New 96 Dodge, here's the plan

[Heynow999]

I just picked up a 96 Dodge 3500 12v auto 4x4.
I need the truck because I install solar panels in the summer and I plow snow in the winter. It will be used as a work truck %90 of the time. I will be using it to go to customers houses so it can't look to wild.

Here is what I am thinking. The cap has to go as I need to transport ladders. I will use a back rack and a tonneau cover. I don't know if that will help or hurt FE or it may be a wash. I imagine when I do have to carry ladders it will really hurt FE.

I am thinking racing disk wheel covers. They make them in 16" so it should fit my rims. I may also try partial rear wheel covers as the space around and above the tire is huge.

I may try a grill block. There is the large top grill, and smaller holes across the bumper that are for the tranny cooler (I think?) I don't want to block the lower holes as I don't has a tranny temp gauge, but I feel comfortable blocking the rad because I can keep an eye on the temp

I also have some air tabs kicking around so I may as well put those on the cab roof.

Also on the list is to change the diff oil to synthetic.

I read a really good article where they got 30 MPG from a truck like this.

1997 Dodge Ram 3500 Dualie Cummins - Diesel Power Magazine

Suggestions welcome

Peter

[RobertSmalls]

First things first; driving style will get you the biggest gains. A vehicle of such enormous proportions must be driven very slowly to keep fuel consumption reasonable. A vehicle of such enormous mass must be careful not to use the brakes, because you kill three times as much momentum as I do when you stop. You must also drive carefully, as you are a hazard to cyclists, Metros, Insights, and Malibus alike. Plus, vehicles in that class are much less safe in single-car crashes, which are the most common type.

There are some areas where you can give the truck the aerodynamic attention to detail it should have gotten from the factory, without customers noticing.

Fill in the panel gaps around the bumper and hood with weatherstripping, block most of the grille, and try to make the underside of the vehicle almost as smooth as the top.

There's no reason to mount an antenna vertically. If reclined 45° or 60°, its frontal area is reduced by 29% or 50%, and its cross section as presented to the wind goes from circular (high drag) to elliptical (low drag).

I would also kill those clearance lights on the roof unless they are required by law. You could reduce your ride height, re-do the rear fenders from a clean sheet, and replace the passenger side mirror with a camera.

My best advice would be to get a stick-shifted compact station wagon that can tow a 4'x8' trailer, and only use the RAM for jobs that the wagon can't do.

HTH,
RobertSmalls

[texanidiot25]

You must also drive carefully, as you are a hazard to cyclists, Metros, Insights, and Malibus alike. Plus, vehicles in that class are much less safe in single-car crashes, which are the most common type.

Completely unnecessary and unrelated to fuel economy.

[lunarhighway]

those wheel arches seem hugely oversized. even lowered this vehicle will have quite some ground clearence, but if lowering is not an option perhaps adding some wheel skirts could be good. keeping it reasonable these could cover the the area abouve the side moldings, and these could be made form either plastic or aluminum sheet. a spray can of matching paint will makes them look as if they belonge there and they would give you some extra space to advertise your phone number or whatever

an undertray could also be a good thing, and appart from the aero gains (even if they would be small) it'll help keep the underside of the vehicle clean and keep dirt out of the engine... not hugely important, but an added advantage.

further what i'd do is look as a modest airdam extention, this might create a lower pressure below the vehicle, getting more airflow trough the grill thus allowing you to block it more without loosing any cooling.
Also i'd investigate if it's possible to install some larger dams in front of the wheels... again a shot spray paint, black in this case will render these mods almost invisible the anyone not paying attention... finally a little camm back spoiler at the rear will once again not stand out but might help airflow separation at the rear, also a strip that coveres the gap between the cab and the rear compartment.

just some ideas

[lunarhighway]

Completely unnecessary and unrelated to fuel economy.

i think most points raised where valid in in the best intrest of everyone.
i find that driving carefull has many benefits in any vehicle and being aware of all traffic helps avoiding sudden stops or other situations wich as best kill FE at wost people.
larger vehicles have certain downsides, and being aware of these will only help the driver being a better and safer driver.

