Ok so who else is going to trade their Dodge 6.7L cummins in on a Ford ASAP?

[Dogmeat]

Wow. I'm appalled. Just appalled.

Made the haul from Denver to Haydays last weekend towing a 16' enclosed 2-place Mirage snowmobile trailer. My old trailer in fact, that I also used to get 10mpg towing fully loaded with my old 8.1L big block. So figure say, maybe 3500-3800 lbs.

Towed it with this big nice new shiny cummins I bought.

GOLLY GEE I AVERAGED 9 MPG?!?!?!??!!

WHAT THE FLYING F*CK?!?!?!?!??!?!

How in the HELL does this truck get mileage this bad?

This was mixed interstate/highway driving between 65 an 75 mph and I only averaged 9 mpg over the entire 1,000 mile trip?

What the flying F*CK??????

This is pulling a TINY trailer.

Is this seriously for real? Truck has 5,000 miles on it now ....

Its gonna get traded off on a Ford if this doesn't improve.

I mean seriously WTF?

 

[94fordguy]

Wow, I know trucks don't get as good for the first so many thousand miles during break in but that's pretty bad... My V-10 pulling my 5K lb 3-place up the pass will get better than that.

Sorry to hear you're not happy.

Have you done anything at all to the truck that might result in the low #s?

 

[wilmot]

Why WASTE time and money on a Ford when you can go straight to a DIRTYMAX and quit messing around......

 

[AndrettiDog]

Why WASTE time and money on a Ford when you can go straight to a DIRTYMAX and quit messing around......

I suggested that as well. Anyway I won't rub salt in the wound. It is true that these motors "loosen" up a bit with some mileage and improve with time. I've had people tell me that it could be 20k+ before the mileage improves. 9MPG is gasser bad though. Better luck to you.

 

[Dogmeat]

Wow, I know trucks don't get as good for the first so many thousand miles during break in but that's pretty bad... My V-10 pulling my 5K lb 3-place up the pass will get better than that.

Sorry to hear you're not happy.

Have you done anything at all to the truck that might result in the low #s?

I haven't even taken this thing to the DMV and gotten a plate put on it yet let alone started modding it.

 

[jthussey]

What gears do you have? Was it really windy? I would be patient for a little bit.

I have a 2011 powerstroke with 3:31 Gears. Pull my enclosed 24 with 5 sleds and average around that 11 mark at 75-80. Truck loves the 1700-1800 rpm range. Head or a good side wind I will drop down to the 9 maybe a tish lower but wind behind it can see 13-14.

The dodges are great trucks. I can not say anything bad about them. Hang on to it and I'm sure it will loosen up.

 

[Dogmeat]

What gears do you have? Was it really windy? I would be patient for a little bit.

I have a 2011 powerstroke with 3:31 Gears. Pull my enclosed 24 with 5 sleds and average around that 11 mark at 75-80. Truck loves the 1700-1800 rpm range. Head or a good side wind I will drop down to the 9 maybe a tish lower but wind behind it can see 13-14.

The dodges are great trucks. I can not say anything bad about them. Hang on to it and I'm sure it will loosen up.

3.73 gears. I guess maybe this is a good excuse to put bigger tires on it and gear it down a tad? lol.

Is yours stock or DPF/EGR deleted?

 

[Coldfinger]

I've never owned a Diesel but have done quite a few trips in them pulling the same trailer as my GM 2500 6.0 with 4.10's and 265/75-16.

Both Ford and GM diesels.

My opinion is they get about 2mpg better than mine but they do not bog down on hills and don't seem to notice they are pulling anything at all. Pulling a 2 place I generally expect 9 while a diesel driving the same route pulling the same trailer will be 10-11. This is winter mileage.

The difference really becomes noticeable as the weight goes up on the trailer, the diesels still get about 10-11 where the gas goes downhill.

For example, my truck gets 7mpg pulling my camper (summer mileage) and running 60-65. If there is a headwind, 60ish. When I hit the mtn passes on I70 west of Denver, it's 25mph up some of those.

Now, a duramax pulling the same load, could run 75 all day but we ran about 70-75, not affected too much by wind either. Hit the mtns and the diff really becomes evident, where instead of 25 we were running 55 - 65 or so and in the passing lane passing some cars. We still got 10-11mpg.

 

[jthussey]

Its stock. What rpms were you running @ 65? Was it shifting to 5th alot? I have two friends that have the new 6.7 cummins. One has the HO and the other doesn't. They both said that they like fuel at the get go but have started to really come out of there binge drinking as they start to put miles on it. They absolutely love there trucks.

Mine with the 3:31 gears likes to purrr around that 75mph range. If I were to pull at 55-60 it would just lug the motor too much(1100 rpm) and maybe start searching for 5th a little on the hills and into a wind. The 6.7 PS does pull like a freight train(As they all do) But Just had to find that sweet spot and go with it.

If it makes you feel any better. If I didn't have this truck, it would be the one you have.

 

[Dogmeat]

Here is what I know. This was a 16' two place enclosed trailer that I'd pulled with my two previous trucks. One was a 2000 Chevrolet 1500 with the 5.3L and 3.73 gears. I got 8-9 mpg towing it with that truck and it struggled with it on anything but flat ground with no wind. The next truck I pulled it with was a 2005 Chevrolet 2500HD with the 8.1L big block, 5 spd allison and 3.73 gears (265/75/16 tires on both) and that truck didn't even know that trailer was there, even in the wind. With the 8.1L I'd get 8-10 mpg towing that very same trailer.

I sold that trailer and bought a 33' enclosed. Massive old thing. Pulling THAT trailer with my big block I'd get 7-9 mpg.

