New Mpg Record-25 Mpg

[PHOEBISIS]

I am claiming a new MPG record with my 2WD KC XE.25 MPG-245.9 MILES 9.8 GALLONS.It was done on I-40 heading W to east from Alb to just short of Amarillo.I was driving 68 mph on CC with the bed stuffed to overflowing- 25 gallons of gas-a new 4.2 CU ft small fridge-upright-4 large 32x20x20 bins,2 mtb bikes,the titans back seat(so the 2 greyhounds could fit behind the front KC seat- and a lot of other misc "stuff".I would guess my load-counting me and the dogs was about 700-800 lbs(not counting the back seat of course-it is surprisingly heavy-maybe 90-100 lbs).
I wasn't driving to max mpg-I didn't DC the CC going uphill-I was too tired.I didn't drive conservatively,but not exceptionally so-68 mph isn't really slow,but it is slower than the 75 mph limit in NM.
Now before I get flamed-the reason for this mpg was the altitude-probably averaging 3000 ft.I got 23 mpg on the Flagstaff-Alb leg,but I was doing an honest 75 mph-fast-but on CC.The altitude on that leg might average 5000 ft.I do have light wheels-10.8 lbs lighter than stock steel wheels,and I have the Armada chin spoiler.Don't really know if the spoiler works,but maybe it does.
My trip average was 20.9 mpg.The last leg-from Alexandria LA to River Ridge-226 miles at about 69 mph got 18.6 mpg-this shows how much the altitude helps-same speed(more or less) same technique,but a lot less air to push thru.I might have had a tailwind on the 25 mpg leg,but I didn't take any notice of it.I got good mpg on the way to Flagstaff on that route also.
The Honda Pilot got 26.5 mpg on the same leg I got 25 mpg on.The Pilot averaged 22.8 mpg over the 1600 miles.Thanks.Charlie
PS-I get 12-13 in my regular heavy city driving.

[Quad T]

Nice MPG...congrats.

I'm happy with my 18 MPG Highway, given the way my tuck is equipped.

[GBPTITANFAN]

Best I have ever gotten was just a hair under 20 but that is in a 4x4 CC. Glad to hear you are getting everything you can from yours. I had to buy a 94 sentra (everyday driver) but it gets 35mpg and I can still keep my truck for weekends and long trips...

[PHOEBISIS]

Thanks.The 23,24,and 25 mpg tanks were strictly because of the altitude.I think I could get 20-21 at sealevel,if I kept it under 65(maybe under 60),and kept the CC on,and have very clear sailing-no slowdowns.
The Titan has a very efficient motor,and it must be pretty clean-dragwise.Unfortunately it also weighs 5000 lbs,and that pretty much means 11-15 mpg in the city(11 if your city is heavy city,and 15 if your city is "city lite").I get about 12 in pure city,but I have gottn 16.5 in the city when 60% of the city was on an interstate going 50 mph.This is why some folks will swear they get 15.5 city,but most of us get 12-13 city.Thanks.Charlie
PS I have some plans to improve the city a bit.I might just store the 100 lb backseat-we never use it-3 can fit upfront.If we ever find some drop in gears,I might regear to lose another 150 RPMS(at 60) then use shorter narrower tires to decrease Rolling resistance(235/65 17),and drop the height a bit(less drag).It is nearly impossible to decrease drag-the factory does a good job,and if you drop the truck much,it loses ground-water clearance-which is one of the reasons I own truck-it occasionally floods here in NO.
Weight loss,decrease rr of tires,and decreased RPMS are about it when it come to improving mpg(tire pressure(I don't go waaay high-35-36 psi,I like a comfortable ride) and rt foot pressure,and anticipating stops are also important-stay off the gas,and stay off the brakes).

[PHOEBISIS]

Thanks.The 23,24,and 25 mpg tanks were strictly because of the altitude.I think I could get 20-21 at sealevel,if I kept it under 65(maybe under 60),and kept the CC on,and have very clear sailing-no slowdowns.
The Titan has a very efficient motor,and it must be pretty clean-dragwise.Unfortunately it also weighs 5000 lbs,and that pretty much means 11-15 mpg in the city(11 if your city is heavy city,and 15 if your city is "city lite").I get about 12 in pure city,but I have gottn 16.5 in the city when 60% of the city was on an interstate going 50 mph.This is why some folks will swear they get 15.5 city,but most of us get 12-13 city.Thanks.Charlie
PS I have some plans to improve the city a bit.I might just store the 100 lb backseat-we never use it-3 can fit upfront.If we ever find some drop in gears,I might regear to lose another 150 RPMS(at 60) then use shorter narrower tires to decrease Rolling resistance(235/65 17),and drop the height a bit(less drag).It is nearly impossible to decrease drag-the factory does a good job,and if you drop the truck much,it loses ground-water clearance-which is one of the reasons I own truck-it occasionally floods here in NO.
Weight loss,decrease rr of tires,and decreased RPMS are about it when it come to improving mpg(tire pressure(I don't go waaay high-35-36 psi,I like a comfortable ride) and rt foot pressure,and anticipating stops are also important-stay off the gas,and stay off the brakes).

[tnbowhunter]

I think it was because you had a tow rope hooked to a semi.
Just kidding. Glad you can get good mileage, i sure can't.

[Brew Camper]

Congrats dude!

