CTD comparison

sloop

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2005
Location
raleigh
I'm interested in getting a 3/4 ton Dodge with the CTD. I have heard from more than one person that they can get 26+ mpg highway on their 2003 CTD. Fact or fiction?

What are the better years to look for? I don't want to break the bank, so '03 or older is probably what I can afford. I've also "heard" that the 12v is more reliable than the 24v. I'd like to hear what you guys think.

Mark
 
26+mpg=total fiction/wishful thinking/peter puffing/induced by hallucinogenic substances.

But the reality is that the 03 and early 04 CTDs do get better mileage than the newer 3rd gens. I'm pretty consistently at 19-20mpg on summer fuel. It drops to 16-17 in the winter.
Edit* I've got a camper shell and 265 Michelins. The PeePaw Special Edition.
 
Their overhead computer might show 26mpg when they're running a fueling box, but it's B.S. in reality.
 
I'll wait for Lomodyj to chime in on this one, as I don't personaly have experience with it. He claims something like 26mpg unloaded, and 16-18 with the Jeep on the trailer behind it. Wether that's what he's reading on his overhead or what he calculated from gallons consumed/miles driven, I don't know. But he's apretty smart cracker and I'd take his word on it.

I know that when I can afford me a tow truck, somewhere in the '97-03 12V Ram is what I'll be looking for.

EDIT: I just remembered.. there's a few underhood modifications on his, so that might account for higher mpgs.
 
I'd be VERY surprised if Galen is legitimately getting 26 mpg unloaded in his truck, even with the mods. Maybe if he sticks to 55mph or something? He's got a good setup with 3.55s, 235/85/16s, and a 2WD 5-speed truck with camper top. But 26mpg?

I can believe 16mpg towing his Jeep, depending on where he's towing, what speed, and if he has the windshield folded down on the Jeep.

When towing my car trailer with a vehicle on at 65mph and less in my Chevy/CTD, I get 15-16mpg, and it is lifted with 33's and 4.10s. That is me concentrating on taking it easy, trying to save fuel. But the mileage doesn't go up much when unloaded.
 
CTD mpg

I bought a 97 4x4 5spd, 3:54 gear, new. The best it would get was 21/22 unloaded at highway speeds. I now own a 03 6spd, 3:73 gear. The best it will get , unloaded at highway speed is 20/21. The o3 get a little less towing than the 97 did.

I would have to see official, documented facts to believe 26 mpg at highway speeds. It could be possible if you ran 50 mph on a road trip, but not feasible.

I would expect 19/20 unloaded and 13/15 towing wieghts over 7000 lbs with a CTD up to 03. The newer engines add fuel after the initial power fueling on the down stroke.
 
GSW said:
26+mpg=total fiction/wishful thinking/peter puffing/induced by hallucinogenic substances.
But the reality is that the 03 and early 04 CTDs do get better mileage than the newer 3rd gens. I'm pretty consistently at 19-20mpg on summer fuel. It drops to 16-17 in the winter.
Edit* I've got a camper shell and 265 Michelins. The PeePaw Special Edition.
Click to expand...

Got to say 26 may be a little high on the new ones for normal driving best I got on paper was 21-22 on the o3 but the 96 hit 24 24.5 a lot on long trips.
Note to people that say it can not be done maybe got some money to loose??
Anything can be done!!
It has a lot to do with the gear, tires, truck, and driver.
Are you talking 2 wheel drive, 4 wheel drive, 2d SB, or 4d LB???
I met a guy out west said he used his as a DD and drove highway a lot it was a 2wd that had put a 2.90-3.11 (I think was in that range)gear in it with a new axle that was 8-10 years ago and was up in the 35 MPG.
I know if I drive across some of the flatlands at 50-55 mph I could get 25-30 on the 03. Anyone want to put the money up for fuel we can do a test. and a little bet. Think I got an old 2.90 gear in an axle around I can find.
Jon
 
