Best Mods/upgrades for better mpg's??

[BeastNasty]

What's up Ram Nation!
I got a 2010 1500 4x4 5.7 hemi.
I'm getting about 17.5 per gallon.
& while that's not too bad I desperately
Need to do something for better mileage.
I have a 2 hour commute to work daily
& man it's just killing me at the pump.
The truck is untouched as far as mods go
So basically its all factory specs. I've heard of these
Cold air intakes & I read all kinds of conflicting
Conclusions online. So I figured who better to ask
Than my fellow Ramers...any specific & detailed suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[toofart]

Buy a small car. Seriously, no mod will make a bigger impact than a small car.

 

[xrsman]

Lots of people on here will tell you that no mod is really going to help with mileage. I did hand calculated numbers and have increased my fuel mileage with the following: S&B CAI, MBRP cat back, Hemifever 91 octane tune, tonneau cover. I don't care what anyone says, I DID have a 3-4 (depending on how I drove) mpg gain (imperial) from the above mods. They all work together, without all of those you won't see the same numbers. I did them more for performance but the mpg gain deffinitly helps!

 

[SyN]

Keep it Stock! Drive like a Senior Citizen!

I average 18.3 in town and 21.7-22.0 mph on interstate and turnpike! 65-70mph.

For a 5.7L 4x4 QC I am happy with it!! Alot better then a few Fords and Chevy owners I know.

 

[BeastNasty]

NEVER!!

 

[BeastNasty]

Preciate the info xrsman. 3-4 extra mpg would be great for me. Just can't believe the tonneau cover helps with the mpg gains. I'm not doubting u or anything, just saying. I wonder if one of those slider covers would be just as good??

 

[BlackBeauty012]

How are u guys figuring ur mileage?

 

[ExpressRules]

A catch can will double your mileage. I swear!! (Plus your truck can go 20,000 between oil changes)

 

[Brody57]

A catch can will double your mileage. I swear!! (Plus your truck can go 20,000 between oil changes)

Oh god. Here we go LOL

 

[bskl76]

1. Mpg haters

The one thing thts kinda funny about this forum.

Anyways I'm with xrsman, except a couple more bolt on mods. Notice avg. 2mpg. increase. Even with 3.92, hand calculated. Note, whenever u do get any mods be aware of GAS pedal cause u have tendency to wanna feel it with butt dyno.

1. Driving habits= ask urself do I have to speed to the red light or can I coast? It never fails, ppl in a huge rush to get to tht red light only to be passed by me.
When cruising freeway speeds try not to go over 65 & keep steady. The lower the better. I know this isn't what u wanna hear but u asked. I like to go fast too, just not all the time.

2. Reduce weight at all times. I'm usually local when drivin my ram, I have another car, motocycles so I took out spare tire & jack, I got AAA (this just works for me). I don't keep my cab or gas tank full when not needed.

3. Tire pressure. Low resistance tires. Keeping Ur ram happy with fluids.

 

[xrsman]

Preciate the info xrsman. 3-4 extra mpg would be great for me. Just can't believe the tonneau cover helps with the mpg gains. I'm not doubting u or anything, just saying. I wonder if one of those slider covers would be just as good??

It makes the truck more aerodynamic, all that air passing over will keep going over instead of going into the box. Did it make the that much of a difference? I don't know, but I put it on at the same time as I put my S&B on and that's when I tested the mileage.

How are u guys figuring ur mileage?

I reset the trip meter when I fill up, then when I fill up next I run the numbers through an app on my phone. (How many kms driven and how many liters of fuel used.) Then it tells me my exact mileage for that tank of gas. I've used the app and actual hand calculated and the app is dead accurate with the hand calculated numbers!

 

[*tim*]

Lots of people on here will tell you that no mod is really going to help with mileage. I did hand calculated numbers and have increased my fuel mileage with the following: S&B CAI, MBRP cat back, Hemifever 91 octane tune, tonneau cover. I don't care what anyone says, I DID have a 3-4 (depending on how I drove) mpg gain (imperial) from the above mods. They all work together, without all of those you won't see the same numbers. I did them more for performance but the mpg gain deffinitly helps!

