RobG, you live pretty hi up, I bet at sea level you would pick up 1-2 mpg. My first gen has gotten as much as 17.8 mpg hauling my 8 ft cabover, ususlly averages around 16-17 but I drive at 57-60 mph with it. Rides to rough to dirve long enough empty to get a reading there but lots of short trips around town get me about 16.

 

I have an 03 HO 6speed and have consistently gotten 19-20.5 mpg since about 15k miles, before that it was 18-19. I have gotten excellent mileage since new and I drive a mix of freeway ~70mph, country roads ~55mph, and in town. Mileage is hand calculated, I usually fill up at a little below 1/4 tank left and fill it until it clicks. This is just another reason I love this truck. Others include loud noise and lots of torque.

Nick

 

I had a 98.5 4x4 auto with 3.54s and it got around 17+- local hiway and almost 20 once on a long long long blacktop run with minimal stops. Last fall my wife and I rented a 28 foot camper and towed it to Colorado and back(1500-1600 miles round trip). I dont remeber the exact milage but it was not good. I know it was under 10 I think it was like 8 or 9mpg. Now I have a 04.5 600 with 6 speed and 3.73s. It gets almost identical milage. Daily comute to work 8 miles one way is around 15-16. Towing a camper to Wisconsin this spring it was around 9 at 75-80mph. In hind sieght that was a bit fast and probobly acounted for a large portin of the bad milage. The funny thing is that it dont realy seem to matter what is behind it, it always getts abought the same milage. I took it to Colorado this summer with 2 ATVs on a trailer just big enough for the two of them and one in the box. I dont think I ever hit 75 mph. Most of the trip was at just over 70 mph. I got 12 mpg all the way out and back. I logged over 2000 miles that trip and the milage never came up. I think that there is a switch on the hitch that no matter what you put back there it goes to a predetermined millage. At least that way it makes it easy to calculate fuel cost for the trip.

 

I have no input on the 3rd gen trucks but My 95 xcab 2500 3.54 auto with a 10 plate got 21-22 unloaded at 70 and 14 pulling my 8000 lb airstream .it did it consistently all the way to florida from KY.My 96 xcab 3500 5spd 3.54 with 10 plate 16 timing straight pipe gets 20 empty with the 5 sp i have to keep it at 65 to keep rpms under 2000,Ill check the towing mpg tommorow going to pick up a trailer.

 

Rattletrap1,

It's actually one of the few 17' Outrages, a little higher profile and heavier than the montauk. Probably not enough to matter.

When we bought the Ferd Explorer for my wife, I kind of checked out the message boards for highway mileage for these little things and most were in the 17-18 range. I guess I drive like an old grandma but I average 20-21mpg at 65-70mph between Dallas and San Antonio. I take 281 instead of the Interstate cause I don't speed, never saw the benifit of saving 15-20 minutes to see the inlaws .

I'm kind of hoping the same wll happen with my truck. Either way looks like a 3rd gen 4x4 getting 20mpg empty is pretty optimistic, but I'm still looking at around 15-16 towing 60-65 which is pretty good IMHO.

 

I don't like to see people get too optimistic like I did when I purchased my Ram.

Shoot for 13-14 MPG towing 3500 pounds and if you happen to get one of the rare trucks that will produce 15-16 then consider yourself very lucky and smile life is good.

 

I was a little over optimistic about fuel numbers when I bought mine earlier this year. It was making 15.6 avg empty and about 12.6 pulling around 6k loads with medium frontial exposure. I read a lot of post that said it will get better at about 12k.. It did not, but it is getting better as I go. I now have 35k on it and I am getting 19.2 empty and 15.4 pulling these same size loads. some of the increase is from this thing finally starting to breakin but most of it is from learning how to drive it for good numbers. I run about 73 on the Interstates { 2000 rpms }and I run the speed limits on the other roads. the biggest thing is to stay out of the pedal, take off about like the rest of the traffic does. I have to remember I am not in a race every time I am at a light or an offramp. I also found for milage the c/control does better than I do. I feel D-C has done a good job of matching this to the CTD. I drive a 6.0 PSD at work. I had a 7.3 before that. Their is no debate the CTD is head and shoulders above the PSD in pulling power, it also gets on avg. about 2mpg better than my 7.3 did pulling comp. loads and about 2.4mpg. better than the 6.0 pulling comp. loads. Dont go buy one of these things thinking you will get 20mpg numbers right out of the bag. You might but I doubt it, the numbers will get better but it will take a while. I am like bluebull I would hate to see some set them selves up for such high expectations and than hate the pickup because it does not get the big mpg#s. I think the selling point on these pickups is that they will pull so much more and do it on a little less fuel. I don't Know if my sig is still up as I dont post much. My Dodge is an 04 h.o. Q/C L/B A/T 3.73

