Hey guys, just wanted to give some more data points for Dakota mileage:
During normal use, I get about 9.5-10.1 MPG (this is with a 4.7 Flex-fuel 07 QC, 4WD running e85 over a bunch of stop-light, speed bump, short freeway trip with traffic roads so don't panic.)
I think the BEST mileage I ever got before was about 14.3 (running down Telegraph avenue from Detroit to Toledo at 45MPH with e85 fuel hauling an oven in the bed.) Usually freeway driving gets me about 13.7-14.1MPG.
For this trip, I decided to see what she could really do, so I took all the mileage improvement steps I could take (such as not hauling any large appliances in the back!) Specifically, I removed the sandbags from the bed (it should not be snowing in FL so not needed), aired-up the tires to about 38PSI, and changed the air filter (the old one was pretty nasty looking for only having 10700ish miles.)
The results were impressive. I ran nearly 15.4MPG peak on e85 (paid as low as $1.93/gallon in Bowling Green, OH - usually closer to @2.50 in most places) and over 19MPG peak with u87 (aka regular unleaded.)
Combined with the low price of gas (its between $2.79 and $2.99 for u87 here in the Orlando area), this has significantly improved my fuel price budget for the trip.

 

thats badass good job....
that was a long trip OH to Orlando dammmmm

 

I am currently getting 18.4 mpg on u87. I have the 4.7L Magnum (non Flex). This is my avg. running at about 72-73 mph since we left NJ on Friday afternoon on our way to San Diego. We are currently in Springfield, MO and I-44 is not flat, We are in the Ozarks plus the speed limit is 70 so you tend to punch it a bit more. Before we hit St. Louis, I was at 19.8 (20.2 at my best).

So we will see how the rest of the trip goes.

 

consider trying some aerodynamic mods

 

try using regular fuel, no more e85 ****.

it's worse on economy, and more expensive in the long run...

 

As you said, its cheaper, but I really hate the idea of buying something made overseas when I can buy american instead.
I'm not too religious about it (down in FL this month I have not seen any e85 stations so have been running "stinky gas"), but I prefer to look for alternatives when I can. Now what I REALLY want is a diesel engine for our trucks because SVO has some real potential for letting the US "take our ball and go home" on the international energy market as opposed to some big challenges with corn based ethanol fuel (although if they can ever make cellulosic ethanol practical that might change the whole game too.)

 

if you are an experimenter
and have philosophical reasons for staying with E85
consider raising the compression ratio of your engine
from oem 9.3
to the range of 11 to 14
as the E85 octane rating of 103 should allow something
in that range

The link below is plenty 'dense' geek talk
but in a nutshell'
they take a VW TDI diesel with a compression ratio of 17
add sparkplugs and Holley fuel injectors
and run the engine on both ethanol and methanol
and get efficiencies as good as diesel

http://www.epa.gov/otaq/presentation...02-01-2743.pdf

don't be put off on the first reading of this paper
read it a few more times with a day or two separation