Any Gas Mileage Tips?

[Tre]

Anybody got any tips for improving gas mileage while towing? We are currently getting about 10 mpg in my dodge ram 5.7. Heard some folks talk about a tuner but then others say it mostly helps diesels. Anybody use a tuner on a gasser and if so was it worth the investment?

Also anyone have any good tips on a gas card? We've thought of getting one but I hate to be limited to one certain gas station while pulling big Bertha behind me. Mostly just fill up when I see a station I can get in and out of easily.

Thanks for any help!

[mark5w]

Better gas mileage, slow down, make sure air pressure is correct, chunckier tires like All Terrain tires get worse gas mileage then Highway tread.

Here's a link for credit cards that get cash back.
http://www.creditcards.com/gas-cards...FWMQ7AodtSgAJA

[Stan]

I agree with the slow down and keep all tires properly inflated advice. We also use GasBuddy.com to find best gas prices.

[nrausa]

Drive like you have a raw egg between your foot and the gas pedal.

Walmart is giving 15 cents off per gal. at their stations, using their credit card.

Stan

[jakesz28]

Best improvement slow down. Your not going to get better milage with a tuner in a gas engine. The factories do tune a little rich in power enrichment mode. But how often are you wide open on the throttle? That's the only real part of the tune to lean out the a/f ratio any. Best method get a diesel.
If you can reduce weight. It might help but I don't see any of us leaving everything at home. Tires aired up no real way to reduce drag when we're pulling a small house.

[johnboytoo]

you are actually doing pretty well if 10 mpg average !

TOO many factors to compare mog between trucks though:
engine - rear end - tranny - load - wind direction - grades - how many pair of shoes the wife brings , etc....

tje above covers it, last thing I will add is check no dragging brakes and chk alignment on all tires/axles as well as the psi...

if the mpg is too bad - stop towing your house around is the last alternative - it is what it is when you get a tool to do a job.

[OhioMark]

Good advice here, just another vote from me to slow down. It's simply gravity and wind resistance killing you on MPGs. The tuners tend to only tweak performance, not efficiency to gas engines. Besides, slower driving is safer when towing. Remember your trailers tires are only rated for 65, so it's smarter to stay in the 55-60 range.

I like the egg reference though. My 2011 F150 Ecoboost returns very different mpgs when my better half is using it to jet around town versus my highway commute at the posted speed limit. We're talking 14 versus 21 mpg's. I really watch the RPMs on acceleration. Makes a huge impact on fuel consumption.

Another point...lose weight..no not you personally, do an inventory on your trailer and truck and only take what you need for the trip. Every little bit helps.

For the gas card, I got a Good Sams membership the gives me $.03 off a gallon at Pilot/Flying Js. They also offer credit cards that give you up to $.07 off a gallon.

Got one close to home, so it helps a little bit.

[Coopers_dad]

I'm getting about 10mpg towing with my Avalanche. I was pretty thrilled to achieve that average since I was expecting 7 or 8 MPG. I drive slow on the HWY 55-60 max and I let what torque my motor makes pull me around. I almost never rev the motor past 3000rpm unless I have to.

I really don't think aftermarket goodies are worth much on a non turbo or diesel application. I had a diablosport tuner on my last Ram and it made exactly the same power numbers with the tune loaded. It managed 1or2 MPG more but thats within a range of error or air temp/density change.

[Tim D]

I get 10 towing with my 03 Silverado. I go easy on take off. Coast before applying brakes when safely able. 55 on the highway and no more than 65 on the interstate. Remember your ST tires are only rated for 65 any way. I almost never have rpms above 3000.

[Darrell]

The guys pretty much nailed it. Speed, weight, tire inflation, overall engine/transmission health, driving habits (are you a jack-rabbit driver from dead stops?), environment (terrain - hilly versus flat, wind etc). These all factor into MPG. Remember - gas engines are not the ideal "towing" engines - diesels are. Don't waste money on aftermarket bolt-on performance accessories.

