2003 4.7 V8 Dakota Quad cab, how can I get better MPG?
#21
my dads old dakota (03 QC 4x4 w/ the v6) did not change mpgs when he put a tonneau on it, he got 17 on the highway consistently, now he probably drives 75-80 on the highway so yes you should be able to do better, although with his new truck he JUST (in the last week or two) put a tonneau cover on it and his mpgs when from about 19 commuting to work to 20.x(just under 21 really), the only change was adding the tonneau cover, (btw he is now driving an 09 dak QC v8 4x4 trx4 ect ect)
and just so you know anyone with the overhead computers, i have yet to see one that is accurate on estimated MPGS, mine (02 durango) is off anywhere from .1-3 my dads (09 dak) is off about .1-2, my moms BMW is off even more .5-3+, and my sisters beetle is off too, never accurate, now in refrence to chevy, my roommate last year drives an S-10 and he never got the same MPGs as the built in computer told him he was, not sure how much it was off, but it was off and not consistently, bc that was his biggest complaint about it
and just so you know anyone with the overhead computers, i have yet to see one that is accurate on estimated MPGS, mine (02 durango) is off anywhere from .1-3 my dads (09 dak) is off about .1-2, my moms BMW is off even more .5-3+, and my sisters beetle is off too, never accurate, now in refrence to chevy, my roommate last year drives an S-10 and he never got the same MPGs as the built in computer told him he was, not sure how much it was off, but it was off and not consistently, bc that was his biggest complaint about it
#22
Where to begin. *sighs*
Tonneau covers ARE better. I will not try to force one on you, but for gas mileage they are better than an open bed.
You are stupid, I can not prove my point to you and I will not try any further. Actually, I lied, yes I will.
Here is a link to the bed cover, it is expensive, but so are LEER covers. The bonus is you get better gas mileage. The man making it is hoping Ford will buy his idea and try to get all new trucks to have one or at least make them an option.
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...d-cap-583.html
He has noted 20mpg to 24mpg increase traveling at 70mph. He has numerous threads on that site, with Cd test to prove it. The guy has done his homework.
All I can say to you sir, is you should know your facts, or at least read some on aerodynamics. You are ignorant, yet you feel the need to say that I am wrong.
Mythbusters did a test and determined that it is not better for gas consumption.
I know they aren't the most reliable source, but also a friend of mine has a S10 and he had a tonneau cover on it and was getting 15mpg consistantly, he took it off and was getting 17mpg with out it. He had the tonneau on for 2-3 months and was always averaging 15 mpg. As soon as he took it off he was getting 17 from then on...
I know trucks, such as the Camping World truck series, have the bed completely covered, but its because they are going 160mph at most tracks and almost 200mph at Talledega and Daytona. The air acts a lot differently at 180mph then it does at 65...
I know they aren't the most reliable source, but also a friend of mine has a S10 and he had a tonneau cover on it and was getting 15mpg consistantly, he took it off and was getting 17mpg with out it. He had the tonneau on for 2-3 months and was always averaging 15 mpg. As soon as he took it off he was getting 17 from then on...
I know trucks, such as the Camping World truck series, have the bed completely covered, but its because they are going 160mph at most tracks and almost 200mph at Talledega and Daytona. The air acts a lot differently at 180mph then it does at 65...
Ok, and how much do those caps cost? Where is the proof that I'm going to get 20% fuel consumption, and even if I did, how long is it going to take to make your money back. People go out and spend all this money on this and never remember to think it might take more than a week to get your money back. Start simple.
I'm not saying tire pressure is the awnser to getting better mpg, but its helps ALOT to drive around on tires full of air. Don't you ever remember when you were a kid and after awhile the tires on your bike would lose air, as soon as you put more air in, it became so much easier to ride? Well this is the exact same thing your car/truck feels if you're driving around with low air pressure and then you finally put more in. It can relax and work much less. There for decreasing how much fuel you will use. It's def not a mod or anything that will super icrease your mpg, but its helps alot to keep air in the tires.
Its something so many people over look. They go out and buy everything to do a tune up (which isn't expensive I know) then they buy an intake and all this other stuff and the whole time they are rolling around with 20psi in there tires when there could be 38-40psi.
I'm just saying this should be the first place people look to save gas.
The second is their driving habbits. Less braking all over the place, more coasting.
And no, tonneau covers DO NOT increase your gas milage. At highway speeds the air circulates around in the bed as positive air and the air coming over the truck goes right over the bed. Its not opinion, its fact. Its a myth that a tonneau increase gas milage. It's why my girlfriends father only uses it on his F-150 if hes delivering something in the rain/snow. But any other time he doesn't use it, because you use more gas.