Now, the new diesel again apparently was pulling my OLD trailer which is slightly less than half the size of my new trailer at 10 mpg. The diesel should have been getting at LEAST 12 mpg towing this small of a trailer MINIMUM.

So whats going to happen when I start pulling my big trailer with it which is why I bought the damned thing to begin with is that I'm going to be getting 7 mpg towing it and the cost of fuel is $0.50 more per gallon so not only now do I have a $625 a month payment on a truck, its costing me %20 more in fuel and I'm not getting any more range out of it, the only advantage is it tows my big trailer up hills better than my old BBC (which quite frankly pulled this trailer fine to begin with).

So in other words, whats happened is, everything I've said about how diesels were absolutely positively NOT economical unless you are towing a HUGE trailer everywhere you go has been proven %100 correct, and I'm now kicking myself in the *** for buying the god damned thing.

Its a nice truck, but the mileage on this thing is absolutely abysmal.

 

[skibreeze]

Not happy with the trailer, not happy with the truck, what are you happy with? I'll trade you trailers, but I'm keeping my truck. I love my megacab, but it doesn't ever see 12. IIRC, 11.5 pulling my Malibu to Pueblo and back.

 

[clatla]

I have a 10' Ram 1500 Crew. Hemi with 3:92 gears. I pull my 23' inline enclosed with 3 sleds to the Snowies and back and averaged 10 MPG. I love my truck. I would agree a stock diesel is not worth the extra cost if you only need it a few times a year. The older diesels were much better for power and economy. Gas motors have come a long ways.

Went on a trip the other weekend and averaged over 20 MPG at 75 MPH just the truck alone. 34,000 miles and it seems to be getting better.

 

[AndrettiDog]

So in other words, whats happened is, everything I've said about how diesels were absolutely positively NOT economical unless you are towing a HUGE trailer everywhere you go has been proven %100 correct, and I'm now kicking myself in the *** for buying the god damned thing.

I didn't buy my last two diesels to be economical. They do get better mileage than gassers for the same load. You pay more for the truck up front, more for the fuel and more for the maintenance. But...you get a vehicle that drives over the Colorado passes like they weren't there, you can pull anything safely and the motor will likely outlast the truck (which makes the resale awesome). I have a 18' steel enclosed and I wouldn't want to tow it with any gasser. I could but I wouldn't be happy.

 

[IDspud]

I've got three friends that had them for their first trailer trip, one went ford, other two went duramax. I was surprised at all three, one trip was enough.

Have seen some sweet heavily modded new dodges, but the stockers sure have fallen.

 

[skibreeze]

I didn't buy my last two diesels to be economical. They do get better mileage than gassers for the same load. You pay more for the truck up front, more for the fuel and more for the maintenance. But...you get a vehicle that drives over the Colorado passes like they weren't there, you can pull anything safely and the motor will likely outlast the truck (which makes the resale awesome). I have a 18' steel enclosed and I wouldn't want to tow it with any gasser. I could but I wouldn't be happy.

Exactly, I am way happier with the ease of towing, braking, and overall control that the new Dodge delivers over the 1/2 ton that I had before.

 

[Nytroty]

I can't figure out why you are so surprised.... Is it cause you believed everyone on the forums that says they get 25 MPG with there diesel towing a trailer? This is almost exactly what i would expect out of a diesel pulling an enclosed. Ive said it many times that all the diesels i have driven out west over the years only one has been above 10 MPG and that's with open 4 place trailers not enclosed trailers. They seem to tow effortless but they don't get the mileage everyone says they do. My experience has been 1-3 MPG better depending on wind/temp. I would guess that if you do the deletes and a chip you will see the 12 you are hoping to get but i wouldn't expect much more.

 

[sandorsnow]

Thank the EPA for the milage.

That's the trade off between adding urea (Ford, Chevy) or just choking them out to pass emissions (Dodge).

The good news is you live in Vernal, and not Salt Lake. Yank the emissions crap off asap and your fuel milage will triple (it will definately improve).
Check to see about voiding your warranty first.

This is one of the BIG reasons I went with a Ford again.
Ford was more expensive, but it's easier to pay it up front than every time I fill up. Plus it's nice getting 500-600 miles out of a tank.

 

[AndrettiDog]

I can't figure out why you are so surprised.... Is it cause you believed everyone on the forums that says they get 25 MPG with there diesel towing a trailer?

I get your humor but my Duramax does see 11-15 pulling my 18' enclosed in Colorado on the passes. I think he was pulling in the flats and was disappointed. That was probably his surprise. 3 mpg difference (9 vs 12mpg) from Denver to Minneapolis (920 miles) would be over $100 difference in fuel at $4/gallon.

 

[Nytroty]

I was trying to be funny. But i am telling the truth too. We make several trips a year out to the mountains from MN. We have taken several different fords. 7.3, 6.0's and a couple 6.4's as well as a couple duramax's and one older dodge. We have also taken several 5.3 chevy's, 6.0 chevy's and a few 5.4 ford gassers. The Gassers have gotten between 7-10 pulling the 4 place open and the diesels have gotten between 7-12 on various trips pulling the same load at the same speeds often times one right in front or behind the other. I LOVE the feeling of the diesel power and how easy it seems to tow the trailers! But not one time has a diesel been more cost effective.

 

[tmk50]

My 2011 Dmax seemed to get better MPGs after ~10k miles.

Pulling our camper (~30' bumper pull) to Lake Mac a few weeks ago we got 11MPGs. There were some pretty decent cross winds on the way up.

Empty around town I am seeing 17. On a trip back and forth to Colorado Springs a couple of weekends ago I got 20 MPG.

Is Dodge going to go with Urea soon? I thought they had it on some models (chassis cabs)?