Author Topic: Fuel mileage on your tow rig (Read 24830 times)

mattlosch · « **Reply #30 on:** Oct 06, 2009, 05:58:53 PM »

or you could get a cummins for the same price and get better milage and more power!!

axled89 · « **Reply #31 on:** Oct 06, 2009, 06:02:19 PM »

yeah! but i enjoy burning rice.

Thomas P · « **Reply #32 on:** Oct 06, 2009, 10:46:48 PM »

Quote from: mattlosch on Oct 06, 2009, 05:58:53 PM

or you could get a cummins for the same price and get better milage and more power!!

buying a diesel rig costs way more...... you can buy a lot of regular unleaded for the extra price of a diesel truck...... plus its a toyota! now if toyota had a diesel.....

oh yeah and dodges arent made in america like a tundra is

axled89 · « **Reply #33 on:** Oct 06, 2009, 10:56:51 PM »

Thomas P · « **Reply #34 on:** Oct 07, 2009, 06:33:14 AM »

wait for it, wait for it..........

mattlosch · « **Reply #35 on:** Oct 08, 2009, 07:41:41 PM »

considering you can get a new dodge cummins for the same price as a tundra i would go with the cummins..
story..

towed a sti to so cal for a car show last summer, flat bed trailer and car weighed in around 6k... buddy had a brand new tunda, towing a supra on a flat bed weighting about the same... best he ever saw was 12mpg and couldnt even pull 65mph up the sisque mt pass, i pulled it at 85 no problem and worst mileage i saw was 18.2 driving about 75-80 the whole way..... went thru half the amount of fuel he did...

Dingman. · « **Reply #36 on:** Oct 08, 2009, 08:45:27 PM »

Quote from: mattlosch on Oct 08, 2009, 07:41:41 PM

considering you can get a new dodge cummins for the same price as a tundra i would go with the cummins..
story..

towed a sti to so cal for a car show last summer, flat bed trailer and car weighed in around 6k... buddy had a brand new tunda, towing a supra on a flat bed weighting about the same... best he ever saw was 12mpg and couldnt even pull 65mph up the sisque mt pass, i pulled it at 85 no problem and worst mileage i saw was 18.2 driving about 75-80 the whole way..... went thru half the amount of fuel he did...

Wow towing 85mph ... Isn't the maximum speed while towing a trailer 55mph?

emsvitil · « **Reply #37 on:** Oct 08, 2009, 08:51:51 PM »

Quote from: Dingman. on Oct 08, 2009, 08:45:27 PM

Wow towing 85mph ... Isn't the maximum speed while towing a trailer 55mph?

55 in CA and maybe a couple of other states.

I think generally it's 65

Dingman. · « **Reply #38 on:** Oct 08, 2009, 08:55:39 PM »

Yea ive only been out of commyfornia a couple of times and never paid attention to the speed limit since i wasnt driving.. Good to know its not always 55mph..

Steve_925 · « **Reply #39 on:** Oct 08, 2009, 09:13:23 PM »

its 75 in alot of state, towing or not.

Thomas P · « **Reply #40 on:** Oct 08, 2009, 09:25:15 PM »

Quote from: mattlosch on Oct 08, 2009, 07:41:41 PM

considering you can get a new dodge cummins for the same price as a tundra i would go with the cummins..
story..

towed a sti to so cal for a car show last summer, flat bed trailer and car weighed in around 6k... buddy had a brand new tunda, towing a supra on a flat bed weighting about the same... best he ever saw was 12mpg and couldnt even pull 65mph up the sisque mt pass, i pulled it at 85 no problem and worst mileage i saw was 18.2 driving about 75-80 the whole way..... went thru half the amount of fuel he did...

WRONG..... You cannot buy a brand new Tundra for the same price as a made in mexico Dodge with a Cummins, Tundras are at least $10,000 cheaper, when I was buying my Tundra I was comparing the 2 side by side and I asked every question in the book. Sure your dodge diesel can tow more and has a little better MPG, But $10,000 will buy a

ton of gas, and you will be buying american, not to mention the bitchin Japanese technology and dependability that goes along with.

yota pu/runner · « **Reply #41 on:** Oct 09, 2009, 08:07:00 AM »

