Favorite Higher Fuel Economy Tow Vehicles

[VeggieBullet]

On this particular trip we filled the tank before zeroing the trip odometer and filled it again at the end. Total trip mileage = 1928.2 miles. Total fuel = 64.6 gallons. You do the math. I get 29.84mpg./QUOTE]

Do you have an auxiliary tank in the bed of the truck? According to our knowledge (2 Dodges currently owned) the fuel capacity is just about 36 Gallons.
The MPG in a 3rd Gen truck sounds familiar. Driving empty we get about 27 to 30. Of course going avg of 60MPH and considering that we had the Banks Cold air Intake and the Banks EconoMind tunner in the 3rd Generation truck (07 Ram 3500, Auto, dually, 4x2).
The old 94 2500 is even better considering the fact that runs on WVO!
So guess what truck we used to most...?

[slowmover]

I think he meant total gallons over a particular trip.

And, more great numbers!! (Towing?)

.

[Gene]

We've had lie-o-meters in Toyotas too. They typically read 5-10% too high. I wonder if one has ever been made that is lower than reality. We check mileage the old fashioned way—miles divided by gallons. The odometer also reads about 1.5-2% too high, but I don't factor that in when checking mileage.

And, they aren't Dodges anymore it appears. Maybe the cars are Dodges, if they still make cars. All I see advertised are Ram trucks. The Viper is back, but not as a Dodge, just a Viper. It looks really cool though may not be good for towing.

Gene

[Sodbust]

My KW semi,, loaded legal at just under 85,000 lbs has seen 10 mpg more than once with a 11L Detroit... Factor its frontal area,, weight,, and square back end of my grain trailer our "little" Airstream trucks should see 50 mpg or better..

I do know from the wide range of engines I have been around in my life,, the slower the piston speed the longer that energy is held back to make power.. I have a few slow speed diesel Listers that turn only 650 rpms.. Belted up to generators they run the same Kw.hr load on 1/2 the fuel of any gas or 3600 rpm diesel at the same output.. 0.278 grams fuel/ hp/ hr All the newer turbos diesels cant seem to get near the 0.475 grams fuel/hp/hr..

So,, why is the trend line going smaller engines,, and turning the rpms up? It all boils down to the amount of air in,, fuel,, and waste heat out the tail pipe.. Why not a 2 cyl,, 4L 10" stroke engine that the crank turns about the wheel speed around 500 to 600 rpms?

Chew on this data awhile,, I sure do..

Sodbust

[Secguru]

Just to answer a few questions:
- The "Tomato" is entirely stock except for the tires.
- No tuners, no cold-air intake, no modified exhaust.
- I credit the mileage we get to the hard cap and driving methods. I took a trip with a friend from Houston to Miami and we went 70mph high-balling to get there. We got 23.6mpg round trip measured miles/gallons. On that trip my friend drove most of the way and used the cruise control.
- One other thing. I don't typically use cruise control. I have found that everything else being equal cruise knocks 1.5 to 2 mpg off my best mileage without using it. (I get about 26 to 27 mpg with cruise control).
- Additionally as I mentioned, I searched long and hard to find a truck that had almost entirely seen highway miles. The engine was broken in at high speed and it likes it.
- I don't fight headwinds or try to stay up with traffic. I use a very light foot and let the engine pull its own fuel. I don't feed it fuel with a heavy foot. I'm happy to let the truck slow a bit on hills. It's not about constant speed, it's about constant fuel usage.
- The 5.9 Liter Cummins is just about the best engine ever built for fuel economy for RVrs. The 2005 does indeed get better fuel economy (even less smog controls), but we liked the interior package of the 2006 Laredo with bucket seats and large center console much better.
- Oh, and it's a 4WD. I would have preferred a 2WD, but I've got no complaints.
- I think its right. Some trucks just get great mileage and some just get terrible mileage, everything else being equal. I don't doubt that in spite of all my research on this subject, careful selection and high mpg driving, we still got lucky with our "Tomato".

[Sodbust]

One thing we all over look is the hot fuel return..

I had a good friend,, Nam vet with a Ram.. He would top off his warm tank of fuel after a longer trip with cold fuel.. Then drive to a near by town 20 miles and come back to fill again.. Always got near 30mpg.. His first 20 miles I bet he did not use any fuel as the fuel in the tank was still expanding. Just something to think about.

Sodbust

[evanscn]

I thought I would share some recent, actual mileage with my 2011 Toyota Tundra and 2010 30 ft. Flying Cloud. The Tundra is essentially stock w/ 5.7 V8, 6 sp auto, 4x4, double cab, towing pack, 275-65R18 Michelin tires. Blue Ox Sway Pro hitch. The only change I made was to add Firestone Ride-Rite rear air springs to deal with the 1000 lb. tongue weight. Loaded combined weight of about 14,000 lb (6500 truck, 7500 AS). I have about 1000 miles of towing in the mountains of PA and down through MD and VA on 4 separate trips. All of the miles were on interstate highways. I saw 11 to 12+ mpg averaged over half-tanks to full tanks. The key was driving in the 55 to 60 mph range. If I used the cruise-control, I got 11+ mpg. If I controlled speed (slightly larger speed variation over the mountains) I got 12+ mpg. The other key is to keep the Tundra tires aired up (44 psi cold) and the AS Goodyears at 60 psi.

[Gene]

Evanscn,

Since we drive a little faster and have higher mountains and are at substantially higher altitude, we get from 10.5 to 11.5 most of the time. With the same Michelins on the truck (same truck, earlier year), I keep them front at 45 psi and the rear at 48 psi. I called Michelin and they did not have specific recommendations for this truck with those tires towing a trailer, but the guy figured that was about the right psi. We have Michelin 16" tires on the trailer and keep them at 72 psi. Your numbers and ours are similar given the differences in where we drive and tow and going about 65 (when we can). When not towing I reduce the truck tires by 3 psi.

We use cruise intermittently, so I can say whether it makes any difference, but I expect it does in certain places. On hilly roads the cruise will accelerate near the top of smaller hills as the demand for power increases and probably uses more gas. So it is better to turn it off and let speed drop a bit to avoid downshifts if traffic allows that. Better to maintain a steady speed in traffic to avoid constantly having to pass slower vehicles which pass you on the down grade—this happens when there are a lot of big trucks on the road too.

I don't rely on the Tundra readout which tells what gas mileage you are getting because it is always between 1 and 2 gph higher than we really are getting. We check mileage every time we fill up the old fashioned way—divide miles by gallons.

Gene

[scamp]

I'm getting 16.5 mpg (USA gallon ) or 19.5 mpg imperial towing a 2015 16 sport at 57 mph on straight flat hwy and 24 Mpg (USA gallon) or 29 mpg imperial at 57 mph not towing on the hwy ( flat) this is with a 2012 Chevrolet silverado extended cab ,6.5 foot box 4x4 with a 5.3 liter v8 gasser and 6speed trans .3:42 ratio final drive.