Real World Fuel Mileage

[ibdoon]

To get to the next fill station down the road you'll have to drive like you have an egg on the go pedal. If you don't pull heavy load i'd suggest staying away from diesel, as the mileage sucks, the maintenance will kill you, and these puppies are heavy, as in sink in anything that looks like mud.

If youcan get mileage in the 19-20 range you are doing well. The costs on these things are just going to go up.

08 f250 auto c/c long box, Empty +- 18-20 not driving to hard
a lot less loaded or driving little harder .

 

[alrevedup]

To get to the next fill station down the road you'll have to drive like you have an egg on the go pedal. If you don't pull heavy load i'd suggest staying away from diesel, as the mileage sucks, the maintenance will kill you, and these puppies are heavy, as in sink in anything that looks like mud.

If youcan get mileage in the 19-20 range you are doing well. The costs on these things are just going to go up.

08 f250 auto c/c long box, Empty +- 18-20 not driving to hard
a lot less loaded or driving little harder .

Fords are known for their thirsty ways!!

I am going to have to disagree with you on the diesel thing!

I drive a 05 Dodge 3500 SRW. I drive in rural areas 95% of the time, not much stop and go.

I drive to Denver Co often, about 200 miles each way. Over 2 mountain passes, average 70 miles per hour and I get 24 miles per gallon. Every time I go!

When I pull a heavy trailer ( 12 to 16K) it will drop to 16 mpg, but I still have plenty of power.

I drive 30 to 40K a year and have never (knock on wood) had any engine problems!!
Fuel, oil, filters and go!!!!!!! Tires too

 

[HUNDO]

I have a question.....how many of you go by the MPG that the computer displays? I see mileages stated at various speeds so are you just resetting the MPG display and seeing what it tells you at a steady speed??
Reason I ask is those things are quite inaccurate.....'03 6.0 Powerstroke computer says 17.5mph, but do the math and it was barely 13 combined hiway/city no towing.

Hand calculated since my tire size throws off the computer but you're right, even when I had stock tires, it was still off.

 

[REV414]

'05 F-250 Diesel 45,000 miles w/ edge chip on level 5, intake and exhaust I see 17-19 on the highway going 80 and 14-16 around town. Towing a 5,000lb boat at 80MPH I see 13-15. I didn't have mods for the first couple weeks I had the truck and when I did everything I saw 2-3mpg better on the highway and 1-2mpg better in town.

 

[CBX]

05' ram 3500 4x4 with the NV 5600 manual trans. 285 E range toyo AT's and 3.73 gears. only mods are rokktech muffler and rokktech crankshaft sensor (2 deg base time adv.) interstate 75mph and mixed city/hwy this last weekend about 1000 miles, was 22mpg, hand calculated.

best milage truck i've ever owned. best diesel milage rig currently is the common rail cummins. my bro's 05' duramax got 9-11 towing stock. now he's getting about 13-15 towing and 17 unloaded with about $8k invested later....

another buddy of mine has a 08' ford. it gets 13mpg unloaded. he's talking about selling it. it has 30k miles on it now by the way. too bad ford still didnt have the 7.3... those were great trucks.

a guy that hauls cattle for me has had every dodge made since 01'. and he had and old 93' and 94'. he said his favorites were the 94, 05, and 06 for mileage. he said the 05 and 06' would knock out 13mpg towing a 24 ft travalong loaded up between 24 and 28k lbs combined. he said his new 6.7 will only get about 10-11 doing the same work. he says the 6.7 does have a bit more power. he also said he never ran out of power with the 5.9's. he said he wishes that he could still buy new 5.9's. he puts on about 70 to 90k a year on his rigs.

 

[R J]

I disagree. I've got an '08 F350 crew cab 4x4 with the 5.4 as a work truck and the thing barely breaks 10 mpg empty...it's a pig. Yes you'll pay more for a tank of fuel with a TD, but the mileage makes up for it. Also, I'd bet there are going to be alot of people trying to unload their diesels in the near future so the prices will go down and you'll be able to pick one up closer to the price of a gas rig. Just my opinion

You might want to try that theroy out a bit. Most people I have been talking to and this includes people that own the new PSD's and Cummins. Every single person is ticked about the mileage. It's 12 basically! At almost $1.00 more per gallon, it needs to be a lot more then that to make it worth it. Whoops, and did I forget you need to spend about 7-10g's on the diesel option in the first place putting you even further into the hole.

I have been there and until they quit screwing around with all about the HP and start giving people good mileage, and I'm talking 25+ for the trucks with the diesel on the highway it's a no win battle.

Diesel still carries a macho thing around with it, but if prices remain this or go even higher it's only a matter of time before it erodes.

 

[graveler]

all of the new pickups of 07.5 and newer that have the new clean exhaust will get really bad MPG, 14.5 on my chevy and 14 on the new dodge my kid had, the ford is worse!!!

 

[R J]

24mpg. GIVE ME A BREAK.

This is why these threads are so off the charts. Too many people simply can't tell the truth. Sure they think they are but seriously, if any diesel truck got that kind of numbers the company's would be advertising that like no tomorrow. Plain and simple.

 

[R J]

all of the new pickups of 07.5 and newer that have the new clean exhaust will get really bad MPG, 14.5 on my chevy and 14 on the new dodge my kid had, the ford is worse!!!

One of the most honest replies yet.

 

[76FOMOCO]

alot of good numbers but you still have to filter out the 10% bs.

 

[powdersnobb]

'05 cummins 1 ton quad cab. I'm getting between 16 and 20 mpg with 35's on it. Pulling the sleds on a 2 place I would say about 17mpg at about 65 to 70 mph. Gears are 3.73 though and most my pulling is on the highway. I got about 50000 on it and it's gotten slightly better lately. Get an 06 or older and you will be happy.

