Moparts
Cummings mileage
Posted By: montessa
Cummings mileage - 11/09/13 10:08 PM
Thinking about trading my 2011 Hemi 2500 for a Cummings. I love my truck but was thinking about swapping it while it still worth something. I average about 12 around town and 8 pulling 9000lbs. My current ride has 4.10's and does the job around my part of the country just fine but just want to hear numbers from the real world guys on the Cummings. I am also considering the 6.4 Hemi. I figure the mileage should be on a par or a little worse the 5.7 but with more grunt. Comments, Thanks Jim T.
Posted By: '72CudaRacer
Re: Cummings mileage - 11/09/13 10:33 PM
Mine is a '06 3500, Cummins, 4 X 4, auto. Not towing, I get almost 19 mpg as long as I keep the speed around 70, any higher and the mpg drops to approx 17. With a 26' enclosed tag trailer loaded to the max (10,500 lbs), I get about 12-13 mpg, unless I try to run over 70, then it drops to about 10.5-11. There is no lack of grunt here though.
Brian
Posted By: SpareParts
Re: Cummings mileage - 11/09/13 10:35 PM
CUMMINS
When they went to 24v the mpg dropped. My 12v doesn't hesitate to see 24mpg highway with a non lock up converter. My brother's 97 12v will get 28. Both trucks have fuel and turbo mods.
Edit we both get around 20 towing kinda heavy and not pussy footing them, they belch smoke from a stop, spool up and GO
My 2006 diesel was getting 12.5-13 mpg towing my 24 foot enclosed trailer, quad, race supplies, and tools. My exhaust broke in front of the stock factory muffler and my mileage jumped up to 14.5-15mpg towing in hilly Pa. I bought an after marker air cleaner (didn't put it on yet) and will be upgrading the exhaust next Spring. It still has the stock computer setting and has more than enough power.
Posted By: montessa
Re: Cummings mileage - 11/09/13 10:46 PM
Did the mileage get even worse when they switched to the urea system?
Posted By: 68shifter
Re: Cummings mileage - 11/09/13 11:08 PM
No. I have a 2013. 6.7L with 3.42's. Empty I get 22 area at 70-75, if I drive 55 I'll get 25. When pulling my 28ft enclosed with cabinets/insulation/car etc.., around 12k I averaged 13.5 from Mi to Pittsburgh. It'll do a bit better on flatter tows.
The exhaust brake is phenomenal on the new trucks. Also, you use about 1 gal of DEF per 1000 miles at about $6 a gallon. Just an average though.
Good luck.
Also good first hand knowledge here too on 2013+
http://www.cumminsforum.com/forum/2013-general-discussion/
Posted By: 1KoolBee
Re: Cummings mileage - 11/09/13 11:30 PM
My 2001 5.9 24v Cummins with a Hypertech Stage 3 map pulls 23-24 hiway at 65-70 mph. Pulled my brother in law's 28.5 foot Alpenlite 5th wheel from Bakersfield to Sacramento, averaged 15 mpg @ 60mph, had to use cruise because it kept creeping up to 65-70 if I wasn't paying attention.
Posted By: Edge
Re: Cummings mileage - 11/09/13 11:47 PM
2009 6.7 litre with 6 speed auto 12 towing car trailer , will do 22 on the highway at 65. Had a 5.9 12 valve with a manual was a little better but not all that much. I have had 7 diesel pickups going all the way back to the first cummins in a pickup ( that was a gutless wonder) and none of them ever managed to get the mileage I heard claimed by others. On the flip side I did own a hemi ram and that was a pretty thirsty vehicle especially towing made the diesel seem like an economy car.
Posted By: DodgeCharger
Re: Cummings mileage - 11/10/13 12:00 AM
I have an 06. Had an 01 and 02. The newer trucks get worse mileage than the earlier trucks. These high mpg guys are either going by the lie o meter or live in areas with no hills.
My truck will get 14 to 15 around here. On the high way about 20 mpg. Towing 12,000 lbs about 11-12 mpg.
My son has the 02. The truck gets 18 around our area but it is also a stick. On the highway he gets about 22 mpg.
Don't expect a new truck to even get these numbers. Expect 12 around town maybe 19 highway empty and 11 towing. If you get more great but dont expect it.
Posted By: thehemikid
Re: Cummings mileage - 11/10/13 01:14 AM
Previous owner (somewhere in its life) abused 96, 3500, 46re, ext.cab, long bed, 4x4, 280k, stock exhaust with catalytic converter(may be nothing left in there, don't know), & no motor mod's. Tires are taller than stock though.
