Daily Driver - Issues without being deleted?

[gimmie11s]

^I wonder if switching to a dual rear wheel rig contributes to your lower than normal mileage on the diesel. It seems like you are getting around 3mpg lower than what most folks report. Your hemi also seems to get better than typical mileage... I typically hear numbers of 11 to 14.

Not many will get 11-14 towing a RV load over 12k lbs. .... I could care less what they type online--it aint happening.

I get 8-9 towing my 5er with a DRW HO cummins truck... trailer is about 13k lbs loaded down with toys.

That Ford 7.3 is THE engine to get if you want a gas truck.. stay away from Ram or Chevy. That 7.3 is a beast and backed up by a 10sp trans that will ALWAYS keep the gas motor in its power band.

That said, if you plan to tow more than 10k lbs, or a 5th wheel--I'd never buy a gas truck. Pulling hills/grades or towing in elevation will be miserable compared to any of the big 3's diesel offerings.

 

[Firebird]

Not many will get 11-14 towing a load over 12k lbs. .... I could care less what they type online--it aint happening.

I get 8-9 towing my 5er with a DRW HO cummins truck... trailer is about 13k lbs loaded down with toys.

That Ford 7.3 is THE engine to get if you want a gas truck.. stay away from Ram or Chevy. That 7.3 is a beast and backed up by a 10sp trans that will ALWAYS keep the gas motor in its power band.

That said, if you plan to tow more than 10k lbs, or a 5th wheel--I'd never buy a gas truck. Pulling hills/grades or towing in elevation will be miserable compared to any of the big 3's diesel offerings.

Not many will get 11-14 towing a load over 12k lbs. .... I could care less what they type online--it aint happening.

I get 8-9 towing my 5er with a DRW HO cummins truck... trailer is about 13k lbs loaded down with toys.

That Ford 7.3 is THE engine to get if you want a gas truck.. stay away from Ram or Chevy. That 7.3 is a beast and backed up by a 10sp trans that will ALWAYS keep the gas motor in its power band.

That said, if you plan to tow more than 10k lbs, or a 5th wheel--I'd never buy a gas truck. Pulling hills/grades or towing in elevation will be miserable compared to any of the big 3's diesel offerings.

My dually can get 11 pulling on a good day totally flat, but that's the best it can get

 

[gimmie11s]

My dually can get 11 pulling on a good day totally flat, but that's the best it can get

I'd agree with that, but that would be for a short period of time. I think when people talk about "towing mileage" they are talking about their MPG overall while towing.

Similar to how my DRW will get 18-19mpg unloaded on the highway--but overall (including city driving) per tank im averaging more like 16-17 if im lucky.

My towing trips overall, for the whole trip, hand calc'd are always int he 8-9 range for the whole trip.

 

[Brutal_HO]

My 14K lb Grand Design 311BHS gets me to a consistant 8 MPG with a S.O. 4.10 truck.
The same 5th wheel on my 2019 6.4L Hemi 3.73 truck.... 7.5 MPG.

Let me tell you, that $10K dollar was really worth it... NOT. The 6.4L pulled it, the track steer, the tractor and rented excavators just fine. I needed the payload for the camper so traded to a 1 ton duall Cummins thinking what the heck, lets spend it all and gain some noticeable fuel economy. Nope. The Hemi and the Cummins both seem to float around 15 MPG empty around town, both get about the same economy towing but one cost me 10K more in an optional engine that has half of it's owners paniking in fear of the dreaded federal emissions crap.

If I wer doing it again, it would be the Ford 7.3 or the Hemi. I really love the Ford 7.3 and Superduty exterior, but I really love the Ram interior... and that is where I spend my time when using the truck. Tough call.

Apples <> Oranges

FWIW, show a truck a 7-pin trailer plug and the MPG drops to at least 10 or less.

