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550 mile run for, "certified," max MPG with winter fuel!

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Howdy All!

A couple weeks back (on the products forum, I think), there was a thread about getting fuel mileages certified. I won't go into the details of that, but you may recall it.

Anyway, this Saturday (3/24) I will be making a run down from MI. to Georgetown, KY. to sell off my motorcycle (see signature). I will fuel my truck to the top of the neck at exit 5 on I-23 upon leaving. Then I will proceed south on I-23 & I-75 to Georgetown, KY. That's about 270 miles. I'll drop the bike, and head back up to the same fuel station I previously fueled up at in MI. About 550 miles I'm guessing. There I'll top off to the top of the neck again, record the miles and # of gallons consumed. Oh yeah, I'll be running with the tailgate down.

The Warden will be going with me so I'll have to stop at least once on each leg. That'll drop the mileage only a shade though. But the most important factor is: I'll be running 65 mph using the cruise control.

For the, "certified results," IMO,65 mph is the max/avg. speed that should be ran because,

a) you'd only be 5 mph under any 70 mph speed limit areas,

b) 65 mph is a more common speed limit (I won't see any 70 mph zones in OH. & KY. ),

c) in cases where you have to drive through city areas where the speed limit is less than 65 mph, running 65 in 55 mph zone probably won't result in getting a speeding ticket, where as I bet running 70 in a 55 mph would buy you a nice speeding ticket,

d) I, "certified," The Warden's 4Runner doing 65 mph, so personally I want to compare apples to apples (speed wise),

e) at 65 mph, I won't be getting held up by anybody, where as when you run faster speeds, you have to slow down and wait on others, then speed back up. And that speeding back up is where the fuel is used, that and the extra wind drag.

I'll be hauling a motorcycle, Junior, The Warden, and myself - a total of about 875 lbs. down and 395 lbs. on the way back.

I'll post the fuel station I used at exit 5 (lots of heavy trucks refuel there).

I'll post on probably Sunday what my, "Certified," fuel mileage is for my truck (see signature). I'm guessing, on winter fuel, I should see about a... ... 19. 5 mpg total average (down and back).

Anybody want to throw out your opinions as to my fuel mileage estimate (lower or higher). Just for fun! #ad


RAM ON!

- JyRO

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Y2K 2500 Cummins ETC/DEE, SLT+, 4X4, Quad, LB, Intense Blue Sport, 3. 54 LSD, rear aux. springs (camper special), sliding rear window, all options except cab clearance lights including agate leather, totally stock engine, silencer ring removed, "stealth," mod to run fogs with high beam. (20. 8 mpg @ 70 mph) Since everybody else listed their toys, I will too.

2000 Toyota 4Runner SR5 4X4, 5-speed, 3. 4L V6 (25. 5 mpg @ 65 mph)
1995 Kawasaki ZX6-R, 97 H. P. @ Rr tire, 6-speed, . 6L I-4, 410 lbs. wet
- (60+ mpg @ 65 mph, but who can do that?) (For Sale)
1990 Toyota Celica STX, FWD, 5-speed, 1. 6L I4 (36+ mpg @ 65 mph)
1983 Mazda RX-7 GSL Limited Edition RWD, 5-speed, 1. 1L Wankel (For sale)
No auto trannies in my home! Just say, "No!" to auto trannies.
 
There's at least 1mpg gain by going 60 instead of 65 imo. I'm guessing you'll not see 19. 5 mpg at 65 without a tail wind. Good experiment, looking forward to the results.

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2001 HO 6 speed Regular Cab SLT 4x4 3. 54 anti spin 2500. Used for the daily grind and sneaking away to some secret Baja beaches toting a cabover
 
My guess on winter blend would be 19,I would be currious if you did the same run only with an additive with a centane improver,I personally have seen an aproximate 1 mpg increase with the use of stanidine,I am currently experimenting with howes but its to early to tell. keep us informed Kevin
 
Jyro:

I would leave the tailgate UP! Dodge has design the truck to have the lease wind resistance with the tailgate UP i. e. best milage. This was mentioned in a back issue on the TDR. Tailgate down is bad and no tailgate is the worst.

