[Wingnut]

I want to know what kind of fuel mileage (MPG) you get for full size pickup trucks.

I am thinking about getting a dodge 2500 diesel

 

[Live Oak]

I just got back from a 300 mile round trip down to the ranch and I got about 24 mpg poopin' along 50 - 55 mph. I get about 18 towing and 16 - 17 Really heavy towing (10,000 lbs. and up) I have the 3.54 gears and 285/75R-16 tires. Mine is a 2002 with the HO Cummins and 6 speed.

 

[MowHoward2210]

If you are towing a lot with your truck, is it still better to have a manual transmission nowadays?

I'll throw this in just for the h*ll of it: My '79 Jeep Wagoneer (360 w/401 heads) gets about 12-14 mpg, and 10-12 mpg towing a 16ft tandem axle trailer with JD2210, MMM, FEL and homemade ballast.

 

[bafarm17]

Fuel Mileage

Hi Wingnut,

Our 93 C-3500 CC 6.5td. It gets 16mpg Loaded (6K trailer) or empty.

Our 98 K-3500 2dr 5.7 gas that get 12 under the same conditions.
Both are OD automatics.

Most of this is Highway 65~70 mph.

Don

 

[Live Oak]

Originally posted by MowHoward2210
If you are towing a lot with your truck, is it still better to have a manual transmission nowadays?

I'll throw this in just for the h*ll of it: My '79 Jeep Wagoneer (360 w/401 heads) gets about 12-14 mpg, and 10-12 mpg towing a 16ft tandem axle trailer with JD2210, MMM, FEL and homemade ballast.

Mow. in my opinion, I think a manual trans. if far superior to pretty much any automatic. The big benefit is pulling on hills, especially when pulling heavy. You are able to choose a gear and hold it as well as apply up to full throttle while holding that gear whereas an automatic will kick out of lock up or shift down to the next gear as it senses throttle position change beyond a set limit. Most new automatics have torque converter lockup in OD, 4, and some in 3rd. When the torque converter comes out of lock up or shuttles between gears; this generates tremendous amounts of heat in the trans. fluid. This is deadly to the trans.

Economy wise, the manual has a slight edge due to torque converter slippage.

 

[MowHoward2210]

Originally posted by Chief
Mow. in my opinion, I think a manual trans. if far superior to pretty much any automatic. The big benefit is pulling on hills, especially when pulling heavy. You are able to choose a gear and hold it as well as apply up to full throttle while holding that gear whereas an automatic will kick out of lock up or shift down to the next gear as it senses throttle position change beyond a set limit. Most new automatics have torque converter lockup in OD, 4, and some in 3rd. When the torque converter comes out of lock up or shuttles between gears; this generates tremendous amounts of heat in the trans. fluid. This is deadly to the trans.

Economy wise, the manual has a slight edge due to torque converter slippage.

Thanks, Chief.

 

[chrpmaster]

in regards to Chief's comment on heat generation in tranny's - I was wondering if it made sense in a tow vehicle with manual trans to add a trans cooler like is offered on auto trans? I'm not even sure if its possible to all a cooler to a manual trans but it makes sense to add given how d$$n expensive trucks are. Just wondered.

Thanks
Andy

 

[Live Oak]

Originally posted by chrpmaster
in regards to Chief's comment on heat generation in tranny's - I was wondering if it made sense in a tow vehicle with manual trans to add a trans cooler like is offered on auto trans? I'm not even sure if its possible to all a cooler to a manual trans but it makes sense to add given how d$$n expensive trucks are. Just wondered.

Thanks
Andy

Manual transmissions do not have a fluid pump and most use a thicker gear oil with a few exceptions. On the NV5600 (6 speed) and NV4500 (5 speed) which comes with the Dodge Cummins, it is possible to add oil coolers of sorts but they are not like the radiator type coolers for the auto. transmissions. They are called "Fast Coolers" basically they are finned billet cubes which attach to the trans. in place of the pto covers and add extra oil capacity as well as finned surface area cooling capacity.

here is a good evaluation and install article



Clutch replacement and Fast Coolers Installation, NV 4500 4X4

 

[CatDaddy]

I don't think you can add a tranny cooler to a manual tranny, since they use a "dip & sling" method of lubrication. The gear oil isn't "pressurized" so you don't have a way to force it through a cooler. Automatics, on the other hand, have an ATF pump which moves the fluid through the valvebody passages & through the torque converter, so a cooler is a easy add on.

