Anyone have any ideas on how to get the most fuel ecomomy and pulling power with a gas engine?

I run a 2500 dodge 4x4 crew cab 06 model with a 5.7 hemi added air bags that helped alot for sabitility. pull a featherlite (11,ooo lb. ish loaded trailer) 3 horse with 9' LQ. seem to get avg. of 10 mpg (canadian gallons) pulling over flat land and then into mountains.

Will a computer chip  help?..or a airbox upgrade?   or should i be happy with what I am doing now?

edtai46 the airbags are worth installing your truck will sit better under load.(you willnot get flashed at night by oncoming  cars when your on low beam is a BIG plus!.I run about 25psi. seems to be the best pressure for truck attiude  traction etc.

I had 30psi  and had wheel hop when pulling steep grades on gravel roads at top of  the pass.My speed had dropped to 20 ish mph. the road was a mile of washboard on the grade that didn't help I am sure. 

My experience with chips/tuners is that they have not really improved my fuel mileage.

Best bet is to change your air filter as scheduled. making sure it is clean, run a synthetic oil, and if it is a gas truck, make sure it's in tune. But these itemes will only keep your truck running at its peak performance.

You can probably have a great effect by how you drive.  It was recently reported that a team of journalist got 34 mpg with a Ford Superduty truck with the new 6.7L diesel engine. I can't get any where near that number. But in reading about how, they said they rarely exceeded 1000 rpm in reaching their record mileage. If I never exceeded 1000 rpm I would have cars lined up for blocks behind me honking.  The point being, that some of the technics that these ultra milers get are not practical for daily driving on city streets.

You can increase your mileage by slowing down... I can gain about 2 mpg by slowing from 75 mph back to 65 mph... That's with a GMC 2500HD 6.0 gas 6 speed auto. Same go's with our 2001, 8.1/Allison, 3500 dually pulling much heavier trailer except I'll only gain 1 to 1.5 mpg....

NT

Tx for the idea's , I keep my speed at 100kph on most highways and 110kph on hwy#2 to help fuel economy.I speed up slowly for the horses and fuel useage.Engine is kept in tune. change tranny fluid more often.. etc. Does synthetic oil help fuel economy? Or do you use it for the added protection?Regarding the performance chips does you see a increase in HP (and how much?). but a equal drop in fuel economy? Oh sorry mertic up here 100km =62 mph 110km 70 mph.I would put a chip in if i saw a good increase in hp and could live with a 1-3 mpg drop in mileage.just my thought tx for the help all merry christmas!

Does synthetic oil help fuel economy? Or do you use it for the added protection?

I use it for both and as a third benefit, it saves money in the long run.

Regarding the performance chips does you see a increase in HP (and how much?). but a equal drop in fuel economy?

I have never chipped or flashed a gas engine. I have installed a six way programer on our diesel, and have enjoyed much more torque with a slight increase in mileage. Gas motors do not usually show the same improvements, as did the modifications that were available to the older diesel motors. The newer diesels now have much more power straight from the factory, and don't generally need any mods to pull a trailer.

Generally speaking, the best improvements that can be made to a gas engine, is to lower the intake and exhaust restrictions. Any changes or reflashing made to the computer, usually sacrifices the driveability range of one opperation, in exchange for the benefits of another. You may gain more maximum HP at the cost of low end torque.

For pulling, torque is what you need to address. HP figures and maximum RPM have little to do with daily trailer pulling. Torque is what makes you move and makes the wheels go round. Torque is what pulls you over the top of a hill, and gets you moving from a stop.

If you can find a programer that will increase the low end torque, and not mess up the mid range driveability or limit the normal red line, that would be the one to purchase. I think though, that you will discover these options difficult to find. When you consider the cost of the minimal returns, for the difference in the amount of travel time and fuel savings you hope to gain, you may not want to change the stock settings. Depending on the age of your vehicle, any changes may also void your warranty.

I have a Chevy 2500HD with the 6.0 gas engine.  My trailer is a Lakota 4 horse with a 10 foot short wall.  Loaded for the road with about 10 gallons of water it is a little over 10,000 pounds.  On the flat lands at 60-65MPH I can get 10-11 mpg.  The way I got up to that "good" of mileage is I put a supercharger on my truck and a Black Bear program.  If I try to hang with traffic at 75-80 the mileage drops off rapidly.  They only way my truck gets any mileage is if I keep the RPM down no higher than 2300.  The other thing that kills my mileage is anytime I get into alcohol blended fuels, they burn way lean in boost so I have to be very careful.