MR. GADGET said:
Got to say 26 may be a little high on the new ones for normal driving best I got on paper was 21-22 on the o3 but the 96 hit 24 24.5 a lot on long trips.
Note to people that say it can not be done maybe got some money to loose??
Anything can be done!!
It has a lot to do with the gear, tires, truck, and driver.
Are you talking 2 wheel drive, 4 wheel drive, 2d SB, or 4d LB???
I met a guy out west said he used his as a DD and drove highway a lot it was a 2wd that had put a 2.90-3.11 (I think was in that range)gear in it with a new axle that was 8-10 years ago and was up in the 35 MPG.
I know if I drive across some of the flatlands at 50-55 mph I could get 25-30 on the 03. Anyone want to put the money up for fuel we can do a test. and a little bet. Think I got an old 2.90 gear in an axle around I can find.
Jon
Click to expand...

I can offer no money for your quest. Just an "attaboy" if you can pull it off.

The original question was about 26+mpg on an 03. That's bull butter. Of course, you can try to optimize your setup (lightweight/2wd/high gears), drive ultra conservative and hope for a tail wind but that's not representative of a factory truck used as a DD/towrig in real world situations.
 
I get about 15mpg towing in an 01' 3500 2wd. fresh motor/5"/edge comp/high flow filter etc.. but I usually run 10 over posted speed limit, so a good portion of my trip is at or above 75mph for hours at a time.I'm also towing through some steep mountain roads not on the flats. Unloaded and doing all highway driving it'll get around 20mpg, again I drive 10mph above the posted limit.
 
MR. GADGET said:
I met a guy out west said he used his as a DD and drove highway a lot it was a 2wd that had put a 2.90-3.11 (I think was in that range)gear in it with a new axle that was 8-10 years ago and was up in the 35 MPG.
Click to expand...

I don't buy it at all.

You've got to run the engine in its efficient RPM range, and with a gear that steep, you'd be flying in O/D...

You're still pushing a 6000+lb brick, no matter how ya cut it.
 
MPG

I agree with Rich, I don't buy the 35 mpg. The 97 had a 3:54 gear with a 5spd and a US Gear over drive( around a 2:40 final drive). Running in double over drive did not help the fuel milage.
 
And make sure here that we are talking about average, repeatable MPG. Someone might get 26 MPG once or twice for an all highway trip driving in great mpg conditions, but that's not a real world average - it's great, but they would average less, and someone expecting to buy the same type of vehicle to repeat those same numbers on a regular basis wouldn't be able to do it.

Like my TDI Jetta got 56mpg once, on one tank of fuel. I have never been able to do it again, but have repeated 53mpg several times. Maybe for that 56mpg I didn't quite fill the tank when I refilled, so that screwed up my calculation, combined with good driving conditions (all highway, VERY few stops, no A/C, 65 mph and less, using cruise most of the way). I calculated it by hand, but I don't tell people my car gets 56mpg. I say it gets around 48, maybe 50. I bet the real average is 46 though. ;)
 
I have a 96 3500 12v dually automatic 2wd with 4.10 gears. I get 18mpg to work and back city driving. unloaded with my camper shell I got 22.6 actual keeping 65 or less. Towing my J10 on the trailer to URE and back I got 16mpg

I just took a trip to Michgan I was unloaded on the way there and running 70+ I got 17mpg. I brought back a truck camper that weighed 2400 lbs and got 13.8 running 60-65
I am very happy with it, though I could use a little more HP on the hills.
 
Rich said:
I don't buy it at all.
You've got to run the engine in its efficient RPM range, and with a gear that steep, you'd be flying in O/D...
You're still pushing a 6000+lb brick, no matter how ya cut it.
Click to expand...

