Forget the CAI. The truck already has a CAI from the factory. All you'll get is noise from aftermarket. It won't help with power or MPG. Exhaust won't change anything. Long tube headers might help a tiny bit. Is it worth the money?

There really isn't much you can do to improve economy as long as the truck is running properly to start with. If it isn't, a tune-up, fresh fluids throughout the drivetrain, proper tire inflation, etc. and it's going to be as good as it gets. You're pushing a 5,500 lb. brick down the road. A custom tune (Lew tune!) is awesome, but it won't do much of anything for MPG, either.

 

What Gary said.....I have a Lew Tune, and the truck performs a hell of a lot better, but I dropped 1/10th MPG.....but who cares, it's a truck......Part of the problem is that we've lost our energy independence as of 1/20/21, so everyone is feeling pain at the pump.

YMMV..........................

 

Tune your right foot if looking for better economy.

Pretend there is an egg between you foot and the skinny pedal.
Watch traffic and let off sooner when it's clear you're going to have to slow down and/or stop anyway.

When it makes sense, use the cruise. Steady speed helps. Speeding up / slowing down repeatedly hurts.

 

You want better fuel economy that you can see a real difference ? Reduce the unsprung rotational mass. The rims that were on my truck were around 70#+ each… the new wheels I got were almost 20# lighter per wheel lighter. Consider that 1# of unsprung rotational mass is equivalent to about 1-1.5hp loss and 15# on the wheel is equivalent to about 200# of load or truck weight. So put the money you want to get a cold air and headers + the time and labor into lighter wheels and profit,

Also here is a hint that anyone can do and almost no one ever does to get better fuel economy learn to lift early when you know you have to stop at a light. The earlier you lift the sooner you stop fuel being injected into the cylinder. When you coast the drivetrain keeps your motor turning over so all that is fuel savings.

Biggest benefit of the tune I think is the gas pedal being remapped and turning off AFM if you have it. I could not stand the stock mapping of my pedal having to press it down half way to get 10-15% throttle.

 

Just did a trip to Indy and back. Spent 6 days there. 21.8 mpg. Damgudenuf!

 

If you want to try to justify it; having a performance tune will give you more hp and torque. If that helps you accelerate quicker so that you can make a stop light instead of stopping; that would help you get better mpg. Your worst mpg is from a stop. A 5-spd will get about 2-4 mpg in first, 3-7mpg in 2nd, 7-11 in third, 12-16 in 4th and 15-22 in 5th. Braking early to keep even 1mph for when that light turns green, will help your overall mpg.
Draft when you can.
The skinniest tires you put on there, certain types of energy saving tires, or at least keeping them properly inflated.

As for spending money, yeah, lighter wheels will definitely make a noticeable difference. That will give you some acceleration too.
A tonneau cover will help reduce drag. People can argue it won't it all they want, but I got 1-2mpg better highway with a tonneau. If you don't have one, and that was on the list, I would do that before a CAI.

 

If you want to try to justify it; having a performance tune will give you more hp and torque.

And what performance tune will do that?

 

I actually am a lot of fun at parties, I can read more than one sentence at a time, and I have a tune, as well. I do agree with a good amount of what you stated, but not the bit about the tonneau. Show me the data that supports that claim....A tonneau didn't change my MPG.

 

I actually am a lot of fun at parties, I can read more than one sentence at a time, and I have a tune, as well. I do agree with a good amount of what you stated, but not the bit about the tonneau. Show me the data that supports that claim....A tonneau didn't change my MPG.

I am with you on the cover the not difference I noticed installing mine was the truck was a little quieter on the highway. Maybe because of the vortex the bed creates or maybe in my head I am not sure but to me it sounded quieter. I did not see any increase or decrease in fuel economy. Maybe it did but I think the gain is likely very small. Honestly to know if the cover has a significant aero change it would need to be tested in a wind tunnel. If it made a big change the car manufacturers would be making them standard on all trucks to raise the fuel economy numbers to reach the epa's standards.

 

If someone thinks a tonneau cover increases their mpg they are sadly mistaken.

 

Why sure it does in the winter! It saves you from hauling all the heavy snow and ice around...

 

Tune your right foot if looking for better economy.

Pretend there is an egg between you foot and the skinny pedal.
Watch traffic and let off sooner when it's clear you're going to have to slow down and/or stop anyway.

