WA4SLC

I just got back from my first trip pulling my 33 Ft. Sprinter 300 FKMS travel trailer with my new 04.5 2500. I have a 48RE and a 4:10 rear end. My build date is some time in January 04. I stoped and weighed at a CAT scales on I-95. Both truck and TT were a little over 16,000 Lbs. The TT was a little over 10,000. I was able to tow in OD all the way, but when I was on I-20 in SC an GA it down shifted a few times on the hills. I was watching the EGTs on the X-Monitor which is post turbo. I did see it get over 900 several times and over 1000 one time. Trany only got to 200 one time. When I left I had 2000 miles on the odometer and when I got back I have 3700 on it. I was disapointed in the mileage. The best I got towing was 9.42 and the worse was 8.51. I only run 65, that is my self imposed speed limit. I just do not feel comfortable running faster than that.
I had a 01 2500 before this 04.5. It had a 3:55 rear end and a 47RE. I had put a Edge EZ and a BHAF on it. I would get 10 - 13 MPG on the same trip. It did have over 30000 on whin I got it. I now now that the 01 was over loaded both on tongue weight and overall weight
We had a good trip and I am hoping that the mileage will improve when the engine is broke in, or when Dodge has a fix for it.

Bill

welder27

Interesting...that is some pretty low mileage. I guess most of the mileages I've seen on here are on trucks w/ 3.73 rear ends.

It might take 15,000 miles for your engine to break in depending on how hard you work it...a lot less miles if you tow heavy all the time.

dcwm

WA4SLC,

I'm curious to know why you say your 01 was overloaded, Is the 04.5's rated to handle more weight then the 01's or was you pulling more weight?

Seems to me the mileage is in the ballpark for break in.

(WD8NXD) not active for many years.

JoelCool

What RPM are you running in OD with the 4:10s at 65 mph?

WA4SLC

The 01's tow rating was 9850 Lbs. with the 3:55 rear end and the hitch was rated at 10000 Lbs. and 1000 Lbs. tongue weight. The hitch weight that I got after I caculated after weighing at the CAT scales was right at 1200 Lbs., which ment I was 200 Lbs. over the tongue rating of the old hitch. and I was 150 Lbs. over the tow rating. I do not rember what the GCWR was for that truck the new truck is 20000 and my total weight is a little over 16000. The tow rating of the new truck is 13300 Lbs. and 1300 Lbs. hitch weight, but the hitch is rated at 12000 Lbs. and 1200 Lbs..
I was turning 2000 RPM at 65 and the few times that I turned the OD off it was very close to 2800 RPM.
Right now I am disapointed that it does not do better than it did on this trip. Like I said I only hope it get better or I will feel like I made a big mistake.

duner

i think part of the problem is the way your figuring your mileage. you need to start at 0 when you leave, save all the fuel tickets and make sure they have the amount of fuel purchased printed on them, when you get back do the math and come up with an average. it will be one number, not 10-13, or any other spread. i just took a 2682 mile trip and doing it your way i got between 5 and 99. i think you got better mileage than you realize. just a thought, and congratulations on your purchase of, IMHO the badasstist pickup on the road. later

i6DZUL

Last month on the way back from MB, I weighed the rig at a CAT scale and was dead on 15,500 gross. Full tank of fuel. Full fresh water tank in the TT. At that time I had 9K miles on the truck. Hand calculated, the MPG on this trip were low 12's. In reality, it seems kind of foolish to buy an 8K lb. truck, hook up a TT to it, run 65-75 MPH and then check the fuel mileage. It's never going to be what we would like to get. But I was curious and was happy to get 12. Give yours time to break in. It will get better.

dcwm

WA4SLC,

I didn't look at your sig before I ask about the difference, sounds like you have a pulling machine. My 01 has the 4:10 rear end, last trip to South Carolina pulling 5er got (if memory serves) average 11 MPG. I thought that was pretty darn good since I've had gassers do the same job get far less.

Don't be discouraged just yet, I think your mileage will improve.

Congrats on your new truck

SuperGewl

OK, you are driving basically a new truck, 3700 miles isn't even enough mieage to change the oil yet
The thing yo have going against you is the 4.10 gears. Yes they are better for pulling heavy loads but you do lose a mile or two.
As someone stated yo need to calculate just your trip mileage from the start to end because while pulling you aren't going to get that 18-24 mpg on the highway that yo can get wihen empty.
Make sure you hand calculate that mileage also because the overhead can be off and depending when yo reset it can really drive you crazy and say your getting 50mpg
I pull my 11.5k 5VR and average 12mpg pulling thru the mountains.
The same truck pulled accross country last year with a 6klbs TT and avearaged 11.5mpg at normal speeds 65-75mph.
give it a little more time you should start to see increased mpgs. The big thing that you should have noticed is that you pulled all those hills at speed and passed most of the other guys with less weight
That's the CTD doing it's thing and laughing all the way down the road.

welder27

I usually do this when calculating mileage: Fill up the tank until the nozzle shuts itself off, reset the trip odometer...then when the fuel gauge gets to 1/8 tank I fill up again until the nozzle shuts itself off. Then I look on the reciept to find how many gallons I used and divide the mileage by gallons. Seems to get it pretty close.

WA4SLC

I always fill up to the neck and hand calculate the mileage so I can have the same conditions every tank. It is a real pain filling up the new truck, it takes so long to get it compleatly full. The 01 that I had before this truck I could only get 30 to 31 gal. in the tank with the 04 I am puting 34 to 36 gal. in at fill up. The problem with doing fuel mileage for a whole trip is that when I get to the campground that I am going to and unhook the camper then I usualy drive several miles with the truck alone. That would throw my towing mileage off.

johnny1509

I had a 1987 Chevy Suburban with a 454 and 3 speed automatic....4.10:1 rear end. Towing a 28 foot camper (which I will admit that you didn't hardly feel it when you gave it gas) Empty, it averaged 8mpg....towing to Florida from Maryland on I-95 I was lucky to get 4mpg. 40 gallon tank and I had to fill it up every 150 miles. So even if the 600 was only getting 10mpg towing, that would be a welcome sight. My 2003 H.O. 555 gets around 14 towing my camper. Now I am not a lead foot, but I do the speed limit or maybe a bit over.

murray

WA4SLC,

Try cutting your speed back to 60 mph. You will gain an exta 1-2 mpg.

Gypsyman

I've got over 30,000 miles on my '03 555 and loaded to the same weight I get the same mileage as you and it doesn't seem to change more than a tenth or so if I slow down to 60 or 65 from 75. My truck seems to be affected more by wind resistance than actual weight. I just live with it and drop the hammer...

-Richard

SuperGewl

Yes it is true that these trucks are more affected by wind resistance than the weight. You have to find that happy medium for the load you are carrying. It may in fact be faster than you would think. It takes a little playing but it can be done.
As I have stated, I pulled a 6k TT accros country and would actually get better fuel mileage going faster thatn going slow due to the BARN DOOR effect.