Realistic MPG

[Champane Flight]

High/low

Got a high of 24. 8,70-75,tailwind. Low of 12. 6,70-75,headwind and fifthwheel. Average solid at 21-23 all types of driving.

 

[SteveH]

I make a trip every year pulling a 31' 5th wheel, from Montana to Texas and average between 9. 5 mpg and 11 mpg on each trip. The 9 mpg was in a headwind and foot on the floor for hours at a time and this is the worst mileage I could get. I just made a trip with the new Phase II installed and got 12. 5 mpg in the same truck pulling mountain country over several hundred miles, the power increase was very impressive plus the added mpg. I personally haven't talked to any 24 valvers who can get over 15 mpg in the 1 ton and even our 5 Star Dodge house says that about 15 mpg is all that can be expected running empty with 3. 54's. Me thinks that some of these figures we see had a decimal point out of place on the miles before their division was done.

 

[RedRamer]

Hi Steve. What's a Phaze II drive?

 

[turbonatr]

My BOMBed 94 gets 17mpg with my driving, 23mpg with me girlfriend driving. What can I say.

 

[WKener]

I just filled up yesterday, got some pretty good mileage by my standards. This tank was split roughly half-and-half between stop and go city driving and towing an 8,000lb trailer through the mountains at 60mph+. I got 15. 777mpg, and I usually get about 15 or so in the city, and 18-20 on the highway.

 

[Dan_69GTX]

I just filled my truck (1st tank for me) and I averaged 16. 32 MPG. 85-90% city driving.



Now to use synthetic on all gear cases, maybe the motor, and some other light mods to see if mileage can be increased.

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

WKener, you must have a pretty precise, consistent refueling method to accurately compute your MPGs to within 1/1000th of a gallon. You must always use the same pump on the same day of the week at the same temperature and carefully dribble the fuel one drop at a time until it reaches exactly a carefully inscribed line inside the fuel filler neck and . . . OK, I couldn't resist



Vaughn

 

[BC]

Here are the milage results from two trips I've taken this month:



First trip was from north Georgia to south Florida (about 650 miles). I filled up as I left, and refilled when I arrived. I was not towing. I put the cruise control at 79 mph. Did 17. 56 mpg going. Did 15. 41 returning.



Last week I towed our 5er to Tennessee. It weighs 14,000 plus pounds. I drove on a state highway. There are lot of small towns along the way where the speed drops to 25-35 mph. The trip, one way, is about 160 miles. Filled up when leaving and on arriving. Did 10. 03 going and 10. 52 on the return.



Our 3500 is a 4x4.



Bill Cook

 

[WKener]

Vaughn... I feel that I must clarify my reply... That in no way was I attempting to demonstrate the precision in which I calculate my mileage.

Here is my method (who knows, yours may be different?): Take miles traveled/gallons pumped, and see what the calculator comes up with! Pretty in-depth and precise huh? It just so happens that this time the magic little LCD on the top of my gadget read 15. 7770xxx!! ... Smart@ss

 

[PZicha]

I get about 15. 0 to 16. 0 mpg on the highway and 13. 0 to 14. 0 in town but I drive like I have an egg under the gas pedal ,my truck is big and heavy so i'm happy with the milage (U. S. mpg ) canadian gallons are 4. 55 litres

 

[tschwab]

BEST = 22. 0 MPG running empty @ 70mph with AC on.

WORST = 11 MPG towing my 10,500 LB 5th wheel back from N. Cal through the Siskyous and then Grants Pass in OR. (I did have my foot in it, and pulling hills at 65-70 mph was not a problem).

 

[sewman]

Pulling an enclosed trailer weighing around 7,000 & trying to I just took a trip after I just installed the New DD111's pulling my little enclosed 12' dual axle I drove going w/leadfoot got 12. 75

coming back loaded approx 7000lbs between truck & trailer

driving easy I got 14. 86.