I told you before another friend of mine has an s10 and got 2 mpg better (according to ther onboard computer) with OUT the tonneau. And he kept trying it back and forth to see if it was true. It is. Get over it. You can always argue opinions, you can not argue fact. 2 + 2 is always 4 and tonneaus use more gas.
I'm not saying tire pressure is the awnser to getting better mpg, but its helps ALOT to drive around on tires full of air. Don't you ever remember when you were a kid and after awhile the tires on your bike would lose air, as soon as you put more air in, it became so much easier to ride? Well this is the exact same thing your car/truck feels if you're driving around with low air pressure and then you finally put more in. It can relax and work much less. There for decreasing how much fuel you will use. It's def not a mod or anything that will super icrease your mpg, but its helps alot to keep air in the tires.
Its something so many people over look. They go out and buy everything to do a tune up (which isn't expensive I know) then they buy an intake and all this other stuff and the whole time they are rolling around with 20psi in there tires when there could be 38-40psi.
I'm just saying this should be the first place people look to save gas.
The second is their driving habbits. Less braking all over the place, more coasting.
And no, tonneau covers DO NOT increase your gas milage. At highway speeds the air circulates around in the bed as positive air and the air coming over the truck goes right over the bed. Its not opinion, its fact. Its a myth that a tonneau increase gas milage. It's why my girlfriends father only uses it on his F-150 if hes delivering something in the rain/snow. But any other time he doesn't use it, because you use more gas.
I told you before another friend of mine has an s10 and got 2 mpg better (according to ther onboard computer) with OUT the tonneau. And he kept trying it back and forth to see if it was true. It is. Get over it. You can always argue opinions, you can not argue fact. 2 + 2 is always 4 and tonneaus use more gas.
Here is a link to the bed cover, it is expensive, but so are LEER covers. The bonus is you get better gas mileage. The man making it is hoping Ford will buy his idea and try to get all new trucks to have one or at least make them an option.
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...d-cap-583.html
He has noted 20mpg to 24mpg increase traveling at 70mph. He has numerous threads on that site, with Cd test to prove it. The guy has done his homework.
Just like i get sick of your post. Stop the BS! If you drive this truck with a easy foot (very easy to do) you can get 19-20 MPG. Thats not bad since its a crew cab V8 4x4. At 20% you would be gaining 4 MPG and if that was the case i think every truck owner would have one.
Back when gas was 4.60 a gallon guys where pulling off there tail gates and doing every thing they could to get better fuel millage. I think on some of the bigger trucks this was good for a few extra miles on a full tank not MPG. On a crew cab truck there is only about 4 feet of bed back there. The cab of the truck blocks most of the wind any way.
Before you make some crazy claim make sure you know the facts!
Back when gas was 4.60 a gallon guys where pulling off there tail gates and doing every thing they could to get better fuel millage. I think on some of the bigger trucks this was good for a few extra miles on a full tank not MPG. On a crew cab truck there is only about 4 feet of bed back there. The cab of the truck blocks most of the wind any way.
Before you make some crazy claim make sure you know the facts!
Last edited by MadisonDakota; 11-28-2009 at 09:31 PM.
#23
I drive a stock 2001 Quad Cab, Auto, 4.7 and never get below 17 mpg and normally I am in the 18-19 range touching 20 mpg once. 65% highway driving. Cruising at 70 mph I am pulling a little over 2,000 rpms. On the 20 mpg run, I tried to keep everything under 2000 rpm. ie. pulling away from lights etc. That was no fun but I did pull a 20 once.
#24
Madison, I'm not saying you are going to lose 5 mpg by using a tonneau, but you're not going to gain anything either. I know you will lose some, might not be much, but some. I suppose it could all depend on the length of the bed as well. A lot of trucks don't have 8' beds like they used. Now most are 6.5' or less for 4 door trucks. Even if you WERE to gain 1 mpg, a tonneau is several hundred dollars. When do you start to making you're money back on something that gains you 1 mpg? That would be even if they did help you gain mpg.
I've got nothing against tonneaus, they serve a very practical purpose, but don't buy one and say its to save gas. Buy it because you need to cover things up in the bed. Don't buy one thinking you are going to save gas. Because you're not.
And I'm sorry, but your hippie eco cover thing is not going to catch on. Its hideous. And I know that, it doesn't matter in terms of saving gas, but people are not going to use. They want to be able to use there truck as a truck. And once again, how much are they?? How long will it be before you make your money back.
Nobody ever thinks about the money they invest, never to see a return.
