Hemi's in 1 tons

[Pit Bull]

I was at the Dealers the other day getting my truck serviced and so I looked at the new rigs. Out of the 7 one tons that they had on the lot, 3 were Hemi's What do you think 5 mpg Why would anybody buy a new one ton with a Hemi in it???

 

[lschultz]

Hey why do people drive furds and chevys?Theres somebody out there that will buy them.

 

[CATCRACKER]

they see the cheaper price tag but dont realize that they could get most of that back in resale and fuel saving... . uninformed buyers... . oh yea and b/c it says HEMI.

 

[Barry]

Word on the street is they(Hemis) run like a bat out of a burning stump empty but have no pulling power loaded. Down here in Texas we call a truck with a gas motor a waste... ... ... ... .....

 

[LPChristensen]

A good friend of mine had to have a 2500 hemi last year because he had a Charger with a hemi in the late 60's/early 70's. I have riden in the truck a couple of times, and it does leave the light at a nice clip and gets up to traveling speed very nicely. But man does his gas mileage stink! He doesn't "hot rod" with it very much, and he is getting about 7 or 8 MPG in town, about 12 on the highway I don't believe that I would be overly happy paying that much for nostalgia. Good adverting has sold more of these trucks than common sense, need, or ability to do a job.

 

[Steve M]

Horse droppings! One of my co-workers drove the HO Cummins, 6. 0 P of S D, the Duramax Allison and finally the 2500 with HEMI. I was with him. The HEMI flat hauls axx. With almost 15k on the clock, he's getting 14. 8~ in town and over 17mpg if he sets cruise on 70. I've been in the truck with him and have seen it. My trip computer mpg is within . 2 mpg accurate and he says his is the same. As far as towing, he has almost 100 ft/lbs less torque than I do but he can use gear reduction to multiply torque to the rear wheels where I'm in O/D only at 70mph. IF... both trucks make adverstised torque, and he can run 70mph in 3rd while I have to run in O/D, he's making 375 ft/lbs of torque while I'm making 460 X . 69 = 317 ft/lbs. If I had the HO, 383 ft/lbs at the tail shaft. The rest of both our trucks (tires, rear ratio... ) are the same except colors.

 

[Peter Campbell]

For towing the cummins is the best. For a 3500 with a utility body driven by company employees- lets see lower initial investment, most of the miles are local service with a cold engine- short trips, idiot proof auto and engine. And something like 1,000Lbs more PAYLOAD than a similar cummins equiped truck. (DRW Reg cab 4X2 stripper with auto,gas 5188lbs payload) So if you intend to beat the truck up in less than 100,000 miles, have any yo-yo drive it, run it till end of life and sell it just short of scrap- than the gas motor is a viable choice. As long as I do not have to drive one cummins is the only way to go. But I can see the business owners point of view, and many truck are sold to those who do more than a 1-2 man operation and need to think of the skill level required to operate and maintain a vehicle. Jiffy lube can do your oil changes on a hemi truck.

CORRECTION actually just looked it up with the diesel the 3500 GVW goes to 11. 500Lbs. With gas it is 11,000 Lbs With the auto the extra engine weight is offset by the extra GVW. Dodge fixed something- amazing. It used to be you would need to spec a gas auto for the biggest GVW. And of course the cummins for the biggest GCW. So now the gas only gives around 100Lbs payload advantage for a DRW 4X2 stripper with auto 5040 Cummins 5188 gas- meaningless. all the rest still applies

 

[LPChristensen]

Steve M, no horse hockey down this part of the world, partner. The man, who I have known for years as a honest, trustworthy friend says that he is getting 7 or 8 in town and 12 MPG highway, then I believe him. I know very few people that would tell you that their vehicle gas miles "stinks", unless it was true. He knew when he bought the truck that his mileage was not going to be something to brag about but then he did not plan on purchasing an economy vehicle. He bought a truck that was fun for him to drive and a toy that blows most of todays boulevard cruisers off the road. He loves his truck. But let's be realistic, if you get a pretty heavy truck that can smoke the tires leaving the line, someone is paying to feed all them horses. I guess that must be the horse dropping you referred to.

