It is always a trade-off; With the standards versus autos, the auto gets better mpg running around town empty, but when towing the manual tranny shines by getting better milage than the auto (usually). My old '99 had 3.54 LS 5sp manual, and pulling the 11K 5er got 11 mpg, and running empty got 17 empty (a little less with winterized and a little better with summer #2). I just got my guages installed, so will begin towing the 5er this weekend to get break-in miles on the AA diff. After all that, I'll post some mileage figures towing when I go to deer camp (243 miles mostly highway).

 

mileage will increase about 2 mpg after 12,000 miles. Mileage does go down over 70mph. I have 3500 H.O.single axle 3:73 6sp.4x4 solid 20 mpg hwy solid 14 to 15 towing 7k. at 65 mph.

 

your mileage is right where it should be.

 

[quote author=hammajamma link=board=20;threadid=13827;start=15#131938 date=1051301750]<br>mileage will increase about 2 mpg after 12,000 miles. Mileage does go down over 70mph. I have 3500 H.O.single axle 3:73 6sp.4x4 solid 20 mpg hwy solid 14 to 15 towing 7k. at 65 mph. <br>[/quote]<br><br>I saw no increase at 12k miles nor any at my current 20k. My truck, same as yours, with the SO/5-speed is 18 hwy, 12 towing a 4k TT.

 

Seems just about everybody is doing better on milage than mine is. Truck has right at 4000 miles on it avg. is 14 thats hwy. and little around town. Yall think there might be something wrong with mine are is it gonna get better with time? Runs strong has launch shudder alittle bit.

 

Seems that the 6 speed is generally doing 2 miles/gal better, and the 4x4 cuts you about 2 mpg more. I'm right between 22 and 23 for the last 3 tanks actual- filled with the same pump each time. 2000 RPMS at 70 mph locked on cruise all the time. <br> I think driving style has a lot to do with it too. I have faith that you guys will all see some improvement because: Transfer case will free up with time, trans will free up slightly if it is a manual or automatic both. Rear end will roll better as it breaks in- mine sure seems to have gotten better on downhill. Also remember for some of you northern guys you are running a winterized or blended fuel, that hurt me a couple when I went to Wyoming last month. I would only be worried with on-highway 4x4 mileage at about 2000 RPMS if the truck got less than maybe 16 or so empty. Mine started at 19 but there again I am a two wheeler with the 3.73, and the manual 6 speed. Also just keep in mind that the Ford guys are not doing as well as you, and the gassers are getting half of what you are. ;D

 

Parshal<br> Go work your truck. A 4k load will not work it unless you can find a 20 mile long 15% grade and run it a few times. You have to &quot;work&quot; it hard enough to break through the cylinders oil glaze and do the final pollishing. Maybe you could send it down my way for a couple of weeks. My Y2K continued to gain mileage until about 20K and has stayed right there through 180K. <br> I would say that 18MPG around town wi not bad for a 7000 lbs plus truck. <br><br>Bryan

 

Well, I do have a &quot;few&quot; steep grades here just west of Denver. I'm not complaining about 18 mpg I just keep hearing how it will get better but mine hasn't changed. Running around with no load for me means about 200 lbs. of stuff in the bed (130 lbs. more with dogs) and 75 lbs. of stuff in the back seats. Me, a passenger, my dogs and a full tank of fuel in the truck weigh just at 8k lbs.<br><br>Oh, and thanks for the offer but I think I can handle it!

 

Don't beleive everything that you read. My 03 has 13,000 miles on it now. I made a 5000 mile trip at a GCVW of around #19,000 , more then enough to brake it in I would say <br><br>Any way the milage hasn't really changed from the day I picked it up, normal just drivin around it is about 15-16. Get it over 2000 rpms and is drops fast.<br><br>Just took a little trip Sunday pulling a car trailer with a BMW on it, not much weight their. Got 13.5 on the computer, did use a full tank to calculate it out.<br><br>This is my 3rd Dodge diesel. None of them have seen this 20+ that people are claming, or any great increase with added milage.

 

The 2500's are generally going to get better mileage than the 3500's if comparing 4x4 to 4x4 due to weight differnce, and SRW 3500 would generally get better than DRW due to weight and road surface friction area. My brother's 2500 ('99 model) and my old '99 had the same engine, 3.55 LS diff, 5sp, 4x4, and my old '99 dually got 2.5 mpg less than his (we drive about the same way). I weighed my '03 last Saturday when beginning my towing break-in, and the truck with me and full fuel weighed 8160 (I weigh 160, so the truck is 8000). When you are rolling 8000# down the highway, and it has all the aerodynamics of a brick, 15 - 17 mpg is really pretty good for a dually 4x4 - I never got that with a dually gasser, and I have never met anyone else who did either. FWIW

 

It's nice to see that I'm not the only one.

