3/4 ton truck gas mileage?

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

2018 Ram 2500 diesel with BFG A/Ts, get anywhere from 16-21, cruise set around 70 on Highway it sticks around 21. As far as cold starting, it’s not like they used to be. Was cranking mine up in 0-5 degree weather for a week with no problem.

 

[MattiG]

Lots of subjective information here and perhaps a bit of misinformation.

I'm newer to rokslide, but have done quite a bit of research on trucks and campers in recent years and also haul a camper everywhere I go in my F350 (work from home, and wife has a smaller car).

Unloaded, 20mpg is a good starting point for most diesels. 25 is highly questionable outside of perfect circumstances. With a truck camper it's really hard to get better than 15 unless you are drafting a big rig or going 47 MPH or thereabouts (sweet spot for rpms and wind resistance with my 3.53 gears). At 60 mph, I get 14.5 at best. And it drops sharply from there. Over 70mph takes it down toward 12 or 12.5.

You'll hear lots of EGR/DEF horror stories. Some are as bad as they sound. Some are a byproduct of people thinking no harm comes from running an aftermarket tuner or delete program. Some people just don't read the manual, which makes the driving requirements and best practices pretty clear.

All that having been said, in my 2017 f350, I've not once smelled diesel (kind of a bummer actually), seen smoke, or even been aware of the regen process apart from being able to smell it at the end of a long drive.

Consider just how damn many of these motors are on the road and how abused they can be. And then consider you're only getting a very large sample of a very small cohort of people who've had serious issues. I almost let this dissuade me from getting my truck. The Ford 6.7 specifically has been in service with minimal changes since 2011! That's ultimately why I decided on Ford, although all 3 are doing good things these days (as long as you read the manual!).

Don't worry about cold starting or block heaters unless you're routinely under 0 degrees Fahrenheit. That's in the manual, by the way. I'm routinely camping on single digits. It fires up instantly, always.

With respect to payload, if you go 3/4 ton, get a gasser. If you listen to nothing else I say, listen to that. A 3/4 ton diesel has an appalling payload. If you're only ever going to pull a travel trailer, slightly different story. More to the point though, the newer suspensions are so good unloaded, there's not much reason to avoid a 1 ton.

If you're going to haul a truck camper, get a dually. I wish I had, but I'm making the SRW thing work without issue (only issue is I can't upgrade to a bigger camper with this truck).

Definitely calculate upfront cost and maintenance and then consider if gas might make more sense. It'll definitely haul more in the bed all other things being equal.

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[MLGrace]

I am on my 5th Ram Cummins powered truck. It is a 2015 four door crew cab 2500 4wd. I generally get 17-18 unloaded. Put a gooseneck behind it and it is 11 or less. I am thrilled with this as it is a huge increase over my last which was a 2012 DRW 4wd crew.

 

[BoulderMountain]

2016 3500 4X4 Ram Mega Cab 6.7 in the mountains of PA. I see 14mpg average in town 18 highway. The minute I hit the Maryland border heading south on the interstate I see 20mpg. Regardless of what I’m towing it gets 11.

Had a 1996 F350 with the 7.3 that would regularly get 24mpg, Bought new ran to 380K. No major maintenance.
Had a 2003 F350 with 6.0 that was an anemic 12mpg no matter what it was doing. New to 260k. Injectors twice.
Had a 2006 Excursion with 6.0 that was 13mpg no matter what it was doing. New to 240k turbo and injectors.
Had a 2010 Ram 3500 pre DEF that was 16 highway and 12 in town. New to 130K and it came apart fast. Oil leaks, computer, front end issues non stop.

It’s a crap shoot with all of them. I’m pretty hard on them, they don’t sit. Always towing.

 

[BadDogPSD]

2013 F350 6.7, 12 mpg around town, 17-18 mpg highway. 9 mpg towing 12,000 toy hauler, 12 mpg towing my Ranger on a utility trailer.
Most driving is in the mountain west, NV, ID, UT, CO...

 

[264win]

I like diesel motors, but for me they don’t pencil out cost wise.
$10-15k more new.
much higher service and maintenance cost.
MUCH higher repair cost.
In my AO diesel often cost more than gas

the 6.4 hemi in my truck will easily haul my 9k truck and 5 k trailer over the pass @70.

it doesn’t accelerate as fast as a diesel when towing heavy, but I’m not try to drag race with a trailer.

I get 15-16 empty
10-12 towing 5k

 

[260madman]

If you go gas I’d get a Ford 6.2 or a GM 6.0. We use the Fords at work and they’re a very reliable engine. I own 2 GM 6.0s and they are known for dependability and also known for a lot of Torque Management.

My 2011 crew cab 6.0 does 15mpg on the interstate at 75mph with summer blend and 17mpg at 60mph. The Fords might do a bit better. My 2006 Yukon 2500 gets about the same mileage. When my wife drives them the mileage isn’t so stellar.

 

[BullElk]

1 ton or you'll regret it.

