Jayco-noslide
Galesburg,Il., USA
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Joined: 11/24/2004
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For those of you with a 3/4 ton diesel, if any of you are towing a small 5th wheel weighing 5000-8000 lbs loaded; some questions to help me decide if I want diesel--What MPG do you get not towing(because our truck is our only vehicle); both top highway MPG and a realistic average of city/highway? What MPG towing? How about other extra costs of a diesel, oil change, etc. Any worries about cold weather starting? Anything else I should know. I would not be buying new; but would go for the $12000-$19000 range.
Jayco-noslide
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turbopilot51
Ridgefield, WA
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Joined: 04/13/2007
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I tow a 31' travel trailer with my 2004 2500 Dodge Cummins. The trailer weighs over 9000lbs and while towing I get around 12 to 14 mpg. When not towing I average 18 to 18 mpg. I hope this helps.
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JustLabs
Washington State
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Joined: 05/13/2002
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My 3500 SRW is basically a 2500 with overload springs.
15 city
19 highway at 60mph
No issues with cold weather,although my experience with single digits for a week isn't really cold for some.
2007 Dodge Ram 3500 SRW,4x4,Cummins 5.9, 6spd.
2007 Keystone Cougar 289BHS Fifth Wheel.
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pcm1959
St Augustine, FL
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Joined: 01/23/2007
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My '06 RAM 2500 Quad-cab 4x4 5.9 ctd 4 speed auto gets 11mpg with the a/c, towing a 8100lb (empty weight) fiver at 70 mph with the cruise. pcm
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wa8shc
Parma, Ohio
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Joined: 12/11/2003
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Towed 5th in signature to/from AZ last winter w/ 5.9L Cummins 4x2
Towing (2200 mi) average was 12.1 @ 62mph
Hand calc'd ranged from 10.9 to 14.7 during trip
Empty hiway ~ 60 mph is 21+
Empty city ~ 16.5-17.5
The current diesels w/ pollution equipment get roughly 1-2mpg less
Hope this helps
Denny WA8SHC and Rita WB8TIR
Siberian Husky Ta'kya (Princess RIP 10/04 Taz RIP 5/12/08)
2007 Dodge Ram 2500 Quad Cab 5.9L CTD 3.73/LSD,Quadzilla RECON monitor
2008 Rockwood 8243S 5th wheel
Pullrite 14K Superglide & MorRyde pinbox
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Bluhorn
North Carolina
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Joined: 03/02/2004
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I tow a 30' Fifth wheel which weighs about 8700 lbs and get 12-14 mpg towing,16-17 around town,and about 22 mpg on the hwy.This is with a 2007 Dodge 5.9CTD,4X4 Quad Cab Auto Short Bed.Overall very satisfied with the mileage.Some quick work with a calculator shows that even with the higher cost of Diesel ,it is still cheaper to run than a comparable truck with a Gas engine.How long this will ring true is anybody's guess.It certainly is a pleasure to drive and pull a trailer with.With the newer Diesels,cold starting is not an issue.I have had mine in 2-3 degree weather and it fires right up,the heat grid cycles a few times,This automatically heats intake air for the engine.As far as maintenance,which most of it I do myself,the oil capacity is greater than a gasser but the change interval is longer.So that cost evens itself out.On the Dodge it is 7500-15000 miles with of course hard use being around the 7500 mile mark.I save even more when I buy Valvoline 15W-40 at Flying J on sale with thier buy one gallon,get one free.I just stock up.Fuel filters are an easy change on the Dodge,and at $14 every 10,000 miles not a big cost at all.I hope this info helps you!
2007 Dodge Ram 2500 Quad Cab 4X4 Auto 5.9 CTD
2006 Wildcat 28RK Fifth Wheel
16K Husky Slider
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rscraig
Denton, TX
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Joined: 07/23/2004
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My 2006 CTD gets 13-16 mpg highway towing my 29 footer. This is at a steady 65mph with no headwind. With no load, I get about 16 around town and about 21 hiway. My mileage improved after the first 20k miles break in. With the big Dodge gas tank, I can tow about 450 miles between fill-ups. Oil changes are about double the price since the CTD has a substantially bigger oil capacity.
Steve
2007 Wildcat 29RLBS
2006 Dodge 2500 4x2 QC 5.9L CTD
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tomman58
Southfield Michigan
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Joined: 06/12/2005
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Mine is a 2008 Dmax with less than 10k miles
city 16-17mpg
towing #8500 trialer 11-12.2
highway at 64 18.5-20
I75 @ 74mph 17-18
oil change @ $80.00 includes 10qt synthetic change at 8000 miles
If you are getting a diesel spend a buck and get a run around car it would be worth it for the short everyday stuff.
2008 Silverado D/A,CC 4x4 ,3.73,IBC LTZ+
2008 322FKS Jayco
17.5 Nova Craft canoe (49 lbs.)
2 Trek 1500 mountain bikes
Honda EU2000i
It must be time to go, the suns out and I've got a full tank of diesel and an empty charge card!
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JIMNLIN
Big Cabin, OK
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Joined: 09/14/2003
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Jayco-noslide wrote:For those of you with a 3/4 ton diesel, if any of you are towing a small 5th wheel weighing 5000-8000 lbs loaded; some questions to help me decide if I want diesel--What MPG do you get not towing(because our truck is our only vehicle); both top highway MPG and a realistic average of city/highway? What MPG towing? How about other extra costs of a diesel, oil change, etc. Any worries about cold weather starting? Anything else I should know. I would not be buying new; but would go for the $12000-$19000 range.
not buying new is a excellent idea if your concern is getting the best mpgs possible from a diesel. The '03/'04 Dodge/Cummins HO 305/555 engine does and is getting some of the better mpgs of the new gen HPCR engines. My truck is a '03 2500 2wd 3.73 with the 6 speed manual tranny. I bought it new and had to pull my implement trailers and my 11200 GVWR 5er plus was my 600 mile a week commute vehicle. It averages 21.5 to 22.5 on that long daily commute with 22-23 mpg on long trips. With the 5er it averages 12 to 12.5 mpgs on long trips. Pulling my 18' implement trailer with the tractor/FEL/7' mower with a 9k gross will average 14-15 mpg on long local runs. Another plus for the '03 to '07 5.9 Cummins is its 7500/15000 oil change schedule. That 15000 mile schedule sure helps.
Most of the 7.3 and early DMAX folks out here with those long runs get the better mpgs also.
I don't have a city for city driving mpg's and I'm sure the mpg would be lower
Jim
'03 2500 Dodge/Cummins HO 3.73 6 speed manual Jacobs
'97 Park Avanue 28' with two slides
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Dave H M
IL
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Joined: 08/11/2006
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for towing 8000 pounds I would not even think of getting a diesel because of the money involved.
Also I wilsh my diesel got the same mileage as some of them do. 
My ole 99 powerstroke gets 17.5 on the interstate going 70 with the air on. It gets 10 towing the 10K fifth wheel.
Mtter of fact I wish I had nt got sucked into the diesel mania a long time ago when diesel was 1.29 a gal.
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