Ram towing mileage

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I had a 94 1500 standard cab with 360/automatic. Two wheel drive, 3.54 gears. Weighed 4600 lbs. Got 15.5-16 mpg on the interstate empty except for me. 13 or so around town. About ten hauling a car on an open trailer.

Bought a 2004 2500 Cummins/automatic four-wheel drive brand new December 03. Weighs 7,000 lbs. Gets over 20 mpg on the highway (22-23 if I take it easy), 18-19 around town, 17.5 pulling a car on an open car hauler, 12.5-13 pulling a 30 foot, 8500 pound travel trailer (except in West Virginia where pulling that trailer up and down mountains dropped mileage to ten-something).

I get better fuel mileage towing a car to a show than I can get driving the car.

Plus it tows so much more effortlessly than my old 360 did.

Will also pull a junk car out of a field, put it in four-low and just idle it out, don't even have to hit the gas (or maybe I should say the accelerator) - cars that gas pickups and diesel tractors couldn't even budge.

Will never go back to a gas truck.

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Idk if this is true or not but an old farmer told me he used his old diesel dodge 4x4 to pull his plow when his tractor broke down. YMMV. Kim
 
Just this past weekend towed my car trailer, with my buddys AMC on it to the drags.
6.4 4.10 gears 4wd, 8 mpg but that was up and down WVa hills with the cruise control set at the speed limit.
Not bad since it only gets 10 mpg empty.

Now I do have a small enclosed trailer 5x8 that I tow behind my Wrangler, and it will get over 20 mpg towing, the jeep is a 4 cyl turbo.
 
dustertogo said:
Thanks in advance for the help
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I don't have a truck, but If I had a truck, that I suspected was a gas-hog, and it wasn't the chassis;
>the first thing I'd do would be a compression test. and if she passed that;
>I'd put a scanner on it and see what the stinking computer is doing.
Yeah, you gotta be able to understand it, but the basics are pretty learnable, even at my age. (71)
 
mbaird said:
Early Cummins are a different cat . We are talking Hemi’s .

The extra initial cost of the Cummins + the price per gallon makes it hard to justify unless you are towing big loads .

How did the Eco Diesel’s work out ? They caught my attention.
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I have a '22 EcoDiesel. 31 MPG EMPTY on an all-highway trip. Best I even had. Worst is 20 MPG all city in the winter. I DO NOT tow with it. It is my "car". 3:23 geared rearend but an 8-speed auto. I will tell you; it is one of the nicest riding vehicles I have ever owned. I hope it lasts me at least 15 years.
 
oldkimmer said:
Idk if this is true or not but an old farmer told me he used his old diesel dodge 4x4 to pull his plow when his tractor broke down. YMMV. Kim
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Low range on dry ground. I can see that . Would shorten its life span if done often though.
 
Bobzilla said:
I have had mine since 2010 when I bought it used with about 13,000 miles on it, and fuel mileage is staying pretty darn consistent all this time. I am up to 298,000 miles now.
I would say nothing is wrong with yours since it compares so closely to mine. Do you tow in overdrive or with overdrive off? With a big trailer I turn overdrive off and try to limit my speed to around 65 mph, and less in windy or poor weather conditions.
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With the 6x12 enclosed trailer I tow in OD.
 
mbaird said:
Low range on dry ground. I can see that . Would shorten its life span if done often though.
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Not really, let the gears do the work.
Most tractors do not have alot of HP just gears.
 
Got an 18 2500 Cummins on 35s, gets 14 city, 18-20 highway, depending on load 8-13 towing. She won't win any drag races or sip fuel, but towing is a dream. Really need to delete the truck. Had a 16 2500 6.4 , also on 35s, was more sporty than the Cummins but went through two brand new engines in 3 years, the dreaded 6.4 piston slap and expecting a gas engine to pull grades at 75 mph towing really didn't help
 
dmopar74 said:
Got an 18 2500 Cummins on 35s, gets 14 city, 18-20 highway, depending on load 8-13 towing. She won't win any drag races or sip fuel, but towing is a dream. Really need to delete the truck. Had a 16 2500 6.4 , also on 35s, was more sporty than the Cummins but went through two brand new engines in 3 years, the dreaded 6.4 piston slap and expecting a gas engine to pull grades at 75 mph towing really didn't help
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what do you tow?
 
I don't think you are too far off. I have a 2015 Laramie crew cab, since new I only manage to get 15-17mpg empty with a mix of city and highway driving. Pulling my Jeep on an open trailer (maybe 6000 lbs) I would get 11-12, towing a 4500lb travel trailer I would get 10, amd with my current 6500lb travel trailer, I'm right at 8.5mpg. The truck has 104k on it, 48k have been with a trailer hooked up. I go through at least 1 set of exhaust manifold studs a year, I am assuming from the extended towing and heat build up. Other than, just routine maintenance. I put spark plugs in it not too long ago, it didn't make any noticeable changes.
 
Christ these mileages are from the 80's/90's for the most part. Cars mpg has improved drastically, but truck mileage still sucks!
 
LOL....I had an 84 D350 2wd with a 360/727/4.10 Dana. Bare bones former US Army truck with PS and PB. It got 12 mpg empty, 12 mpg loaded down with firewood, 12 mpg pulling my car trailer....and probably 12 mpg pushed out of the back of a C130 with a parachute! :realcrazy:
 
4spdragtop said:
Christ these mileages are from the 80's/90's for the most part. Cars mpg has improved drastically, but truck mileage still sucks!
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Right. Plus, if you leave the transmission over drive OFF, some actually get worse mileage than their 1970s counterparts.
 
