4X4 Fuel Mileage

[jwskrintney]

This is my fifth Dodge Ram Cummins Diesel truck since 1995. I have always gotten excellent fuel mileage out of all of my previous trucks but I am concerned with the mileage in my new 2002. It is the first 4X4 that I have owned and the fuel mileage average has never been above 13. 6 mpg. According to my computer in the truck, I am getting up to 18 mpg at 60 mph or below but it drops off to as low as 11 mpg in the 70 to 75 mph range. This is with the cruise control on and no load in 2wd. I would love to hear from some of the other 4X4 owners out there to see what you guys are getting. I sure hope mine is going to improve lots as the mighty Cummins breaks in.

 

[kebees4]

I have a 2001. 5 and never get what most claim. I get 18 best ever on the highway (450 miles one way).

14. 5-15. 5 back roads with no load.

Put 2000 lbs behind me and it falls to 13. 5-14. 5 highway.

These are all calculated with a fill up. Not from the computer.

I have checked every tank that I have used but made the mistake of not logging it. This is much better than what I was getting from my 1999 318 gas engine.

 

[Fireman Dave]

I get right around 20, empty. Depends on driving speed and wind conditions. I think if I could ever stand to keep it around 60mph on a trip, I'd get maybe 23. My truck weighs in at 7300 lbs with a full tank, me, and some tools.

 

[rmknizner]

I get around 17-18 mpg in mixed, conservative,

unloaded driving.



I get 14 or so with 4000 pound trailer.



See below for my truck info.



Good luck!



Bob

 

[LSMITH]

I get 22+at 60 MPH on a flat road with no wind. Best ever was one tank @ 24. 2 MPG, that was at 55 on flat roads with no wind for a full tank. I used to fill to the overflow tube in the filler neck and always calculate MPG manually. At 80 for a full tank with no stops I get 17. 5-18. I get between 17. 5 and 19 commuting back and forth to work, about 40 miles each way with all types of driving in nearly equal amounts. All figures are empty. With my boat on I drop to 18 automatically and it just goes down from there. Some trucks get better mileage than others, just as some have more power than others. Changing to a good quality synthetic in the diffs gained me 1. 5 MPG. Not using the cruise control is good for another 1 MPG on my truck. Coast whenever you can, and maintain speed up hills rather than accelerating. When you know you are going to stop kick it in nuetral and coast rather than downshifting, the stock TC in my auto does this for me automatically I have only known one person that never got decent economy from his CTD. He had a 98. 5 24V QC 4x4 and NEVER got better than 16. His average with mixed driving was under 12 MPG. There are some pigs out there, but they are very few.

 

[JWhitcomb]

18 on fairly flat I 5 runs @ 65 mph, no load, tail gate dropped



11 with 4700# camper on the same run @ 65 mph



8,500 miles on the clock, I expect the numbers to go up a bit by the time 20,000 rolls up, plus I will be adding a EZ

 

[PHX ATC]

20. 5 doing 65 - 70 mph to and from work for 85% of the tank and 15% putzing around town.



Towing didn't phase it a bit. It dropped a measly . 5 to 20 dead up. I towed the boat which weighs in at around 4500 lbs.



HO, 6 spd, 3. 54 gears, foot kept out of it mostly. Well... okay some of the time.



Toby

 

[chuck3]

MPG's

I get anywhere from 14. 5 to 16. 5 mixed driveing, I have gotten 20 Frwy only, think I could get better if I kept it under 75MPH, towing my T. T. I get 13 to 16 depending on the wind, hills, speed etc.

 

[wedodgediesel]

no load, 14 around town, 16/17 highway. Load(3400#) on back 13/14 highway.

 

[Neal Cassady]

Around 18

Have almost 16K on the new truck since Memorial Day. Average mileage to date 18. 26.



I get around 18 mpg mixed 70%-highway 30%- city/traffic congestion. I usually drive around 75 mph on the highway and generally am pretty easy on the accel pedal.



I am pretty happy with that.



Dave

 

[juicedcummins]

Give it some time!!My 99 was an absolute pig until I hit the 18000km mark. A ran highly modified GM"s before this and they made this thing like biggest pooch out there that could only go 6. 5hrs at 68mph on a tank of fuel. When it hit the 18000mark it jumped to 22+ from one fill up to the next. This is on a US GAL.