[texanidiot25]

All motor vehicles are a danger to cyclists and other cars. Singling out the owner as a DANGER only due to his vehicle, and then using various eco cars as an example is certainly coming from a heavily biased point of view.

He came for fuel economy, not to be blasted with anti-truck sentiments.

[Heynow999]

Ya guys, I get it.

As I said, I install solar panels for a living. I understand the whole burning of fossil fuels being bad. I searched long and hard to find a 12v Cummins because they get the best fuel mileage of any diesel. I purposely pointed out that it is a work truck and will be used as a work truck %90 of the time. I am not some shlub coming here and asking how I can get better gas mileage for my Expedition because my single person 150 mile commute is hurting my pocket book. I also need a truck that big because I helped build a solar powered hair and make-up trailer that is used in the film industry and I occaisionally tow that trailer to make extra money. I also plan on running the truck on WVO as I did my last work truck, which makes the truck carbon neutral because the CO that is exhausted had just recently been absorbed from the atmosphere by the vegetable, unlike any gas car that is adding CO to the atmoshpere that has been locked away for 10's of millions of years. Also if you notice, the truck is a 1996 because I know the carbon footprint of an old vehicle has already been paid off as opposed to getting a new truck.

http://www.wired.com/science/planete...ies_09usedcars

When you consider the truck will be run mostly on WVO I would argue it's carbon footprint will be smaller than "any" ICE that burns gas. If you look closely in the pictures you can see the reflection of my 1985 diesel Mercedes, again a car that has had the carbon footprint paid off years ago and because of it's good MPG I would put it up against most new cars in terms of carbon footprint. It gets a shot of WVO when it is warm enough outside.

Do people realize that it takes the atmosphere 100 years to adjust to new CO levels? That means that we will not see the effects of what we are doing today for 100 years. Got kids?

Frankly, I don't think you could find a greener person that me. I have a solar hot water system on my house for domestic hot water and my PV panels produce so much energy that they actually pay all the utility bills for my house, gas, electricity and water.

I am working on getting a goverment loan to develope low cost solar water heating systems so that everyone will install then. I also have several products I want to develope that would replace gas generators with PV/battery units.

I am building a $40,000 solar system on a commercial building I own that should power a few houses.

I am a member of the Green party and I may run as the candidate for Parliment in the next election. The Party told me the position is mine if I want it.

Anyways....

I did a grill block today. I found some outdoor window shrink wrap plastic so I thought it might be a bit thicker and stand up to being a grill block. Sadly it seemed to be the same thickness as the indoor stuff. I covered the whole grill. These trucks are know to run cool so we will see how it goes. If I start to overheat it will be easy to just rip it off. Pictures tell the story

[Heynow999]

money where mouth is

[DonR]

Driving habits & mile reduction through route planning should net sizeable gains.

I have seen ladder racks added to trucks with caps. No idea how they did it though. It may be a plate that goes all around the bedrail & sticks out to weld the rack to. You could then put the cap on top of the plate. The rack could be made from streamlined tubing or tubing with a streamlined cover.

You could make an aero box the ladders can slide into from the rear & a latch to prevent ladders from sliding out. A little tubing & some aluminum flashing riveted to it should work nicely. The entire box could come off when not needed.

If you don't need or want the cap, the above is of course pointless.

Banks Engineering makes some products that can help with MPG from the engine. A fellow here at work installed it onto his Dodge ('04 or 4) & he picked up 3 to 4 MPG (avg. on fill tank method) during his normal commute. Picked up a couple when hauling 5th wheel as well. Banks things are expensive but very well made. Whether you would ever recoupe the cost I depends on how many miles you drive.

Using the block heater year round, when possible, will help with warm up.

I assume the truck has mud flaps. Someone makes low drag mud flaps, essentially made from a mesh that claim to reduce drag & increase rearward visibility in rain by reducing spray. I will have to look up the companies name unless someone comes up with it first.

Don

[lunarhighway]

couldn't resist making a little image manipulation.

maybe not all doable, but perhaps some inspiration here, and not the sort of mod that would really compromise much of the vehicles intended use or make it look to strange.

and in theory all id would need is some brackets and some suiteable plastic or metal sheet.