My 1st pull was with a 28' inclosed with car. Not knowing what speed would give the best mpg, doing ~65-70 I got ~10 mpg. I was hoping for 12. I could feel the wind pushing hard on the flat nose of the trailer. Maybe I had a head wind too, don't remember.
This yr had a chance to check it empty, on a trip 20.7, that surprised me a little.
To town & around & back, don't know.
Posted By: Leon441
Re: Cummings mileage - 11/10/13 01:27 AM
2005 Dually 18 highway empty and 11 towing a loaded gooseneck.
With some tricks it gets 23 highway and 14 towing.
I have been around some of the high mileage claiming people too. They seem to always have excuses when we are traveling together.
I am perfectly happy with a 7,600 lb truck that will run like stink getting 23 and pull like crazy and get 14.
Leon
Posted By: SpareParts
Re: Cummings mileage - 11/10/13 01:29 AM
Quote:
Previous owner (somewhere in its life) abused 96, 3500, 46re, ext.cab, long bed, 4x4, 280k, stock exhaust with catalytic converter(may be nothing left in there, don't know), & no motor mod's. Tires are taller than stock though.
My 1st pull was with a 28' inclosed with car. Not knowing what speed would give the best mpg, doing ~65-70 I got ~10 mpg. I was hoping for 12. I could feel the wind pushing hard on the flat nose of the trailer. Maybe I had a head wind too, don't remember.
This yr had a chance to check it empty, on a trip 20.7, that surprised me a little.
To town & around & back, don't know.
Now do some fuel mods and get more mpg. 12v > 24v
Posted By: camastomcat
Re: Cummings mileage - 11/10/13 01:29 AM
I would never own a gas rig again for towing. Mine gets 15-17 around town and highway, 8.5-11 towing a 40' aluminum goose neck, chipped, exhaust, intake, stock tires and wheels. I tow around 75-80mpg but have tried to haul slower, doesn't much matter. It's a 2004.5, 3500 dually, and I laugh at people who quote 20+MPG, it's BS in my opinion. Every time I get in somebody's rig that gets that kinda mileage, it doesn't. Great power though and long living if you take care of them....
Posted By: Eric
Re: Cummings mileage - 11/10/13 01:51 AM
2007 5.9 routinely get 22mpg empty on the thruway 14-16 around town and 12 towing a box at 70-75mph. Love it and will not go back to gas..
Posted By: Polarapete
Re: Cummings mileage - 11/10/13 02:32 AM
My Cummins was a 2002 with HO and 6 speed manual. I averaged 17 in mixed mostly city driving. Pulling an 8,000# trailer on the highway it would do 13. I had the gauges (EGT and boost) and 4" stainless exhaust. PO had installed different injectors, a South Bend clutch and I had a timing kit that I never felt the need to install. If you can afford the maintenance, go for it, every man needs to own a locomotive once in his life
I loved it. Would I own another? Only if I needed the power every day and would use it like they should be used
Posted By: jamesc
Re: Cummings mileage - 11/10/13 02:54 AM
personally i've seen too many fish stories about cummins (or others for that matter) mileage and i own a 97 stick. iirc it will do 17ish unloaded and probably 13-14ish pulling about 10k of 40' goose. it's a great engine but some of the claims i've seen...well you get the idea, there's a lot of john holmes mileage stories afaic
Posted By: RUNCHARGER
Re: Cummings mileage - 11/10/13 03:01 AM
These threads are usually full of BS but this one looks pretty honest so far. My 05 automatic 4WD gets above 20MPG empty and recently did 12MPG pulling a 24 ft enclosed down to Seattle and back. The mileage seemed the same with the trailer loaded or empty, the enclosed buck a lot of wind. I do better pulling an open trailer but can't remember how well now, I think something like 15-17MPG with a loaded open trailer.
Sheldon
Posted By: Defbob
Re: Cummings mileage - 11/10/13 03:12 AM
2011 Ram 3500 4x4 Cab and Chassis, automatic, CM SK Bed. 8912lb empty (scaled) 16.5mpg (70mph). Was able to achieve 23mpg before bed was installed (60mph)
When hauling Jimmy's Dart home from Orlando, I averaged roughly 13.5mpg with the loaded enclosed trailer (65-70 mph varying between states)
Posted By: MoParFish
Re: Cummings mileage - 11/10/13 03:52 AM
97 2500 4x4. Unloaded about 20. Loaded down with cabover, enclosed trailer with b body, tools etc. and enduro hangin off the front hitch about 11-12.
