Define good.
How can i get better gas mileage
- Thread starter Huffdaddy1
- Start date
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KKBB
Senior Member
If you are talking a tuner, then no. The 1996 is all mechanical...there are adjustments that can be made to it mechanically though.
- Joined
- May 13, 2019
- Posts
- 30
- Reaction score
- 41
- Location
- Saint Charles, MO
- Ram Year
- 2022 Limited
- Engine
- Cummins HO
I have a 2022 3500 with Cummins HO. I got better gas milage than my brother during a recent vacation. His truck is a Ford diesel 2500 and he was towing a Montana 5th wheel that was a couple feet shorter than my Cedar Creek. Following him, he always needed gas before me and seemed to consume more gas. The biggest thing that affected milage for both of us was speed.
I was moving an Featherlite car trailer over the weekend and was getting a little bored at night so decided to see what I could do to increase gas milage, so I came up with a strategy for watching the fuel efficiency and trying to do as much as possible to keep the fuel efficiency gauge above a certain point as much as possible and keeping my speed above the speed limit going up hills. Going down hills I would essentially try to keep the gauge as high as possible while trying to build as much momentum as I could for the next hill. There wasn't hardly any traffic on the road so it was pretty easy to do without impacting other drivers or being impacted by other drivers. I had reset my milage at the beginning of the trip and had been getting 12.1 mpg towing the trailer for the 1st 2/3rds of the trip and the milage was staying pretty consistent. With doing what I was doing, by the time I got to my destination my gas milage for the trip turned 13.0 mpg as I parked the truck. I haven't done the math, but in order to end the trip with 13.0, I would have had to have been getting over 14 mpg. Point is ... driving habits can play a huge part.
I was moving an Featherlite car trailer over the weekend and was getting a little bored at night so decided to see what I could do to increase gas milage, so I came up with a strategy for watching the fuel efficiency and trying to do as much as possible to keep the fuel efficiency gauge above a certain point as much as possible and keeping my speed above the speed limit going up hills. Going down hills I would essentially try to keep the gauge as high as possible while trying to build as much momentum as I could for the next hill. There wasn't hardly any traffic on the road so it was pretty easy to do without impacting other drivers or being impacted by other drivers. I had reset my milage at the beginning of the trip and had been getting 12.1 mpg towing the trailer for the 1st 2/3rds of the trip and the milage was staying pretty consistent. With doing what I was doing, by the time I got to my destination my gas milage for the trip turned 13.0 mpg as I parked the truck. I haven't done the math, but in order to end the trip with 13.0, I would have had to have been getting over 14 mpg. Point is ... driving habits can play a huge part.
We call that method hyper-miling. I do it quite often anymore. Being a truck driver trains you to be looking far ahead to anticipate what’s coming. Hard to do in liberal land but easier in flyover country. ”Rolling the hills” comes with the territory when pulling weight. Smooth on and off the throttle and minimal braking.
DSwan7
Junior Member
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2020
- Posts
- 6
- Reaction score
- 4
- Location
- Calgary, Western Canada
- Ram Year
- 2010 Regular cab 4x4 SLT
- Engine
- 4.7 Litre V8
My truck is a 2010 1500 Regular cab 4x4, truxedo prox15 tonneau (very light). with a 4.7 V8. Stock tires are 20", all stock suspension and exhaust (although new), stock height, etc. I change the oil every 3000 kms, and runs better than when I bought it new 12 years ago. I have lightened the truck's weight as much as I can. I get on average, 15MPG, with no tools or load in the box. I drive 50% flat highway and 50% flat city (Calgary). I use 87 octane gas. I drive my daughters 2003 VW Jetta 2.0L sometimes, and this car gets about 26MPG on average. I have looked at every way I can think of to get better fuel mileage, such as clean air filter, fuel filter, new plugs, correct tire pressure, lightening the load, etc. The newer trucks are obviously way better on gas. I have now accepted that I will only get 15MPG tops on my truck.
PaleFlyer
Senior Member
I'm able to get about 18 average (on display) on my '18 rebel, 8 speed, 5.7l, with Toyo AT3 Open Countries (goofed the order for the new tires from the OEM AT2's). No external mods (yet, unless you include a smaller antenna), mostly highway commuter traffic (~32 miles one way), and I'm doing around 70 MPH.
I saw 20 on a 2 hour (one way) trip with the lady a few weeks back, but that was Sunday afternoon traffic, so basically set the cruise, and forgot about it for most of the drive.
