Meet the new 2013 RAM HD Trucks...

[Dieselnerd]

If I have a strong tailwind while towing my fifth wheel, I have been as high as 13 MPG with my '05.



Normal, towing the same load, no strong wind either way, 9-11 MPG. Overall I'd say I average near 10 MPG towing. I get around 18 MPG empty and about 13 MPG with my slide in camper not going over 65.



My truck is a SRW.

 

[Bill Stockard]

If I have a strong tailwind while towing my fifth wheel, I have been as high as 13 MPG with my '05.



Normal, towing the same load, no strong wind either way, 9-11 MPG. Overall I'd say I average near 10 MPG towing. I get around 18 MPG empty and about 13 MPG with my slide in camper not going over 65.



My truck is a SRW.

Yep, my dually gets about the same as your SRW hauling our larger heavier Lance camper averaging similar speeds; however, my solo mileage runs closer to 17-mpg the few times I've driven it long enough without the camper to get a mileage reading (hand calculated averaged over a couple of tankfuls of fuel). We have the same 4. 10 axle ratio.



Bill

 

[SOLER]

With summer fuel, 20 mpg empty is possible, but towing 15k and 13 mpg is not.

Nick

My '01 got 13mpg towing at or below 70mph.

 

[NIsaacs]

(hand calculated averaged over a couple of tankfuls of fuel).



Bill

Exactly, you can't drive two hundred miles,use a third of a tank of fuel and come up with an average. It takes hundreds of miles and several tanks to get an average. Case in point; last May I made a trip to Alabama (3513 miles) and averaged 19. 28 mpg with my '01. However, my worst tank was 16. 32 on I-10 west bound from Austin, TX. to El Paso, TX. , it was windy, up hill and speed limit was 80+..... then I had a best tank of 22. 33 from El Paso, TX to Springerville, AZ, no wind, super slow windy mountain roads, a lot of 45-50 mph in 5th gear.



My '01 gets about 10 mpg hauling 24k gcw. for a good day in day out average.



Nick

 

[HBarlow]

All of our trucks, 12 valve, 24 valve, HPCR, or 6. 7 will average about 10 mpg pulling a large heavy gooseneck flatbed or a typical fifthwheel with huge wind sail up above the cab. Sometimes they'll deliver 11mpg, sometimes only 9, but the average is going to be approximately 10 mpg.

Scientific measurements can determine that a certain horsepower is required to tow a certain load at a specified road speed with a specified frontal area. Science doesn't really care if it is 12 valve, 24 valve, HPCR, or 800 ft. /lb. 6. 7 producing that level of horsepower, fuel mileage will be roughly the same. Not precisely the same, but a ballpark figure of about 10 mpg.

My '01 once gave me a one tank average of about 13 mpg towing an 8,000 lb. Airstream on flat ground on a calm day across IL with a 55 mph towing speed limit (at the time) and the cruise set on 58 or 59 mph. It would not do that on a routine basis.

I've probably read a thousand fuel mileage claims here over the years. Some of them are humorous, some of them are outrageous falsehoods. Once in a great while an honest and accurate one is reported.

 

[Wingate]

Exactly, you can't drive two hundred miles,use a third of a tank of fuel and come up with an average. It takes hundreds of miles and several tanks to get an average.

Nick

X2!. .
Our fleet management service gives us fuel mileage reports. . thats how they come up with my F550 getting between 5 and 7 mpg. I believe they break it down into several different sections. Annualy, monthly and weekly for each truck.
Simply averaging over 1 or two tank fulls isnt enough data to get an accurate report.
Just my . 02...

 

[NIsaacs]

X2!. .

Simply averaging over 1 or two tank fulls isnt enough data to get an accurate report.

Just my . 02...

Yes, I agree, especially with our fuel tanks history of hard fills. If you don't fill the same every time you can get a bogus milage claim. Last fall I made a trip to Montana, (2500 miles) towing my sled puller truck, 17k gcw and only averaged 11. 82 mpg.



Nick