You don't have to its FREE....... :) I did not look like the D70 rearend and he did not say it was a everyday it was more like what you getting in yours and how about yours got 35MPG last time I checked.
Got to remember the land and wind have a lot to do with it.
There are areas out of Denver that are down hill for hours.
I wish I would have checked mine on paper for that part of the trip because the overhead was showing 29 MPG for a long time and yes I know the overhead always reads high, when I got 22mpg on paper in o3 it was showing 25mpg so that may have been 26mpg who knows who cares.
And YES real world you can not get high MPG all the time.
So from his first "that we are talking about average, repeatable MPG"
I/We got off track.
I did tell a guy one time back that I know someone with an FJ on propaine
and he said I was FOS so maybe he was correct who would have thought of such a thing. :)
I don't need to believe just to listen what someone has to say.
Could be true but maybe not.
Did win a race with a vette on my 96 CTD ( TRUE STORY )
Was told anytime any place he would kick the CTDs A@@.
I told him follow me, off to a dirt/mud road, and took his money!!!!!!!!
Be carfull what you say someone may prove you wrong. I did!! :)

Jon
 
thecarman said:
And make sure here that we are talking about average, repeatable MPG. Someone might get 26 MPG once or twice for an all highway trip driving in great mpg conditions, but that's not a real world average - it's great, but they would average less, and someone expecting to buy the same type of vehicle to repeat those same numbers on a regular basis wouldn't be able to do it.
Like my TDI Jetta got 56mpg once, on one tank of fuel. I have never been able to do it again, but have repeated 53mpg several times. Maybe for that 56mpg I didn't quite fill the tank when I refilled, so that screwed up my calculation, combined with good driving conditions (all highway, VERY few stops, no A/C, 65 mph and less, using cruise most of the way). I calculated it by hand, but I don't tell people my car gets 56mpg. I say it gets around 48, maybe 50. I bet the real average is 46 though. ;)
Click to expand...

Yep so I would need to say I get 10 - 17 mpg city and 10 - 22 highway
but most of the time it is around 15 city and 19 highway towing drops about 1-2 in each.
Jon
 
Ive got a 97 12V 3500 thats got some mods and I gets around 15 city and 20 highway. We've also got an 06 mega cab and it gets about the same but has significantly less power. We havent gotten the chance to tow anything with the mega cab yet but my truck gets 15 doing 70-75 fully loaded.
 
MR. GADGET said:
I did tell a guy one time back that I know someone with an FJ on propaine
and he said I was FOS so maybe he was correct who would have thought of such a thing. :)
Click to expand...

Dude, no kidding, that's IMPOSSIBLE. he's right!!
 
I'm looking at a 1996 12V 2500. The engine only has 130k on it and looks and sounds good. No oil leaks, everything "sounds" ok. What should I be looking out for?
 
Look (or ask) if the KDP has been done. Listen to the pump, if it's "quiet" then it's still good for a while. If the truck is a good price, jump.

To back up and refute what MBAllbritton said. With the camper shell on, empty driving to FLA we got 22 mpg. Around town hauling ~300#'s of tools I get 18ish. Pulling the YJ and trailer with camp gear (3700+1400+200=5300) I get about 13 going to Callalantee...15 coming back. I'm running a 96 3500 dually, 235 tires (speedo calibrated to them), 3.55 gears, stock plate slid forward, K&N filter in stock box, 4" turbo back exhaust, and I have to be fastest:D
 
'06 2500 4x4 Quad Cab, 6 spd, 3.73 no mods - empty and around town 19, pulling 16 (calculated, my overhead always shows less).
Still better then my old '01 Chevy 2500 2wd ext'd cab, Auto, 4.10, Gas - 15 and 11.
I'm not going to be like BigWoody and say I break the law, but I like to get where I'm going. I have about 7500 miles on it, the mileage is getting better.
 
For a 12V even if the KDP hasn't been done, it not that expensive in parts and its easy to do.

On my 2003, the best tank I've had was 21-22 mpg and it was 60 to 65 mph constant speed cruising. I believe 18-19 mpg is more realistic on the highway. Around town, I get 15 mpg pretty consistently.
 
Just food for thought but during several trips out west in my dad's 02 3500 4x4 ext cab 6spd w/ 4:10's pulling a three car wedge loaded up we've gotten a pretty steady 9-10. (thats in the neighborhood of 28,000lbs.)
 
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