 

[DPKetchum]

Have friends with late model Chev V8s,heard same thing! I think we get use to the diesel fuel mileage. Over he years I never owned or heard of gas V8s getting GOOD mileage. 12/14 was OK. Worse with a big block. I never owned a 350 v8 in a car or truck that got better then 14 hi way mpg. Usually less. My 1998 318 Dodge slt with 318 has never BUSTED 18mpg down hill driving no faster then 55 mph. I don't even check it any more. I kinda run the crap out of mostly these days. It scats pretty good. Bombing is under way with it. Headers,exhaust,box etc. Just turned 50k on on it. Amsoil fluid's in it front to back and NO problems of any sort since new so far. SWB,dark red,alum. wheels,bed cover,bug deflectors etc. I also bet that the Hemi getting 8mpg in town etc is having the horse do do flogged out of it also. A few people I talked to with them all said that they drove the you know what out of them. Said a hoot to drive.

 

[Big_Daddy_T]

My brother has a hemi. It gets about 11 mpg. Its just ok until 4200 rpm then it flat out rips. Its horrible to tow with. I wouldnt recommend one. Its already been in once with a computer glitch. Ill keep my diesel thank you.

He was choosing between two trucks. The hemi or the PSD. I told him to buy the ford. Resale value on the diesel makes up for the initial expense. He was going to get an 02 ford xlt lariat with leather for 28k with 5k on the clock. Id take it in a heartbeat.

 

[Fireman]

Would you buy an RV from this guy?

Was at a new RV dealer the other day, and the salesman asked how I liked my truck. "Love it " says I. Then he proceded to tell me he had an'03 dually also except his had a Hemi, said he couldn't stand a diesel. He went on and on about how much he could tow, what great economy he got towing ( 15mpg towing a 5w } :-laf ) and on and on. I just nodded
I left there feeling like I had wasted alot of $$$ on a diesel..... NOT !I also left there looking for another place to buy a trailer.

My wife has a Hemi, it's a nice truck, but the only thing that it does better than the Big C is accelerate.

Fireman

 

[Pit Bull]

Originally posted by Steve M



The HEMI flat hauls axx. With almost 15k on the clock, he's getting 14. 8~ in town and over 17mpg if he sets cruise on 70. I've been in the truck with him and have seen it. My trip computer mpg is within . 2 mpg accurate and he says his is the same.

.

So that is based on the trip computer? I think that is very unusual. The 8-9 around town would seem like the norm. My Nephew has a Hemi 1/2 ton and gets around 11 combined. The truck can't spin the rear wheels. Has the 20 inch wheels with the wide rubber so that could be part of the reason. He has already wreaked his, lost control of it and ripped all of the wheels off the truck and tore off the rearend.

 

[DF5152]

it sucks gas better too. dont let him kid u like he is kidding himself he might get 15mpg with a 50mph tail wind going down hill.

 

[Steve M]

I don't know why all the lousy mileage. My wife drives her Durango to and from work every week day in heavy rush hour traffic. It spends the first four miles just warming up going from one stoplight to the next and sometimes sitting at the same stoplight twice if traffic is heavy enough. It doesn't have a trip computer so the calculator is the only method to compute mileage. She gets 12mpg consistantly. When we take it on a trip, I set the cruise on 70mph and get 20mpg consistantly.

My father-in-law has a Mercury Grand Marqui (sp?) like most older gentlemen with a 4. 6L V-8. He sets the cruise on 62mph and we sit patiently until we get there. Calculated he gets 26mpg interstate.

My '75 Dodge 1-ton Maxi-van with 318cid, 727 (no O/D) and 4. 10 used to sream on the interstate at 58mph (remember those days?) at the tune of 11mpg. In town was also 11mpg. I was young then and drove it like I stole it.

I've seen as high as 18. 5 and as low as 13. 5 calculated in town with my Cummins. It all depends on how I drive it and how long I let it idle with the a/c on.

So I think the problem is with the right foot...

 

[rashwor]

Hemi...

My sister-in-law bought a new '03 Hemi 2500 auto and has just under 10K on it now. Her average mileage is 13 MPG calculated by hand. No towing. It will haul butt very well for a 4-door 3/4 ton truck... I have drove it on the family vacation.



