For several reasons had to take a "slow ride" this time out.
650 miles, unladen, maximum 65 m.p.h. - cruise control whenever possible, moderate cross & head wind, mix of hilly & flat terrain - 24 m.p.g.
Return trip - same route towing 13k lb. 36' 5th wheel, cruise controlled 65 m.p.h., moderate cross & some tail wind - 14.5 m.p.g. Hand calced & digitally confirmed with the TransferFlow fuel monitor.
Fuel was enhanced with PS, I use a little more than recommended. 312k on the clock.
I usually travel @ about 75 m.p.h. Man, how did we survive the days of the federally mandated 55 m.p.h.??? I Can't Drive fifty-five!! (Sammy Hagar) or 65m.p.h. (Me)

Lesson learned - Slow Down and Save a Gallon or Two!!

 

Wish I could get that kinda mileage. Then again, I might be able to if I could keep it at about 60mph for a full tank.

 

Those are some pretty impressive numbers with the way your truck is spec'd out. You already have 312K miles on the 04.5 any problems to share with us with that kind of mileage.

Tony

 

Don't sweat it. Once it's broken in, the mileage will get better!

 

Those numbers are incredible! My highway (65mph), stop n' go, and city mixed gives me about 16mpg empty, and my best when towing (65mph) was 11.5mph between Los Angeles and Mecca (Salton Sea). I need some of what you've got.

 

^^^
I'm with you. I have 3.73 and just barely get 15 unloaded around town.
Best freeway mpg is 18.5
I think i'm broken in at 122k miles.

I don't even measure when towing a backhoe, I just don't want to know.

 

Wow! I'm getting 17.5 in town, driving like I want. Only 38k on the clock.

 

Sorry, I keep forgetting to mention that I don't have the tailgate on either. I can tell you that makes quite a bit if difference too. No need for a debate, I've heard the stories about running with the TG down not really helping with fuel mileage, been there tried that, but with the TG OFF, there is no argument.
Oh yeah, I don't know how you guys do it, but I backed into a small 4wheeler in a parking lot one time with the TG on. He was so close to me I couldn't even see him in the mirrors behind me!! AND I am very careful when backing up!! I actually backed up over his hood!! 1/2 his foreign p.o.s. was under my truck before I heard a bump and stopped!! Lost the TG OFF after that.

 

I just did a mileage run with mine last tank, it was very painful to keep it at 65 and under. I put on 120 mi. a day most at 60- 65 mph. Had calc. was 22.4, I was very happy with that! Jeff

 

IN just my opinion, everyone is always talking about mpg including myself, but we are still spanking those other guys....(ferd, chev.)Gotta love CTD!!!

 

Hmmm.....1 ton 4x4 dually with auto and 4.10's, winter fuel, cold temps, and wind??

MAYBE in the summer, in the desert, at 90+ degrees, with a tail wind. Otherwise, dropping it off Pikes peak might net close to those numbers.

Sorry, completely contrary to all the empirical data available. Gonna have to do better than just saying it's so.


Gotta ask the hard question, what are you NOT telling us? There has to be some thing, some factor, that 99.9% of trucks like yours DON'T have, DON'T do, or ??? It is too far out in left field to be credible.

I am glad you are happy with your numbers, and if you don't think there is anything wrong with them, good for you. As a guess I'd say your fuel numbers or mileage is off enough to cause a discrepency. Unfortunately, for the rest of us that know what the true mileage is and are pretty much in the same ball park, your numbers are "Other World" rather than "Real World". Wish it were so, but...........

 

Sounds like there is now some additional empirical data as empirical data is based on observation and experience, not scientific reasoning. If that was his experience/observation then it's empirical. Granted the probability is fairly low (.001543 assuming 500mi/tank for 342k), but hey its a data point not a trend!

 

Gotta ask the hard question, what are you NOT telling us? There has to be some thing, some factor, that 99.9% of trucks like yours DON'T have, DON'T do, or ??? It is too far out in left field to be credible.

99.9% of the 04.5 trucks on this site probably DON'T have the mileage that I have. 315K to date. Nothing else to tell. I just simply reported my figures doing something that I usually don't do - drive @ a consistent 65 m.p.h. Very hard to do!! Like I said, keep the r.p.m.'s under 2k and save a gallon. Most of the time saving a gallon is not as important to me as getting to my destination sooner. Since I had to drive under 2k r.p.m.'s I wanted to see how much of a difference it would make on my fuel mileage.

 

Did I mention my overhead reads close to 22mpg. Mabey that's where some of these magic numbers come from.

 

Well with the MPG that I got ,the over head number was 25 . So if you do not belive me ,so be it.