Can I improve my gas mileage?

Thanks for all the replies. Generally you comments make me feel better about my current mileage results. At least gas is cheaper this year compared to the 3,600 mile trip we made to Georgia last year when gas prices were (more or less) double what they are now. There are afew things here that I'll look into further. I'll even try keeping speed down, although I'm not a heavy-footed driver. As someone said, I'm not interested in spending a lot of cash to save a few bucks in gas costs or trading for another truck when my 11 year old, low mileage, paid-for truck is fine in all other ways.

9-10 is about typical for the 8.1 gasser. Actually, it sounds pretty decent.

I had a 6.0L gasser, it never got better than 9.5 towing my Desert Fox Toy Hauler.

There's not much you can do to improve MPG on a big V-8 gasser, other than slowing down some.

I just got back from a trip to SE Utah (I70 - Eisenhower Tunnel, Vail Pass, steep hills in SE Utah) with the equipment in my signature. I flat towed a TJ and got ~11.5 mpg for the trip. I usually run about 65 mph on the interstates and speed limit on the other roads.

Paradox123 wrote:
I have a Bigfoot 2500 on a Chevy 2500HD with a big block gas engine. The truck only had about 60,000 miles and is stock. On a recent 900 mile round trip camping expedition, where we also flat towed our Jeep Wrangler, I tracked the gas mileage at about seven miles per gallon. I think we used to get 9 - 10 MPG. I would be interested in any thoughts or suggestions on improving gas mileage.

I'd say you got damned good mileage for a big block gasser with that much load. With the KIT, I was averaging 7mpg, unless I was in Wyoming, then for some odd ball reason I was getting 8-10 mpg. I won't have a good comparison with the Amerigo until its done being remodeled as its going to gain some weight.

The only thing that's going to really make a big difference is if you're towing the jeep, and how much you can keep your foot out of it.

For most, that usually hovers around driving at the double nickle up to around 60mph.

I have been using a K&N for nearly 100K miles and I have yet had a problem. I clean the filter about every 5K miles, re oil it. I also clean the MAS element about 10K that's why I know There is no dirt getting through.

dakonthemountain wrote:

trail-explorer wrote:

jimh425 wrote:

trail-explorer wrote:
Educated Jeep guys never run K&N air filters because they allow dust to pass through.

OPs not talking about a Jeep driving in dirt or a Turbo diesel either. :) If he had, I wouldn't be suggesting a K&N.

Regardless of what kind of engine or the conditions it's driven in, I still can't recommend a K&N due to the holes I've seen in the filter media of all the ones I've looked at new out of the package.

I'm no expert, but I do have a K&N oil air filter system on my truck. I get 8.5mpg with the 4,000lb camper at 70mph in my 1996 454 v8. Wouldn't viewing it "new out of the package" be before it's oiled?.. Isn't that the purpose of oiling it, to catch/attract the dust so it doesn't get through? I'm just curious. I mean they sell a LOT of them.

Dak

Once upon a time, I bought a K&N kit. Oiled it, installed it. Worked great. I removed it a bit later, felt all the oily grit in the intake manifold, tossed the K&N in the trash, and figured I'd learned my lesson. High efficiency factory air filters remove substantially more particulates from the intake air stream.

trail-explorer wrote:

jimh425 wrote:

trail-explorer wrote:
Educated Jeep guys never run K&N air filters because they allow dust to pass through.

OPs not talking about a Jeep driving in dirt or a Turbo diesel either. :) If he had, I wouldn't be suggesting a K&N.

Regardless of what kind of engine or the conditions it's driven in, I still can't recommend a K&N due to the holes I've seen in the filter media of all the ones I've looked at new out of the package.

I'm no expert, but I do have a K&N oil air filter system on my truck. I get 8.5mpg with the 4,000lb camper at 70mph in my 1996 454 v8. Wouldn't viewing it "new out of the package" be before it's oiled?.. Isn't that the purpose of oiling it, to catch/attract the dust so it doesn't get through? I'm just curious. I mean they sell a LOT of them.

Dak

2oldnslow wrote:

805gregg wrote:
Put someone in the jeep and have them push the chevy

And watch that Jeep get about 2MPG pushing all that weight!

Heck, my TJ only got about 18 on the highway running with a light load last time I checked, but that was a few years ago.

Wow - 18mpg - I wish my TJ got that!

I've found with many vehicles it is about how I drive as someone said earlier - predicting the traffic ahead, allowing the vehicle to coast towards a junction instead of burning gasoline driving right up to it and then banging on the brakes, etc. However - on some vehicles my driving style can make a huge difference to the economy; on others the gas mileage just seems bad whatever I do. The Jeep is one, the two E350 based campers I've rented with the 5.4 gas V8 were others.

Steve.

805gregg wrote:
Put someone in the jeep and have them push the chevy

And watch that Jeep get about 2MPG pushing all that weight!

Heck, my TJ only got about 18 on the highway running with a light load last time I checked, but that was a few years ago.

Put someone in the jeep and have them push the chevy