I will stick with my Cummins. As far as acceleration, injectors will fix any Cummins right up and she will compete with the Hemi on acceleration. Can't beat the Cummins for towing, with or without performance injectors.

 

[Duck]

Originally posted by Steve M

Horse droppings! One of my co-workers drove the HO Cummins, 6. 0 P of S D, the Duramax Allison and finally the 2500 with HEMI. I was with him. The HEMI flat hauls axx. With almost 15k on the clock, he's getting 14. 8~ in town and over 17mpg if he sets cruise on 70. I've been in the truck with him and have seen it. My trip computer mpg is within . 2 mpg accurate and he says his is the same. As far as towing, he has almost 100 ft/lbs less torque than I do but he can use gear reduction to multiply torque to the rear wheels where I'm in O/D only at 70mph. IF... both trucks make adverstised torque, and he can run 70mph in 3rd while I have to run in O/D, he's making 375 ft/lbs of torque while I'm making 460 X . 69 = 317 ft/lbs. If I had the HO, 383 ft/lbs at the tail shaft. The rest of both our trucks (tires, rear ratio... ) are the same except colors.

Empty, yes. It runs like a Raped Ape. But what about towing performance?

A friend of mine has one, and he says as soon as you put a load on it, it goes from awesome to depressing. He doesn't mind because he doesn't tow much with it.



IMHO, Hemi's are for 1/2 tons. If you carry (in teh bed) more than you tow, then maybe the Hemi would work out.

 

[DPKetchum]

A lot of gas engines are that way. I towed the same rig I have now (loaded)10k horse trailer with a 1990 Dodge srw 350 GAS 360 TBI back in 1990 through 1995. In mountains etc. Got 9mpg and most all the time o/d off. Had 4. 10 gear etc. It was $7000 cheaper then a diesel back then. Its what I could afford. It held up ok. Went all over in it. traded it for a used 1993 w250 Cumming and now have a 2003. It was a pretty fast truck empty would rock your world at 70mph and stand on it,would downshift from o/d to 3rd and SLAM!Sure wouldnt towing 10k. Lots of horse folks I knew back then towed with small block Chevs/Fords/Dodge. Some Big blocks/Chev. That needed engine rebuilds with 125k on odometer etc. Lots of Chev 350 duallys were towing horse rigs all over the place. Fords with 351 were kinda popular also. I would think these newer gas engines (which have more spunk then days of old)would also. Depends on needs and budget. Not every one can AFFORD ther extra $4500 or so for diesel or tow that regular. See some horse rigs being pulled by Dodge 4x4 off road specials(360 4. 10 geared)Mileage sucks but they pull the weekend warrior. Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[Steve M]

For some reason alot of people say gas engines don't perform while towing because they don't hold O/D as well as a diesel. This isn't rocket science. Gas engines produce their torque and HP at much higher rpm. This is a disadvantage for mpg but an advantage for torque multiplication through gear reduction. Gas engines do a fine job of towing. They just do it at a higher rpm and use more fuel doing it and won't do it as long. Why some folks are offended that I would even suggest that is beyond me.

 

[Duck]

Some gas engines are good for towing. Depends a lot on the quality of the engine and the gearing I guess.



My parent's old Ford 460 pulls just as "well" (fast) as my Cummins. But as everyone knows, it does it at a higher RPM and gets about 7 gallons to the mile while doing so.

 

[DPKetchum]

I got a horse buddy that has a EFI 460 in a Club Cab 3500 Ford. Auto 4. 10 geared it PULLS nowhere as GOOD as my 03 Dodge. We have pulled same trailer,same load and his GUTS uphills and starting off. He keeps wanting to do upgrades,headers,box etc. but also dosen't want to spend a dime doing it. Where he guts it to maintain speed and I can gain speed if needed. Not easily mind you but I can. He struggles to maintain and on a big inclines he looses ground easily. This is pulling about 12500lbs. But then again he only does this a couple times a month if that. He has STERLING dump trucks with Cat engines and ALWAYS talks Diesel but tows with a gasser. He said it was a good buy and has been long paid for.