Got the Diesel Itch, need some knowledge

Ricky,

I am with you. I don't understand how people are coming up with these high MPG readings. I have also read 17-18 towing/empty and some posts that state 21-24 empty.

I have a 2005 Dodge/Cummins, 2wd, 6 spd and it is completely stock (including tire size). The overhead console constantly reads 18-20 MPG but of course I do not trust that so I check it by paper on each tank. My paper calculation comes to 14.6 (3 tank average) empty and 13.2 (3 tank average) towing approx 6300 lbs. *Note: my empty driving is mainly city.

Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining at all, I just don't understand how people are getting these high average MPG's unless they are simply accepting the overhead console as the truth.
 
you are right about the overhead console. i dont have one so i have to hand calc. i put 35 mud terrains on my truck when i first got it. with a straight pipe, intake, and a plug-in programmer the best i saw was 20.9. and yes i was factoring in the bigger tire size, etc. now, with 33's the best i get is around 16/17, but thats mainly b/c of the 200hp injectors and twins :)

John B, your truck has some MPG to be had. exhaust, intake and mileage chip will help a bunch. a stock trucks fuel mileage isn't optimal. my dad's 03 will get low 20s all day long on a 65mph highway, but he has a programmer, intake, & straight exhaust etc.
 
and the difference between a 35 and a 37 on a truck that has 600+ ft-lbs is............MINIMAL

there is an issue of Diesel Power where the guys are modifying a truck just for MPGs. i think its an 03, they installed an extra OD gear, true unlocking hubs, programmer, etc. and are getting upper 20s.
 
Wow got some great input there guys! I'm thinking I really want a 2006/07 model. I'm tired of the 2003-2005 body and interior. The search is one. Found tons in Texas. I may take a week off and visit my brother in Dallas and drive one home. We shall see. I can't believe how hard it is to find these with a SRW. The more I look at the duallys the more I like them though. Just can't warrant that extra expense on tires.
 
Go buy a new one, they are as cheap as used ones. When I was looking, I went to Steve White in Hickory and I had them from 47k to just under 34k out the door after all taxes and fees, within an hour. It was the exact truck I wanted (6.7 Cummins, SRW, 4wd, 6spd, quad cab, short bed, Big Horn package), but it was white. I wanted patriot blue, but that was going to be closer to 36k because they had to get it from a different dealer.
 
bonecrusher said:
really 37 inch tires and your wondering why your mileage sucks?
i got a friend up in pa who has a quadcab dodge 3500 dually whose pulling 23-24 mpg hand calculated over a 6 month period (no towing) of course he has a programmer his rear tires have been switched to single wides and he lowered the truck 3 inches. Plus his tires are now smaller than stock and he drives like a grandmother.
but he definately saves money at the pump.
edit : I think he also did the deletes but I'm not sure if his year dodge came with all that stuff I'll have to check.
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just got off the phone with him. His lie-o-meter (overhead console) tells him 20-23 and he averages real world about 16-18. He also has the deletes on his.
 
I can live with 16mpg. I get 10 unloaded around town on my lie-o-meter in the hemi.

What's the story on the 6.7 liter engines? Sure are a lot of those with the manual shift available.
 
jeepinmatt said:
Go buy a new one, they are as cheap as used ones. When I was looking, I went to Steve White in Hickory and I had them from 47k to just under 34k out the door after all taxes and fees, within an hour. It was the exact truck I wanted (6.7 Cummins, SRW, 4wd, 6spd, quad cab, short bed, Big Horn package), but it was white. I wanted patriot blue, but that was going to be closer to 36k because they had to get it from a different dealer.
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the 07s I'm lookng at are around 25k. What made u choose the new one with the 6.7?
 
One thing you have to play with on your dodges I have learned if you are running a stock truck,stock with my truck gets like 15-17 or so funny thing is back in the day when I bought my diablo predator which gave it really good power it would throw off the overhead like CRAZY saying I was getting about 27-28 but the funny thing is I always hand calculate and I was getting 21-23 but NOW I am running a smarty POD that pours the fuel and can add timing now I get about 18-19 around town,I have NEVER got worse than 17 in my truck though and I dont see how a 2wd drive can get worse than my 4wd running on 37" tires??

The reason I was telling you to not rule out the 03-04 trucks is because they do seem to get better mpgs and Im telling you the NV5600 seems to hold up ALOT better even with the sock clutch,I cant slam gears anymore but my stock clutch still holds fine towing w/e and Im pushing about 430 hp and 800 ft lbs so I think there pretty good,hopefully I cant get some good injector bodies soon and a good double disk clutch.
 
cltdba said:
the 07s I'm lookng at are around 25k. What made u choose the new one with the 6.7?
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Just to be clear, I didn't end up buying one. I chose to walk away because it was just too much money.

However, the 6.7 is so much smoother and quieter than the 5.9. You can hear the 5.9 100ft away if you are standing beside a 6.7 thats running.
 
6.7s are having some problems already though......

Just my input go with the 5.9,I mean comeon its a diesel its not suppose to be some electric sounding car lol!
 
Bigben75ford said:
6.7s are having some problems already though......

Just my input go with the 5.9,I mean comeon its a diesel its not suppose to be some electric sounding car lol!
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I agree completely. Whenever I save up enough to go buy one, it'll be an early 07 with the 5.9.
 