Cleaning the tranny case (removing all the road tar & gunk) can help keep the temps down since they use the outside to radiate heat build-up.

 

[alleyyooper]

My 2004.5 Dodge with the 325HP Cummins and 6 sp trans gets 18.3 all around driving. that is time in town with speed limits in the 25 to 45 MPH zone, the roads back home zoned at 55MPh. On the interstate it does a bit better but not much. Pulling my 24 foot enclosed trailer at 70 MPG I get 13.8 most of the time.

For more information on Dodge trucks with diesels ask these fellows. They even have a place for the trest of the diesel trucks.
http://www.dieseltruckresource.com/dev/index.php

Al

 

[Neil_nassau]

Ram2500 quadcab w/Hemi & 5 speed auto........
noload....open interstate 17~18 mpg @ 80mph...(hey, it likes to run there)...
city 12~14 depends on how much stop go....lite trailer load.....14 mpg w/tow-haul engaged...(really amazing shift manage program........
just towed an 18 foot 10,500gvw equipment trailer w/ 2- 6x12's, 2 - 5x 10's, and 1- 5 x 6 foot utility trailers stacked on it (just under 14 ft high), btw, we sell trailers...........figure honest 7500lb. 10 mpg pulling a stable, 65mph. ... Hemi is a BEAST. Had this truck since June and love it.

 

[jodyand]

Alright Neil i knew there was a reason i liked you Not only are you a Cub dealer but your a Dodge Hemi Man:thumbsup:

 

[MowHoward2210]

I like the new styling of the Dodge's. Remember how bold the previous styling was when it came out? Needed to be updated though, and the latest ones look pretty sharp.

 

[Durwood]

Originally posted by alleyyooper
My 2004.5 Dodge with the 325HP Cummins and 6 sp trans gets 18.3 all around driving. that is time in town with speed limits in the 25 to 45 MPH zone, the roads back home zoned at 55MPh. On the interstate it does a bit better but not much. Pulling my 24 foot enclosed trailer at 70 MPG I get 13.8 most of the time.

For more information on Dodge trucks with diesels ask these fellows. They even have a place for the trest of the diesel trucks.
http://www.dieseltruckresource.com/dev/index.php

Al

Nice truck. My favorite color on a dodge too.

 

[Michael]

Originally posted by MowHoward2210
I like the new styling of the Dodge's. Remember how bold the previous styling was when it came out? Needed to be updated though, and the latest ones look pretty sharp.

I was looking recently at the new Dodges and I like them but the PRICE, They can keep them!:furious: I also think the grille is the most ugly grille they have put on a vehicle since the Edsel, I mean a big gaping grille and the whole thing looks like it would have enough of a intake for a 747 engine, One other thing in sitting in them is the fact I cannot get the seat back far enough, my knees were hitting the steering wheel (not like my 1996 and 1998 Dodges Club and Quad cab, plenty of room (The problems of the extremely tall and lanky person). I do not mind the updating just do not loose the leg room for us tall guys. Thats something like my employer is doing with the 747, They recently introduced a "new look interior" and man that is wonderful. They actually inceased head room under the stowbins and I can almost stand upright without hitting my head. the old ones I had to make sure I knew where my head was as It was really low under the center stowbins and I got a few nasty hits on the noggin. One guy in the shop is 5'11" and he had to duck on the old interior, now he walks around under them and clears everything. So if they do a "product update" at least either improve or maintain thier old dimenstions.mg:

 

[Neil_nassau]

That grill is the last thing you see before it eats you........lol.

Quick calcs on my annual driving miles showed diesel just won't amortize out for me. Besides,when others drive a truck ,diesel isn't always the best choice.

