I love my truck, but the mpg is not that great towing a 20' enclosed trailer. Is there anything I can do to get better fuel mileage?

 

What are you getting? We really have nothing to go on here...Mileage is going to be "bad" towing, just don't know how bad it really is!?

 

It's not necessarily the length that hurts. How wide and is it a V-nose or flat? I've towed both in the 12' and 14' lengths. I've towed open landscape trailer and dump trailers.
I've seen up to 2mpg increase from a v-nose as compared to a flat nose. The V pulls easier and rides nicer. I get about the same mileage towing a V-nose as I do my open landscape trailer with a 5ft grated gate out back(wind barrier believe it or not) and my dump that stands 6" high.
The flat front trailers just tow hard.

This is what I have done in my 2008 1500;

v-nose enclosed, open landscape w/gate, 6' high dump.... 10-13mpg
Flat faced enclosed trailer.... 8-11mpg

4th Gens get same mpg's and are able to tow more weight more efficiently actually. Your 2500 should be slightly under me only because of added weight. You should be in the 8-10mpg range. Maybe 11 or 12 on highway under 65mph.

Nothing you can do for better mileage while towing. Handheld tuners do have economy tunes, but you dont use those while towing. My only reccomendation is to use tow/haul and O/D off. Keep the rpms high in the city. It'll keep the truck in its power band and not lug it. You will get better mpg's running at or slightly above 2,000rpms. I have tuned my truck to be between 2k-2300rpms all the time while driving and have picked up 2mpg in the city. Highway doesn't matter much really.

 

Yeah, not much info to go on. Remember, speed is probably the biggest fuel mileage killer when towing, gas or diesel. I would agree that big, square-faced enclosed trailers have more drag. You got the 3.73 or 4.10 rear end? What mileage you gettin' with the 6 speed when you're not towing in that 65 to 70 mph range? Sounds like you really love the truck? Any soft spots through the new tansmission gears with the Hemi that lug the engine?

 

Sorry for not giving enough info.

About 70-80% of the time I'm towing a 8.5X20 enclosed trailer. Most of that is in town with a lot of stop and go. I do pull it some on the hwy but not much.

The trailer is a flat nose not a V nose. Total weigh of trailer and equipment is 8-9k. No WDH, I have thought of getting one just haven't done it yet.

Not sure on the rear end, could not find it on the sticker, where would I look for this info.

I'm at almost 10k miles. Also, it is a 4x4.

Pulling the enclosed in town I'm getting about 7mpg. I have got 18-20 on the hwy empty with the cruse set at 60-65 mph. Average for all miles driven seems to be about 9mpg. This is hand calculated well before 10k miles, I need to check it again.

I really do love my truck, I will try to post some pics when/if I have time. It's a white crew cab, SLT, 4X4.

I traded a 08 with a Cummins for this truck. The Hemi has more than enough grunt to do what I need it to do I just wish I get a little better mpg.

Thanks

 

Climb under your truck look on the rear axel passenger side i believe, if not check the driver side. It'll have a sticker with your gearing.

 

I think the issue is your driving in the city most, its the stop and go that's killing your mileage. I experience the same thing when I pull the 30' holiday trailer. I do what dirtydog does tho, pop that thing into tow/haul mode. Sometimes what I will do as well is use the tranny to limit the shifting so I can maintain higher RPMS. Reason being I cannot have a tune because I have a 2011, but none the less I think it helps pick up a few MPG. Your keeping your truck in its perfect torque band if you can maintain those RPMS.

IMO I think where the hemi shows the most is on the highway. I'm pretty sure the HEMI gets more MPG driving long hauls then any other truck. I know when I travel with a chev, (6L vortec) I have to stop so he can fill up. We are both pulling bumperpull trailers, 30's... I probably still have a quarter tank left when hes running on fumes. I fill up anyways, but I think this is where the HEMI overpowers everyone else. Could be because of the MDS, but all I know is I can make it further.

 

Wow! That is fantastic fuel mileage running empty for a 2500 gas truck! I too would say all that stop and go driving is hurtin' you the most. With that kind of fuel mileage seen i'd bet you have the 3.73 rear end. The higher rear end could be affecting your mileage somewhat as the engine is straining a little harder on all the launching with the stop and go. Even with a 4.10 rear, mileage may increase only slightly with the kind of towing work you are using your truck for. Pics are always great! I have an 2001 2500 with the 5.9L Cummins and have been waiting to see how these new 6 speed transmissions are working out in the 2500 Hemi trucks before jumping.

 

Wow, the Hemi might out pull my 98 318, but I am beating the h@!! out of you guys with the newer trucks in mileage. I pulled 2 septic tanks (about 10k pounds) from Phoenix to my home (Phoenix is about 1000' elevation and I am at 4700' elevation and the pass between Sierra Vista and Benson is 6000'-so *******ly all uphill) and got 10 mpg. I average about 19 mpg empty and running mostly open highway. Yeah, I think I'll keep my 98 and just put money in it as necessary. $500 a month for payments and insurance just to get raped at the pump? Where's the benefit?

 

WTH is vir tually x'ed out?