[campingcpl]

I agree with almost everything everyone here has already said except for the performance upgrades. Personally I have had good experiences with power upgrades on gas engines (granted diesels you can get more bang for your buck when it comes to power upgrades). I had a full size Chevy Blazer with a 350, tbi (throttle body injection), 3" lift and 33" tires with 373 gears. I was getting around 8 - 9 mpg while towing with no mods. I added a hypertech chip, accel ignition (cap, rotor, ignition modual, etc.), cold air intake, headers with 3" single exhaust and performance muffler. My mileage went to 11 -12 towing and even better increases when not towing. Not to mention a lot more power which made it a lot more fun 4 wheeling!

[jakesz28]

And what year was this TBI? The newer hemi and LS based motors are far superior to a throttle body injection chevy. What was that 255 hp? It will be hard to pick up much power with out a cam swap and higher compression. Pulling a trailer rules out more compression unless your running 93 octane. I remember how bad my old 350 TBI was pulling a 16 foot bass boat. Yes it pulled that and my drag car. But that 9 mpg truck went to 18 mpg when I bolted a LS series 5.3 liter in and picked up 100 hp.

[RADMiller]

Traded gas for diesel, so I am biased, but I would tend to agree that horsepower on a gasser would be a benefit in towing. I agree with those that say to slow down...even with my diesel, if I stay at 65mph as opposed to driving with the rest of the maniacs, I maintain a good 13.2-13.5mpg towing around 9k. Had a friend of mine remind me that the reason you are towing a camper is to get to a place of relaxation...no reason the ride there can't be a slower process arriving already semi-relaxed. Let 'em pass ya' if they're in that much of a hurry! Save your nerves and some gas

[DavisK]

Originally Posted by jakesz28

Best improvement slow down. Your not going to get better milage with a tuner in a gas engine.

I've read on some of the forums that some tuners reprogram the driver information center to display higher mileage (even more than stock) than the vehicle is actually getting so you think it made improvements.

[Coopers_dad]

On a N/A motor you just can't find the power boosted motors have. The diablosport added a feature called throttle boost. It increased the throttle % opening vs the amount you had your foot on the throttle. Your car felt faster but it wasn't. Placebo effect. Now with a boosted motor you just turn up the boost play with the fuel and ignition timing and instant power. Just check with your dealer as every manufacturer knows when the PCM had been flashed and it could prematurely end your warranty.

[mdrucker]

Originally Posted by johnboytoo

you are actually doing pretty well if 10 mpg average !

TOO many factors to compare mog between trucks though:
engine - rear end - tranny - load - wind direction - grades - how many pair of shoes the wife brings , etc....

tje above covers it, last thing I will add is check no dragging brakes and chk alignment on all tires/axles as well as the psi...

if the mpg is too bad - stop towing your house around is the last alternative - it is what it is when you get a tool to do a job.

I would jump for joy if my ram got 10mpg im happy with 8

[MEHoffman]

Originally Posted by mdrucker

I would jump for joy if my ram got 10mpg im happy with 8

I have only taken my TT on one trip that was not local. That trip was 180 miles round trip on two lane and hilly US 6 from NW PA to central PA and I got 10 mpg. I believe I did at the very least for joy!

[DavisK]

A couple of tips for better mileage, whether towing or not, are drive as if you have a raw egg between your foot and the accelerator, as mentioned before. The other is use your head and not the brakes. In other words, plan your stops and coast as far as possible before applying the brakes. The brake pedal probably lowers your mileage more than the accelerator. It does so by converting the energy that was created by burning the fuel into heat instead of forward motion.

[Tre]

Thanks for the tips, good info here. And just so you know, I don't drive like a bat out of H E double hockey sticks, but I will be more aware of my rpms. I was worried towing was going to be more stressful driving but it has been the opposite. I'm chilled out, relaxed, not screaming at the jerk doing 55 in the left lane. It's been great! So if my wife gives me any more crap about gas mileage I'll just tell her to get out and push. PS. Y'all don't tell my wife I said that last part.

[mark5w]

Tre: So if my wife gives me any more crap about gas mileage I'll just tell her to get out and push. PS. Y'all don't tell my wife I said that last part.

What's it worth to you??