Something you also have to consider is what you will pay in maitenance costs for a diesel as well. I do not know this from experience, but my boss just bought fuel filters for his Cummins and they cost about $30 a filter. And that's not to mention the additives he runs in his fuel once or twice a week, and you have the cost for oil which he buys amsoil for his truck. From all the information I seem to be getting it seems like a gas rig would be a less expensive way to go unless you have the money to do all the maintenance on a diesel. But I will agree with buying a diesel if you are doing a lot of towing there is no way a gas motor will keep up with a diesel on a pull. Diesel's were built to pull otherwise they would have put gas motors in semi trucks.

mattlosch · « **Reply #42 on:** Oct 09, 2009, 04:37:37 PM »

maintence on a cummins isnt more spendy. about the same.. oil change every 10k instead of 3k fuel filter and oil same price ( might be more on the 6.7 ) im not fighting i wish dodge did make them here in america, but you wont see a tundra pulling 10k daily with 500k on it like you will with a cummins... diesels were ment to pull and that they do awesome, plus diesel is cheaper than regular, 1.5 times the milage at least, and all the power you will ever want..

you show me a tundra that will pull 20k, run 13's, sled pull, gets 20mpg, is daily driven, and has never broke and is 90% stock.......

8485runner · « **Reply #43 on:** Oct 09, 2009, 06:14:15 PM »

You just can't beat a Cummins!! Hands down!!

Pulling, performance, millage, dependability! I'll own nothing else! Just my

mattlosch · « **Reply #44 on:** Oct 10, 2009, 09:20:23 PM »

Quote from: 8485runner on Oct 09, 2009, 06:14:15 PM

You just can't beat a Cummins!! Hands down!! Pulling, performance, millage, dependability! I'll own nothing else! Just my

its true!

Thomas P · « **Reply #45 on:** Oct 12, 2009, 05:38:11 PM »

im not knocking them im just saying they are not the same price as a tundra, we are comparing apples to oranges when it comes to these trucks, if i were towing all the time i would have goteen a diesel but i tow maybe 10 times a year if that, that is a sick dodge by the way!

mattlosch · « **Reply #46 on:** Oct 12, 2009, 06:01:08 PM »

thanks man, i love it.. got 17 mpg towing the toy this weekend thru the hills not driving easy....

Jud · « **Reply #47 on:** Dec 30, 2009, 12:07:57 AM »

The perfect definition for a Dodge diesel is "A golden nugget wrapped in a huge turd"

BikerTrash · « **Reply #48 on:** Dec 31, 2009, 06:25:04 AM »

Quote from: Jud on Dec 30, 2009, 12:07:57 AM

The perfect definition for a Dodge diesel is "A golden nugget wrapped in a huge turd"

I prefer to think of it like this: I bought a Cummins, it just happened to come wrapped in a Dodge. I will drive it till the dodge falls off then swap it into a ford.

HDcruiser · « **Reply #49 on:** Dec 31, 2009, 07:20:14 AM »

Quote from: yota pu/runner on Oct 05, 2009, 01:35:12 PM

On the older Dodge diesels those of you that have the automatics how do you like them? I have read allot about the Cummings set ups and it seems like the automatics just dont really hold up. What are your guys opinions on them. Me personally I think I would prefer to buy a manual but they are hard to find.

Be patient, i owned a 01 Cummings with a auto and in now own a 05 Cummings with a 6spd manual.. I love the 6 spd over the manual. It took me 2 months before i found the 6spd in Sacramento.. flew out from Socal and bought it sight un seen...Both are sweet rigs, i just prefer the 6spd over the auto. I put a 300 mile search on the internet for the truck. That might be a idea for.. Good luck.

HDcruiser · « **Reply #50 on:** Dec 31, 2009, 07:34:57 AM »

I forgot to mention i also owned a 94 Suburban with a 350 TBI and a older Chevy truck also with a 350 carbed , they where both gutless and i found myself having to strategically plan my hill climbs when i was towing. Don't get me wrong, im a hardcore Chevy guy let alone i have work on Chevy's for 20 years as a mechanic, i just know (and i hate to say this) that the Cummings is in my opinion is the better way to go. $:-\$

red · « **Reply #51 on:** Dec 31, 2009, 05:21:41 PM »

its not cummings its cummins, no g on the end of it.

not a fan of dodge trucks but i will give props to the cummins motors when mated to a manual tranny. never seen one of their auto's last more than 80k miles pulling 10k or heavier loads on a regular basis. an older chevy with a 454 pulls very well but is not good on fuel economy, to be expected with a big block. the carb and tbi 454 get around 10-13mpg unloaded and anywhere from 7-12mpg loaded. my 84 k30 on 35" tires gets 11 empty and 10 towing about 9-10k pounds up here in utah doing 70mph. the vortec 454 will get an extra 2-4mpg, and the newer 8.1L will get better than that.