It's the same thing with these stupid people who go and by an electic car. They think they're doing the world a huge favor by not using gas. Instead they go home every night and plug it into the wall and use the electricity from a COAL powerplant. Then 10 years later all these cars need new batteries, but oh wait you can not recycle the old ones. Wow good thing you bought an electric car. Not to mention the amount of pollution used to produce the cars in the first place.
Nobody ever thinks things all the way though and is why this country is in such a mess, because of people like Madison who can't wrap thier small brains around anything that should be common sense.
Ok, I think I'm done with my rant. Sorry for those who had to read through the whole thing. Some people just make me nuts.
I've got nothing against tonneaus, they serve a very practical purpose, but don't buy one and say its to save gas. Buy it because you need to cover things up in the bed. Don't buy one thinking you are going to save gas. Because you're not.
And I'm sorry, but your hippie eco cover thing is not going to catch on. Its hideous. And I know that, it doesn't matter in terms of saving gas, but people are not going to use. They want to be able to use there truck as a truck. And once again, how much are they?? How long will it be before you make your money back.
Nobody ever thinks about the money they invest, never to see a return.
It's the same thing with these stupid people who go and by an electic car. They think they're doing the world a huge favor by not using gas. Instead they go home every night and plug it into the wall and use the electricity from a COAL powerplant. Then 10 years later all these cars need new batteries, but oh wait you can not recycle the old ones. Wow good thing you bought an electric car. Not to mention the amount of pollution used to produce the cars in the first place.
Nobody ever thinks things all the way though and is why this country is in such a mess, because of people like Madison who can't wrap thier small brains around anything that should be common sense.
Ok, I think I'm done with my rant. Sorry for those who had to read through the whole thing. Some people just make me nuts.
#25
Madison, I'm not saying you are going to lose 5 mpg by using a tonneau, but you're not going to gain anything either. I know you will lose some, might not be much, but some. I suppose it could all depend on the length of the bed as well. A lot of trucks don't have 8' beds like they used. Now most are 6.5' or less for 4 door trucks. Even if you WERE to gain 1 mpg, a tonneau is several hundred dollars. When do you start to making you're money back on something that gains you 1 mpg? That would be even if they did help you gain mpg.
I've got nothing against tonneaus, they serve a very practical purpose, but don't buy one and say its to save gas. Buy it because you need to cover things up in the bed. Don't buy one thinking you are going to save gas. Because you're not.
And I'm sorry, but your hippie eco cover thing is not going to catch on. Its hideous. And I know that, it doesn't matter in terms of saving gas, but people are not going to use. They want to be able to use there truck as a truck. And once again, how much are they?? How long will it be before you make your money back.
Nobody ever thinks about the money they invest, never to see a return.
It's the same thing with these stupid people who go and by an electic car. They think they're doing the world a huge favor by not using gas. Instead they go home every night and plug it into the wall and use the electricity from a COAL powerplant. Then 10 years later all these cars need new batteries, but oh wait you can not recycle the old ones. Wow good thing you bought an electric car. Not to mention the amount of pollution used to produce the cars in the first place.
Nobody ever thinks things all the way though and is why this country is in such a mess, because of people like Madison who can't wrap thier small brains around anything that should be common sense.
Ok, I think I'm done with my rant. Sorry for those who had to read through the whole thing. Some people just make me nuts.
I've got nothing against tonneaus, they serve a very practical purpose, but don't buy one and say its to save gas. Buy it because you need to cover things up in the bed. Don't buy one thinking you are going to save gas. Because you're not.
And I'm sorry, but your hippie eco cover thing is not going to catch on. Its hideous. And I know that, it doesn't matter in terms of saving gas, but people are not going to use. They want to be able to use there truck as a truck. And once again, how much are they?? How long will it be before you make your money back.
Nobody ever thinks about the money they invest, never to see a return.
It's the same thing with these stupid people who go and by an electic car. They think they're doing the world a huge favor by not using gas. Instead they go home every night and plug it into the wall and use the electricity from a COAL powerplant. Then 10 years later all these cars need new batteries, but oh wait you can not recycle the old ones. Wow good thing you bought an electric car. Not to mention the amount of pollution used to produce the cars in the first place.
Nobody ever thinks things all the way though and is why this country is in such a mess, because of people like Madison who can't wrap thier small brains around anything that should be common sense.
Ok, I think I'm done with my rant. Sorry for those who had to read through the whole thing. Some people just make me nuts.