Anything over 20 is just a pipe dream even on the highway for me. The Big Tow has the lower rear end right? The is no way for some of us to get better than 16 in a tail wind. Towing the mpgs go right into the toilet.

Great job.

[HudsonValleyTitan]

Still 13.4 here.....lol

[PHOEBISIS]

I think the BT and 4x4 cost about 2 mpg.My normal mpg isn't good-12-14 usually.It is just on the HY(at altitude) that the Titan can give good numbers.In LA-sea level-I would get maybe 18-mpg hy-.The last leg of the trip-all Louisiana I got about 18.5-If I had the BT and 4X4 it would be 16 mpg.Thanks.Charlie PS The thinner 245/75 17 tires probably help also.The 265 and 285 are pretty wide.I use normal-35-36 tire pressures-I'm too much of a wimp to take the pounding the higher pressures give you.Higher pressure would be worth something-mpg wise-but it would be more of a trade off than I'm interested in.

[John Harden]

My truck consistently get's about 12 mpg. Slightly higher if I nurse it on the freeway, but nothing above 14. Not complaining as I really don't care. I didn't buy a 300+ hp truck and think I was going to get good gas mileage.

Regards,

John

[juma]

albuquerque to amarillo is downhill about 1300 feet, so that helped too...hope to beat you someday!

juma

[PHOEBISIS]

Juma,we have done that trip-NO-Flagstaff-NO about 7-8 times in the last 5 years.It is usually in late june or early aug.For reasons that I not sure of we always get better mpg on the return trip-1-1.5 mpg.Now it is downhill 7000 ft,but that wouldn't explain a huge difference like that.I'm pretty sure it is prevailing winds in that part of the SW.The wind certainly blows like heck all across the panhandle and into NM AZ.
This trip we took a slightly different route,and it was later in the year,so I really didn't notice much diffference.Once we get to DFW the mpg drops and there doesn't seem to be any difference.
The altitude and the wind really help.
I'm tempted to not reinstall the back seat;I took it out so the greyhounds would have room behind the front seat.It is much heavier than I would have guessed-90-100 lbs(but it is cumbersome,so maybe it is a little lighter-but not much).I never use it.The truck was heavily loaded(rode great).I had to put ~120 of those 16x8x2 flat cinderblocks on the back floor to level it for the 14 yo dog.(another 120+lbs).25 gallons of gas-2 mtb bikes,4 loaded bins,full ice chest,a new 4.2 cu ft fridge-I would guess with me and the mutts pushing 900 lbs(and well above the sides,but well under the "shadow" of the cab,so it didn't increase drag much(I guess).
Do you have any ideas to improve city mpg?Other than weight loss-driving technique,I can't think of anything simple.Regearing and shorter thinnner tires with lower RR might help hy some,and city a little,but not much.
I wish there was a very adept machinist who was interested in a hybrid"bolt on"-probably too expensive,too heavy,too everything.Thanks.Charlie

[CHEK6]

You Go Man,
The only way I could break 20 mpg is to drop my Titan out the back of a C-130. Even then, it would be close!! But I sure do lOVE the power.
Keep up the good work

[andy]

Did you get the V4 option?

[PHOEBISIS]

I hope I'm not being deceptive;I don't get 25 or 20 mpg in my normal day to day use.I follow my MPG carefully,and in normal city use I get 12-14mpg.The best I have ever gotten in the city is 16.7 mpg,but that "city" driving was mainly driving back and forth to college(back to college at my 54 yo age-flooded now).The drive is 16.5 miles one way,and 65% of it is city interstate done at 50 mph-perfect to max mpg since I'm locked out in 5th gear at maybe 1300 RPMS.
At sealevel I would guess any Titan 4X4 3.36 could get an honest 18-19 mpg if driven about 60 mph on CC on a level road.This wouldn't be normal driving-too slow.Normal interstate driving at 70 mph with the CC on should get 16.5-17 with the 3.36 4X4.
I wish I knew if the Armada spoiler "worked".I'm not going to remove it,of course,I suspect it does"work".I just have no objective proof that it works.I think my light wheels help with the city mpg,but not too much;guess I could pull out my old Physics book,but even then it would involve a lot of guesstimates.
Bottom line-the Titan is an extremely efficient motor-trans-body combo for hy driving(and hauling-I had a bed full of stuff and maybe a 1000 lb load).
I would bet on the Titan against any 4x2 current Diesel automatic trans Ford,Chevy,Cummins Dodge in a Hy mpg contest with a 1000 lb bed load.Now towing,no way,but for normal hy driving it is "better' mpg wise(only because they are heavier,taller,and their big motors aren't optimized for mpg-they are tow-heavy load motors).The Cummins 4x2 6 speed with the right rear end might match the Titan 4x2 KC 2.94 in hy driving.
A Titan with a 4 Liter straight six Turbo Diesel -maybe 220 hp would be a pretty efficient 5000 lb vehicle(kinda slow relative to our Titan,but adequate)
A full Hybrid gasoline Titan-with our motor geared taller and wider with a CVT-could give decent city mpg-maybe 15 instead of 12 mpg).It could be a freakin rocket with a 60-70 hp electric motor(just enough to push it to 70 maybe).
Well,dream on.The Diesel Titan,or a Hybrid will be waaaay beyond my means for a long time,but I like what I have-it was -is-a great "get out of town with lots of stuff" vehicle.Thanks.Charlie