Ram 4500 mpg...

My f-550 is a 16ft box truck its a 2012 6.7 diesel with 4.88 gears and weighs about 18,000 all the time and I get about 10.5 average.At 60 mph I am turning 2000rpms with 19.5 tires.I usually do short trips of 10-15 miles so I never get any long highway miles.I figured a flatbed hot shot wouldnt get much worse (I know they can be alot heavier but dont have the big box in the wind I do).The diesels vary greatly depending how hard you push the pedal also!

 

Our guys with 4500's for years now have regularly reported 10 mpg on their IFTA.

One of our guys just had his 2012 in the shop recently and they did some software updates. Since he's gotten it back he's telling me he's getting 14 mpg with it. This is a picture of his truck. I think he has 4.10's.

 

That nice looking. What's it cost ballpark to add one of those sleepers?

 

This sleeper is made by AA sleepers out of Fort Worth. I think they're in the $7k to $8k range painted to match, interior to match, installed, all in.

 

I have decided to stick with a one ton dually. After doing lots of research and speaking with a very knowledgeable guy from the Ram body builder site who specializes in commercial trucks. For those of you who are curious the tow numbers are pretty deceiving. Here's a small breakdown. These numbers are for 2016 models and the 2017 numbers are basically identical. The truck specs were a crew cab, automatic, 4x4, 60" cab to axle.

4500
4.10 /17,150
4.44/24,650

5500
4.10/17,170
4.44/17,170
4.88/29,670

So, you can see a 4500 with 4.44 gears will tow more than a 5500 with the same gearing. Only by going with the 4.88's in a 5500 will you technically be able to tow 29,670 pounds.

I will be ordering a 2017 3500 with 3.73 gears and the Aisin transmission. For what I haul and the lanes I run it will give me the best overall performance.

 

Pretty pricey. It would pay for itself fast though.

 

I read somewhere that the 2017 3500 is suppose to have 440 hp, and 1000 ft lbs of torque.

 

Maybe. Funny thing is they turn them down on the 4500/5500 chassis cabs though. Ford does the same thing.

 

A 3500 is the way to go unless your towing heavy all the time. In that case the 4.88 gears are the only way you can achieve the max tow numbers Ram puts out. Sure, a 4500 or 5500 with 4.10's or 4.44's will pull a lot of weight but if you go the book numbers you can still tow more with a 3500/Aisin combo.

 

A Diesel Is a Diesel, they are made to Pull, Chip it, bigger muffler, take restrictor plates out of the turbo, bigger turbo, bigger injectors, if it is a Dodge ,get the edge its made for the dodge. everything that is factory on any Diesel is for epa gov restrictions, meaning the more fuel consumed the more interest the gov makes off of you there laughing at you. Take it off of the truck all that restriction ######## open your diesel up ,