Good bye to an old friend - Montana Owners Club

clutch · 06-30-2009, 05:20 PM

Yesterday I said goodbye to my friend of 9 years. I left my ole red Dodge sitting in a used car lot in Kellogg Idaho. I drove off in our new to us 2007 Dodge 3500. I didn't even look back.

So far, nice ride, great power even without any fueling enhancements, very quiet, and the fuel mileage sucks big time.

Art-n-Marge · 06-30-2009, 05:29 PM

YAY, when someone else spends money it's a happy time. Congratulations on the new ride!

Seems to me that your new TV is far stronger and has a lower diff ratio so that it can pull heavier. I'll bet your weight rating numbers are better, eh?

As my dealer told me, if you want strong, buy American, if you want MPGs, buy Japanese (and you won't be towing or carrying as much).

Already, you are shopping fuel improvements. Any ideas you can share?

stiles watson · 06-30-2009, 07:23 PM

Hope it serves you well for many years.

cmawendy · 07-01-2009, 02:07 AM

Did you buy it from Dave Smith in Kellogg?

exav8tr · 07-01-2009, 03:07 AM

Clutch, I know the feeling. When we bought our 5er we had a '91 Dodge Dakota with less than 90k on the odometer. It was always garaged and pampered, in fact, when I sold it in May of 07 I got $4k for it, not bad for a 16 year old truck. Great little truck and hated to see it go, it served me well......As the saying goes "Parting is such sweet sorrow"!!!!

sreigle · 07-01-2009, 06:59 AM

Clutch, keep an eye on that mileage. All the 6.7's I've heard about, including ours, gets excellent solo mileage and "ok," but not great, towing mileage. I get about 11 overall towing. Is yours worse than that? As you said, plenty of power and a nice driving truck. Congratulations on the new ride.

kilch123 · 07-01-2009, 07:15 AM

Congratulations on a nice truck! (I'm a little biased)

Mads Electronics has the Smarty out for the 6.7L now, and I've heard rave reviews.

Good luck with it, and happy trails!

richfaa · 07-01-2009, 07:27 AM

Gosh.. I will try to become more attached to this truck. We are always glad to get rid of the old one and get a shinny new one. We have observed that all of the big three trucks are very close in towing MPG when pulling similar weights. We do 10.5/ 11 at the end of the day but the new Dodge does way better solo. 15/16 is about average for the Ford at interstate speeds. Strange but the Ford gets the best solo MPG at 35/40 mph????

Delaine and Lindy · 07-01-2009, 08:38 AM

clutch, Congratz on the new Truck. Dodge does have a awesome Diesel engine in the Cummins. When we dropped the Chevy 3500 off last week and came home in the Freightliner. This is the first time since 1971 there hasn't been a GM Truck in my drive way. But with what GM has done in the last year, I have owned my last new GM Truck, I just don't have any confidence in GM. GM was ran into the ground and management lost control of a Great company. We are in the process of getting a Vehicle that can be towed behind the 5th wheel and so for they aren't one of the big three. But I must remember that we live in a Global world???? Good Luck with the Dodge, and you don't have to worry about the pin weight! GBY...

HughM · 07-01-2009, 03:03 PM

My last two trucks were very well taken care of. When I traded them in they were sold before I left the lot with my new one. Diesel mechanic at the dealer bought my last diesel and came into the saleman's office while I was signing the check thanking me for trading it in.
Hugh

Art-n-Marge · 07-01-2009, 03:51 PM

Hey Rich, do you have any ideas why the Ford would get better mpgs at 35-40 mph. Somehow that doesn't make sense. At 35-40 mph my RPMS are pretty much the same as 60-65, but I will be farther in miles at the higher speed using almost the same amount of fuel if the truck is also experiencing some momentum. But you have a heavier truck, a dually and a higher differential rating than mine.

I get about 22 mpg solo, under 70 mph. Above 75, I get about 19mpg and when towing my particular Monty I get about 12 (driving under 65mph). I am not complaining because I think a diesel will be better than gasoline. I also have a 3.73 diff. A 4.10 or higher diff will get less mpgs, but they can tow heavier.

I have never tried to measure long distance driving at 35-40mph on purpose, so Rich could have something there.

My apologies for digressing to Ford comments on a Dodge topic.

Trailer Trash 2 · 07-01-2009, 04:43 PM

Happy for you and your new Dodge 3500 truck, dont worry about the milage, It's a work truck if you want power you have to give it fuel. Steve gets the same milage as I do, it's far more power than my other TV, but the same in milage towing, so just fill er up and enjoy the ride.

sailer · 07-01-2009, 05:20 PM

Rich if you get 35 to 40 solo running at 65 mph , are you being towed or is someone pushing you , or was that on her honda you were talking about , not a real truck ,i get 10.6 to 11.0 towing and at times down to 9.00 in traffic but the best solo was 20.0 ;;sailer

Bill-N-Donna · 07-02-2009, 10:34 AM

Congratulations on you’re new TV. I always did like the Dodge. Sounds like it’ll be a good one.

richfaa · 07-02-2009, 11:32 AM

No,No John I said "Strange but the Ford gets the best solo MPG at 35/40 mph????" Not that it gets 35/40MPG..don't i wish. My guess is that at 35/40MPh on a fairly level road my boost is about 7. Coasting down hill my boost is like zero and the MPG is incredible.

RPM's at 35/40 are way less that at 60/65 unless we are on a 8 % grade and 35 is a fast as we can go and the boost is 38. Art you get some great MPG on that 6.0... way better than me with the 6.4...don't let that truck go. Oh yea....that 6.7 dodge will get better than the Ford///

mopar1 · 07-02-2009, 11:53 AM

My 97 Dodge 3500 gets 22mpg solo and 14 pulling the Montana. The engine is basically stock other than the fuel plate slid forward and a K&N filter in the stock air box. I have the 3:54 gears so acceleration does suffer. That (acceleration) will improve once I buy a good aftermarket torque converter.
My Cummins engine is the old 12 valve. They always got the best fuel mileage. But a nice shiny 4 door Dodge 3500 diesel sure would be nice!

Art-n-Marge · 07-02-2009, 02:48 PM

Whoa Sailer you read it wrong... it's 34-45 MILES PER HOUR he gets his best MILES PER GALLON. I read it that way the first time, but it sounded so outta this world I read it again and then calmed down.

LOL - it happens to us all.

yup, Rich, I do. The 6.0L does get good mileage on my particular truck but with a 3.73 diff I can't tow as much either - you may have seen some of my posts where I whine about it. Right now, I would rather tow heavier cuz DW loves the Monty and will never go back to the TT.

And the more capable trucks have a higher diff, too. Power goes up, but mileage goes down.

BTW - I believe the differential is shown as 3.73, 4.10, 4.88, etc. not 3:73, 4:10, 4:88. The : represents "ratio" so the ratio form of the differential is 3.73:1, 4.10:1, 4.88:1, etc. which translates to the number of turns on a differential compared to the wheel. The higher the number the stronger the power and hence the lower MPGs because there are more RPMs to go the same wheel distance. Am I saying this right?

mopar1 · 07-02-2009, 05:30 PM

Yes, you are saying it correctly. 4.10:1 is 4.10 revolutions of the drive shaft to one revolution of the wheel.

clutch · 07-09-2009, 11:48 AM

I haven't had a chance to tow with it yet but the overhead computer says 16.4 and that is mixed in town and some hiway driving. Some of ther guys in the NWBOMBERS are getting better but they have taken off some things and added a Smarty. I am just going to keep the warranty good and leave it alone for a while. It has way more power and torque than my old truck so for now I am very happy.

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