Today I did the first manual mileage check on my truck at 562 miles...combination highway, boat towing, and city driving netted 18.4 mpg. At times the overhead was showing up to 20.4 but fell to 17.3 while towing the boat.

Am I ecstatic or what!?! You betcha...

 

For cry'n out loud...my freaking computer was off some how. It showed 15.2mpg. I just filled up, reset & got 17.1 on the way home. I hand calulated my last tank and wala...17.2mpg. That's the first time the overhead computer has been wrong. Not sure what happened, other than I really tried to top off the tank last time (fill it to the brim baby!). Perhaps that caused the problem...Guess I can't blame winterized fuel afterall.

 

19,600 miles and I am now noticing a slight improvement. I was getting 17.2 give or take a little...BY HAND...and now it has come up to just over 18 give or take a little. Letting the truck idle makes a big difference on mine also.

give or take a little = driving conditions, weight of foot


This is mixed 50/50 driving, no pulling.

I hope it keeps going. ;D

John

 

JKE, thats good news.....give or take a little

 

Lightman - this may give you some hope.


JKE

 

I've been tracking my fuel mileage (by hand) since almost new and plotting it in Excel. It was 16.9 at 1500 miles. My average fuel mileage over the last 13000 miles is about 17.6 and slowly climbing with most of the latest tanks hovering between 17.6 and 18.6 mpg. Highest I ever got was 20.1 and lowest was 15.9. This is mostly driving in traffic.

I've noticed by plotting it that a single tank full or even just a few tank fulls don't give an accurate picture, probably because it's hard to refill to the exact same point each time.

 

I am getting good mileage unloaded, but only got an average of 11 on our Thanksgiving trip to CO with an 8K trailer. When the wind kicked in, the computer was telling me 8 and I couldn't believe it. Next tank, I did the math, and the computer was right.

Wind was a huge factor, and ironiclly the best mileage was from the Springs to Raton on 25.

 

My truck new 14mpg hwy at 65mph 1800 rpms.
1st tow of 150 miles 8K# 5er 11 mpg/ solo after tow 17mpg.
2nd tow 3k miles roundtrip avg. 15mpg/ solo now at 20. Computer shows a bit higher mpg, but i use pen and paper.
For me MPG drops above 2k rpms or above 65 mph. Hang in there, your ram will improve.

03 Ram 2500 HO Cummins, 4x4 long box slt, 373's 6 shooter

 

I get about 16 in the city, and I keep my foot in it ;D

In the mountatins doing about 65 Ive gotten almost 23 MPG I think that wonderful for a 7K pound beast 8)

Ive got almost 10000 on it 235 CARB compliant and a 4X4

 

I'd say there is something wrong if you're only getting 13-14mpg out of the '03 SO-- I got 16 right off the lot with 50 miles on the beast- and that was February '03 in northern Wisconsin- hwy is about 24 @ 60 and rambling around town is 18- camper on her back and pulling a 16' boat she gets 19- several other guys are getting the same thing- and it didn't take 18K to break in

 

;D I have an 2004 2500 Quad Cab, SLT, 4x4 with 6spd and ho cummins, 3.73 rear end with 4000 miles on it . I get 21 mpg on Highway 70-75mph and 18-19 in city. On highway at 70mph it's turning 21-2200 rpms.

At 8000 miles going to change to synthetics in engine and drive train (looking at AMSOIL) and see how it responds.

 

Rossn2,

Read threads on oil...Cummins doesn't reccommend synthetic in engine until 2nd oil change, 15,000 to 20,000 miles if I remember correctly.

 

Mine has been getting better, especially since my tires were low from the factory. I didn't know it but they were all at 40. I put them up to 65, and my mileage has gone up by 1-2 so now I'm getting about 18 highway and 15 city. Better than what it was!

 

I've got about 15,000 miles on my truck now. The MPG has steadily increased. I checked it on a trip from FL to CA and back, and was impressed. On some really flat roads in TX, I recorded 26.3 mpg at 55mph; 24.4 at 60mph; 22 at 65; and little better than 20 at 70mph. I have'nt made any intake or exhaust mods yet. stock wheels...

 

I just want to get over 20, just once