Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) Performance, egts, mpg, hills, while towing opinion

[Blakers]

Performance, egts, mpg, hills -- is this about right??

I'd like to know you guy's opinion on how my truck performed while on a vacation trip last week mostly through mountains. Is this about what should be expected? Here's a brief synopsys:



The truck handled the 24 foot travel trailer (about 5500 lb) with no problem. Hardly knew it was there most of the time. I had no problem setting the cruise control to 65 or 70 in OD and maintaining speeds - even in the mountains in West Virginia, although there were a few times I had to either back off the throttle or take her out of OD to keep the EGTs down below 1200. We got about 12 mpg at 70 mph including the mountains.



Thanks,



Blake



PS: The boost would go to about 25 psi pulling the big hills at 70 with the cruise on.

 

[PUMPERDUDE]

Thats about how my 95 runs Blake. Aint it nice cruising at 70 towing uphill I get 10. 8 mpg pulling a 9000# TT,so your mpgs sound about right. My EGTs and boost run like yours. My mpg doesnt change much going though hills or running on the flatgrounds..... I see you're an Oilwell Historian. I make my living pumping some wells that were drilled in the 50s. One of them still makes 75 bbls/day. Not bad at todays prices Wish it was in my backyard.

 

[EB]

Have a 95, 3500 that I tow 20 to 30,000 lbs gross wt. all over South Texas. My trailer weighs more than 7000 empty. The ex. temps will be around 850 on flat ground and will reach 12 to 1300 on long uphill pulls. According to the the head man at TST, the Cummins will handle 1300. He said the water temp will slow you down before the ex. temp will do damage. Must be right because I've been doing it a while. My truck will go over 400,000 miles before the end of the year.

 

[C Schomer]

I had a light aerodynamic 24' 5th wh (5k lbs loaded) when I got my 97. I got 18-18. 5 mpg at 70 mph with it - ideal conditions. The 5th wh I have now is 2k+ more weight and taller. I can get 14. 0 mpg on level road and no wind. I've gotten as high as 16. 7 at 60 mph and ideal conditions. Down to 10 at 80-85mph with headwind.

 

[Blakers]

Thanks guys. I thought I was doing pretty good.



I talked with a friend at work who has a 24 foot camper about like mine, but newer and lighter. He pulls it with a 1 ton Chivy with a 454 and 4. 56 gears. I asked him if he could pull it at 70 through the mountains with the cruise on. He said he's gear-bound to about a maximum of 65, but he can't go up hills faster than 60 anyway. He gets about 7 or 8 mpg. Oo.



Pumperdude, I'll send you a PM about oil stuff, but 75 bbl wells sound good to me! Most of the old wells I'm used to will produce a barrel in a week if you're lucky. Though some are the oldest oil wells in the world - clear back to the early 1860s.



Blake