crew cab dually ecomod
 

I have a 1988 f350 crew cab dually long bed with a 7.3l idi diesel, ats turbo, gearvendors overdrive. Wondering what are the most cost effective mods for increased FE. such as fastback cap, side skirts, air dam, etc. researched air tabs and they dont seem to be cost effective.

as far as a fastback cap it needs to be removable like a regular cap so i can put a camper or such in. thanks in advance.

This thread lists what I've done to my truck, and the results: http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...yon-17070.html.

Your results would be different because your truck is heavier, but it will give you some ideas.

The duals are an aero disaster, as if being a pickup wasn't bad enough already. Park that thing unless the camper is on it.

With a 1988 diesel there is plenty you can do.

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...uck-18187.html

im 17 and this is my DD, i love my truck and dont plan to park. i can afford the fuel but enjoy tinkering and if i can save fuel then why the hell not?
from reading it looks like an electric fan and water pump would help some?

What is your current MPG? City driving mostly, or highway? Any instrumentation to show you accurate information as you drive?

its mechanical injection so is there really a way other than counting miles driven and gallons put into the tank?
average driving is around town which im not too concerned about because its usally 4 miles to school and 4 miles home from school. but its the frequent 500ish miles trips on mainly highway that id like to improve on.

Those must be some heavy books!

get a baseline of what MPG you're getting right now so you can see if the mods are helping or not...

fill it up, reset the trip meter and drive till you use up at least half a tank, then fill it up and log the numbers to see how many miles per gallon it's using...with short trips and a huge truck, i bet you're around 12mpg

Before tinkering you should develop a baseline. Record all the money you spend on the truck over time. you might be surprised how expensive it really is to drive 8 miles every day.

I would consider getting a bike and riding to school most days and keep the truck for the longer trips. If you can find a cheep camper and a few friends to split costs I could see it being a blast for random road trips and going to festivals etc.

A big dually is never going to be an efficient around town vehicle but they do have their place!