Outstanding mileage with an 05?

[TX Gooseneck]

I'm skeptical too. How many are just going from instantaneous readings on the overhead? I can get those numbers from the overhead only if I reset the overhead while at speed. Hell, I can get 99 mpg coasting down a hill :-laf



Also hand calcs need to be consistent, short fill one tank and you'll have great mileage. If someone gets 20+ mpg hand calculated over 4 or 5 tanks in a row that would be impressive.



Those that are sure they get such high mileage all the time, have you checked your speedo? Mine reads a bit slow, maybe yours reads fast?



I don't get near that mileage with an early built 05 without the reflash. Around here you are road kill if you tried to accelerate at the rate of an old VW Rabbit diesel! Thats about the only way I can see getting any kind of decent mpg out of a 7000 lb truck.

I see what you're saying and I am constantly getting fuel - between out two HPCR trucks we have 214,000 miles. Always hand calc, never trust the overhead. Over 780 miles for a fuel is still incredible(783/32. 5gal). I run these trucks way down then refuel only when I have to. I haven't repeated that high, but even right now I'm at 550 with over a 1/4 tank left.



This truck is 100% stock, if the speedo's off or not, I haven't a clue, driving the way I normally do.

 

[KBennett]

I see what you're saying and I am constantly getting fuel - between out two HPCR trucks we have 214,000 miles. Always hand calc, never trust the overhead. Over 780 miles for a fuel is still incredible(783/32. 5gal). I run these trucks way down then refuel only when I have to. I haven't repeated that high, but even right now I'm at 550 with over a 1/4 tank left.



This truck is 100% stock, if the speedo's off or not, I haven't a clue, driving the way I normally do.

Did I miss this or is your truck 2WD or 4WD? I can believe the mileage from a 2WD. Less weight and wind resistance.

 

[TX Gooseneck]

the truck is 2wd

 

[hERKY130]

I got 18. 5 on the highway stock and after 4500 miles I put the quadzilla xllirator on and on 100hp setting, I got 20-22 mixed driving. I recently moved from Reno to North Carolina and towed about 5k trailer making 18 then trouble hit and I started smoking at high speed. I stopped, called a few people and then turned it off with 2500 miles remaining to go. Long story short, I'm completely stock now and I can't beat 16 either on the highway or off... what gives? I hope I didn't screw my new truck up. I have 11k on the odometer. Same driving habits, maybe different fuel, bad oil, etc. When I took it to the dealer, I had them hook it up and they were reading 114 volts from the fuel pressure something or other... anyway, it was supposed to be around 14 volts. I sent the quad back and am waiting shipment back... unsure if its the same quad or a new one... will find out tomorrow. Any thoughts?



appologize for the mixed reply

 

[hERKY130]

sorry, no sig... .

2005 2500 srw laramie quadcab, short bed

 

[brods]

I see what you're saying and I am constantly getting fuel - between out two HPCR trucks we have 214,000 miles. Always hand calc, never trust the overhead. Over 780 miles for a fuel is still incredible(783/32. 5gal). I run these trucks way down then refuel only when I have to. I haven't repeated that high, but even right now I'm at 550 with over a 1/4 tank left.



This truck is 100% stock, if the speedo's off or not, I haven't a clue, driving the way I normally do.

Didn't mean to single you out, it just gets very frustrating to average 15 mpg and see so many post about mpg in the 20s. Those high mileage reports were part of the justification to buy the CTD. Anyway, your being 2wd and I'm guessing all highway with very few stops and starts makes more sense. Must be the 10 extra ft-lbs, mine is only a 600 :-laf

 

[KNeeley]

Fueled up last Fri. night. Headed out with 5 people bed loaded down, heading for the lake. Came back off the water loaded back up and headed home. Drove to and from work for 3 days. Stopped and fueled up last night due to fuel prices had dropped and still had a little over a 1/3 of tank. 326 miles/20. 32 gallons=16. 043 mpg. This has BEEN the worst the truck has gotten. Considering 5 people, a load of junk, and towing a boat, and added idle time for extra a/c in the upper 90's this is not bad at all.



On a side note after filling up last night and resetting the trip odometer and overhead. Drove 24. 5 miles of back road home and 30 back to work this morning the overhead shows 24. 4 mpg.

 

[jwduke]

What kind of air pressure are you guys running in your tires? I found mine only have 45 (Had not checked since new, Other have said Dodge only put 45 psi in at the factory). I'm going to crank it up to 65, since I tow a 9,000 lb. 5er.

 

[NDanecker]

... Hell, I can get 99 mpg coasting down a hill :-laf

I've got you beat. I get 99. 9 mpg!!!

 

[TX Gooseneck]

Didn't mean to single you out, it just gets very frustrating to average 15 mpg and see so many post about mpg in the 20s. Those high mileage reports were part of the justification to buy the CTD. Anyway, your being 2wd and I'm guessing all highway with very few stops and starts makes more sense. Must be the 10 extra ft-lbs, mine is only a 600 :-laf

Believe me, I understand. With my 04. 5 (my daily) stock I was getting around 15mpg. Put on the AFE w/TT, it went up a bit, put a 5" exhaust on - temps dropped mileage went up a touch but the noise killed me. At 89k I had to put a transfer pump on and my mileage went up to 18. 5 and slowly creeped to the mid 19's. Put a bigger turbo on with nothing else and mileage dropped to mid 17's Put the quad race box on and mileage went back up to mid 19's. I'm curious with a bigger turbo going on and larger injectors going in where it will go. FWIW, SOTP and head to head without the box my 04. 5 will walk my 05. With the box it's a long steady pull away.



