Ram 3500 Real Life MPG

mike2wheels wrote:
On a recent trip to Mississippi from Arizona I averaged about 12, with most miles towing a 12000 5er, but with a couple of days empty. Most tanks avg about 10.x while running 60-65 mph. If I tried to maintain 65 the mileage dropped to 9.x. The truck has 4.10 gears and the automatic. When running empty at 70 mph I get about 17 mpg.

That's pretty good mpg, I had a 2010 Ram 3500 Crew cab, dually/longbed/4X4 with 4:10 in Laramie trim, and running empty, if at 70 mph, never saw 17, think I may have gotten a little over 15, but that's in the mountains....Towing my 5er at 16,050#, depending on direction I towed in the mountains. mileage sounds about the same, except I normally ran 55-62mph, on occasion might hit 65....again, all driving I did was in the mountains.

I do get better mpg with the 13', but it's with the addition of DEF

Having re-read post, I would say almost all of your driving was in "flatland", though not that familiar with terrain from Arizona until you hit TX border, (if that's the way you went).

On a recent trip to Mississippi from Arizona I averaged about 12, with most miles towing a 12000 5er, but with a couple of days empty. Most tanks avg about 10.x while running 60-65 mph. If I tried to maintain 65 the mileage dropped to 9.x. The truck has 4.10 gears and the automatic. When running empty at 70 mph I get about 17 mpg.

NC Hauler wrote:

FishOnOne wrote:

NC Hauler wrote:

FishOnOne wrote:

I'm Rick James wrote:

Bionic Man wrote:
You can see my details in my signature. My truck is a dedicated tow vehicle. I usually tow my 5er tandem with either my 5000 pound ski boat, my 2500 pound fishing boat or my 2500 pound utility trailer with ATVs.

There are a few trips with just my ski or fishing boat heading out on a 1000 mile round trip. I set speed control at 70 MPH and get 12 MPG on those trips. The last fill up was with my fishing boat going up to the mountains.

I don't have some neat picture like this guy but I can tell you that my '12 Crew Cab dually 4x4 with the "max tow package" NEVER produced that high of MPG's when towing. I average around 13 MPG's when driving around town empty and the best towing mileage was around 10 MPG's (11k load). I asked Mr. "Bionic Man" what his mileage was before I purchased my truck and his response was "around 20 MPG's."

Take the information provided on this site for what it's worth. Some people enjoy providing false information and some others failed basic math.

If you actually believed these soot clogging emission equipped trucks could make 20mpg with a tail wind... erhhh.... Never mind! :S

Though I wouldn't have said it as "crassly" as FishOnOne did...I find it hard to believe that Bionic Man is getting the mpg he reports he does. I had a 2012 Ram 3500 Dually, crew cab, long bed, 4X4 with 4:10 and HO in Longhorn trim...I DIDN'T have an auxiliary fuel tank which would have added an addition 438 pounds to the truck , and I didn't tow tandem....I never ran over 65, though I did all my towing in the mountains, I NEVER got ANYWHERE NEAR the mpg that Bionic Man states he get's with his 2012' identical truck...I hand calculated almost every tank...which gives one a much clearer picture of actual mpg. Empty or towing, I never got close to the numbers he saw...Something wrong with that App or whatever it is you're referring to.

I now have the 13' in my sig., which is my daily driver as well as my TV, (tow 16,000# 5er in the mountains, and even using DEF, don't get as good mpg as he does with his 12'...Believe the numbers are skewed quite a bit. I also owned a 2010 Ram, configured same as my 12 and 13', with 4:10 and never saw as high mpg as being reported by some.

So FishOnOne, you're telling me that Chevy and Ford have zero issues with their emissions and the only way a dodge/ram truck will survive, will be to delete it's emissions equipment? I did no deletes on any of the emissions equipped trucks I've owned and had zero issues and I don't plan on deleting or adding a mod....Try to keep me posted as to when I should expect my truck to break down...:R

RC,
I have no reason not to believe Bionic Man's fuel mileage since there are many variables that affect it. I've even been called out on some the fuel mileage I've reported from my truck.

As for the rest of your post I won't reply to such nonsense! :R

Who is RC,?
I don't know if you were replying to my post or not...if you were, I stated about removing the emissions on the Ram to get it to work or last...you didn't state that the chevy/GM or Ford diesel engines needed to have that done to them also...I merely asked if, in your intellectual opinion, is it only the Cummins that has the emissions issues, and the truck has to be deleted for it to last ?

Tick... Tock...Tick...Tock :W Unbelievable! :B

otrfun wrote:
Have plans to pull the trigger on a 2014 Ram 2500/3500 this year. I've been curious about the mileage with the new DEF 2013-2014 Rams.

After reading various threads here and on cumminsforum, I get the impression one can generally expect "combined" hwy/city mileage, empty, of 14-15 mpg with a dually/DRW, and 17-18 mpg with a SRW; towing with both (DRW/SRW) about 9-11 mpg.

What do you guys think. Are these numbers a reasonable expectation?

I would say those are good numbers.

Me Again wrote:
Guess I will fix the tranny in my 2001, as I get ,19-20 bobtail, 15 around town and around 12 to 12.5 towing. Chris

From what I have heard a 13 or 14 would come close to your numbers.

Have plans to pull the trigger on a 2014 Ram 2500/3500 this year. I've been curious about the mileage with the new DEF 2013-2014 Rams.

After reading various threads here and on cumminsforum, I get the impression one can generally expect "combined" hwy/city mileage, empty, of 14-15 mpg with a dually/DRW, and 17-18 mpg with a SRW; towing with both (DRW/SRW) about 9-11 mpg.

What do you guys think. Are these numbers a reasonable expectation?

Guess I will fix the tranny in my 2001, as I get ,19-20 bobtail, 15 around town and around 12 to 12.5 towing. Chris

10.5 to 11.2 typical mpg carrying 4000 pound camper and gear, these are hand calculated numbers not mileage calculator built in. worst was about 9 but engine did a regen on that trip.

13.5 to 14 unloaded mix of going to work and highway. did about 15.8 highway Seattle to Portland.

Hey Rick good to have you here!

Your truck is the same as mine but with 4:10's, I listed my honest hand calc mileage earlier. What have you seen in different conditions?

I'm Rick James wrote:

NC Hauler wrote:

45Ricochet wrote:
Rick James your back for 2014? Haven't heard from you in a year or so it seems.

One time I forgot to add a fill up to my app. Believe me the numbers really jumped across the board.

Am I wrong, or did I see him on the cummins forum? Doesn't take much to confuse me evidently:)

I'm a member on the Cummins forum, we've had dialogue there.

I Thought we had, good to have you back.:)