i have a cc drw 8' bed 7.3 was looking at a ext 8'd bed both 4wd. will i gain mpg to make it woth it? i dont tow anymore so dont need drw. i only drive on weekends have civic during week.

 

Don't ever have seen any tests, but per my experience the biggest difference in mpg with the same engines will come from differential ratios.
Dual wheels might make 1, max 2 mpg difference, so does 4WD
CC will make difference in city driving due to extra weight, but no change at highway driving.

 

the change will be less than you can see.
the Ex cab is not near as roomy.

 

Exactly how often to you have passengers in the back for an extended time? I pile 6 in mine without difficulty, but I wouldn't want to make anybody endure several hours back there.

I have 4X4 with the 3.73 and my mileage is in my sig - but I worked on it to get those results.

 

I have a dually, I don't really need dual wheels anymore, but wouldn't give up that nice stable ride for 1 or 2 mpg. when you put weight in it, you can't beat it. Besides it looks cool.

 

You'll save a lot on tires . . .

 

sounds like i should save the money and just get some more mods. i do like look of dual wheels and truck is in good shape.

 

Good call. Stick with the truck you know, fixing surprises in another truck could burn up years worth of MPG savings.

 

not to mention the time, hassle, and headaches to just GET the truck to the point where it's in good shape and you know everything about it. My trucks no where near 100%, i've got a bunch of things I need to do to it. But I wouldn't trade it for another vehicle unless it was virtually brand new with almost no miles. Because I know my trucks issues, and I know what to look for when it starts giving me fits.

 

Ditto. Especially about "the truck you know."

I think you answered this entire question yourself when you said you only drive it on weekends. If it's a low mileage use vehicle, you are actually going to lose money if you swap it out for an even trade. Let's say you sell yours for $9k, and buy another for $9k. You will have to pay the sales tax on $9k purchase (say $500), and the new license / registration (say $150). Then you need to do all-around fluid changes, modifications to bring it "up to standard" with your last truck, etc. Reality is, you will easily spend at least $1,500 on the new truck right away.

Now, let's talk about the fuel savings...let's say you get 2 mpg per gallon extra. If you consume 100 gallons a month (doesn't sound like you do), that's 200 miles. If your new truck is getting 17 mpg, that 200 miles is the equivalent of 12 gallons of free fuel. The same goes if you only consume 50 gallons a month and have a 4 mpg gain. Either way, at $4 a gallon, that's $48. It will take you 31 months, or 2 1/2 years to break even.

For a truck you don't know.

Even if you have a total no-cost swap, would you give up your dually CC for $48 a month (or less)?

OR.........would you rather spend that $1,500 to change this out to a single axle with a different gear ratio? I bet if you shopped around awhile, you could find a deal on a donor truck.

 

All very good points stated above, I would keep ur DRW