Dodge vs Chevy in towing mileage

[DHeasley]

cummins/durmax mileage

Just got back from 6. 000 round trip trip to utah . we make the same trip every year (hunting) my 02 dodge dually 6 speed ez/rv inj. -buddies stock 04 dmax both 4wd pulling like enclosed cargo/hunting trailers running speed limit +5. We averaged 9. 5-12. He would get 1-3 mpg better every fill up. these numbers stayed about the same when we had older models of the same trucks in past years. his gets 2-3 better empty also. we run together fill at the same time and I see the numbers on the pump and know they are accurate. my truck will outpull him (slightly) on long hills.

 

[c-hawk]

Ever heard the expression "First lier don't have a chance"

I've never heard that saying, but i like it. :-laf



Sorry i don't have much of value to add here. I've never towed with a chevy, but i only get 10-11 towing my gooseneck which weighs around 13k. Maybe it will be better with the new sticks, but i'm not sure since i haven't towed with them yet.



Chris

 

[DaveHess]

I love when these conversations start up. It is very interesting. Well, here goes mine. I pull a 29' Jayco Eagle TT when run across the local CAT scales in camping dress weighs in at 8700 pounds (7900 empty). The worst MPG with a North Dakota headwind, 65 MPH ('cause I can), O/D off was 9. 2 MPG (manual calculation). That was the worst. An average as manually calculated over several camping trips was 11. 6. Running empty: Three 100 to 120 mile trips. One to Dickinson, ND at 75 MPH, one to Jamestown, ND at 65 MPH, and one to Minot, ND at 55 MPH. The Dickinson trip at 75 MPH netted me 16. 6 MPG. The Jamestown trip at 65 MPH netted 19. 8 and the Minot trip at 55 MPH was the best at 24. 8 MPG. I live 5 miles outside the Bismarck city limits and drive 18 miles round trip to work and back each day. The highest speed limit is 45 MPH and I have to stop the truck 5 times for stop signs and/or traffic lights each way. Filled the truck and manual calculation after running this route for 30 days and 5 MPH below the 45 limit, 17. 2 MPG. This is however, an anomoly as the best previous MPG doing the same was 16. 4. The truck currently has 27,000 miles on the clock. Another note here and I have no testing to prove or disprove this note, this is the first time since I have owned this rig ran Rotella Synthetic 5W-40. That would be the only change in the way I do my testing. I run Rotella T 15w-40 the rest of the year. The Rotella T is a little hard to crank after the truck has sat outside at work all day in the -30 below zero temps we get around here in January and February.

 

[JRhinehart]

My 2004 3500 SRW short bed 4x4 305 555 gets 10. 5 mpg towing a 32' living quarters trailer loaded with a 69 D200 Dodge truck in the garage, total weight 11,140 lbs. I recently went to Arkansas and back empty without the trailer and tried a few 20 mile stretches at different speeds. At 75 I got 15. 5, at 65 I got 18, and at 55 I got 21. 7 mpg! I have 4. 10 gears and plan on going to 295 tires when these wear out, hopefully I will gain a few mpg's!

 

[DaveHess]

Sweet trailer JRhinehart!!!!!

 

[ECappleman]

At 11. 5mpg @ 65mph, sounds like I am right in line with everyone else.

I think my wind resistance accounts for as much as the weight. Ever try to pull a Bill Board down the highway at 65?

Thanks for all the replies.



It hard to do 65 when the speed limit in West Texas is 75 mph. :-laf

 

[JRhinehart]

Sweet trailer JRhinehart!!!!!

Thanks! I have owned enclosed trailers for years and finally got the one I really wanted all along. It is manufactured by Millenium and division of Vintage Trailers. I pulled it from Chicago to Ventura, CA in the spring and it was a great 3-week trip!

 

[jwduke]

Ok, so wheres the guy with the V10, that tows a 42' fiver & a 40' yacht, AND gets 24 mpg @ 90 mph? :-laf :-laf :-laf



I couldn't resist! I get 11. 5 towing our fiver, but a wind CAN & WILL change that drastically! I get around 19. 2 empty (On a trip).

 

[I-6DZL]

On the hunting trip who was leading ? Who was drafting ? Drafting will make a HUGE difference. Drafting doesn't have to be 2 feet away (although it is better) but even 10 ft away will still help considerably.



A true test is both trucks pulling side by side cruise set at desired speed.



Curtis

 

[DHeasley]

we run together-but do not draft we keep a safe distance varies from quarter to 1 mile apart. his dmax is a single wheel which would account for some variance from my current dually. However on previous trips when I had a single wheel unit he still got better mileage. Higher speeds above 65 cut the mileage on both units. The worst mileage was on I40 in new mexico running 75/80. 75 speed limit but traffic was running 80/85.