If max mileage is what your after, I would run a premium Diesel fuel (Cenex Roadmaster, Amaco Premier, Flying J Premium) and add Stanadyne Perfromance formula to that.

If Air temps below 50 outside, Have a winter front on.

You want to cruise with your engine operating with as easy a load (resonable speed, least wind resistance, most efficient RPM) and yet keep enough heat in the engine (winter front if cool enough)to operate as fuel efficeint as possible.

jjw
 
Last month I went to Dallas Texas for Bill Kondalay's Trans Seminar at 70 with cruise on between Carriere, Mississipppi and Dallas I got 18. 8 MPG with Power Serve / Cetane Boost. 18. 3 return trip at 75 MPH. But I went to Eddyville, Illnois with a frend in his 2000 4 door 4x4 F-350 Power Stroke running Bob tail also and we got a 10 MPG at 70 and 8 at 75, but he's happy,

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1999 Quad Cab 4X4 1 Ton Cummins, Auto 3. 55 LSD K&N D&D#1'S stright piped w/ resonator. Smittybilt Outland Grill Guard,Nerf Bars & Rhino Liner W/ Reese 5VR & G/N hitch.
 
Dane - I believe you about the 60 to 65 mph difference in fuel mileage. Going down there and back should kill the effect of a headwind, so the end result should be a more accurate, "certification. " But I'm not really going for absolute max, but max at 65 mph.

Whitmore - Does the 1 mpg increase you get payback the cost of the additive? I don't know, but I can do the math to tell you what the cost of the additive would have to be to just break even (although additives generally are not just to improve fuel mileage, so they are good for other things too). I'll post that next time (hopefully).

JJW-ND - I don't want to be too harsh, because there are some sensitive people in the TDR, but, I don't believe for a second the Ram is built to be more efficient with the tailgate in an upright position (against most of the vector direction of the wind) than with the tailgate down. Don't take this wrong, but to me, that sounds ludicrous.

Besides, that experiment you may be refering to was done with a Ram model in a water tank and it concluded the drag was GREATER with the tailgate UP or REMOVED (removed had less drag than up), than with the tailgate down. The only better condition, according to the experiment, was with a tonneau cover. Can't use it with a bike back there.

BIG GRIZZ - How long would it take that Ford driver to pay back the cost of trading (up #ad
) to a Dodge Cummins considering the amount of money he'd save on fuel with a Cummins! #ad
Maybe you should have a chat with that feller. #ad
I'd be crying myself to sleep with that kind of fuel mileage. Sounds like yours ran well though!

Ram on!

JyRO
 
Jyro:

I actually heard this in person at the TDR Nationals in one of the tech workshops. I might be wrong, but thought it was based on windtunnel testing. I have since seen it in print several time (not here) in truck mags for more than Dodge trucks. Our roads are to ruff to run with tailgate down. Between all the bouching and gravel you wouldn't have much left. I personally have never tested it but then I don't have access to a wind tunnel as I don't know how you could conclusively say without one.

jjw
ND
 
Hey Jyro, good luck. Here's the link for Wind tunnel test. It was a model of a ram, not a real thing, and It might even be a Water tunnel http://mars. acnet. wnec. edu/~ehaffner/did.htm Last month, I did a trip to tahoe and used some additive from kragen that had a cetane stabilizer. I put it in because I anticipated cold temps. I did 563 miles and around 18000 feet of climbing, with corresponding descending, around 40 miles in 4wd and did 19. 2 mpg. so I believe that you should at least do 19mpg. Jponder has been working this issue too. Good luck.

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01. 5 ETH/DEE QC, 2500 4X4, 3. 54 Everything but leather
 
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Well I dont have all those extra valves helping me out but last week I did a 240 mi round trip and filled up at the Flying J at the on ramp drove 120 mi inthe rain at about 55mph and came right back with no rain at 65mph and refueled at the same pump and got 23. 7 the same trip at 75 will do 21. 5 do you think not having to carry all those extra valves helps?
Man I love this truck.

