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Veteran
Posts: 296
 
| I have an 02 dodge diesel dually, 2wd - my trailer is a super light aluminum 3H GN, and I'm only getting like 12-13mpg - I've had my truck looked at to make sure all is up to par, but I'm still getting awful mileage...any suggestions on what to try? |
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 Expert
Posts: 1367
Location: mi | That is about all I ever got out of my diesel when hauling but if it was bad even not hauling the first thing we did was clean or replace the air filter. |
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 Banjo and Baby
Posts: 7259
 
Location: South of Canada and North of Mexico | Sounds good to me. My husband gets around 8 pulling our camper with our F350 6.4L |
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Blessed 
Location: Here | Thats about right, Make sure you change your fuel filter every 5000 miles and air filter every oil change |
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Veteran
Posts: 296
| Dang - I was hoping better was a possibility! I guess I'll just live with it :) |
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 Expert
Posts: 1898
| Was it getting better and then worse?
Our '99 dodge, I think they have the same motor, gets about 15 BUT my husband said it has some chip in it to help fuel economy.
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 448
Location: lone star state | Get a diablo power puck. This will greatly improve your mileage. As already stated keep your filters clean. Also use an injector cleaner with every fuel up (we usually use howse diesel treat). We get 16-18 pulling trailer 20-22 empty... |
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 Husband Spoiler
Posts: 4151
Location: North Dakota | I guess I disagree with everyone else. Your '02 Dodge should be getting better than 13mpg pulling a light 3h without LQ. Our '04 3500 gets roughly 12mpg pulling our 4H with 12' LQ and haypod and 16-18mpg pulling our stock trailer. Our '01 Dodge 2500 got about 18mpg pulling our light 4H with a 8' empty dressing room. Make sure you have a clean air filter, fuel filter, good oil, also check your tire pressure. You may also want to check out your tie rods. Check your trailer's tires and alignment as well. I'm not sure where you live and what the temps are like but are you using #2 diesel or a winter blend? |
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Veteran
Posts: 296
| Just Bring It - 2014-02-27 9:54 AM
I guess I disagree with everyone else. Your '02 Dodge should be getting better than 13mpg pulling a light 3h without LQ. Our '04 3500 gets roughly 12mpg pulling our 4H with 12' LQ and haypod and 16-18mpg pulling our stock trailer. Our '01 Dodge 2500 got about 18mpg pulling our light 4H with a 8' empty dressing room. Make sure you have a clean air filter, fuel filter, good oil, also check your tire pressure. You may also want to check out your tie rods. Check your trailer's tires and alignment as well. I'm not sure where you live and what the temps are like but are you using #2 diesel or a winter blend?
See that's what I thought - along with everyone else I've talked to. I'm looking into getting a weekender, and I'd hate to think my mileage will just get worse. I'm always on top of the filters, oil, etc. as well as the tires on both my truck and trailer. I'm up in Idaho... |
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Expert
Posts: 1367
Location: mi | I did not see much of a change in gas milage pulling the light 2H verses the 3H with LQ maybe a mile or 2 per gallon tops. But your driving habits can also play a big part in a few miles per gallon also. When I was a freak about keepiing the RPM's under 2500 I would get better milage. That meant I never went over 68 mph on the eway. Took alittle longer but it was worth it to me.
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Husband Spoiler
Posts: 4151
Location: North Dakota | luvrdeo - 2014-02-27 10:02 AM Just Bring It - 2014-02-27 9:54 AM I guess I disagree with everyone else. Your '02 Dodge should be getting better than 13mpg pulling a light 3h without LQ. Our '04 3500 gets roughly 12mpg pulling our 4H with 12' LQ and haypod and 16-18mpg pulling our stock trailer. Our '01 Dodge 2500 got about 18mpg pulling our light 4H with a 8' empty dressing room. Make sure you have a clean air filter, fuel filter, good oil, also check your tire pressure. You may also want to check out your tie rods. Check your trailer's tires and alignment as well. I'm not sure where you live and what the temps are like but are you using #2 diesel or a winter blend? See that's what I thought - along with everyone else I've talked to. I'm looking into getting a weekender, and I'd hate to think my mileage will just get worse. I'm always on top of the filters, oil, etc. as well as the tires on both my truck and trailer. I'm up in Idaho...
Manual or automatic? If auto-are you constantly pulling with your overdrive off? Once you get up to speed and are cruising switch your overdrive on so you don't have as much lug and your RPMs come down. We have an automatic but we manually shift it down and up when pulling. If nothing else it saves on the breaks...lol. |
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 I Love My Mares!
Posts: 1613
Location: Moved to Montana | Check your tire pressure on your trailer also... If they are underinflated that wont help. |
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 Canine Carryout Queen
Location: Oklahoma | HA! thats good .... our 07 Chevy 3500 gets 5-8 pulling the trailer ... and just alittle better empty... it is horrendous. It even has a chip in it ... |
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 I Don't Brag
Posts: 6960
| Once again, I will ask the question that I ask every time one of these performance issues come up.....
What is the rear end ratio? If you have 4.10s that is great mileage. If you have 3.73s then it is probably average mileage.
Everybody insists comparing when they don't know WHAT they are comparing. |
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 I Prefer to Live in Fantasy Land
Posts: 64864
Location: In the Hills of Texas | I get 12 with my 2001 Dodge pulling a 3 horse with 8 foot short wall.
I hauled once with someone that was claiming great mileage. It was BS. She didn't put a pencil to her mileage. I did..LOL
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 Tough Patooty
Posts: 2615
Location: Sperry, OK | Just Bring It - 2014-02-27 10:54 AM luvrdeo - 2014-02-27 10:02 AM Just Bring It - 2014-02-27 9:54 AM I guess I disagree with everyone else. Your '02 Dodge should be getting better than 13mpg pulling a light 3h without LQ. Our '04 3500 gets roughly 12mpg pulling our 4H with 12' LQ and haypod and 16-18mpg pulling our stock trailer. Our '01 Dodge 2500 got about 18mpg pulling our light 4H with a 8' empty dressing room. Make sure you have a clean air filter, fuel filter, good oil, also check your tire pressure. You may also want to check out your tie rods. Check your trailer's tires and alignment as well. I'm not sure where you live and what the temps are like but are you using #2 diesel or a winter blend? See that's what I thought - along with everyone else I've talked to. I'm looking into getting a weekender, and I'd hate to think my mileage will just get worse. I'm always on top of the filters, oil, etc. as well as the tires on both my truck and trailer. I'm up in Idaho... Once you get up to speed and are cruising switch your overdrive on so you don't have as much lug and your RPMs come down. We have an automatic but we manually shift it down and up when pulling. If nothing else it saves on the breaks...lol.
Manually shifting an automatic transmission is very hard on them, unless you have a new one with the manual option built in. I would not advise to do that. |
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  Sock eating dog owner
Posts: 4553
Location: Where the pavement ends and the West begins Utah | Treat your diesel when you fill up. Put on larger tail pipe 4 or 6 inch. A K/N filter expensive but increases mileage. I have a F350 crew cab long bed 6.0l diesel. Get over 18 with a full load 4 horse steel trailer. |
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