Thanks for the reply,
I also agree about the horsepower. My logic for thinking about a 4BT is as follows, If a class 8 truck can pull 80,000# all over the country with a 12 litre engine at highway speeds, why does it take 6 litre in a pick up to pull 20,000#? If you do the math backwards you come up with 3 litres.
Now if you assume 4 litres is the correct displacement for 20,000 # and do the math the other way you come up with 16 litres required for 80,000#. A Mack engine is 12, Cummins 11or 14, Cat 13 or 15, Detroit 12.7 and Volvo 12 or 16.
With my truck the way it is I can load up with horses and equipment, travel from Wisconsin to Wyoming and never loose .05 mph on any hill untill I get to Cheyanne. This is fun but not necessary.
When I traded my 2003 for the 2006 I thought this would be my retirement truck. I did everything I could think of to get fuel mileage. I went from a 4.11 to a 3.73, from a posi to an open rear end, Banks chip set at 3 frontal cooler exhaust, low restriction air cleaner, Taylor wing on roof, tilted every degree I could think of, traded the mud and snows for highway tread, and even bought a new aluminum horse trailer and lost 1,500 pounds.
Mlleage towing went from 10.5 t0 11.5. Very disapointing.
I have found quite a few people who claim 25 - 26 mpg in various vehicles but not towing. I talked to a diesel shop owner in NY who has one in a 3500 Chev and claims 25-26 but thinks I would be unhappy towing.
My memory tells me my old 7.3s got 14 if I drove decent. Back when fuel was cheap I drove fast. Now I don't.
So that is the goal 20,000#, 65 mph, 16 mpg.
Now who has a recipe for this?
sgs