#26
actually on electric cars he is pretty accurate, the batteries do need to be replaced (i think its every 5 years, not 10 but im not 100% sure, i know that the hybrid batteries are 5 years) and he is also correct that most of this countries electric power comes from COAL power plants(http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electri...a/epat1p1.html, just look at the totals, the first section where coal has the highest megawatt hours), which actually produce more pollution than running a car on gasoline, electric cars also do not have the range that everyone wants or needs from them
http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/coalvswind/c02c.html
http://www.mrsharkey.com/charging2.htm (battery life of electric cars)
http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/coalvswind/c02c.html
http://www.mrsharkey.com/charging2.htm (battery life of electric cars)
#27
actually on electric cars he is pretty accurate, the batteries do need to be replaced (i think its every 5 years, not 10 but im not 100% sure, i know that the hybrid batteries are 5 years) and he is also correct that most of this countries electric power comes from COAL power plants(http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electri...a/epat1p1.html, just look at the totals, the first section where coal has the highest megawatt hours), which actually produce more pollution than running a car on gasoline, electric cars also do not have the range that everyone wants or needs from them
http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/coalvswind/c02c.html
http://www.mrsharkey.com/charging2.htm (battery life of electric cars)
http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/coalvswind/c02c.html
http://www.mrsharkey.com/charging2.htm (battery life of electric cars)
Thinking that your (no hate because I own one) V8 car is "more environmentally friendly" is dumb.
#28
Where to begin. *sighs*
Tonneau covers ARE better. I will not try to force one on you, but for gas mileage they are better than an open bed.
You are stupid, I can not prove my point to you and I will not try any further. Actually, I lied, yes I will.
Here is a link to the bed cover, it is expensive, but so are LEER covers. The bonus is you get better gas mileage. The man making it is hoping Ford will buy his idea and try to get all new trucks to have one or at least make them an option.
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...d-cap-583.html
He has noted 20mpg to 24mpg increase traveling at 70mph. He has numerous threads on that site, with Cd test to prove it. The guy has done his homework.
All I can say to you sir, is you should know your facts, or at least read some on aerodynamics. You are ignorant, yet you feel the need to say that I am wrong.
Tonneau covers ARE better. I will not try to force one on you, but for gas mileage they are better than an open bed.
You are stupid, I can not prove my point to you and I will not try any further. Actually, I lied, yes I will.
Here is a link to the bed cover, it is expensive, but so are LEER covers. The bonus is you get better gas mileage. The man making it is hoping Ford will buy his idea and try to get all new trucks to have one or at least make them an option.
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...d-cap-583.html
He has noted 20mpg to 24mpg increase traveling at 70mph. He has numerous threads on that site, with Cd test to prove it. The guy has done his homework.
All I can say to you sir, is you should know your facts, or at least read some on aerodynamics. You are ignorant, yet you feel the need to say that I am wrong.
So let me brake this down a little bit. If you are sitting in the bed of a full size truck with a 6 foot bed and you sit close to the cab you dont fill any wind right? Even if you sit in the center about half way back you dont fill any wind right? So the only place you might catch some big wind is near the very back of the truck near the tail gate (once again we are talking about a longer bed truck).
Also if you look at that data how does lowering the tail gate get better fuel millage then removing the tail gate by almost 1 MPG
Removed Tailgate 0.447 3.47% 15.65
Lowered Tailgate 0.414 -4.17% 16.42
That by its self looks a little strange to me. Like the data might not be so correct.
And then:
Tonneau Cover 0.381 -11.81% 17.18
New Cap Design 0.302 -30.09% 19
How does this cap improve almost 2 MPG over a cover which blocks air from going down into the bed. Sounds like some one is trying to pitch a sale just like when company's try to claim cold air intakes give you up to 25 Horse power and then you see 7-13 on the dyno
So you can call me ignorant all you want and look at your little "data" all day long. In the real world how you drive will have more of a impact on your fuel millage then if you buy a little cover for the bed of your truck. And for most people that use the bed of there truck a cover just gets in the way any way.
The only thing i can see that might help lower some drag on the truck is going to a net or lowering the tail gate when the bed is not being used i think it will only help if you drive on the high way at higher speeds for long distances and even then i think it will only be a few miles per tank not a few miles per gallon.
#30
He is right about a few things. I do know that most power comes from coal, but it is also more effiecent energy. Most of the power where I live is nuclear and hydroelectric. I will buy/build an electric car with SLA batteries so that I can recycle them.
Thinking that your (no hate because I own one) V8 car is "more environmentally friendly" is dumb.
Thinking that your (no hate because I own one) V8 car is "more environmentally friendly" is dumb.
and if you know how nuclear reactors work they use a water supply (usually a river, or bay) to cool the reactor which will cause the temperature of the water in that ecosystem, which will cause damage to the system, so nuclear energy, while much better for the air in the environment, it is not so much good for the ecosystem of the river or bay where the water for cooling the reactor comes from.