Price? The 3/4's I looked at comparably equipped were higher from Ford & Chevy.....spec it and look again. My 2500 SLT was bought at invoice,less rebates off a dealers lot.........sticker was 31k or so........came well under 30k. Its a work truck but has everything I need. Hemi is std on 3/4 HD,auto,10k tow package,neatest mirrors you ever saw,fold floor,fog lites,tow hooks,Big ol' 17" Michelins,SLT pkg does the rest.

I'm 6'3" - 230lb......cableg/head room is great...Only gripe is the back seat,but hey,I don't ride there lol.

Dodge has a full size quad coming '05 I believe ( Saw the pics in Dodge Truck Forum),that solves back seat complaint.

 

[patches60]

Truck Mileage

I'd like to add my two cents in, My wife drives a 99 dodge ram 1500 4 x 4, with a 360 engine. She spends most of the time on a four lane hwy. with traffic lights at every mile, all the way to work, 16 miles each way. I keep a log of all the fuel that we used and the miles on the truck each time we fill it up. She is averaging 18.3 MPG.

I drive a 93 dodge Dakota 4 x 4 with a 318 engine in it. I always give my wife the newer vehicle. I get 16.4 MPG empty. I own a Residential Building Business, so I'm always pulling something with it. I usually pull a 18 ft. open trailer, and always load it past my trucks pulling weight. Good trailer brakes are wonderful! I get about 14.5 puling my trailer with an average of about 7000 lbs. on it. Remember, I keep a gas log on all my vehicles. This vehicle has 180,000 miles on it with the same motor, and a rebuilt tranny at about 130,000 miles. Everything else is original.

I have a 93 Jeep wrangler with the 4.0l motor and a five speed tranny. It has 6 inches of lift with 33 inch tires on it and 3.08:1 gearing. I never use fifth gear because of the gearing. The Jeep get just over 18 MPG of the highway, and even better mileage of the trails. I never use the Jeep in the winter, it's just a toy for us to pull behind our motor home. By the way, my motor home gets 8 MPG with the 8.1l GM motor. Unfortunately, Dodge was not making any motor home chassis at the time when we bought our motor home.

One more thing, I had a 93 Chevy 1500 4 x 4 with a 5.7l motor, and I would get 13.9 MPG with it. Typically anyone who ever got over 16 MPG with a 5.7l motor is confused on how to calculate their mileage, or they had the motor worked on. I worked on my motor myself, and after some performance enhancements on the 5.7l, I was receiving 18.2 MPG, but the really big thing about the enhancements was the ability to get up to speed quickly and pass vehicles when needed. I still have the gas log books on all of my vehicles, even the ones I have sold.

By the way, did I mention that I am a Certified Master Mechanic on both gas and diesel engines, and vehicles with the State of Michigan.


My advice would be to get the Dodge Diesel, with a manual tranny, and if you need extra power, get the HD Dodge diesel with the manual tranny. The Ford diesel is my second choice.

 

[bikernut]

MPG

I drive a 2005 Chevy 4X4 3500 Crew Cad Dually with an 8' bed, Duramax with the Allison and 3:73 gears. I get on the open road 19.4 mpg and pulling our 9000 lb TT, I get 12.7. This truck is still new so it hasn't had time to break in yet, hopefully the mileage will go up.
Now with my other 2 tow rigs, they are both Harleys a 1995 FLTCU I get about 50 mpg pulling my popup camper with not much for luggage as a guy doen't need much and it is carburated. Now with my 2003 FLHTCUI pulling the same popup I get about 30 mpg. The 2003 has been modified to a Lehman Trike and is fuel injected and when I weighed it before my Sturgis trip the whole thing was almost 2500 lbs with passengers and luggage and I have only 70 some odd horsepower unlike my Chevy with 310 hp.

 

[Kanman]

01 F350 CC diesel duals auto. 4x4 14/16 MPG would probably do much better if I slowed it down a tad. Running it 50/50 on bio diesel