What is your MPG rating?

First topic message reminder :

I have an 05 ram 3500 SRW with a Roktech sensor and a Quadzilla chip. Empty I get 24 mpg and pulling my 28RK I get 13 mpg.

I thought it might be fun to compare tow vehicles and how thirsty they are. Could be a valuable resource for someone shopping.

Currently I'm wondering how increasing the weight of the trailer affects the mpg. I'm considering a new rig and going from the dry weight of 7700 to 11000. Maybe someone can cast some insight on this.

Same as TC although i did get 12.8 running empty last weekend. Best Ever !!! 10,000 miles on truck

Maxtor wrote:

Scruffy and Tater wrote:

Portagie1968 wrote:Weather is nice here this year.

That's nice.

Where in Kalifornia are you going? Hopefully above Sacramento. If not, you have my condolences, although Bishop and north on hwy 395 is special.

I highly recommend taking 395. It presents a very different perspective of the Sierras.

TC

Running empty (7800lbs) I can get 14-16.5mpg. Towing (15000lbs-19000lbs combined) 11-14mpg regardless of the trailer weight. Pulling grades knocks me down to 10 pulling the cat. I normally don't tow above 60mph.

YAAAAAAAAWNNN and scratch......

Hey everybody how ya been... I know i'm a fair weather friend and havn't been on the forums for a while.

Well its time for a diesel for me. I knew it would happen after the first tow with my 6.0 gasser...

I still want to get to AZ this year but am not even gonna try with that truck...Wolf Creek Pass would chew it up and spit it out along with my smoldering wallet and melted credit card!

I have been really looking for a Duramax/alli truck but man they are expensive as you know....In my area I can buy similair dodge and ford trucks for much less

I have owned dodge in the past and they were good to me for the most part...

I scanned through this post and didnt see many with the 6.7 dodge cummins...

I'm looking into a 2007 2500 dodge...not sure on axle ratio yet.
My fatherinlaw owns a 2001 3500 daully...

He tells me that the motor line after his 2001 suffered from reduced MPG but was a much quieter and a little stronger engine...

Can you confirm...or does anyone have actual mpg numbers with the 6.7 dodge engine....

My WC should be about 9500lbs loaded FYI

Thanks Tim

There should be a few members to chime in on this one that have the dodges..... Oldelmer1 for one has a new dodge and loves it.
All the new trucks are nice. But a diesel is just an absolute given especially if your pulling hills

13.5 round town-22 highway empty- 13 pulling
side note: put on 5th wheel tailgate/with camera-it improved my round town mpg to 16-not sure on highway yet

09 gmc diesel crewcab,longbox,4x4

I have a 2006 GMC 3500 DRW D-Max and get 13 around town and highway running empty 18. Towing the cat I get 12.8 and drive 60
mph. No trouble going up the mountains around 55. Most of the time I also have 60 to 92 gals of diesel in the bed of the truck and have to adjust to the extra weight. Never a problem the truck.

jacandjan wrote:Same as TC although i did get 12.8 running empty last weekend. Best Ever !!! 10,000 miles on truck

You must'a been going down hill...both ways.

TC

I don't think I've EVER heard from anybody who actually gets the mpg that the manufacturer posts for that particular vehicle. If I do, they've most likely changed out the computer chip for something after market.

IMO, those ratings are all smoke and mirrors (shameless marketing) to entice you to buy knowing that mpgs are more important now than ever. The conditions they use to obtain those numbers are nowhere near what you and I would experience in a real world situation.

Now, if they towed 10,000 lbs + up a 7.5 % grade against a head wind...then posted a rating, I'd be more inclined to believe it!

TC

14 mpg towing
16 around town non towing
21 open road no towing

Frank wrote:14 mpg towing
16 around town non towing
21 open road no towing

I was just reading the post on the new ford 6.7 that sounds like a nice rig for sure...cant afford that.

my last post in this thread I was looking at a Dodge and curious about milage... still looking for a truck... found an 05 ford Crew cab dually 6.0 with 34000 miles... the price is right.

the 15 MPG mark is my taget...Frank this seems to be about where your at...can others with the 6.0 PSD confirm this...this particular truck is a dually so that most certainly will move me away from the 15MPG goal???

THEHIWAYMAN (aka Tim) wrote:

Frank wrote:14 mpg towing
16 around town non towing
21 open road no towing

I was just reading the post on the new ford 6.7 that sounds like a nice rig for sure...cant afford that.

my last post in this thread I was looking at a Dodge and curious about milage... still looking for a truck... found an 05 ford Crew cab dually 6.0 with 34000 miles... the price is right.

the 15 MPG mark is my taget...Frank this seems to be about where your at...can others with the 6.0 PSD confirm this...this particular truck is a dually so that most certainly will move me away from the 15MPG goal???