Posted By: Jambbii
Re: Cummings mileage - 11/10/13 04:32 AM
I am not sure if I believe some of these mileage claims but once you go Cummins you will not regret it. My 06 gets and average of 16.5 making a tick over 500hp at the rears and will still get about 12-13 towing 10k.
Josh
Posted By: Cab_Burge
Re: Cummings mileage - 11/10/13 05:59 AM
My 2006 ram 3500 single wheel 4x4 long bed gets around 20 MPG out on the road empty, it will get 14 MPG pulling my 24 ft. Pace Shadow weighing 8600 lbs on the axles, it will avaerge bewteen 14 and 16 MPG empty in town with some short highway driving. I own a 36 Ft fifth wheel travel trailer with three slide outs, it weighs 11,800 on the two trailer axles and puts around 1500 lbs more on the truck, some on the front axle but most of it on the rear axle. The truck rides and feels better pulling the fifth wheel than it does pulling the car trailer
The best mileage I got towing the fifth wheel from central Oregon to central Arkansas three years ago was right at 12 MPG, the worst mileage was from the eastern border of Okolhoma(SP?) on I 40 to the middle of the Texas panhandle into a direct head wind, it got a little above 8 MPG on that run at 65 to 70 MPH
I had a 1998 1/2 24 valve automatic short wheel base 3/4 ton extended cab two wheel drive, it got excellent mileage until Mopar did a "emissions " recall to reflash the computer, it sucked after that
I ended up having a freind, who worked at Cummins Pacific, install a industrial 230 HP program into my onboard computer, that made it better but not as good as it was originally
BTW, I owned three different car hauling trucks before switching to the CTD, 1973 1 ton crew cab Ford 390 with a C6 and 4.10 gears , 1957 1 ton Dodge with a 318 and a four speed, 4.10 gears and the first one was a 1955 Dodge 1 1/2 ton with a four speed and a two speed rear end with 9.50x20 inch tires, it orignally had a 254 C.I. Dodge 6 cylinder flathead truck motor in it and later I put a 1957 392 New Yorher passenger car hemi motor in it. None of the gas trucks ever got more than 10 MPG going to and from the races, never
Posted By: SpareParts
Re: Cummings mileage - 11/10/13 07:22 AM
I have found a lot of the mpg is in the trans. Also with a mechanical injection pump if you can fuel hard at a low rpm to spool the turbo you're into power quickly and don't need to keep your foot in it (poor mpg) personally I go crazy driving my father's duramax or newer common rail Cummins, even though both have 150hp tunes they feel sluggish down low compared to mine or my brother's 12v trucks. We both run some pretty built autos and nice converters both with 3.54 gears and 4x4 trucks. They're fun when the cars are down or 4wd drifting in winter lol
Posted By: Dodge
Re: Cummings mileage - 11/10/13 09:43 AM
Ive had a 1998 12v, 5 speed. Hauled a$$. Only got 15 empty, but boy would it push you back in the seat when grabbing gears. Then a 2000 auto v10, emty 11, with 7 k I got 9 with no power. Now have a 99 with 250k, 5 speed. Doesnt have the power the 12v had, but gets average of 19 empty and 14 with 7k. This is with 354 gears and 35 bfg tire.
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Posted By: SCDaytona
Re: Cummings mileage - 11/10/13 01:21 PM
I have a 2006 Mega Cab dualie. 4 WD It gets 16-18 highway and once keeping the speed below 65, I squeaked out 20. Around town 13. With a 28 foot trailer loaded on the highway 10. Pulls like it has no load behind it. My 97 4x4 ext. cab would get 22-23 highway,17 in town. Towing with a 24 foot trailer on highway 15. Only problem was it was a dog on hills. It was stock.
Posted By: 70Cuda383
Re: Cummings mileage - 11/10/13 01:35 PM
I've been looking and looking, I just can't find a cummings. anyone know what it is exactly?
Posted By: DodgeCharger
Re: Cummings mileage - 11/10/13 05:18 PM
Quote:
Thinking about trading my 2011 Hemi 2500 for a Cummings. I love my truck but was thinking about swapping it while it still worth something. I average about 12 around town and 8 pulling 9000lbs. My current ride has 4.10's and does the job around my part of the country just fine but just want to hear numbers from the real world guys on the Cummings. I am also considering the 6.4 Hemi. I figure the mileage should be on a par or a little worse the 5.7 but with more grunt. Comments, Thanks Jim T.