Welp I think I've settled it to an earlier 2007 with the 5.9, 4wd, 6 speed manual, and I'm still debating on dually or not. I should be ready to buy in about 3-4 weeks. I've broadened my searches from west virginia to texas and still haven't found anything that jumps out at me yet. At least nothing cheap enough to warrant the trip.

As far as aftermarket upgrades go I'll put a leveling kit on it, 35s, whatever parts give me good MPG and a heavier duty clutch the first time the stock one goes out.
 
I have one question, why the dually longbed for a DD?

The only reason I say that is I have an 01 CTD extended cab SRW short bed, and the things a big enough bear to DD. To me it just doesn't make a whole lot of sense to try and DD such a monster.
 
spykosshow said:
I have one question, why the dually longbed for a DD?
The only reason I say that is I have an 01 CTD extended cab SRW short bed, and the things a big enough bear to DD. To me it just doesn't make a whole lot of sense to try and DD such a monster.
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Ideally I'd like to find a SRW as well. I'd prefer the long bed primarily for looks. I know it's a bear to drive. I have a 4 door short bed now and sometimes have problems with it. It's primary purpose will be a tow rig. I only need it for a daily driver until I can afford a second car. See, the wife and I are separating and I'm giving her the car. My current truck gets 10 mpg on average when used as a daily driver. That's just not adequate. I also need a bigger truck anyway so I figure I'll upgrade to a bigger one with better fuel mileage and then eventually find me a gas saving beater to drive back and forth to work.
 
stevewes2004 said:
John B, your truck has some MPG to be had. exhaust, intake and mileage chip will help a bunch. a stock trucks fuel mileage isn't optimal. my dad's 03 will get low 20s all day long on a 65mph highway, but he has a programmer, intake, & straight exhaust etc.
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My truck is straight piped and that's it. I am looking to get a cold air intake sometime soon though.

School me on the "mileage chip". I have never heard one referenced as that.
 
I have a 00 F250 with a 7.3, superchip and K&N cold air intake and 4" straight exhaust. It's pretty basic but pulls great. They only trouble I had was the stock clutch. It sucked, sliped when the turbo came in. I put a Valair dual disk in. Now..... no problems plenty of power, daily driven... no complaints.
 
mbrooks said:
I have a 00 F250 with a 7.3, superchip and K&N cold air intake and 4" straight exhaust. It's pretty basic but pulls great. They only trouble I had was the stock clutch. It sucked, sliped when the turbo came in. I put a Valair dual disk in. Now..... no problems plenty of power, daily driven... no complaints.
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Would you have been happy with an automatic?
 
spykosshow said:
I have one question, why the dually longbed for a DD?
The only reason I say that is I have an 01 CTD extended cab SRW short bed, and the things a big enough bear to DD. To me it just doesn't make a whole lot of sense to try and DD such a monster.
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my dually is my dd and you just have to accept the fact that you can't park at the front door,you have to walk little ways.but then again i don't work where there are any parking lots,i often need 4 wheel drive to get work. when you go to events where parking is tight you learn to park where you can drive over the curb to pull straight out or park on the end of a row,you learn all kind of tricks to keep from getting trapped in.
 
spykosshow said:
I have one question, why the dually longbed for a DD?
The only reason I say that is I have an 01 CTD extended cab SRW short bed, and the things a big enough bear to DD. To me it just doesn't make a whole lot of sense to try and DD such a monster.
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Because I can :Rockon:



~Ricky B -> Dually Rollin Coal on Dirty7's :smokin:
 
John B. said:
My truck is straight piped and that's it. I am looking to get a cold air intake sometime soon though.
School me on the "mileage chip". I have never heard one referenced as that.
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Edge Mileage Max or Edge EZ. I think my uncle has one for sale for your year truck.


As far as the 6.7s go, yes they're smoother and quieter, but they dont get as good of mileage, they are having some problems, and they're more to maintain (dpf, emissions, etc.). My uncle bought one of the first ones, b/c he was going to for the 6-speed auto, and he says he wish he would've kept his 5.9. Check out his truck here:

http://www.gorowan.com/2007ram/
 
stevewes2004 said:
Edge Mileage Max or Edge EZ. I think my uncle has one for sale for your year truck.
As far as the 6.7s go, yes they're smoother and quieter, but they dont get as good of mileage, they are having some problems, and they're more to maintain (dpf, emissions, etc.). My uncle bought one of the first ones, b/c he was going to for the 6-speed auto, and he says he wish he would've kept his 5.9. Check out his truck here:
http://www.gorowan.com/2007ram/
Click to expand...

Yeah I hear ya man thats pretty much what I have been hearing on the 6.7s myself,I have just been getting into diesels since I got back from my last deployment but have learned ALOT.Theres a few guys from siler city that I have become really good friends with and there into sled pulling.Anyways one of them has a 6.7 for pulling his sled truck to the track and Im not that impressed with it but they do put out the power compared to the 5.9 stock but like he said just in common sense the mpgs are down.I first went with a edge w attitude and the hot unlock but got rid of it fast it was doing wierd things to my truck but for the mileage for 03-04 trucks I would look into the diablo plus they do run diagnostics and a good price!

Oh and stewes2004 where ya from I love that dually man nice truck!
 
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