I saw 20 on a 2 hour (one way) trip with the lady a few weeks back, but that was Sunday afternoon traffic, so basically set the cruise, and forgot about it for most of the drive.
aepowell
Member
- Joined
- Aug 19, 2013
- Posts
- 43
- Reaction score
- 30
- Ram Year
- 2013
- Engine
- Hemi 5.7
I have a 2013 Ram with hemi. it has the 6 spd and 355 gears. When I was commuting 60 miles a day with very light traffic I was getting an average of 18.0 I retired in January. I only drive in town now which is quite hilly. I am only getting 11.5 over the last 2000 miles. The truck is a Lone Star.
Tray Burge
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2015
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- On the porch
- Ram Year
- 2003
- Engine
- 5.7 Hemi
Buy a Toyota.
- Joined
- Nov 2, 2020
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- Location
- El Cajon Calif. 92021
- Ram Year
- 2016
- Engine
- 3.0 ecodiesel
keep your tires at the proper inflation
When you look down the street & see a RED signal light ahead, you can not scare the light into changing, just remove your foot from the Go pedal.
Keep the Idling down to a minimum, like at the 7/11, sure the person that you are waiting on is rushing through the store, but you sure are using gas.
I see people parked at 7/11, donut shops, etc.
They have the A/C ON, a Laptop leaning against the steering wheel & they sit there for long periods of time, because of the Free WiFi at those places. Talk about using gas
When you look down the street & see a RED signal light ahead, you can not scare the light into changing, just remove your foot from the Go pedal.
Keep the Idling down to a minimum, like at the 7/11, sure the person that you are waiting on is rushing through the store, but you sure are using gas.
I see people parked at 7/11, donut shops, etc.
They have the A/C ON, a Laptop leaning against the steering wheel & they sit there for long periods of time, because of the Free WiFi at those places. Talk about using gas
1STRAM2500
Member
I have to agree that driving habits are critical. With my 22 6.4L 2500 Tradesman, mixed driving for me in my "rural" area is around 14-16 mpg on 87 octane. My 2007 5.7L Tundra routinely got 18+ with same driving. Of course, the 2500 has a curb weight about 1000 pounds over the Tundra! Biggest thing I have seen so far is how the 6.4L Hemi sucks gas when idling and running short errands. Back off the brakes, don't accelerate too quickly or drive any faster than necessary, and DON'T IDLE too much. I can sit in line at fast food and watch the lie-o-meter count down before my eyes! Just returned from trip to Myrtle Beach on round trip about 850 miles and at 65-70 on I95, got around 7.5 towing a 10000K camper.
yes there is turn the fuel pump up, install a cold air intake, and straight pipe it. you will see a pretty decent jump.
ride rore
Junior Member
My 2012 5.7 1500 = tires fully inflated / K&N intake / Stainless Flowmaster cat back / + cutout just past headers / can routinely get 20+ mpg (when running steady state...but...throw in traffic, too much headwind, too many hills and the sensitive mileage really suffers) So just keep driving and don't stop...
Fatbob Frank
Senior Member
- Joined
- Nov 27, 2018
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- 2,544
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- 6,951
- Location
- Mc Gregor, Iowa
- Ram Year
- 2021
- Engine
- 6.4L
Toyota car he means..
I work with 2 guys who drive 5.7L Tundras and they don't get any better mileage than my PowerWagon does..
- Joined
- Mar 20, 2016
- Posts
- 10,781
- Reaction score
- 16,918
- Ram Year
- 2015
- Engine
- 3.0 EcoDiesel
If the OP was going to buy a truck for better fuel economy it would be a Ram with the EcoDiesel under the hood. I get a little bummed when my fuel economy is under 20 mpg, but that usually means I'm towing a trailer.
Fatbob Frank
Senior Member
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- Nov 27, 2018
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- Engine
- 6.4L
My nephew has a Eco-D as well.
He says it gets 21-22 driving it back and forth to work which only seems bad compared to his 40mpg Honda Civic...
He says it gets 21-22 driving it back and forth to work which only seems bad compared to his 40mpg Honda Civic...
Tray Burge
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2015
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- 2,242
- Reaction score
- 2,336
- Location
- On the porch
- Ram Year
- 2003
- Engine
- 5.7 Hemi
If I was looking for good gas mileage, I wouldn't have bought a Hemi? lol
10 Break
Senior Member
Govtman
Member
Testing I saw showed the aerodynamic efficiency(if you can say that about a truck) on the Ram dropped off dramatically over 65mph.
