So after reading literally everything on this site relating to intake, exhaust, chips, headers, ect.. It really seems like MPG is at the top if not the biggest topic that comes up. I always try to weigh the pros and cons in anything I do and research everything to the best of my understanding. I came across a simple site that has an MPG calculator. I wanted to post a link to it as it helped me decide to start the modifications to my stock truck in the hopes of just eeking out another 3 MPG. That said the 3 extra miles a gallon would pay for the CAI,Cat-back,Chip in one years time, get me added HP/TQ performance and then pay dividends in the long run as I anticipate owning this truck for at least 100,000miles. I drive on average 17,000 miles a year. Fuel prices relative here in Florida mid is generally .10 cents more expensive than regular. My last two tanks averaged 15mpg on 87 octane. I switched this tank to 89 octane and it averaged 16.7 mpg. All readings were calculated on paper and I rarely drive the truck past 2000k rpms. I budgeted $600.00 for modifications when buying the truck and through crazedlist.org found the exact setup I intend to use. Volant, Mangnaflow Duals, and a Superchip shipped for $598, call it $600.00 granted they are used I can live with that, no one sees them and the parts have a lifetime guarantee. So car as I can read 90% of the members have reported individual MPG gains ranging from .2 to 1mpg for the intake, 1-1.5 for the exhaust and 2-3 for the Tuner. I know that all things equal I conservatively hope to gain just 3 mpg. Over 17,000 miles that 3mpg equates to $595.00 saved each year for the same gallon of gas. It may be a savings of only .035 cents per mile but it adds up over time. I know 20mpg average for a 5.7 QC/SB is a long shot but I will be sure to record my findings and post.

Lol almost forgot the link. I can get a bit wordy.

http://www.mpgomatic.com/mileage_calculator.html

 

Reserved for future use.

 

You are correct, mpg comes up more in threads in the 3rd gen section than any other topic, which always amazes me! It's like someone seeing someone with no hair always carrying a comb. To me anyway. It's a truck, a big truck, in most cases a big V8 truck. You want mileage, don't buy a big V8 truck...

 

Very true. I know the Ram isn't a Prius. Its just in my case buying performance parts for HP/TQ alone wasn't enough to convince me to buy them. Seeing a calculator that showed a longer term savings in MPG as an added benefit was the extra push I needed to go ahead with the mods. I figure if I took a little calculator to push me that extra inch and that I would save the money in the long run there are others out there in the same situation. I'd like to save as much money as possible and have fun doing it.

 

I can't blame you a bit there, but I'll tell 'ya I ain't seen a mod yet for mileage that didn't take virtually the life of the vehicle to make up it's cost in saved fuel...

 

Your probably right. Inevitably after spending money in the hopes of breaking even I will be WOT at every red light... at least every once and a while.

 

It's really amazing that it can take all day to get the overhead console to go from 17 mpg to 18 mpg, then drop back down to 17 again in one long full throttle blast!

And we still worry about mileage in our great big trucks because we still want the best of both worlds. Just because they aren't easy to bring together doesn't mean it's impossible to get good mileage and a big safe truck to carry my family in. The Ram may have been a bit of overkill, but my wife likes to sit up real high. Hopefully she won't read this forum or she'll want to raise it even more!

 

I changed to amsoil in engine and rear diff and saw a .5-1 mpg increase. had a superchips for a couple months, showed no gain.

he has the 5.7, 89 is recommended.

and it sucks! but it makes sense. slow cruising you probably only use 100-125 hp or something (guess). full throttle you're wanting 3 times as much hp, and engines are set up to run rich at full throttle to squeeze out every bit of power they can. so you're literally spitting gas out the exhaust.

good link! though i wonder how accurate it is.

 

Very True! I didn't get my truck, or any of the other cars that we own because they have great MPG's, considering all of them have the biggest gas engines offered! lol

I had to drive a relatives 01 PT Cruz er last weekend, and wow was i punished! I don't know how anyone can drive a 4 cyl, I live in the hills, so i had to pritty much floor it, and it was always chugging "ithink i can!"

 

As the little calculator shows
it is the owners of pickup trucks
who really "use them"
to drive more than 20,000 miles per year
who can save the most money
from going from a not unusual 12 MPG
to 17 MPG
which very 'doable'
with the right brain training
and a few mods

In contrast
an owner of a 30 MPG vehicle
who improves this to 35 MPG
saves very little,
actually not enough to pay for nearly any mod

the little calculator is good
but does not seem to take into account
important but lesser understood things like
depreciation, cost of insurance
and most importantly
safety from driving a (non-lifted) pickup truck
compared to nearly any other vehicle

if you think you will either not being in an accident
or
that you will completely heal up from a serious accident
think again

without your health
you have almost nothing

will I pay $2000 per year in fuel
to avoid having
a single arm, neck, knee, or back joint in my body
that will ache for the rest of my life
after an accident?

you bet I will pay that

so will my mom's Orthopedic Surgeon
who drives a 2500 Ram
and switched to that vehicle
from a Mercedes
after seeing in the 'real world'
how his patients fared after accidents