 

Thank you for all of your replies!!<br><br>When I started this thread I was anxious to see what kind of mileage everyone else was getting. As it turns out it varies wildly from truck to truck (4x4 vs. 4x2, single vs. duals etc.).<br> <br>Here is what I’ve noticed on mine: These trucks are VERY rpm specific. If I keep my truck at 2200rpms (70mph) it will get right at 17.5mph. Anything less and the mileage goes up. Anything more and the mileage goes down drastically. I’ve seen a few replies of people getting around 14mpg at 75 to 80mph. That sounds about right. The freeway leading to our house is under a lot of construction and the speed limit is 60mph. If I drive 60mph it will get between 20 and 21mpg. We tow an 18’ utility trailer, which weighs 2000# and usually has 1000# of equipment on it almost every day. Mileage doesn’t change much if any. If we put our travel trailer (7000#) behind us it goes down to about 15.5mpg at 65mph. <br><br>The last truck I had was a 2002 1500 Ram with a 360 in it. Now we’re talking some seriously BAD fuel mileage. I was “lucky” to get 12mpg unloaded and 7mpg towing our camper. I would have to fill up every 215 miles with that truck and I can drive this one 540 miles between fill up’s (granted this 3500 does have a 38 gal tank on it). <br><br>All in all, this is the best truck I think I have ever owned. I hope everyone out there is enjoying theirs as much as I am mine!!!<br> ;D ;D ;D

 

I love my truck! ;D<br>When I was in landscaping back in the 60's, we would have given just about anything for a truck like this; the technology just wasn't there back then. I've owned a lot of 2x's and 4x's over the last 25 years, and this is without any reservations at all the best truck I have ever owned. ;D ;D

 

[quote author=t-7 firefighter link=board=20;threadid=13827;start=15#133901 date=1051797791]<br>Thank you for all of your replies!!<br><br>When I started this thread I was anxious to see what kind of mileage everyone else was getting. As it turns out it varies wildly from truck to truck (4x4 vs. 4x2, single vs. duals etc.).<br> <br>Here is what I’ve noticed on mine: These trucks are VERY rpm specific. If I keep my truck at 2200rpms (70mph) it will get right at 17.5mph. Anything less and the mileage goes up. Anything more and the mileage goes down drastically. I’ve seen a few replies of people getting around 14mpg at 75 to 80mph. That sounds about right. The freeway leading to our house is under a lot of construction and the speed limit is 60mph. If I drive 60mph it will get between 20 and 21mpg. We tow an 18’ utility trailer, which weighs 2000# and usually has 1000# of equipment on it almost every day. Mileage doesn’t change much if any. If we put our travel trailer (7000#) behind us it goes down to about 15.5mpg at 65mph. <br><br>The last truck I had was a 2002 1500 Ram with a 360 in it. Now we’re talking some seriously BAD fuel mileage. I was “lucky” to get 12mpg unloaded and 7mpg towing our camper. I would have to fill up every 215 miles with that truck and I can drive this one 540 miles between fill up’s (granted this 3500 does have a 38 gal tank on it). <br><br>All in all, this is the best truck I think I have ever owned. I hope everyone out there is enjoying theirs as much as I am mine!!!<br> ;D ;D ;D<br>[/quote]<br><br>Well it looks like we have the same truck except you have a bed cover. You get better milage then I do for sure, if I lock the cruise on 55 I can get 18.5, I have never seen this 20-21 that you mension. <br><br>I just checked my milage again this morning. 100 miles was pulling an empty car trailer, around 2200#'s. Another 100 miles pulling same trailer with a BMW on it. 1/2 trip was 70 mph, other half 60 mph<br><br>Then 250 miles back and worth to work (20 miles one way) max speed 60 mph<br><br>The milage came out to 14.8

 

I noticed when pulling a 2000 lbs. popup camper my mileage didn't change. This was pulling through the rockies when I had about 1500 miles on the truck. I now have a 4000 lbs. travel trailer and I'm lucky to get 13 mpg. I'm sure it's not the weight but the wind resistance vs. the no wind resistance of the popup.