Mileage Testing

[DivingOtter]

So I had the opportunity driving back from Palo Duro Canyon near Amarillo to test my mileage at various speeds.... For those who've never had the 'thrill' of the area, it's mostly flat, straight 2 lane asphalt roads that literally meet the horizon in both directions. It was early on a Sunday morning so there was no one in sight...

At 55mph on cruise control the insta-mph read 19-23 depending on the gentle hills (about a 10 mile run)
at 65mph the insta-mph read 18-20 give or take on the same distance
At 75mph it dropped 14-17
at 85mph it dropped to 13-15

Since this is a Public forum, I will neither confirm nor deny that at speeds above 85 it only got a little worse....

Was a great way to spend an hour on the way home

 

[Darksteel165]

115 gets you around 7-8.
Just mind your tire's speed ratings lol.

 

[HSKR R/T]

So I had the opportunity driving back from Palo Duro Canyon near Amarillo to test my mileage at various speeds.... For those who've never had the 'thrill' of the area, it's mostly flat, straight 2 lane asphalt roads that literally meet the horizon in both directions. It was early on a Sunday morning so there was no one in sight...

At 55mph on cruise control the insta-mph read 19-23 depending on the gentle hills (about a 10 mile run)
at 65mph the insta-mph read 18-20 give or take on the same distance
At 75mph it dropped 14-17
at 85mph it dropped to 13-15

Since this is a Public forum, I will neither confirm nor deny that at speeds above 85 it only got a little worse....

Was a great way to spend an hour on the way home

Ive averaged 19.5mpg cruising between 70-75 from Omaha, Nebraska to Topeka, KS. Stock wheels/tires and Pulsar on Performance.

 

[kapinallinen2]

115 gets you around 7-8.
Just mind your tire's speed ratings lol.

My Rebel has tires that are limited to 106 MPH.

 

[Darksteel165]

My Rebel has tires that are limited to 106 MPH.

Sounds about right. You can go over it but risky especially for long periods of time due to heat build up ect.
My truck came with ones rated to 130 MPH, which is funny considering the limiter is like 106 from the factory lol.

Ive averaged 19.5mpg cruising between 70-75 from Omaha, Nebraska to Topeka, KS. Stock wheels/tires and Pulsar on Performance.

Is that all downhill?
I still can't get anywhere close to 19 MPH. I am lucky to get 17-17.5 MPG on the highway.

 

[Ulster]

Does a tonneau make a difference? I see a lot of differences in MPG, but no discussion on whether a tonneau was deployed. It feels to me like it would cut down drag significantly.

 

[HSKR R/T]

Does a tonneau make a difference? I see a lot of differences in MPG, but no discussion on whether a tonneau was deployed. It feels to me like it would cut down drag significantly.

No. If anything it may hurt slightly. Modern trucks are designed in the wind tunnel and the low pressure that builds in the bed at speed actually causes smooth airflow over the bed

 

[Darksteel165]

No. If anything it may hurt slightly. Modern trucks are designed in the wind tunnel and the low pressure that builds in the bed at speed actually causes smooth airflow over the bed

I'm 99% sure a cover would not hurt and if anything do nothing (most likely) or increase mpg.

The longer the bed the more difference the cover is likely to make.

 

[HSKR R/T]

I'm 99% sure a cover would not hurt and if anything do nothing (most likely) or increase mpg.

The longer the bed the more difference the cover is likely to make.

When myth busters did their testing, they actually got slightly worse fuel consumption with a tonneau over no tonneau

 

[LaxDfns15]

Your Rebel numbers are almost exactly mine. Cover didn't change anything for me. Having an exhaust cutout before the muffler reduces it by about 0.5-1 depending on how much noise I want to make. Guess it likes the back pressure.

 

[LaxDfns15]

When myth busters did their testing, they actually got slightly worse fuel consumption with a tonneau over no tonneau

That was with a completely empty bed to create the "air bubble" that circled in it. If you have anything in the bed that breaks that bubble it will lower it. I usually have lacrosse gear or something sitting back there.

 

[HSKR R/T]

That was with a completely empty bed to create the "air bubble" that circled in it. If you have anything in the bed that breaks that bubble it will lower it. I usually have lacrosse gear or something sitting back there.

That wasnt part of the question that was asked about them

 

[Fastxn]

First tank.....16.9. What exactly was the eTorque supposed to do?

 

[Scram1500]

When asked you can say to ecomentalists that you drive a hybrid

 

[Darksteel165]

First tank.....16.9. What exactly was the eTorque supposed to do?

Make is so you don't use gas when completely stopped idling. Until you take your foot off the break and put it in park to rest your foot after being stopped for a while and it turns back on and starts drinking gas anyways.

Oh and also increase your drag while charging it's battery so you slow down faster while driving so you need to give the truck more gas to go the same distance since you can't coast as well.

 

[HSKR R/T]

First tank.....16.9. What exactly was the eTorque supposed to do?

Driving habits play more into dual mileage than any gimmick on your engine. I just drove 200 miles yesterday pulling a light duty trailer. 100 empty, the second 100 with a 300lb Cub Cadet strapped to it. according to my guage cluster I averaged 14.5mpg for the trip.

I have gotten as high as 19.5mpg, hand calculated, on a long road trip when I was stock suspension/tires with Pulsar set to Performance. And just a couple weeks ago I averaged just over 15mpg on a long road trip with 35x12.50 tires, a 3/1 lift and heavy off-road front bumper. That was doing between 70-75 most of the way. And I have 3.92 gears

 

[Darksteel165]

Driving habits play more into dual mileage than any gimmick on your engine. I just drove 200 miles yesterday pulling a light duty trailer. 100 empty, the second 100 with a 300lb Cub Cadet strapped to it. according to my guage cluster I averaged 14.5mpg for the trip.

They kind of do.

I get 15-18 MPG highway with my 5.7 3.92s. Normally around 15.5-16 though
I was able to get 22-28 mpg highway on my 5.3 3.55s Silverado (with MDS disabled) normally around 22-24

Should the 40 HP difference really mean getting that worse MPG on a similarly equipped NA trucks?
Must be some kind of gimmicks going on imo.

eTorque is just a scam. Calling it a mild hybrid system is dumb, any car is a hybrid system since it runs with a 12V battery and an engine. Your truck can't move 1 foot on just battery alone.

 

[wegasque]

First tank.....16.9. What exactly was the eTorque supposed to do?

You would've gotten 16.8 without etorque.

 

[Darksteel165]

You would've gotten 16.8 without etorque.

Less drag on the engine when coasting since it's not causing you to break to charge another battery so not so sure about that lol.

 

[HSKR R/T]

They kind of do.

I get 15-18 MPG highway with my 5.7 3.92s. Normally around 15.5-16 though
I was able to get 22-28 mpg highway on my 5.3 3.55s Silverado (with MDS disabled) normally around 22-24

Should the 40 HP difference really mean getting that worse MPG on a similarly equipped NA trucks?
Must be some kind of gimmicks going on imo.

eTorque is just a scam. Calling it a mild hybrid system is dumb, any car is a hybrid system since it runs with a 12V battery and an engine. Your truck can't move 1 foot on just battery alone.

You can't compare two completely different trucks with different engines like it's apples to apples comparison. Dodge/Ram has never been praised for it's fuel mileage.