 

[switchback]

'04 cummins 4 door 3500 8' box & 4.10. 17 hwy not towing. 9-11 towing 4 place enclosed at 70-75. 15 pulling my boat

'06 Duramax LBZ 4 door 8' box 3.73. 19-21 hwy not towing. 10-14 towing 4 place enclosed just depends on speed 65-80. Just put 2900 miles on it with 4 sleds in the enclosed and 1 in box, 4 guys and gear. Averaged 80 mph at 10.8 mpg.

 

[Mafesto]

On my Excursion, (V10) I made a new gas line.
Took copper tubing and made dozens of coils in the line, and cross several times from left frame rail to right frame rail.
The theory here is to "confuse" the fuel.
The line 1st passes through a mixture of zelton based troltensoite and is imediately filtered by ultra-fine crushed cubic zirconia.

Anyway, pulling a 16 place double-deck enclosed trailer (35,000 lbs) on a 2,500 mile trip, I filled the fuel when we left & after 467.4 miles I had to stop and drain some of the excess fuel out.

 

[HUNDO]

You might want to try that theroy out a bit. Most people I have been talking to and this includes people that own the new PSD's and Cummins. Every single person is ticked about the mileage. It's 12 basically! At almost $1.00 more per gallon, it needs to be a lot more then that to make it worth it. Whoops, and did I forget you need to spend about 7-10g's on the diesel option in the first place putting you even further into the hole.

I have been there and until they quit screwing around with all about the HP and start giving people good mileage, and I'm talking 25+ for the trucks with the diesel on the highway it's a no win battle.

Diesel still carries a macho thing around with it, but if prices remain this or go even higher it's only a matter of time before it erodes.

I agree with you on the new rigs...doesn't make sense to spend the extra $ (closer to $5k) on the diesel engine when they are getting worse mileage than the older ones. But, if you buy lightly used and let the original owner take the hit, it'll pencil out unless the price gap for fuel gets larger.

I'll take my '03 Cummins over my '08 F-350 gasser any day...much better mileage, more power, and just plain better for towing.

And to anyone claiming much over 20 mpg consistently out of a heavy truck, please share your secrets...maybe one of those Tornado devices stuck in the intake

 

[skidooer1]

its a buyers market for diesels right now.great time to pick up a nice one for cheap from someone who really didn't need the diesel in the first place.the duramaxes and cummins both do well on fuel.btw rj, I would have sold the p.o.s to if it got 12 mpg empty.my 04.5 ctd does that with a 10,000lbs empty 45 foot gooseneck trailer doing 65 mph.point is a diesel that can't get 17 mpg unloaded isn't worth owning....saying that they can't further proves your ignorance.

 

[skidooer1]

And to anyone claiming much over 20 mpg consistently out of a heavy truck, please share your secrets...maybe one of those Tornado devices stuck in the intake

yes 2wd.and easy on the go pedal.lol

 

[catssuk]

01 gmc 2500hd 4x4 crewcab short box,8.1 [496 big block] with allison auto. 3.73 rear end.6" lift 35" tires. 80 mph empty 12.5 mpg 65mph empty 15 mpg. 80 mph 24' loaded enclosed trailer 9mpg. 65mph with the same, 11mpg
05 gmc dury diesel 1 ton duelly.crewcab longbox[the bus] auto.4.11 rear end, 6" lift, running 22.5 semi rims/tires with 41" tires. edge juice with intake. and mbrp 5" turbo back exhaust, 80 mph empty, 16mpg, 70 mph empty, 18mpg, towing the same trailer, 80 mph ,11mpg, and at 70 mph, 13+. and it looks good doing it. these are real mpg, from dividing the actual miles drivin with the gals i used. the on board comp mpg isnt even close to actual mileage.

 

[AKSNOWRIDER]

01 gmc 2500hd 4x4 crewcab short box,8.1 [496 big block] with allison auto. 3.73 rear end.6" lift 35" tires. 80 mph empty 12.5 mpg 65mph empty 15 mpg. 80 mph 24' loaded enclosed trailer 9mpg. 65mph with the same, 11mpg
05 gmc dury diesel 1 ton duelly.crewcab longbox[the bus] auto.4.11 rear end, 6" lift, running 22.5 semi rims/tires with 41" tires. edge juice with intake. and mbrp 5" turbo back exhaust, 80 mph empty, 16mpg, 70 mph empty, 18mpg, towing the same trailer, 80 mph ,11mpg, and at 70 mph, 13+. and it looks good doing it. these are real mpg, from dividing the actual miles drivin with the gals i used. the on board comp mpg isnt even close to actual mileage.

what do you think of the 8.1..the 03 and later ones seemed to run better,..had a yukon xl with it..was impressive

 

[catssuk]

what do you think of the 8.1..the 03 and later ones seemed to run better,..had a yukon xl with it..was impressive

real awesum moter. impossible to break [my bff has 1 with over 300k on it ,01 also, its there work truck and is always towing heavy loads] i drove a diesel a few times, and they just tow alot better than my 8.1, so i bought 1..and my 8.1 would smoke those 35" tires anytime

 

[Osborne Performance]

on the o6 max getting 19 to 21 i call bs on that one or tell me how you did that we average 12.2 on the truck computor i have seen 15 but empty and loaded 4 place 11. loaded horse trailer 3 place this is 14600 with truck 10 and i know 3 other d maxes 06 07 15 is the best we can do . What is sad about this i see the walmart tractor i work on getting a honest 6 isx 65000 pounds 5 .2 cat same weight dry vans we also have 2 alaska tractor 5 mpg 98000 isx turned up to 500hp walmart wants to have milage on there tractor doubled within 3 to 5 year i wish the auto industry would do this with pickups