Do I really need a Dually?

Stefonius wrote:

mike mck wrote:

Stefonius wrote:

mike mck wrote:
Now have a 1999 F550 crew cab dually with pickup bed and 7.3 powerstroke.
Milage for a 2 ton truck with Dana 135 rear end and 4.88 gears. 12.5 MPG all city driving and 15 MPG at 70 on hiway. That is empty.
Loaded 12 on flat and 10 to 11 depending on how many climbs it has to make.

Holy Fuel Economy, Batman! How do you get 15 MPG? Truckasaurus gets 12 MPG highway and 8-10 towing. She's a 2003 F-450, 7.3, Dana 80 with 4.88 gears. I'm envious... Share your secret with me before I go broke buying fuel!

The 15 MPG is from Phoenix to Quartzsite AZ. Empty, Flat hiway all the way. Cruise control set at 70 MPH. RPMs 2750. I stop in Quartzsite to top off tanks to not buy fuel in Ca.
2 trips to Ca last week both times yielded the same result. The climbs into Palm Springs wreak Havoc with Milage.
Last weeks trip back from Huntington Beach Ca. at 75 yielded just under 13 MPG. 50 gallon tank means trip was made on 1 tank. Filled up on return trip just outside Phoenix at a Zips station at $3.31/gal.

Felt like I was stealing, almost.
combined City Hiway yields closer to your 12.5 MPG.

Only suggestion is move out of Pa and get to AZ to stop driving in the hills.;)

It's really no secret. On Hiway never go over 70 mph. Around town no secret. Be happy with 12.5

I don't know if I'll ever be happy with 12.5. If money was no object, I'd change the 4.88 gears to 4.30 just to save a few RPM.

Of course, if money was no object, I wouldn't care how much I spent on fuel either...