[Big Dave]

Manuals are actually much better for FE than automatics.

30 MPG is a tall order. I know. That is my goal as well. The aero mods you propose are good as far as they go, but it profits you little to cut your aero drag down when your engine & drive train are stabbing you in the back.

To get to 30 MPG, you have to move beyond a DIY project and get serious. In addition to your proposed aero mods, here's what I would recommend if you want 30 MPG bad enough:

Lower the truck. There are 3-5" "slam kits available.

Ditch the 300 and swap in a 4BT3.9 Cummins. Great torque & very efficient.

Ditch the truck transmission and get a T-56. They are found in Mustangs.

Search ringandpinion.com to find the numerically lowest ratio you can get.

Get low rolling resistance tires. Search this site. We discuss then endlessly.

We are talking a $10-15,000 project depending on how much work you can do youself. Seems like a lot, but how many $15,000 truck can you buy that get 30 MPG.

Like other parameters of performance, it is all a matter of money. How much MPG do you really want?

Obviously you start with recalibrating the nut behind the wheel (you). It is a proven fact that better driving is absolutely essential. While yoiu are retraining your driving habits use our garage fuel log function to establish a baseline.