Now the milage is very very good all the time. Not bad considering it will pull a house!{not as big a house as some but bigger than most including the maxipad]







BD rv-box,BD boost-fooler,BD valve-body,boost-elbow,hornton-fan,PRO-LOCK-converter,BD rv-injectors

 

[apkole]

15 to 16 combination x-way and in town. Towing to Norfolk last summer about 12 with 8500 lb. travel trailer . Coming back mileage dropped to around 10 but was pushing to make time. Usually spends the summer with ladder racks installed for roofing business, and always has the extra drag of the plow mounting components which add some weight and drag.



Hey, its a WORK TRUCK so I don't pay alot of attention. Currently at about 67k on the o-do-meter. Our 91 really started running nice at 120k. No overdrive on that truck and still got well over 20mpg.



BUT, the ISB is MORE POWER (arrgh!!) and lots more fun to drive.



Several people have commented, and personal experience bears it out, that the ISB seems thirstier when left idling and pushing the speed up definitley has negative impact on fuel consumption.



Andy

 

[GFoley]

I am able to hold onto 20 mpg right now. Its been to 22 for a couple of long road trips. My avg running weight is 7800# and I also have a cap on it.



I know that my winter fuel mileage dropped when I lived in MN. I attributed it to a different fuel blend and more time idling. I have about 86,000 miles on it right now.

 

[DSmith1]

jwskrintney,



If I exceed 1900 rpms my mpg suffers alot. For example my last trip over a 1000 miles I drove one tank between 70-75 all highway got 18. 9 mpg. Next tank coming back home drove at 65 (1900 rpms) got 22. 1 mpg.



I keep hearing everyone talk about break in improving mileage, with 15,000 miles it has only improved maybe by 1mpg. From day one I have gotten better with my 2001 than my 1999.



I don't tow heavy but pulling 5k boat at 65 still gives me around 19 mpg. Worse tank through the mountains pulling 5k 14. 1 mpg but that was trying to be as easy as possible.



My everyday driving is 70% country roads 30% city and I consistantly get 19 without having to baby it.



All my mileage is calculated since I have no computer.



Dean

 

[rogerblind]

I did 18. 8 mpg, calculated (computer at 19. 6) on 350 mile trip at 80 to 85 mph empty. I'm more than happy with that.

 

[Greg Boardman-RIP]

With my 2001 i average about 12. 5 to 13... always!!!! I drive everywhere at about 75 mph. I can tow my stock trailer at 65 and I get 13. The mileage that some are claiming is B. S. There is no way my grandma could get 25 mpg on a tank. Sit at a light for a couple of mins and watch your average go down... ...



Drive it like ya stole it... ... ... .....

 

[DavidD]

I have 98. 5 24v and have gotten as high as 24 on a highway trip going 60-65. I now have a few more mods. on the truck and I just checked it the last tank and got 17. 2. My last hiway trip was about 260mi. though maountains and I got 16 but I was going 70-80 on the staights and 65 most of the other time. I would check the ECM out at the dealer you should get more that 13 with the manual trans. Dave

 

[tgbol]

My mileage was 13. 5 for the first 25,000 miles. Now 15. 1 after installing an EZ. This is in L. A. traffic. On the road it is about 18 if I keep below 75.

 

[redneckdr]

fuel mileage

16-18. 5, depending on how muc highway driving vs in town... ...

 

[RedRam1]

jwskrintney,



I've got the same drivetrain as you, except in a 2500. My truck just turned over 15K, I have kept track of every drop of fuel I've put in it. The best I ever did was 21. 5mpg, this was running empty down the highway at around 65mph; I was driving conservatively, trying to maximize my mileage as I have always been skeptical of some of the mid 20's mileage figures reported by some. I guess if I had the willpower to hold the speed in the 55 - 60 range, my mileage may have been a little better. The worst mpg I ever got on a tank of fuel was 13mpg, but this included a good bit of pulling a ~10k trailer. Running empty with a mix of city/highway driving usually yields 17 - 18mpg. I took one 500 mile road trip pulling a 17' bassboat that I would guess weighs around 3500lbs. I ran between 65 and 70 and got exactly 16mpg, was surprised that little boat hurt my mileage so much... the Cummins certianly did not seem to "feel" the boat at all.