Tow Vehicle, Boat type, Gas Mileage comparison

WIMUSKY

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Re: Tow Vehicle, Boat type, Gas Mileage comparison

2007 Dodge 2500, 4x4, 5.7 hemi, quad cab. 17 not towing. 11 towing, no matter how light or heavy the load.......
 

642mx

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Re: Tow Vehicle, Boat type, Gas Mileage comparison

2008 Tundra 5.7L 4x4 D-Cab. Other than a Gibson exhaust, its stock.

Best: 19.57 (hand calculated) on a 3 hour trip at 70 mph.

Normal Highway/City mix: 15-16

Towing the Baja: 12-14 (depending on how much of a hurry I'm in to get to the river)

I bought it mainly to tow with, so mileage doesn't mean too much to me. It pulls my Baja with zero effort, so its fitting my needs perfectly. :)
 

badkins50

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Re: Tow Vehicle, Boat type, Gas Mileage comparison

2005 dodge ram 1500, short bed, standard cab. I get 12.9, regular driving, no towing. My 19' open bow has really no effect. Now towing my 30' camper at 5500lbs is a different story. Can't wait for to get a 2500 cummins diesel dually, then tell the wife we need a bigger boat because ours looks to small back there :p.
 

jtmarten

Master Chief Petty Officer
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Re: Tow Vehicle, Boat type, Gas Mileage comparison

Lose the Tornado, JT. It restricts your intake.

I've wondered about them, if they really work or not. Was intalled when I bought the truck. I'll have to pull it and see what mileage/power diff I notice.
 

Subliminal

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Oct 21, 2009
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Re: Tow Vehicle, Boat type, Gas Mileage comparison

OP, you just have two too many cylinders and they're out of line. ;)

Seriously though:

91 Dodge W250 4x4 5.9L Cummins w/ 33x12.5.

Around town/small amounts of highway I usually get right around 18.

Towing, I dunno...I only tow about ~75 miles round trip. I know it drags the overall tank mileage down, but not sure how much.

I'm going on a trek from NJ to WV in a few days. My family there lives right on the Ohio and I'm 1/2 tempted to pull the boat the 450 miles each way, but I may not. I'm also interested to see how my mileage is with all highway on a long trek. I feel like my beast can break 20 MPG...I just feel it! I don't have any of that fancy schmancy programmer business on my truck. It has a starter, a fuel cut off, a heater grid and a voltage regulator...the rest of the wires run the stereo and the lights. ;)
 

sasto

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Re: Tow Vehicle, Boat type, Gas Mileage comparison

I'm going on a trek from NJ to WV in a few days. My family there lives right on the Ohio and I'm 1/2 tempted to pull the boat the 450 miles each way, but I may not. . ;)

I haven't towed many boats, period, but our trip last fall thru (Wild, Wonderful) WV, on vacation, naked without a trailer, we had the brakes a smokin'. Can't imagine how some of the folks pull the stuff thru there the way they do. Have fun.
 

Subliminal

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Re: Tow Vehicle, Boat type, Gas Mileage comparison

My truck is rated to pull 16k, and my boat weighs ~3500 loaded with fuel...and the trailer has brakes. I'd think it'd be fine, but again...not sure if its worth the hassle...if I'd even get to take it out.
 

jkust

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Re: Tow Vehicle, Boat type, Gas Mileage comparison

My rig is a Buick Rainier SUV with a 5.3 Liter V8, 3.73's and full time AWD pulling my 4000lb Chaparral and trailer. I just got back from a 500 mile trip yesterday and got 14.1mpg and that was with the 33gallon boat gas tank almost empty. My mostly city/a little highway mixed daily driving is about 15mpg. I have taken the same trip and gotten as high as 15.3mpg but it was very windy on our trip. On one occassion, mid day with no traffic I got on the highway from work to home, got in the center lane and set the cruise at 60mph to see what kind of mileage the truck was actually capable of. It was about 18mpg. The instant you get off the highway it drops dramatically. It is my wife's truck so it rarely sees the highway or any road for that matter.
 

mimmik02420

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Aug 28, 2010
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Re: Tow Vehicle, Boat type, Gas Mileage comparison

I witnessed my buddies truck with my own eyes hes not lying. 14-16 was done on country roads hauling scrap to the scrap yard (not a boat but just wanted to put some input in) so it would be 45mph to 55 mph it was not highway. now the guys pulling the dpf i dont really believe. and ya your right they are diesel this diesel that they are better than gas etc, back to what you wanted to know. I just bought a 2004 Ram 1500 extended cab 6ft bed with the hemi i get 14-17 avg and about 12 pulling my 20ft boat. only pulled it once tho im in the middle of a restore at the moment. (just pulled it this weekend) (was mostly moving it in the city) Ill let you know about my father in laws truck we are gonna dump his dpf and get him a tuner and intake ill let you know the results if your interested. Which duramax you got? LB7?