As far as air pressure we're running whatever max psi is I believe either 75 or 85psi

 

[mattymac]

My dads 05 4x4 auto 3. 73's, with Juice Attutude (put on with less than 100 miles) Truck now has about 4K on it has just gotten a best of 19. 7 with the truck loaded (no trailer) averaging approx. 70-75 mph.

 

[smd]

I live in Reno where it is some what flat until I drive up to the lake, Lake Tahoe 6500ft from 4400ft. I avg 18. 8 mpg in my 05 ctd w/4500miles on it!

 

[captaindean]

05 ctd

we are getting consistent 20. 8 hand calc with 28000 on the clock when we bought are new 33' raptor 5th wheel we got only 9 mpg mostly getting back to where we live at 6000 ft elev Oo.

 

[thomase]

I think the air pressure has a lot to do with it. I was getting very poor mileage (less than 10mpg) on my new 05 until I checked the tire pressure. It seems that my two inner rear wheels had almost NO AIR in them! Amazing. My outer's were around 40psi. Once I aired everything up to 65psi the ride was noticely stiffer but MPG went way up.



Now I am thinking of going up to 80psi. Any reason not too?

 

[Donn]

OK I will tell the total truth. I get from 09- 17 and it is always somewhere between the two numbers!!

 

[JRD]

Absolute best my truck ever got was 23. 6 going 70mph from Joplin, MO to Clear Lake, Iowa. So it was pretty flat ground. On avg though I get 20-21 hwy and 17-18 city.



2005 2500 AFE with TT. and MBRP muffler. 2wd.

 

[AlexWV]

Here are my last 4 fills. I fill the same way every time, let it go till it stops automatically and then put in 1 more gallon. I think different pumps might stop at different times, though. Not sure about that. These are hand calculated numbers. I also know how far off my odometer is and correct the miles when I calculate the mileage. I reset the overhead each time I fill up and only then.



These are all running with nothing in the bed and no trailer:



16. 973 - my normal weekly driving, mixed commuting, avg speed about 37 mph

overhead said 20. 1



16. 425 - my normal weekly driving, mixed commuting, avg speed about 37 mph

overhead said 19. 0



18. 692 - trip to Reunel, no wind, no a/c, most cruise at 70 mph (2150 RPM),

avg speed over the trip about 58 mph.

overhead said 20. 5



17. 715 - trip back from Reunel, lots of headwind in some places, a/c all the way,

most cruise at 70 mph, avg speed over trip about 56 mph.

overhead said 20. 3 (probably about 300 pounds heavier on the way back

due to new bumper and winch)



When I say "about" on average speed, it is because I use the hour meter to figure that and since it only goes in 1 hr steps, it is hard be completely accurate with that.



Tires are 285/70R17, G56 overdrive ratio is 0. 79



TST on 4/4, EZ on 2. Next time I go on a road trip, I'll try some lower settings on the boxes to see if I can boost up the MPGs.



Totally kicks butt on what I was getting in 1/2 ton Hemi. Hemi weighed 5400 pounds and during my weekly driving I would get about 11-12. Might have seen 13s on that road trip.

 

[jimnance]

I would love to trade vehicles with anyone that is getting over 18mpg. I just don't see how it can happen unless we break everthing down from altitude, 2wd vs 4wd, 6spd vs auto, chip, intake, exhaust, tire size, srw vs drw, driver and then see what works and what does not.



I tried keeping the truck below 1600rpm and this did get me some better milage, but also just about got me killed on the freeway or killed somebody, I felt unsafe. In the Denver metro area @ 5:30 am people tend to fly down the freeway about 75-80mph. As far as city driving goes, I don't see how anyone can get better than 15mpg unless you let the truck idle in take off and take a mile to get up to 30 mph.



JMOP



Russ

I wonder why there is so much varience from truck to truck? My '03 SRW 4X4 gets 17-18 MPG around town and 20 MPG on the highway at 70 MPH. This is based on miles driven divided by fuel purchased. Perhaps inflation pressure? I usually keep my fronts at 75 PSI and 60 PSI in the rear. Also, I don't drag race away from a light.



I just bought an '05 3500 DRW 4X4 but haven't had a chance to get a good reading on mileage yet.



BTW, my '03 with only 34K is up for sale. I decided that I wanted the safety of DRW with the size of rig I pull. The truck is fully equipped for towing a fiver. Please PM if interested.

 

[mhlbr]

I only get about 15-16 mpg with 30 K miles. Wish I could get more

 

[Elk]

03 with 38k on ticker, just got back from the washington coast pulling 33 foot toyhauler aprox 12k. I got 11. 8 with ac on at 68 and 12. 3 with ac off and 64 mph average. Empty highway averages 20 and city mixed driving 18. never really started getting these consistant number until 20k miles.