If it were me I would look for a low mileage 5.9 truck. The new trucks get less mileage and they have a lot more emission stuff on them to give you problems. With a tunner you can make just as much power with the 5.9. I like that I can run other than ULS desiel in my truck. A couple of years ago the power went out in our area. I was very low on fuel. Luckly I had some off road desiel in the shed or heating oil? Put 5 gallon in and was able to drive 15 miles to the next town where they had power to fill up my truck and get supplies.
It is something to consider.
Hi Jim,
I have an 05 dually 2wd automatic with 3.73 gears ; all stock with a K&N cold air kit and a MBRP straight-thru muffler.
Empty it gets 21.5mpg hwy and pulling the 26ft enclosed it averages 14.5-15 mpg cruising at 65mph.
Ron
Posted By: RUNCHARGER
Re: Cummings mileage - 11/10/13 06:11 PM
I would only buy an 06 and older 5.9 and only a manual trans if I was to buy another diesel truck.
Sheldon
Posted By: demon
Re: Cummings mileage - 11/10/13 11:35 PM
Quote:
I would only buy an 06 and older 5.9 and only a manual trans if I was to buy another diesel truck.
Sheldon
I agree. My 12 valve 5 speed gets super mileage, and my buddy has an 06 Mega Cab 6 speed 4x4 and it gets great mileage too. Cheapest thing I own to drive.
Posted By: I_bleed_MOPAR
Re: Cummings mileage - 11/11/13 12:11 AM
Posted By: SeventyGTX
Re: Cummings mileage - 11/11/13 12:47 AM
I don't drive my 04 QC 2wd 305/555 long bed much, so rarely check mileage. But last week I did a 700 mile round trip to Oregon, twice. Both times I got near identical mileage, 19.5 empty, and 16.4 flat towing a 3800 vehicle. This was going over some pretty steep mountain passes, and cruise control not working.
I was by no means babying it, although I-5 in northern California is crawling with CHP's. So, with a speed limit of 55 towing, I rarely went much over 63 mph in that 50 mile section. The rest of the time I was mostly doing 65-70.
Posted By: HOTMOPR
Re: Cummings mileage - 11/11/13 07:26 AM
You guys with your stock cummins' are leaving A LOT of mpg and horsepower at the pump. I had a 95 2500 4x4. Twin turbos, 435 injectors, lazer cut delivery valves 4000 govenor kit and a lot of pump work plus a really good tranny. I averaged 23-24 on the freeway and 16 towing. That was at 600 RWHP. Now I have a 07 6.7 auto 2wd 3500. I have deleted the EGR and DPF all the way to the turbo. Added a free flowing 4" exhaust, AIRAID intake system and a H&S mini maxx programmer. It gets 24 on the freeway at 65 and 15 towing at 65. Its close to 500 RWHP.
This is my old 95. click it.. VVV
My 07
Posted By: SeventyGTX
Re: Cummings mileage - 11/12/13 03:36 AM
I've had thoughts of pumping mine up a bit with a Smarty, but dread the thought of possibly killing the 48RE automatic. Performance is all about how much you want to spend, and personally I don't need a whole lot more power than my stock 305/555 common rail puts out. I'm usually passing half the vehicles up steep grades with my camper on or pulling a trailer.
Posted By: HOTMOPR
Re: Cummings mileage - 11/12/13 07:07 AM
In all most every case with a cummins HP equals MPG. My 95 started at 18 mpg stock. My 07 was 16 mpg hwy. Now low 20s.
Posted By: J_BODY
Re: Cummings mileage - 11/12/13 02:46 PM
Quote:
I've had thoughts of pumping mine up a bit with a Smarty, but dread the thought of possibly killing the 48RE automatic. Performance is all about how much you want to spend, and personally I don't need a whole lot more power than my stock 305/555 common rail puts out. I'm usually passing half the vehicles up steep grades with my camper on or pulling a trailer.
Then leave it be.... increased performance will increased the odds of failure in some manner be it trans, headgasket, or even a melted pistons. Granted you usually have to do some pretty stupid stuff to hurt em, but I've seen plenty! I was pretty disappointed with my 01 4x4 when I got it, but I built a good trans with an awesome torque converter, some RV275 Bosch injectors, and an Edge EZ. Simple low end mods which totally turned the truck around for my towing needs. Personally I question alot of the MPG number stated here, but I also live in a pretty god awfull area with steep long mountain passes. IF...I drive nice I'll see 16 in town. On the highway...17-19 in the 75-85 range. Towing...best ever was 13, usually 10-12 and this is a 24ft enclosed trailer 8K total. One time I was bored and drove across the desert to Palmdale to drop off my race trans and kept the boost low, and the average mpg on the overhead as high as I could. I don't think I went over 60mph the whole day and on some of the steeper grades I was out of OD to keep the numbers "up". I got 23mpg that day.