 

I typically get around 14 mpg (pretty much the same as city driving) while towing a loaded motorcyle trailer (a few bikes plus gear) or 6x12' cargo trailer with load (at least 2000 + lbs) at high way speeds (65-75 mph). With light loads like this the only way to tell there's anything in tow is to check your mirrors, the truck is completely unfased.

 

I've think you've got a handle on it James.

17 outrage....kewl

But I'll never give up my direct drive inboard ;-)

 

Believe what you want, naysayers... If your ever in Anchorage, let me know and I'll hook up my flatbed (2000 lbs) and we'll go for a spin. You can handcalculate to your hearts content. I regularly get around 20 mpg unloaded (70mph or less). I have no reason whatsoever to BS anybody. All my average mpg are hand calculated (I like to check up on the overhead). So take that! -Steve

 

17 to 19 mpg at 65mph hwy cruising empty.

tow a 40' gooseneck 7500 lbs. empty at 65 mph hwy. pretty much flat land down here in the Lonestar State, I get 12.7 to 14 mpg.

 

Empty at 70 I get 19-20mpg consistantly. Suburban driving with long stretches of 45mph gives 18.5~mpg. Heavy traffic city has been as low as 9.4mpg. Towing our 10,400 lb high profile wind catching 5th wheel 65-70 gives 9.6mpg worst to 13mpg best depending on wind direction. Towing a 6X12 U-haul 70 mph gives 13-14mpg. That's both the overhead and hand calculated. The overhead consistantly shows about 1mpg less than calculated. I drive with the flow of traffic with an occasional full throttle launch.

 

It is tough to calculate my mileage, due to the fact that I buy fuel in bulk.
I buy about 400 gals at a time.
Whatever needs fuel gets it. This is kind of tough to figure, because my pumps don't have gallon readouts on them.
I estimate my mileage to be about 12-14 around town, and 16-18 on the highway.
Towing I lose a couple of mpg.
I know it's not good for it but the truck spends a lot of time idling too.
Sometimes as much as 30-45 min.
This usually happens when you pull onto a job just to check on things, thinking your only going to be a few minutes.
Next thing you know, project managers, foreman, engineers all seem to have some kind of issue that requires your attention.
This happened one day and about 2 hours later I remembered my truck was still running.

Rich

 

Rob, I tow a 25.5' Gooseneck (2-horse with 7' living quarters). I think the trailer weighs around #4000 plus #1200 for the horse. At 65 MPH I'm getting about 15 - 16MPG. The Canadian gallon is 20% larger than the US gal, so 16 x .8 = 12.8MPG (call it 13). If I slow down to 60MPH, I do a bit better. Speeding up to 70MPH, starts sucking the diesel. The trailer is tall (about 8.5' off the ground) so wind is a significant issue.

Driving empty at 75 - 80MPH, I drove 500 miles on 120 liters (filled to the neck) = 19.2 MPG (15.6MP US Gal).

I think the mileage is pretty good for that speed. At 60MPH with no wind, I've gotten 25MPG (empty) - Canadian gallon.

 

Just returned from a trip to red coast. Pulled a 5000# boat/trailer to Chucktown, got 15 mpg downhill came back empty, got 18mpg uphill. Kept at steady 65mph on cruise. Always get better mileage had I stayed below 60. When I had the 2500 (24v), my best was 17 loaded and 19 empty. Same size tires 235's.

CTDinMT: Running GTF to Kalispell at 70-75mph? Not likely. Maybe that short stretch on 15 or the flats on 2, but not on 89, 200, 83 or 93!