 

[unclelala]

There is an RV YouTube channel called RVDayDream and he has a Ford 7.3 1 ton and towing a 30 ft. Rockwood TT. He and his wife were traveling the southwest US and from the videos I was not impressed when he was going up any kind on incline. The RPM's were soaring and making a racket. You could tell he had to really hammer it to keep speed.
On the diesel side there is a channel called Love your RV and he has a 2018 Ram tradesman with 6.7 HO and the aisin. He was driving on the interstate 15 starting in the northwest corner of Arizona and into Utah and it was all up hill. His truck just purred away with no effort at all the whole time he was climbing up hill.
To me comparing the 2 it sound like when ever the 7.3 was going up a steady incline it sounded like someone who was constipated and trying really hard to pinch a loaf.

 

[gimmie11s]

There is an RV YouTube channel called RVDayDream and he has a Ford 7.3 1 ton and towing a 30 ft. Rockwood TT. He and his wife were traveling the southwest US and from the videos I was not impressed when he was going up any kind on incline. The RPM's were soaring and making a racket. You could tell he had to really hammer it to keep speed.
On the diesel side there is a channel called Love your RV and he has a 2018 Ram tradesman with 6.7 HO and the aisin. He was driving on the interstate 15 starting in the northwest corner of Arizona and into Utah and it was all up hill. His truck just purred away with no effort at all the whole time he was climbing up hill.
To me comparing the 2 it sound like when ever the 7.3 was going up a steady incline it sounded like someone who was constipated and trying really hard to pinch a loaf.

That is the story for any gas engine pulling a grade with a good sized RV attached... at altitude it's even worse.

And the Ford 7.3 is about as good as you can get for gas.

 

[MEGA HO]

My 5.7 Tundra (as well as my 5.7 RAM 2500 work truck) were getting 8-9 mpg pulling my 5k TT. My '19 HO didn't even know it was there hooked up to a truck and there's barely a ding on MPG unless I was driving 75-80mph.
The best $10k I ever spent in "extras" on a truck!

 

[Poolmonkey]

And the Ford 7.3 is about as good as you can get for gas.

My buddy just bought a gasser truck that beats it by 200lbs and it still isn't fit for pulling heavy...pulls his 5+k like it isn't there, though.

 

[2001WS6]

Small update. The dealership finally got the part in.
Truck goes in Monday.
Not gonna lie, I'm totally gun shy on taking it for a 1600 mile trip.

 

[thecastle]

this has turned a bit into a towing fuel economy thread. So I’ll throw my experiences in. It’s not so much about the trailer weight I find, as how aerodynamic that barndoor your towing is, wind and how fast you go. Yeah the truck matters a bit. But here is my experience with different tow vehicles All towing the same trailer my 2020 microlite 21ds, 680lbs hitch and 5000lbs at the axels (cat scale and tongue scale). All towing from austin to Houston via hwy 71/i10 at 70. Measured at the pump. Wind and weather were different. the F450/BMWs where my own vehicles.

2018 F-150 3.5 ecoboost avg 7.2mpg (13 mpg around town)
2008 BMW 4.8i 7.5 mpg
2011 BMW X5m 8.5 mpg (13 mpg around town driving fast)
2000 F-450 7.3 powerjoke 6.1mpg (normally gets about 8 around town)
2019 Chevy 2500 duramax 9.0 (driving at 75-90)
2019 ram 3500 ho Cummins. We’ll find out but I’m seeing 13-16mpg around town driving like a granny. I’m guessing around 9-10 while towing, this trailer At 70.


i like diesels, that’s why I buy them. This ram is the 3rd diesel I’ve owned. It replaced my 2011 X5m is my tow vehicle. The ram I do not daily drive it, it’s a very occasional use vehicle for me as a tow vehicle or alternate to the 450. My daily is a BMW 550i because easy parking and fuel economy

 

[2001WS6]

Small update. The dealership finally got the part in.
Truck goes in Monday.
Not gonna lie, I'm totally gun shy on taking it for a 1600 mile trip.

Well, I didn't have to worry about taking the truck. The "wrong" part came in.
Today the "right" part came in and I will get my truck back Monday.

At least I got a cool rental this time.

2022 2500 Ram with a Cummins.