First off, I LOVE my Hemi! Second, I hate going to the gas station. I have an '03 Ram 1500 Hemi 4x4 Quad Cab, and I'm looking to try an improve my gas mileage. Not looking for a miracle fix, just something... anything to help improve it. I'm lucky to get 11-12 in town and 13-14 on the highway. I have done trials on my driving with several tanks, driving like a granny and driving like a bat outta... well you know. Only got 1 MPG diff.

Here's a list of my current mods: Airaid CAI, Hypertech Programmer II, custom exhaust, and full synthetics. I run Lucas fuel treatment every 3000 miles and Z-Max engine treatment (to combat the "Hemi tick"), and have a fiberglass tonneau cover.

Does anyone have any recommendations? Specific exhaust systems, tires & rims, weight management (she's a big girl!), spark plugs & wires, throttle body spacer, etc. Even upping the size of the cat-back piping. Thanks ahead of time!!!

 

Yea, well you are about right on the money as for mileage goes so welcome to the club. Smaller tires, lowering it, 100% fuel and no ethanol blends if you can find it and an electric fan is about all you got. You have a HEMI and a 4wd so yeah, she is big and heavy and loves to drink.

 

What fuel are running? 87 or 89?

 

thats pretty much the best your gonna get, running 89 will benefit also

 

I'm running 91 and even on winter blend fuel I get up to 13.5 in town. I've been told that if you can get 100 fuel it will help. In Florida you might find a marina where you can buy 100 fuel.
I have a Super Chip and I have mine set on "High Performance" I thought that it was odd that I got better mileage when I went from economy 87 tune to performance 91 setting. But I did and my mileage increased over 1 mpg.

 

There is ONE gas station here in town that sells 100% fuel. Under Federal Guidelines, any franchise owned station MUST sell blended fuel. However, privately owned stations can buy and sale non-blended fuels.

This how I read it several months ago. But things are always changing.

 

I don't have the link but as I recall the last time this was brought up some one posted a link where you could locate gas stations that carry 100% fuel. If you do a search you can probably find the link. But thats no garantee. The closest 100% fuel station for me was about 40 miles away.

 

On an all highway trip recently i got 18.8mpg (hand calculated) in my 05 qc hemi, I just put on mickey thompson MTZ's though so I can kiss those numbers goodbye :]. I've just ran royal purple and now mobile 1 synthetic and run 93 octane on a superchips 91 tune.

 

The only thing i don't see you have that has been mentioned is about a $80 mod electric fan. I was able to gain just over 1 mpg by doing this mod. The throttle body spacers are garbage don't bother. Also above you say custom exhaust. Do you have aftermark LT headers, Y Pipe, and what muffler. Dynomax out flows magnaflow and flowmasters. Most people like flowmasters sound, but they have horrible flow. If it was me i would do the e-fan and look into a new y-pipe as factory ones are pinched pretty good. I wouldn't expect anything more than 1.5mpg increase. I have a lot of stuff done and i can get 15.5 mpg on the Hwy and 13 city with the MDS shut off and i have heavy tires and rims with a lift.

 

My overhead reads 8mpg for an average, so dont complain.

Weed, Ive wondered what you get. Those 26s have to weigh a ton.

Its hard to get any gas mileage out of a truck. Better exhaust and a CAI say they get ~1mpg each but I got 1mpg total. A programmer can get ~1mpg also, some say more but I dunno. Also, the E-fan is 1mpg-ish...so theres 3 right there, but it will take awhile to make up for that. Theres no cheap way to get better mileage out of a truck other than your driving style. I get 2ish more by chilling out in my takeoffs