2020 Laramie 5.7 with E-torque, 8spd, 20" wheels, and 3.55 gears(I think). I get 17/18 around town and 18-20 on the highway depending how deep my foot is in it. Recently towed my daughter's CRV back to Wisconsin from Waco, TX and averaged 12.5-14.5 mpg depending on whether we were in the hills or not. Truck acted like it didn't even know the car was back there. Got a solid 1.5 mpg better while running non-ethanol gas. I have the 33 gal tank and can get nearly 600 miles without stopping on long trips, but my bladder and butt can only handle about 400.
 
My 2019 Ram limited, 8 spd, 5.7, the best I've ever had mostly freeway driving is 17 mpg, around town it's about 14 mpg, towing my 4000lb RV on the freeway it drops to 10 mpg, with it in "tow haul " as recommended by the owners manual so that's O/D off. It tows like I dream I can do 110 km on the freeway ( about 70 mph ) and still be able to pass slower traffic with ease if needed. 3:92 towing gears. I love the truck, it's my 3rd 5.7 in a Ram. I DIDNT buy it for the gas mileage. I bought because I like and needed a truck. If I need economy I take the wifes v6 Cherokee! Lol.
 
mopar56 said:
My 2019 Ram limited, 8 spd, 5.7, the best I've ever had mostly freeway driving is 17 mpg, around town it's about 14 mpg, towing my 4000lb RV on the freeway it drops to 10 mpg, with it in "tow haul " as recommended by the owners manual so that's O/D off. It tows like I dream I can do 110 km on the freeway ( about 70 mph ) and still be able to pass slower traffic with ease if needed. 3:92 towing gears. I love the truck, it's my 3rd 5.7 in a Ram. I DIDNT buy it for the gas mileage. I bought because I like and needed a truck. If I need economy I take the wifes v6 Cherokee! Lol.
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X2 buy the truck that fits your needs, when you need to do truck stuff.
Have a gas sipper for daily driving needs.

My 17 3500 has 23K miles on it, I bought it new, it gets used for towing and truck stuff 10 mpg.

My daily is a 23 Wrangler with a 4 cyl, just today took the granddaughter for a long ride to the game farm, lunch etc it got 23 mpg, it now has 17K miles on it, and I bought it new.
I plan on wearing it out, it does not make sense to drive a truck that gets 1/2 the mileage everyday.
 
I get 16 in my 2012 with no trailer, and 12 with my car hauler empty, slightly less with a car on it. Pulling the camper I get 9, and no matter where I drive, I’m ticking. I spent $8k on a new engine and getting it installed, 10k miles later and the old Hemi tick has come back. I’m about to jump ship and get me a GM truck, these Rams suck!
 
sireland67 said:
X2 buy the truck that fits your needs, when you need to do truck stuff.
Have a gas sipper for daily driving needs.

My 17 3500 has 23K miles on it, I bought it new, it gets used for towing and truck stuff 10 mpg.

My daily is a 23 Wrangler with a 4 cyl, just today took the granddaughter for a long ride to the game farm, lunch etc it got 23 mpg, it now has 17K miles on it, and I bought it new.
I plan on wearing it out, it does not make sense to drive a truck that gets 1/2 the mileage everyday.
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Gas is a lot cheaper than a second vehicle that's $45k+.
 
72Duster440 said:
Gas is a lot cheaper than a second vehicle that's $45k+.
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That's a true statement. I got my daughter a newer vehicle and was going to hang onto her old CRV to drive during the winter and because it gets better mileage than the Ram. But, I soon realized that between liability insurance and registration, it will cost me $650 a year just to park it in the driveway. The vehicle is paid for but cost of ownership doesn't stop there.
 
72Duster440 said:
I don't think you are too far off. I have a 2015 Laramie crew cab, since new I only manage to get 15-17mpg empty with a mix of city and highway driving. Pulling my Jeep on an open trailer (maybe 6000 lbs) I would get 11-12, towing a 4500lb travel trailer I would get 10, amd with my current 6500lb travel trailer, I'm right at 8.5mpg. The truck has 104k on it, 48k have been with a trailer hooked up. I go through at least 1 set of exhaust manifold studs a year, I am assuming from the extended towing and heat build up. Other than, just routine maintenance. I put spark plugs in it not too long ago, it didn't make any noticeable changes.
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Those things are notorious for manifolds warping

When my 2017 popped the studs I had long tube headers put on, hopefully that will end it once and for all
 
I have an 18' 1500 Hemi and 3:92s, has long tubes, tune, and x-piped true duals sitting on 35s. Empty I average about 16mpg. I have a heavy 22' boat and when towing it I get about 9-10.

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diymirage said:
Those things are notorious for manifolds warping

When my 2017 popped the studs I had long tube headers put on, hopefully that will end it once and for all
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I've thought about headers a few times for mine. I think the cheapest ones are about a grand for shorties. It only takes about 90 minutes per side to do the manifolds now, and the bolts are free with the lifetime warranty, so I pick a weekend and spend the 3 hours swapping out both sides once a year when they break.

I put a new set of manifolds on last time, it's been 12 months and about 10k miles, so far so good.
 
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