 

[TheCougar]

Excuse my ignorance - this isn’t my wheelhouse... Why all the advice to go 1-ton? It seems like overkill for what I need - the best truck to tow 9000# with the best reliability and unloaded gas mileage I can find. I don’t want a big truck just because they are awesome (which they are). Sounds like a lot of guys are fans of the Cummins motor. I’ve heard some nightmare stories about DEF and issues once the weather gets cold. You are definitely correct that the Diesel upfront cost and maintenance/fuel costs may very well exceed any fuel savings over the life of the truck.

 

[TheCougar]

I also know that there are 1/2 ton trucks that can tow in excess of 10k, but I’m very skeptical of the real world performance of that. I’d rather have more power than I need than less. Maybe I should get a Tesla space cadet truck.

 

[backcountry_hunter]

I have diesels from all 3 manufacturers right now with the oldest being 2011. No chips or mods, just bone stock. I've had serious issues with all 3. Granted a majority has been under warranty but warranties do not cover time lost for that truck being down. I have a pair of 15' dmaxs that avg a couple weeks of down time per year for repairs (one had a new head gasket at 25k). The nearest dealer for any if the three is close to an hour away complicating matters. Bottom line, if you dont need a diesel I wouldn't reccomend getting one. If you can get by with a gasser I have a 16f250 with the 6.2 that has been a sweetheart of a little truck. I didn't think a gm6.0 could be beat until this truck came along.

The nonsense about new diesels being a pain in the cold is misinformation though. This used to be the case for sure but I havent used a block heater since I had a 6.4 ford. All my newer diesels start just fine down to -30.

I've also never broke 20mpg with any of them. Infact the most fuel efficient diesels I've had have been the Ford 6.0s and they were a nightmare in every other aspect.

 

[tdhanses]

Excuse my ignorance - this isn’t my wheelhouse... Why all the advice to go 1-ton? It seems like overkill for what I need - the best truck to tow 9000# with the best reliability and unloaded gas mileage I can find. I don’t want a big truck just because they are awesome (which they are). Sounds like a lot of guys are fans of the Cummins motor. I’ve heard some nightmare stories about DEF and issues once the weather gets cold. You are definitely correct that the Diesel upfront cost and maintenance/fuel costs may very well exceed any fuel savings over the life of the truck.

Because some people seem to always think trailer and load size will double in the future so buy now just Incase. Personally I’ll never own a trailer that will require more then a 3/4 ton to pull it.

Now if there was a 3/4 ton and a 1 ton same options etc and the 1 ton had a better price I would then get it over the 3/4 ton just for savings, usually though the 1 ton will be more expensive.

 

[tdhanses]

I also know that there are 1/2 ton trucks that can tow in excess of 10k, but I’m very skeptical of the real world performance of that. I’d rather have more power than I need than less. Maybe I should get a Tesla space cadet truck.

Just because they can doesn’t mean they should, I just don’t think the weight of a 1/2ton provides for a comfortable towing experience especially in heavy crosswinds. I don’t like to feel white knuckled towing. Towing with a 3/4 ton is such a better experience then a 1/2 ton.

 

[MattiG]

3/4 ton is a relic of a bygone era. They're not even necessary anymore but still more popular. There's barely any cost savings and essentially no difference in unloaded ride. In every other category the 1 ton is more competent and safer when hauling a load--which is the reason you get an HD truck in the first place.

Try to find people who have a 1 ton and wish they'd gotten a 3/4 versus the other way around. I'm guessing that's a 1:20 ratio when it comes to 2017+ model years.

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[5MilesBack]

Had a 2001 F350 with 6.0 that was an anemic 12mpg no matter what it was doing. New to 260k. Injectors twice.

They didn't come out with the 6.0 until 2003.

 

[tdhanses]

OP, you might want to wait till next year when Ford releases the new 7.3 gas with 10speed trans. That said I like my 2019 6.2 with 6speed just fine but the 10speed might bridge the gap in the mountains when towing.

 

[5MilesBack]

OP, you might want to wait till next year when Ford releases the new 7.3 gas with 10speed trans.

Well, adding a 7.3L GAS engine........that won't confuse things at all. LOL.

Are they going to also come out with a 6-speed manual option?

 

[tdhanses]

Well, adding a 7.3L GAS engine........that won't confuse things at all. LOL.

Are they going to also come out with a 6-speed manual option?

Haha, I know right. I haven’t heard of any manual options, think that is becoming an option of the past which sucks.

 

[Beendare]

I've been running a combo of diesels and gas trucks for decades.

IMO, You buy a diesel for torque and heavy towing.

if you are only towing periodically...or its an avg boat, gas motor is fine.

Diesel is appx 15% more than gas....then you have to factor Def....which kills most of the advantages to better mileage.

As a side note; CA tells me I can no longer run my2004 F550 diesel Stake bed dump in Ca after Jan 1st. So I had to dump it at a big loss of what its worth...all due to emission changes....costs more to upgrade the emissions than the truck is worth.

...

 

[ORfish]

My 2017 Ford F350 longbed diesel gets at best 18. Honestly, at least as good as my Toyota Tacoma, and the mileage does not drop as quickly when towing. Plus, I can get B20 diesel cheaper than gas. Some of the differences in fuel economy may be B20 vs B5 vs B100