First Tow With '06, I'm Impressed!!

[olznut]

2 weeks ago, I was up in Sacramento, made it up on only 1/2 tank, 340 miles. Coming back, same thing, and averaged 19. 3mpg at 70-75mph with a/c on. Real cool!! This weekend, towed trailer up to Yosemite, 270 miles each way, Used only 1/2 tank to get there while towing my 6500lb trailer at 60-65mph, average mpg for that trip was 13. 1mpg! I'm still bone stock, and just turned 5000 miles. '06 2500 QC 4x2 with 4. 10's. Each of these drives also involved a few mountain passes. My old '03 2500 4x4 Hemi got a best ever of 16. 1, and towing the same trailer, got 9 mpg, and had to run the Grapevine grade in 2nd gear at 4500 rpm. It would do it, it's that I had to work it harder. This thing, just push a bit more on the go pedal and it's there, still in overdrive. I want some better shocks though, this thing has a SERIOUS case of the bobs and weaves when loaded.

 

[KennethS]

My 06 diesel automatic fuel mileage not that good

The best I have got is 16 and I half to stay below 65 near 60 to any decent mileage. I only got 2000 miles on my truck so far.

 

[JBee]

Interesting, you spoke of the "weave and bob". I had an 05 4wd 2500 with airbags towing my 38' 5th and it rode smooth. I just got an 06 3500 4wd Mega with 4. 10's and I notice the same motion at times while towing or starting off from stop position, it wants to lunge until I get to cruising speed. You mentioned the shocks... is that what is causing this? Not sure if airbags actually stiffened up the rear to avoid this.

 

[olznut]

My '03 did the same thing, then I put on Bilstein 5100's and it eliminated it totally. It's too bad they don't have them for the 2wd.

 

[TowPro]

My 06 2wd seems to weave or wonder when I have the 5th wheel on. Kind of remindes me of when I used to tow bumper hitch trailers, almost like you have to steer the truck to keep going straight. When empty its fine. Last weekend I had a BMW K100 on a trailer loaded with most of the weight forward of the trailer axle and I noticed the truck did the same thing but not as bad.



I was just getting ready to call my alignment guy. I figured we could check the alignment, then load about 1500 lbs worth of shop helpers into the bed and see how much the toe changed



Update: I just talked to my alignment guy. He agrees that if Toe is set at 0, and you drop the bed with weight a couple inches, your toe can change to toe out enough to cause this problem. He said he has enough guys that eat to many doughnuts so finding enough weight to load the bed down should not be a problem



Biggest problem is his computer don't have specs for the 06 rams yet, and I think 06 was when Dodge went to rack and pinion (on 2wd's) so I better find the specs first.

 

[BHaden]

They went to R&P in 2002.

 

[TowPro]

Update on my "weaving". Installed the larger rubber bumpers on my helper spring perches, now the truck only drops about 1" with the 5er loaded, and it steers great! See this link for more information on the rubber bumpers.

 

[B.G. Smith]

Best way to stop the weaving is to get a 3500 DRW. Don't have many miles on it yet but do have an 06, got a little over 16mpg empty on I-10 between here and Baton Rouge, pulled the 5th wheel on a 200 mile round trip two weeks ago, barely got 10 mpg, but I could see the fuel level gage move when I accelerated from a stop, the truck handled the trailer very well, flat land but through some small towns, trailer is around 12,000 loaded. bg