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96 SLT Laramie CC 5spd, 3. 54, no muff, no cat, 5"turn down tip. (its for sale)
. Member NRA/USPSA
 
Jyro,I havent done the math on the additive either but I bet at 1 mpg gain it would pay, the main reason I use it is for the extra lubricity for the fuel pump,the extra mpg is what comes with it. Kevin #ad
 
Jyro,

550 miles should be no problem. I made a 647 mile run on a tank with winterized fuel from CT. I made a few stops along the way, plus a seven mile climb up Mt. Washington, then a 7 mile decent in 2nd gear. The truck took 30 gallons when I filled it back at home. At 60-65 you could realistically push 700, although I'd keep some spare fuel in the back just in case. Have fun.

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2001 driftwood 5spd 4x4 2500 reg. cab
 
Howdy!

This is the 3rd time to try to post this, so I'm keeping it short and sweet.

Deezul1 - I wouldn't mind having an 12V. The 24V'ers flow more air (more power), but also flow more fuel.

JJW-ND - I don't necessarily think those studies are The Gospel, or anything. But I do think putting the tailgate down helps.

Everybody - From fuel station (Speedway), back to the same fuel station was 567. 8 miles, I re-filled with 27. 837 gallons. Thats 20. 397 mpg! #ad
I'm tickled with that, cause that's on winter fuel! I swear I didn't go any slower than 65 mph. The Warden was complaining the whole time that she could walk faster and let me know that anything slower than 80 mph on the interstate was innappropriate. Plus, both top-offs were so full, that one more squirt would've overflowed. I guess I just got a good one from the factory I guess. Plus, its a manual transmission, and a 2500. I've got more information, but I can't add it in now, I'm sick of this one, I've wrote this 3 times now.

Got my bike sold. I got $4,000 for it, and have another $4,000 coming from Unky Sam. I may save up and buy a Harley (Springer).

Ram Ahead!

- JyRO
 
sounds like excelent mpg,but who can stand the slow pace?hey I took a trip over south pass this weekend and it was raining hard,never did stop till I got thru it ,well I was surprised to find that the girls luggage in the back wasnt wet,it would appear that the areo-dynamics with the tailgait up are great. Kevin
 
Way to go Jyro. That's about right. The previous post was from John Ponder talking about certified mileage. Mine is staying over 20 now and I'm happy with it. Thanks for the itemization on everything you did for the trip.
 
Jyro
Good mileage test, I have kinda wondered what a 24v would do, I wish my wife thought like yours, mine always wants me to slow down

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96 SLT Laramie CC 5spd, 3. 54, no muff, no cat, 5"turn down tip. (its for sale)
. Member NRA/USPSA
 
You guys are right, the pace was a little slow. I don't normally go that slow, I was doing it as a, "certification. " (Sort of. ) Besides, on summer fuel, at 70 mph I'm getting about 21 mpg, so I don't have a problem with running 70, and as much as about 78 mph. It's probably only turning about 2,250 rpms at 78! Hehehehe. I love the 3. 54 LSD gear! At some point, maybe I'll be able to, "certify," my fuel mileage on summer fuel. It'll be a while til we get any here in MI.

Ram Ahead!

- JyRO
 
Way to go Jyro I've been in La for a week and this time I ran fast I averaged 69 miles per hour by time so many times I was hitting 80 going down hile My mileage plummeted to 18. 6. I am never driving that fast again I could barely hear my Cummins purring with all the wind!!!! Maybe my 26. 5 MPG at 52 MPH was a Fluke oh yeah I had a bike in the back also and it does catch some wind.

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2001 ETH/DEE ST 4X4 SPACE SHUTTLE
 
I routinly run around 19mpg running at 75 to 80 on the highway. Mine's a 4X4 regular cab. I run the lubricity addative and that's not pulling anything.

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95, Kitty dead, #6plate, 5speed.
 
Jyro, that's good. I wish I could run those RPM's, but 4:10's kinda eliminate the option #ad
. The 24v engine has a sweet spot for fuel mileage: 2000-2300 rpm. At 73 mph I'm revving at 2630 rpm or thereabouts. That's a big difference. I get 16. 8 mpg which is acceptable at that speed.
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1999 Dodge Ram 3500 Quad Cab 2wd; 5 spd; 4:10 LSD rear; Mag-Hytec differential cover; US Gear EGT and Boost gauges. Amsoil foam air filter and synthetics from nose to tail.
Cummins Power, don't leave home without it

[This message has been edited by John Berger (edited 03-28-2001). ]
 
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