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What kind of fuel burn numbers should one expect with either the cummins or the hemi in newer dodge 2500 trucks. Also, how does a 2500 with hemi pull your boat?
I don't have a 2500, even though the state of PA told me the 1500 on the side is meaningless and they arbitrarily made it a 2500 plate wise... My 1500 has the Hemi and is rated to 9200lbs. I pull about 8600 with it... It pulls it... Fuel burn? terrible... And I wish it was a diesel
Honestly there is no comparisson.. the Hemi *is* a great motor... But it's no Cummins!
And to more accurately answer the fuel burn... On flat land, towing the boat? 9MPG... Up a hill? 5-6MPG.... I have a lot of boat up above the roof line of the truck so there is tons of drag. A diesel would burn less fuel towing it, I probably get better milage than the diesel when not towing (I have seen up to 19MPG on the highways). But strap on a load and the diesel's numbers will outshine the gas motor every single time. Not to mention you can dump the clutch on the Cummins and pull my boat up the ramp at idle. I on the other hand have to put her in 4W Low
No comparison. If you're looking for a puller, go with the CTD. IMHO, the HEMI isn't an appropriate motor for an HD truck. It makes all it's power way up in the RPM band.
That being said, my HEMI powered '03 2500 pulls my Grady pretty well. Struggles off the line a bit, but once it gets going it can hold it's own. OD off puts the tach at 3000 for 62 mph and I get an average of 8 mpg.
My buddy has a 2500 4x4 Hemi with 4.10's. We got 7.9mpg towing my boat on the relatively flat MD eastern shore. Tows it without problem. It is a total of ~6400lbs. I really like the truck but I think even he would take the diesel over the gas..
rharris, You will be amazed at the Dodge 2500 with the Cummins. I have an 05 with 37,000 miles and it rides smooth as silk and pulls like there is no tomorrow. I get 17.3 mpg empty every day driving 70% highway. I started out at about 15mpg new so as the engine is breaking in it is getting better. If you pull a lot of miles or heavy loads spend the extra dough on the diesel. I bought a 96 2500 new and sold it for $8000 10 years and 200,000 miles later. The diesel was a $4200 option at the time and I doubt a 10 year old gasser with 200,000 miles would sell for $4000 so you get your money back in the end.
I have a 2004 Dodge Ram 2500 4 door 2wd with the Hemi...and hate it. Boat is a 23' Fountain CC rated at 4500 pounds dry. 8-9 mpg highway or city towing...doesnt matter. Trans is all over the place whether in tow/haul mode or not. This engine gets your blood flowing at high rpms but I am unimpressed with its towing and the trans sucks. It might be durable but I hate the way it shifts in and out constantly. I cant imagien towing anything heavier with it. Its stable but te powertrain sucks.
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I have a 06' 2500 with a Cummins with approximately 5K. It's my tow vehicle for my Boat and Snowmobiles. Boat is a Contender 23T with twin 150's alway fuel of fuel (175 gallons / at least on the way to the ramp...) that weighs in at 7K+ loaded up ready to fish. I also tow with a Rance Renegade V Nose snowmobile trailer that is 8.5 feet wide.
I currently only tow short distances with my boat. I always see between 10mpg and 11mpg on the computer. However, I usually see 13-14mpg on the highway towing my boat, as well as, my snowmobile trailer. This is usually at an average of 70-75 mph on the highway with the snowmobile trailer and at 65-70mph with the boat.
I have a Jeep Cherokee with a Hemi. It's FAST but its not great for towing. My boat, trailer, and gas weigh in just over 5k. Towing that load, I get 8.5 to 9 mpg. Without the boat over the last year of driving, I have averaged 12.5 mpg. I just got a bigger boat and bought a Dodge Ram 3500 with the 6.7 and am very happy with its performance.
I have an '05 1500 Hemi, pulls my Key West 225 fine. On flat land I get 12 mpg towing. Without trailer I get about 15 city and 19 @ 65 mph. Recently pulled a 6500 lb Cobalt 252 from Hot Springs, Arkansas to New Orleans and averaged about 11 mpg.
But, for a serious tow vehicle, get the Cummins & a 2500.
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That is crap.
Which idiot told you that CO2 only makes up 0.039% of the atmosphere?
Is yours the 1500 with 8 lug wheels? Also, do you know your truck's rear end ratio?
Six lugs 5K per axle yes I know my gear ratio and I wish it was the 4.10's but I have the 20" rim option which comes with 3.92's or 3.55's (I would have to check my build sheet, but either way it's not the deeper gear). The big rims and gear hurt mine down low. My buds 2500 Hemi (what we originally went to pick my boat up with) has the deep gear and 17" rims and it gets the Hemi up into it's best operating range much faster. But no matter how you slice it, it's still a gas motor and gas motors ain't diesels!
I just picked up a 2007 Dodge 1500 4x4 hemi Quad cab Hemi Ram
I tow a 3-4K boat with it, gets 11-12 MPG
With the newer Hemis they Have the MDS which cuts out 4 cylinders when cruising.
I don't think the 2500 series hemis have the MDS..
I get normal gas mileage of 18-21 highway 15-16 city. but that's with 3 mod's done, not stock. stock was worse. 13-14 city 10 towing, and 16 highway... at 75-80 mph and 45+ under mph city..
added a Powerwire... (www.airram.com) and a air ram scoop (I recomend the power wire for anyone with the 5.7 hemi
saves me 1-2 mpg.)
added a K+n Filter...
and Changed the exhaust to a Aero turbine 3030xl with tip.
the Diesel will get better gas mileage.
and will out-tow the other plus the resale closes the gap difference price the difference in the long run.
I purchased a 2007 Ram 3500, quad cab, 5.9 diesel, 4x4, 3.73 gears, 6 speed manual in June 07.
The first tank of fuel got me 20mpg, right now I'm at 10k on the odometer and get 23 on average with 24.1mpg the best so far. All mpg figures were hand calculated and 70% highway commute to work.
I have a MBRP exhaust, Airaid cold intake and Mobile 1 oil installed on the truck.
I only travel 5 miles to the launch so I can't get a good mpg reading while towing. As posted above, no need to use the gas peddle while pulling boat (26'WA) out of the water, just let out the clutch and it crawls up the ramp.
__________________ Thousands on the boat.
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Time away from the wife, priceless!
Dodge 2500 cummins vs hemi 
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