I have the LB7 and (knock on wood) have avoided the infamous injector problems so far (knock on wood again). I thought you were talking about that kind of mileage going highway speeds of 65-70. I was really trying not to offend you at all. If you were I apologize.
 

mimmik02420

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Re: Tow Vehicle, Boat type, Gas Mileage comparison

I know that old 12-valve Cummings has 20mpg in her. The programmer for me made all the difference. Biggest reason for the programmer and exhaust were because of the camper I pulled. It's retired now but it was a heavy SOB. I wanted to be able to see the exhaust temp and get the heat out with the 4" turbo back exhaust. I still hit 1200 degrees F on a long hill. Hit 1400 or more for a sustained period of time and metal melts. I love those old Cummings motors though. They've always had a great motor but it was the tranny that was a turn off. Where I am in Florida, transmissions don't seem to hold up. Too effin hot.
 

sandersps

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Mar 14, 2010
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Re: Tow Vehicle, Boat type, Gas Mileage comparison

2006 ram 2500, 5.9l cummins, 4x4, auto, crew cab, k and n filter, straight exhaust.

pulling- 1993 bayliner 1950 classic, 3.0l mercruiser, guessing 2500-3000 lbs.

naked- 24mpg with my wife driving (19 with me at the helm, darn mustangs and camero's try to hang with the cummins)

loaded-17 or 19 depending on the lake im headed to. average speed is 70mph.

anyone who doubts my numbers is more than welcome to fill my tank and when i get back from the lake you can check them for yourself. lol
 

Todd157k

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Jul 12, 2010
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Re: Tow Vehicle, Boat type, Gas Mileage comparison

2005 Dodge Ram 1500 quad cab 4x4, 5.7 Hemi. Unloaded 65mph - 19. Pulling 5k lbs boat at 55 (gotta love CA) 13.5. (don't use "towing" mode)

I'm pretty surprised at the other 5.7 hemi's not getting the same/close. Only mods I have is intake, stock Borla exhaust (Daytona Edition) and electric fans. oh, and a cheapy "Jet" piggy back chip because it helps downshift MUCH faster.
oh, I rarely have the spoiler on.. it actually gets 2 mpg LESS with it on. :rolleyes:

05daytonabyfmoglia_1.jpg
 

oldjeep

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Re: Tow Vehicle, Boat type, Gas Mileage comparison

2009 Crewcab Hemi Ram 3.21 gears. 20 MPG at 65 unloaded 13-15 MPG towing 3500lbs

P7100002.JPG
 

IH8JEEP

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Feb 7, 2011
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Re: Tow Vehicle, Boat type, Gas Mileage comparison

1997 isuzu rodeo auto. no load 14-16mpg. 18' cc sailfish with t-top driving 55 in gear 3 no overdrive 10 mpg. But look ahead to try to get up a little speed for hills:D
 

Cannondale

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Re: Tow Vehicle, Boat type, Gas Mileage comparison

Lose the Tornado, JT. It restricts your intake.


Heck, JT, I'd even lose the K&N filter....while it allows more air to pass through, it also allows a LOT more dirt to pass through. So, guess if you like more grit/dirt being ingested by the engine, keep it.

Also, if the K&N came with the truck, there is the distinct possibility that it was over oiled by the previous owner and has coated your MAF sensor which would cause mileage problems, too.
 

DuckHunterJon

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Re: Tow Vehicle, Boat type, Gas Mileage comparison

Another data point.

2003 Chevy 2500 HD Ext cab, Short bed, 8.1 L (gas), Allison 5 sp, 3.73 gears, bone stock.

Empty fuel mileage - 12 mpg highway.

Towing the boat (bigger one in my sig, 3000 lbs) - 10 mpg.

Towing my 16' flatbed with the tractor strapped on (combined 10,000 lbs) - 7.5 mpg.

Empty with snow plow on and doing the drive way once a day - 5 to 6.5 mpg.


Pretty bad, but I love the truck, and won't part with it soon. On the upside, I really only drive it in the winter and towing. I put about 10K miles on a variety of motorcycles in the summer. The worst one (Suzuki DL1000) gets 55 mpg, the best one (Yamaha XT225) gets 90+ mpg. It all averages out.
 

captain zac

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Re: Tow Vehicle, Boat type, Gas Mileage comparison

2008 F-250 Des. 2 wd 18 on the hwy 14 on the hwy pulling a 6500lb boat and trailer
 
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