-12 depending on wind. I drive very conservatively and hand calc every tank. I don't understand how some of these trucks can yield so much better highway milage. I can't beef with the around town figures too much given a 7400 lb truck with a stock slip converter. I sometimes wonder if there was a way to turn off the third event and see better MPG?

 

[JKeith]

Towing a 15k 5'er I about 10 to 11, at 65mph. empty it gets about 20 at 65 mph hwy. and 13 to 14 abound town.

 

[AWay]

Mine pretty well matches JKeith's. '06 DRW manual trans. pulling a 15K 5th wheel will average 10 to 11 mpg. Highway empty behaving myself I can get 22. Yearly average for the last 4 years is 15. 8 mpg.

 

[B.G. Smith]

I get between 9 and 10 pulling 31" fifth wheel depending on wind direction and terrain, empty ain't all that great, around 16. bg

 

[Riverboy]

Well after all the responses, I don't feel so bad. My father in law gets 600 plus miles on the highway per tank but he has a 03 2500 stock. I know I will probably go back to just over stock tires. Just bought the truck 2 weeks ago. Yeah the overhead had me smiling then I did the math after I filed up and that smile faded quick. The overhead was reading 22. 5. Where does it get that number? Not towing much yet but will be towing a 5er and a flatbed trailer with a bobcat type equipment on the weekends. Yes I do have 3. 73 gears. Planning a few trips to Seattle,Boise,and Central Oregon this year so I will see what a full tank at 70mph will get me. I have left he edge on 1 or stock most of the time. I have heard of guys getting better mpg's on setting 3 (drive). Thanks for all the responses. Still would rather have my cummins then the others!Oo. Oo.

 

[gsbrockman]

Just wondering what you are getting for mpg's on your SRW 3500's. I am hoping the 315's have something to do with mine getting a lousy 16 when I hear guys getting in the lower 20's. :{

Hopefully you are re-calculating your mileage figures based on the new-found lower tire revolutions per mile. If not, you're cutting yourself short on the "miles" portion of the calculation.



I have obtained as much as 18. 3 mpg hand*calculated with the LT305/60R20's I run on my truck..... in summer months with regular (non-winterized) #2. With the LT285/70R17's that I run in the winter months, it is only 16. 7--16. 9 due to the winter fuel, additional idling, etc.



When a CTD owner posts such "outstanding" fuel economy numbers, ask them if that is by the overhead or hand calculated... ... then watch their reactions. :-laf



Greg

 

[JGheen]

Mine is bone stock aside from the AFE intake and straight pipe exhaust. I am getting about 15-16 in town and 18-19 on the freeway. I think mine has gone down some since I took the muffler and DPF off, not sure why since the engine is breathing a lot better but maybe I'll try that Edge Mileage Max box, seems to have helped a few guys.....



Joe