fuel mileage?

[machinemover]

I am seeing repeated posts of guys getting 18-22 mpg. I am getting 14-15 empty and 8-10 towing. I must admit I do step on it a bit. Being in Arizona we have wide open roads so 80 is not an issue. But it seems I am on the low curve of this spectrum. I just turned 13000 and I am not understanding the poor mileage. I put an afe mega-cannon filter and I saw no recognizable change . I will be doing some more up grades as money allows, but I am a bit disappointed with my milage right now. I am beginning to wonder if something may be wrong.

 

[Hudsonhawk]

I normally see 20 to 20. 5 MPG. It drops real quick if I do jack rabit starts and high speed driving.

 

[GLolas]

I have noticed a significant drop in MPG if I keep it above 70 or if I do a lot of stop-n-go driving which I seem to be doing a lot of lately (even on the freeway)

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

I just towed a boat last weekend and grossed around 13,500 lbs and cruising at 70 I turned 15. 75mpg. This was on a 2-lane road that included passing a lot of cars and quite a few decent hills (no major grades though). It was close to 100F for part of it and the 2nd half of the trip I bucked a significant headwind.



It seems with the 4x4s running fast speeds at 80 will definitely hurt mileage, but when I cruise at 77-80 I usually get 19. 5 minimum, usually right around 20 (notice I have 4x2).



Vaughn

 

[ThomasSmith]

Milage

:--)



Right out of the box I was getting 17. 5 and now with 890 miles on my 2004 Ram 2500 5. 9 HO Quad Cab 4x4 I am getting 18. 5 and I am told as the motor breaks in it will only get better. BTW I am in AZ also.

#ad

 

[ttreibel]

My best so far was 20. 5, bringing the truck home from Kellogg, Idaho. My worst was the first Tow I got 10. 5 pulling about 7K. I now have 15K and get about 15-18 in town with mix light loads and 13 towing the TT.



I rarely do better than 65 towing up here trailer speed is 60 here. I rarely run the truck with nothing in it. If you check out my photos I have a lumber rack and that is defiantly a big sail up top.



The 4x2's are much lower to the ground and get the better mileage. Your mileage sounds about right for a heavy foot and a 1 ton 4x4, you will defiantly pay a price for 80+ in MPG

 

[rbattelle]

My best ever on a tank was 19. 6. My average is currently 18. 3 (20 fillups), which climbs about 0. 1 every other fillup (break-in). I run empty nearly 100% of the time.



Mileage drops like a rock with a heavy throttle and speeds above 2000 RPM in 6th.

 

[sdbelt]

In Phoenix, I'm getting 15-16 mpg, driving up and down the 101 to/from work every day. That's with a 3500 SRW 4x4 HO 48RE, and doing 75 mph, when traffic allows.



Towing in AZ, I'm getting around 11 mpg, when pulling my 12k lb 5er at 75 mph along I-10. Going up to Flag, it's under 10 mpg, at 75 mph.

 

[smithinc]

Originally posted by machinemover

I am seeing repeated posts of guys getting 18-22 mpg. I am getting 14-15 empty and 8-10 towing. I must admit I do step on it a bit. Being in Arizona we have wide open roads so 80 is not an issue. But it seems I am on the low curve of this spectrum. I just turned 13000 and I am not understanding the poor mileage. I put an afe mega-cannon filter and I saw no recognizable change . I will be doing some more up grades as money allows, but I am a bit disappointed with my milage right now. I am beginning to wonder if something may be wrong.

I typically get 19-21 empty if i stay under 2000 rpm. I went to pittsburgh sunday night towing my single axle trailer ( about 4,000 lbs total weight) and got 16. 2 for the whole 450 mile trip. That is pretty hilly drive for the eastern U. S. When i got back my fuel guage was still above 1/4 and i filled it up with 27. 5 gallons.



very happy with my mileage so far. Gary

 

[smartineau]

I asked this same question not long ago, and got about the same replies, DON'T DRIVE SO FAST!



Since then I have been absolutely topping off my tank checking the mileage and get about 17-17. 5 all around mpg. That is when I drive under 70mph/2000rpm. Once I pass that bench mark I start to drop mileage down into the 15. 5-16mpg.



You don't have the details of your truck but a DRW and 4x4 will all hurt your mileage even more.