That's gotta be close to $2000 in mods and you will never pay for the mods with a savings in gas let alone save money like the op is wanting. Like others have said, buy a cheap car for a couple grand and get 30-40mpg. Wouldn't take long to pay for its self. Might even save money ey on insurance having liability on your daily driver and your truck as a secondary vehicle

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[xrsman]

That's gotta be close to $2000 in mods and you will never pay for the mods with a savings in gas let alone save money like the op is wanting. Like others have said, buy a cheap car for a couple grand and get 30-40mpg. Wouldn't take long to pay for its self. Might even save money ey on insurance having liability on your daily driver and your truck as a secondary vehicle

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i didn't buy them to save fuel, I bought them for the added power and fun factor. It's just a bonus that I gained some mpgs. He asked what people did to increase mpgs so I figured I'd share what I've done. I thought about buying a car for longer trips but think of it this way: you can buy a hell of a lot of gas for the price of a car and the added cost of insurance! So I'm just going to dump the fuel into my truck and enjoy driving my truck!

 

[JasonK94Z]

I added a bed cover to my truck a couple of weeks after I bought it. It didn't do a damn thing but keep my luggage and groceries dry on rainy days. Great for everything but mpg. I wasn't expecting a change in mpg though. The aerodynamics of the top of the cab causes air to tumble in a big low pressure circle behind the back window and into the bed reducing drag from the tailgate.

 

[skHemi64]

I'm with bskl76. LRR tires, air pressure - major influence.

DRIVING HABITS is the #1 mod for better fuel mileage. (the nut behind the wheel).

*tim* just remember that for some folks it isn't about saving money. It is about better fuel mileage. I personally think they go hand in hand. ROI is a term most folks never heard of. But, that said...

If money is no object to gain fuel economy, then reducing the cd is also important. Drop the truck to the ground - more or less, smooth the underbelly for airflow, mod the front for least wind resistance, proper length air dam, remove the side mirrors, skinny LRR tires with high pressure, Moon/pizza pan hub caps, swept back/tapered bed cap, chop the top with raked back windshield, do extensive smoke tests for any abnormal wind resistance and correct it. You pretty much want a Bonneville mud flats speed record breaker look to it.

Sounds dumb, I know, but you can spend a lot of money on mods. If you want to go cheap, change your driving habits and learn some things about hypermiling. IMHO [disclaimer]

 

[DannyMK2]

It makes the truck more aerodynamic, all that air passing over will keep going over instead of going into the box. Did it make the that much of a difference? I don't know, but I put it on at the same time as I put my S&B on and that's when I tested the mileage.

this is completely false. the truck is designed so that the air passes over the tailgate and does not get trapped in the bed creating drag. adding a tonneau does nothing for the aerodynamics. there have been plenty of tests proving this.

you can spend thousands on mods to maybe gain a slight increase in fuel mileage. fact is that money would be better spent on the fuel (or another car thats better on fuel) because the return on your investment would take way to long. a ram probably isnt the best vehicle for a 2 hour daily commute. keep it stock and drive like an old man or pick up a cheap beater. probably not the answers your looking for but its the honest truth.

 

[*tim*]

I'm with you guys on the mods for the fun factor as I have most the ones listed in this thread and others like it but with performance in mind. The op was complaining about getting killed at the pump so I'm assuming he is looking at saving money. None of these mods will pay for themselves in returns of gas mileage. And with a 2 hr commute every day a small car would for sure pay for its self not to mention the resale you would save by not racking up the miles on your truck

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[Caldwell]

^ THIS...

there really is no argument that can be made.

 

[ExpressRules]

this is completely false. the truck is designed so that the air passes over the tailgate and does not get trapped in the bed creating drag. adding a tonneau does nothing for the aerodynamics. there have been plenty of tests proving this.

you can spend thousands on mods to maybe gain a slight increase in fuel mileage. fact is that money would be better spent on the fuel (or another car thats better on fuel) because the return on your investment would take way to long. a ram probably isnt the best vehicle for a 2 hour daily commute. keep it stock and drive like an old man or pick up a cheap beater. probably not the answers your looking for but its the honest truth.

^^^^^^
This

Myth Busters tested this by comparing tailgate on and tailgate removed. Made no difference in mileage.

 

[Crescent1101]

I do the the mods for the VROOM VROOM. You'll lose more money than save doing mods. Someone said they got 2-3 from do an efan conversion (just stirring the pot).