Posted By: dart4forte
Re: Cummings mileage - 11/13/13 07:53 PM
I have an 07 5.9 2500 long bed. It's getting ready to turn over 150K. Excellent truck however it's a 4X4 with 3.73s so I get hand calculated an average of about 17 around town and empty on the fwy about 20. Goes down in the winter due to winter blend fuel. towing my 24' car trailer full I average about 13-14. In Cali on flat roads that goes to 15 average. Being retired military I'm very anal about maintenance so I'm sure that's what has kept this truck going without any major problems.
Posted By: Silver70
Re: Cummings mileage - 11/13/13 08:48 PM
My 01 is a quad cab, shortbed with 5 speed... I get right around 19mpg and that's all local short trips and I like to get moving fast, not easy on the pedal
When stock I got about 17.5, since added 100hp injectors, edge comp(stays on level 5), 4" exhaust and cai. I also run heavy 33" mud style tires. When towing a lot, which the usual haul is up a long steep hill that's a few miles long to take in scrap car, I avg about 17.5 those weeks. Conservatively my truck is 350/850 to the wheels, sure makes a fun driving truck too
Posted By: RODHALL
Re: Cummings mileage - 11/14/13 03:53 AM
Some of the mileage claims depends on the driver right foot.
I have an 05 CTD quad cab short bed 4x..
I drive it, 22 hwy 17 city
My daughter 20 hwy 15 city
I refuse to let my wife drive it...she would tear the whole right side off it..
Posted By: an8sec70cuda
Re: Cummings mileage - 11/14/13 09:13 PM
'01 24v Cummins, auto, 3.54 gear, 35" tall tires, 4x4, quad cab short bed.
4" straight pipe exhaust, BHAF, and a small 60 hp Superchips programmer.
Mine gets around 20-21 mpg combined city/highway (mostly highway). Don't do much city driving w/ it and I've honestly never even bothered to check the mileage when towing. I check it by hand, although the dash/overhead readout is always real close as far as the average mpg.
Posted By: moretoys
Re: Cummings mileage - 11/15/13 03:27 AM
lose the egr valve & cooler, and the particulate filter (catalytic convertor).aftermarket companies sell egr removal kits. gain hp/torque and mileage.also need to program pcm computer so the light stays out.
Posted By: Jeepmon
Re: Cummings mileage - 11/15/13 10:10 AM
Quote:
lose the egr valve & cooler, and the particulate filter (catalytic convertor).aftermarket companies sell egr removal kits. gain hp/torque and mileage.also need to program pcm computer so the light stays out.
How important is it to actually remove the EGR compared to having the programmer disconnect it?
Posted By: dodgzilla 1
Re: Cummings mileage - 11/15/13 07:11 PM
my 2011 dually 4x4 gets about 13 to 15 mpg, when empty and i keep my lead foot out of the throttle.
i am waiting till the warranty goes out and then i can really play with it.
Posted By: thehemikid
Re: Cummings mileage - 11/17/13 05:52 AM
Quote:
Quote:
Previous owner (somewhere in its life) abused 96, 3500, 46re, ext.cab, long bed, 4x4, 280k, stock exhaust with catalytic converter(may be nothing left in there, don't know), & no motor mod's. Tires are taller than stock though.
My 1st pull was with a 28' inclosed with car. Not knowing what speed would give the best mpg, doing ~65-70 I got ~10 mpg. I was hoping for 12. I could feel the wind pushing hard on the flat nose of the trailer. Maybe I had a head wind too, don't remember.
This yr had a chance to check it empty, on a trip 20.7, that surprised me a little.
To town & around & back, don't know.
Now do some fuel mods and get more mpg. 12v > 24v
I would if the stock trans would live,..but everything I read on the Dodge Cummins Diesel Forum, suggests that eventually it would fail.
To do engine mod's I'd have to do trans mod's too. I know there are some easy cheap engine mod's, but the trans, are not. So I decided to leave it be for now. Not that I couldn't afford it. I just put the money elsewhere. Got used to its 185 hp.
Even with its 185hp diesel in an over 7,000lb 3.54 geared truck w/ 2" taller than oem tires, it pulls better that a 220hp B350 3.54 gear at 5200lb.