I think of it this way "I would love to be getting that 19-21mpg but I got just about the worst set up I could for mileage. But I have lots of power and I still get a whole lot more mpg's than my old Chevrolet gasser, and my truck is a whole lot better than those power strokes and duramaxes. "





steve

 

[BSkinner]

6,000 miles, 14 fills, best mileage 19. 6, worst 16. 1. Average is 17. 39 mpg. 50-50 between highway and local with a lot of short trips to town. I tow a four wheeler up the mountain twice a week to check irrigation water. Elevations of 4,400 to 9,000 feet.



I was hoping for a bit better mileage but this truck is averaging 3 mpg better than my 5. 3 gas burner GMC pickup did and it's a heck of a lot better pickup. If we had a straight road with no hairpin curves and no slow tourists, I could go all the way to the pass (9,600) without shifting out of 6th gear. On the GMC, I was in 2nd on the auto trans. and standing on the foot feed and would lose speed.



What a truck!



Bob

 

[akshadow]

Just fueled with approx. 1175 miles on truck, this tank was 16. 1 on overhead and 16 calculated. Was around local area would estimate 50/50 town highway. No freeway, top speeds 60 mph, and all empty. Longest "trip" 14 miles, not much road available here in Juneau area. Will be going down I-5 in Oct. from Washington to Baja so that will be first real trip on a highway. Am satisfied as is better than gas would have been and I keep my vehicles a long time so am not worried. Diesel was $1. 699 per gallon.

 

[Steve M]

All four of my Dodge Cummins have gotten about the same mpg. I get around 15-17 around town and 19 on the highway at 70mph. Towing our 5th wheel gives 11mpg at 68mph.

My wife's Durango gets 12mpg in town and 20mpg highway at 70mph. Just thought I'd throw that in there.

One of my co-workers had an F-350 crewcab diesel dually with auto and 4. 10 that got 23mpg at 75mph!!! My aunt had the same model truck and got 14mpg highway. Guess which one I believe.

 

[EB]

Mileage will average between 10. 5 and 13. 0, this is with a big gooseneck behind me. Weights will be between 10,000 and 24,000 lbs. Can't remember the last time I ran empty far enough to need fuel. The computer says it's getting around 18 empty. High loads with a lot of wind resistance make more of a difference than weight.

Well broken in, 68,000+ miles.

 

[Tony T.]

Average mileage 15 to 16 combination driving in town and some highway unloaded. Best is 18. 8 but that was still not interstate, average 60 to 65 mph , very lite wind unloaded, one of those Sunday drive things.

Loaded have not been able to deteremine since I only towed about 60 miles from home and still had plenty of fuel. Probally to lazy to go fill up. Although overhead showed 9. 1 pulling out of overdrive all the way.

 

[roadking]

24 mpg

 

[machinemover]

Guess I'll try to keep the lead off the pedal and see what happens. I am planning a trip to Vegas tomorrow which will do about 250 mile round trip. I'll keep her between 65-70 and post the results when I get back. Thanks for the come backs.

 

[Hudsonhawk]

Originally posted by Steve M



My wife's Durango gets 12mpg in town and 20mpg highway at 70mph. Just thought I'd throw that in there. .

Okay, what did you do to the D to get 20MPG? The best I averaged was 16 to 17 MPG with mine on the freeway. 01 4. 7 3. 92 FT4WD

 

[DJaquez]

I am very interested the the mileage issue: however, there seems to be some critical information missing.



Transmission:

Mods to engine/trans:

gears:

HO or SO

Hilly or flat country:



I know that my mileage on my gasser changes as I travel across the country. Being new to the CTD I am very anxious to see what the mileage will be. I have a 4. 10 tied to a 48RE and HO. During the run from AZ to CA if got 16. 43 mpg (calculated). problem is dealership filled it as part of the sale and I may not have filled it the saem as they did due to the fact that i did not allow for the foaming problem. Lots of variables... .....



I do know one thing this truck is far better thatn my 02 1500 4. 7 4x4 in every aspect... . especially MPG and POWER!!!! :--)

 

[Bucky205]

My average is about the same as yours 14-15. The 4x4 and the 4. 10 rear ends hurt our mileage. @70 MPH Im turing about 2100-2200 rpm. If I baby it and stay below 2000 rpm my mileage will go up 2-4 MPG. Seems like Im always next to a Ferd at a light, no way am I going to smell his exhaust down the block. Diesel here is 1. 37 a gallon so its not to bad. The tradeoff is that I love the 4. 10 durring hunting season. That rear end will spin any mud tires you put on the truck with tons of torque.



Chuck