Cummins "secrets" on better fuel economy paper

[cosmick]

Drafting behind a semi is the best thing i ever tried for mpg. Just stay back enough to be safe. Do it away from urban areas.

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by Hersbird

Slowmover, on a somewhat related note, the reason I found this was I was trying to figure out what Dodge Cummins has the best potential for high fuel economy. Your 2004 seems like a good bet. I need a bigger cab then the 94-02 offers, unless there are crew cabs out there I don't know. I'm not above a swap into a Ford or Chevy either. I'm also OK with whatever mods might help, no emissions here and I don't want to make big power, just like a DPF and EGR delete for economy and reliability towing about a 6-7000 pound travel trailer.

My 14 mpg towing that Hi-Lo has gone to 9 mpg with the new Forest River hybrid. I don't think that's unexpected. I'm also thinking about a 2008 3.0 GL Mercedes CRD but I don't want the rest of the expensive problems that surround those things. The Ecodiesel Dodges and Jeeps are just too expensive still.

Mine has the penultimate drivetrain: the New Venture 5600 six speed behind the triple nickle motor 5.9L 305HP/555TQ. It is thoroughly overpowered for my little 9000-lb travel trailer.

The later motors go to a third injection event per cycle, thus with different injector nozzle spray pattern and piston design. Not as good. Then, emissions creeps in. The latest DEF-tune motors with the 6.7L have more power and eco my as good as mine (extra torque means a higher rear gear set and double overdrive automatic trans) but the two separate cooling systems and emissions complexity make longest life at lowest cost an iffy proposition.

An early Third Gen is an excellent. Four wheel disc brakes and HPCR reliability make it a winner.

I purposely avoided 4WD as it takes away more than it adds. IFS plus rack & pinion steering makes for excellent feedback plus control.

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by cosmick

Drafting behind a semi is the best thing i ever tried for mpg. Just stay back enough to be safe. Do it away from urban areas.

I'd be pleased to tell you or anyone else in person that it's stupid. Stupid is as stupid does.

[cosmick]

If so then you are either God or a hypocrite.

[seifrob]

Originally Posted by cosmick

Drafting behind a semi is the best thing i ever tried for mpg. Just stay back enough to be safe. Do it away from urban areas.

Perhaps from MPG point of view. But from all other aspects...
There are very few old drafters, I assume.

[Vman455]

Originally Posted by slowmover

Mine has the penultimate drivetrain: the New Venture 5600 six speed behind the triple nickle motor 5.9L 305HP/555TQ.

I think you meant "ultimate"? Penultimate means "next to last" or, colloquially, "second best." I also saw it misused in an i09 article today, where a Star Trek: TNG actress said of her role in a fifth season episode, "I've gotten to play some great parts, but it was the penultimate." Doh!

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by slowmover

I'd be pleased to tell you or anyone else in person that it's stupid. Stupid is as stupid does.

Saying something is stupid is a VERY unconvincing argument.

[Hersbird]

Originally Posted by slowmover

Mine has the penultimate drivetrain: the New Venture 5600 six speed behind the triple nickle motor 5.9L 305HP/555TQ. It is thoroughly overpowered for my little 9000-lb travel trailer.

The later motors go to a third injection event per cycle, thus with different injector nozzle spray pattern and piston design. Not as good. Then, emissions creeps in. The latest DEF-tune motors with the 6.7L have more power and eco my as good as mine (extra torque means a higher rear gear set and double overdrive automatic trans) but the two separate cooling systems and emissions complexity make longest life at lowest cost an iffy proposition.

An early Third Gen is an excellent. Four wheel disc brakes and HPCR reliability make it a winner.

I purposely avoided 4WD as it takes away more than it adds. IFS plus rack & pinion steering makes for excellent feedback plus control.

So you can get a 6 speed manual in 04 w/o getting a HO Cummins? If an HO was all I could find does that hurt mileage much? I've considered looking for 2wd but I would have to travel. I actually custom ordered a 2003 2wd Ram when the Hemi first came out, it was impossible to sell in Montana and while at first I thought I was saving $3500 turned out I lost at least that much in resale and ended up selling it to a guy in Tennessee who spent $1300 to ship it down there. If I can find a 2wd up here now I can similarly steal it but then again, I better like it because if not I will be stuck with it.
There is a manual 4x4 2003 6 speed, HO, CCSB 4x4 Laramie with 200k for A $15k I am considering, it still looks all stock. $15k is about the most I would be willing to spend.

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by Vman455

I think you meant "ultimate"? Penultimate means "next to last" or, colloquially, "second best." I also saw it misused in an i09 article today, where a Star Trek: TNG actress said of her role in a fifth season episode, "I've gotten to play some great parts, but it was the penultimate." Doh!

A toss up. Best motor as to design; power versus economy. But, latest six speed auto is double overdrive. Thus, 3.42 rear gears behind more powerful motor instead of 3.73 needed to launch this one.

But layers of expensive emissions devices and high dollar turbocharger make it a less likely bet for true low operational cost per mile.

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by Hersbird

So you can get a 6 speed manual in 04 w/o getting a HO Cummins? If an HO was all I could find does that hurt mileage much? I've considered looking for 2wd but I would have to travel. I actually custom ordered a 2003 2wd Ram when the Hemi first came out, it was impossible to sell in Montana and while at first I thought I was saving $3500 turned out I lost at least that much in resale and ended up selling it to a guy in Tennessee who spent $1300 to ship it down there. If I can find a 2wd up here now I can similarly steal it but then again, I better like it because if not I will be stuck with it.
There is a manual 4x4 2003 6 speed, HO, CCSB 4x4 Laramie with 200k for A $15k I am considering, it still looks all stock. $15k is about the most I would be willing to spend.

305/555 motor was 50-state. And from thereon all Cummins motors in Dodge were single power rating.