Jud · « **Reply #52 on:** Dec 31, 2009, 09:05:07 PM »

Quote from: HDcruiser on Dec 31, 2009, 07:20:14 AM

Be patient, i owned a 01 Cummings with a auto and in now own a 05 Cummings with a 6spd manual.. I love the 6 spd over the manual. It took me 2 months before i found the 6spd in Sacramento.. flew out from Socal and bought it sight un seen...Both are sweet rigs, i just prefer the 6spd over the auto. I put a 300 mile search on the internet for the truck. That might be a idea for.. Good luck.

Quote from: HDcruiser on Dec 31, 2009, 07:34:57 AM

I forgot to mention i also owned a 94 Suburban with a 350 TBI and a older Chevy truck also with a 350 carbed , they where both gutless and i found myself having to strategically plan my hill climbs when i was towing. Don't get me wrong, im a hardcore Chevy guy let alone i have work on Chevy's for 20 years as a mechanic, i just know (and i hate to say this) that the Cummings is in my opinion is the better way to go. $:-\$

Damn dude, work on your sentence structure and wording...

Rocksurfer · « **Reply #53 on:** Jan 03, 2010, 02:07:03 PM »

Need I say more?

BikerTrash · « **Reply #54 on:** Jan 14, 2010, 08:54:26 PM »

I think my cummins might be. Lemon. Towing about 6k up to barnwell mountain I only got 12mpg and without a load I am getting 17. 2006 auto

BLACKDOG · « **Reply #55 on:** Jan 14, 2010, 10:43:31 PM »

Quote from: BikerTrash on Jan 14, 2010, 08:54:26 PM

I think my cummins might be. Lemon. Towing about 6k up to barnwell mountain I only got 12mpg and without a load I am getting 17. 2006 auto

How fast are you going?

With my 06 3500 6spd manual, I usually average just under 20 with mixed driving (a lot of freeway though).

When I set my cruise at 65, I got 22 mpg with freeway only. The truck is bone stock.

Can't speak for towing yet, having towed anything heavy any distance yet.

BikerTrash · « **Reply #56 on:** Jan 16, 2010, 04:52:28 PM »

Cruise set at 70 mph for the towing average. Mixed driving with very very little in town for the unloaded. Figure an average speed of 60 mph on the 4 lane and 55 on back roads.

P.s. That's pen and paper not the overhead liar.

BLACKDOG · « **Reply #57 on:** Jan 16, 2010, 08:38:59 PM »

Quote from: BikerTrash on Jan 16, 2010, 04:52:28 PM

Cruise set at 70 mph for the towing average. Mixed driving with very very little in town for the unloaded. Figure an average speed of 60 mph on the 4 lane and 55 on back roads.

P.s. That's pen and paper not the overhead liar.

I don't even have power windows and doorlocks, what is this overhead liar you speak of?

pen and paper for me too.
I hit the trip meter everytime I fill up, and record trip reading, odo reading, date, $$, and gallons. So I've actually got consistency over time in my numbers since I purchased the truck.

BikerTrash · « **Reply #58 on:** Jan 17, 2010, 07:17:06 AM »

Quote from: BLACKDOG on Jan 16, 2010, 08:38:59 PM

I don't even have power windows and doorlocks, what is this overhead liar you speak of?

Wow... were was that truck when I was shopping?

Anyway, the overhead liar is the mileage meter/ trip computer. when I am making 12 mpg it says I am making almost 17, when I am making 17 it says I am doing about 26 mpg.

When I was driving it home I was watching the MPG and I was all like OMG THAT IS AWESOME!!!!!!!! then I started filling the tank up and had figured out in my head how much it should take at that mileage, then it sailed past that number

At any rate, It gets better than my old f-150 did in tow haul, and downshifting to second gear trying to get to the top of some hills. Just set the cruise control when I hit interstate and it never shifted and never slowed down till I got to Gilmer. For that kinda pulling power I can be disappointed with the mileage and even though I never thought I would need a 4x4 tow rig it saved me twice this weekend, once getting out of camp, second time when I went to park the trailer (leaving the 4runner on it because its broke)

mattlosch · « **Reply #59 on:** Jan 17, 2010, 01:05:29 PM »

i got 16 this weekend towing my toy thru the hills to the coast going about 60ish..... didnt think it was that bad....

yota pu/runner [OP]

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