Bob

 

[mopars1]

I have never owned a 12 valve, but I will put My $. 02 in. I had a 2000 One ton 2wd std cab with the 4. 10 rear axle. The truck had 8,000 miles on it and I made a trip to Ft. Polk in LA from around St. Louis driving 75mph as often as I could. This was around 2,500 to 2,550rpm. I added all the fuel receipts up and the miles driven and I got 17. 3mpg average over the 1,660 miles I drove. Natually I went through some towns and the speed was reduced, but I don't think the mileage was too bad. I now have a 2001. 5 2500 with the 3. 55 rear axle and the HO (std cab 2wd) and I was coming out of Kansas and fueled up and drove 80mph as much as possible slowing for traffic on I-70 when the need arose and filled up right before leaving MO for IL and had 389. 5 miles on the trip odometer and I figured the mileage at 20. 66mpg. I had 9,000 miles on the truck when I filled up. There are just too many variables when figuring driving habits and options on the truck that add weight. I have never had a city only driving group mileage but would figure it to be around 17. 0mpg in the summer and 14. 0 in the winter months.



David

 

[Animal]

I just made a 7,000 mile round trip from Alaska to Minnesota, unloaded down @ 70 I averaged 18. 4. Coming back loaded to 23,500 lbs I averaged 11. 8. The truck has 157,000 on it now and I lost 5th gear 400 miles from home. Out comes the welder and I'll fix that problem soon.

 

[Deezel4x4]

well folks I am convinced that my tall topper has killed my fuel mileage,when I first got the truck I was getting 17-18 in the city and 21 on the highway at 70 mph. Now with the addition of a ARE tall topper I am down to 15 in the city and 19 on the high way. I also went to 305/70/16 GoodyeaRS but I have not noticed a change since the tires,I have also added a tst# 8

 

[Turbo Thom]

Goober:

I don't know what a kilometer per hour is but is 95 fast? I had my pump tuned at a Bosch dealer and timing on 16 with 215 injectors and the milage was 21. 9 at 70-75 plus some town driving. Towing a 14k trailer it drops to 14. Yesterday I installed the 370 b injectors and will be checking the milage with those. I know when I changed to the 300 injectors the increase was 2. 3 MPG.



I do know the power increase from the 215s to the 370s is exciting. I don't think the Luk Pro Gold will stand up now. Guess I'll be looking at a South Bend.



My normal driving speed is 75 and on the highway and I get an average of 21 MPG. But that is in 5th Over with the US Gear O/D unit.



Preston

 

[othomas3]

My 94 12 valve, stock except a 4" exhaust, low stall TC got 16. 9 mpg averaged over 22 tanks. That was combined city/highway driving.

Since I've upgraded the transmission to a DTT VB & TC along with moving the torque plate forward I've received 19. 1 mpg over the last three tanks of fuel. The truck is more responsive and peppy.

Dropping the kitty had no effect on my fuel mileage but I "felt" the truck had less rolling resistence when starting to move.

I've tried just about every fuel additive but LE. None improved my mileage. Howes made it sound quieter.

I've had Cummins Premium Blue and now AMSOIL 15W40. No difference in fuel mileage. I just feeel better about snythetic oil protecting my engine.

The only items I can point to and say it had an effect on my mileage are keeping the tires aired up (I keep them within 10 psi of max), FRESH fuel (my current tank must be stale because truck performance isn't as peppy and mileage looks like it will be down on this tank), and the DTT VB & TC (DTT VB & TC had the biggest impact).

 

[Ragin Ram]

Ok, I don't feel as bad now. 13-14 towing, 14-17 empty hwy. /city, 17-19 under 2k rpm hwy. Mileage has not gotten better since new. Probably has gotten worse w/17k mi. . My '97 2wd Powerstroke averaged 17 mpg while being driven harder. I'm sure that having a V-8 has an advantage in obtaining higher mpg numbers running rpm's above 2k.

 

[Ragin Ram]

Wrong forum

Sorry... got lost!

 

[Forrest]

Ragin Ram,





No such thing