My 2004 6.0 4x4 has 3.73 gear. I try to stay just under 2,000 rpm when towing. That will give me about 65mph.
I average the 14 mpg towing when going to Piegon Forge Tenn,or going to Lancaster Pa. or to Smithfield, NC from Southeastern, Va.

When we had our 6.0 2006 Ford, we got 18.5 mpg @ 70 mph on flat ground. Pulling the WC we averaged 13.3 on flat ground no wind at 60 mph. With the new truck, we do not have enough miles on it to tow, but we have been getting 22.5 mpg varying between 65 and 75 mph on flat ground on the freeway empty. The 2006 had 3.73 gears, the 2012 has 3.31 gears. Once we get over 500 miles on the 2012 truck, I will engage the cruise control and see what it will do on flat ground empty, and pulling the WC.
I am very happy with the 6.7 Ford diesel engine. Much more power and fuel mileage than the 2006 6.0 diesel engine.
Our 2006 had a manual transmission which would help mpg,(plus 1-2 mpg) but also was a 4x4 which would hurt mpg (minus 1-2 mpg). You will loose about 2 mpg with a dually on average, with everything else being the same.
The Dodge Cummins engine normally gets very good mileage.

Is everbody using hand calculations? I hope as the mpg display on the dash or overhead aren't accurate. Most people call the mpg readout the lie-o-meter. My overhead is worthless and can be + or - up to 3 mpg off so I keep it on the temp and compass screen and if I want to figure my mpg, I do it old school.


Earl

Ok thanks for the info... I dont really need a dually but they seem to keep poping up at very good prices...

one of the dealers looking for me called me up and has an 08 F350 in my $range Dually again...

Ford seems to be the most economical to buy used in my area...not slamming the make in any way, it just seems like they can be purchesed for much less...

I have never owned a ford before and swore I would never part from GM but you have to give the gold in your teeth for them... Why I dont know... every make has there plusses and minus's

I was reading last night that when ford started the 6.4 in o8 that city milage suffered but the new engine put to rest some of the long term concerns of the 6.0...I was a little nervous about buying the(used) 6.0 based on what I was told but then learned that most of the 6.0 issues were caused by lack of owner maintainance ...

so i'm not ruling the 6.0 out because of the bad internet press...
I just know I need to get rid of the old gasser...

The main issues for the Ford 6.0 are with the EGR system. If you live in a state that does not require smog checks, you can remove the egr system and the engine will last just as long as any other make. Most egr issues happen for the 6.0 at 65k to 75k miles. It can get expensive. We traded in our 6.0 at 33k miles, and did not have any problems other than an exhaust gasket that was leaking and making a whistle sound, which was replaced under warranty. The gasket price was $4.25 and labor was $500. No charge to me.
I always check our mpg via hand calculations. The "lie-o-meter" is an approximation.

thats what I heard to maxtor, the basic engine is bulletproof but all the add on emission items is what could cause an issue with over heating and head problems...that engine had a variable vane turbo that could be problematic as well the 05 that I found only has 34k on it so its obviously sat alot. that concerns me...

Hope everyone is sitting down for this...

I just filled up and did the math. Running empty, I got 12.9 mpg from that gas guzzling V10!! I must'a had the wind at my back both ways.

TC

TC wrote:Hope everyone is sitting down for this...

I just filled up and did the math. Running empty, I got 12.9 mpg from that gas guzzling V10!! I must'a had the wind at my back both ways.

TC

That is pretty good for a gas rig.

Maxtor wrote:That is pretty good for a gas rig.

I seriously doubt it'll ever happen again. I'm chalking this one up as an anomoly!

TC

TC wrote:Hope everyone is sitting down for this...

I just filled up and did the math. Running empty, I got 12.9 mpg from that gas guzzling V10!! I must'a had the wind at my back both ways.

TC

My 03 v10 got 6-9 mpgs, on a trip without trailer was lucky to see 11. The Dodge with 5.9 cummins gets just about double that. around town it gets 11-13 trip with trailer 11-15 without trailer on trips gets 11-18, had as high as 22 on trips without camper. I miss the Ford cab but other than that we love our Dodge.

slowtruck wrote:My 03 v10 got 6-9 mpgs, on a trip without trailer was lucky to see 11.

Ours normally averages between 10 and 10.5 running empty.

With a load, when I step into the gas, I can hearing a faint sucking sound and I can see the gauge moving. JK, not really, but it seems like that. Usually around 7 to 8 mpg depending on the terrain.

For me to get 12.9 this time around, the stars had to aligned just right!!

TC

13.5 just driving around and it doesn't change too much towing unless I really put my foot into it. 12 mpg towing our trailer.

I have been getting between 15 and 16 on the highway.
9 to 11 pulling the light weight 8400lb Cat with my Chev 2500HD 6.0 gas burner.
I got the same with my Ford 6.0 L diesel on the highway but 8 to 9 pulling a 14000 lb Toy Hauler.
Mostly level areas in Al, Fl, Ms, La and Tx.