When it makes sense, use the cruise. Steady speed helps. Speeding up / slowing down repeatedly hurts.

This^^^^^ x100!!!!

 

Pickup Truck Tailgates | Fuel Economy - Consumer Reports News

Pickup Truck Tailgates have long been at the center of truck owner debates on how to improve the aerodynamics of the cargo bed and if doing so was worth the effort. Conventional wisdom dictates that an empty bed with the tailgate up would capture air flow and the added drag would reduce fuel...

www.consumerreports.org

 

Mythbusters tested that same thing years ago, and came to the same conclusion.

 

I got improved mileage on my 2002 pickup. The NNBS was redesigned with aerodynamics in mind, and they redesigned several lines including the design of the front bumper. The 4th gen dodge ram came out in 2009, and mine was designed prior to 1999. We have at least 10 years of automotive technology difference from the test vehicle to a NBS.

I don't like that that consumer reports test doesn't list any of the details of the test. It was also done on one vehicle, with the absolute smallest bed (crew cab 5ft 6") of any full size. That test should have been done on the big 3, with full size beds.

 

GM was testing and designing these trucks to be more aerodynamic using their wind tunnel as far back as the 70s. So yes I am sure they accounted for the beds and the tailgate up on all stock trucks 1975-current likely get the best mileage that way.

 

Yeah, its not like the tailgate serves some other purpose besides "Improving aerodynamics". You think they nailed the pickup's aerodynamics in 75? So once they had that down, they designed the squarebody? They've just been making it worse for the last 50 years?

Just curious, do you think they had aerodynamics perfect for every vehicle in 75, or do you think they just started with the pickup, and have been trying to figure out the Corvette ever since?

 

Searching for the mythbusters episode on this subject, I actually found a thread from this site talking about it.
Mythbusters study MPG savings of various bed modifications

 

I can't stand mythbusters, they never do a good test. So the first time they tested that myth, they confirmed it by using a toy car in a fish tank? Then they confirmed it by driving in traffic, at what I can see is the speedometer moving at 55 and 25mph. They tested a mesh tailgate, and only tested a soft one, and not a grate. There tests were over a short distance so things like a hill that they couldn't even notice, or a slight gust of wind would have skewed that test.

Again, when I got my improved my mpg it was at 85mph. That might matter.

 

Your tone always seems arse-hole-ish ya know. But it seems you missed my entire point.

They design the trucks and test them with the tailgate UP as most of the time that is where it will be. So why would they not give the most aerodynamical design in that configuration.. they would.

 

Your tone always seems arse-hole-ish ya know. But it seems you missed my entire point.

They design the trucks and test them with the tailgate UP as most of the time that is where it will be. So why would they not give the most aerodynamical design in that configuration.. they would.

The tailgate being up, is legally required in some states. A tailgate's main priority is not to improve aerodynamics, its to give the bed a 4th side.

I don't think adriver means to sound like that, I think it's just natural.

I think we should forget everything we know, all tests that have been conducted and proof that tonneau covers don't increase mpg and instead listen to adriver. I mean the man actually saw leaves swirling around in the bed of a truck which no doubt proves his scientific theory.


What a dufus

Try writing something "on topic." On topic would be trying to respond to it. All you did was make a comment about it.

I wouldn't expect somebody driving 85mph, to care about fuel mileage.

There's a roughly 400 mile stretch on I-10 from about Kerrville, TX to an hour east of El Paso, where the speed limit is 85.

 

I don't think adriver means to sound like that, I think it's just natural.

I think we should forget everything we know, all tests that have been conducted and proof that tonneau covers don't increase mpg and instead listen to adriver. I mean the man actually saw leaves swirling around in the bed of a truck which no doubt proves his scientific theory.

What a dufus

 

I wouldn't expect somebody driving 85mph, to care about fuel mileage.

 

Enough, gentlemen. Needless bickering does nothing to advance the topic.

 

Here's your response, you're wrong. It makes no difference if you have 1 leaf or 200 leaves swirling around in the bed of your truck. A tonneau does not increase gas mileage.
I have had 3 trucks with tonneau covers (one was a NBS) and the tonneau cover made absolutely zero difference in gas mileage. There have been tests conducted which shows it makes no difference.

 

Again, you have made no effort at furthering the conversation. Even after it's already been pointed out, you still can't even consider that which: vehicle brand and model (design), which bed size, or the speed WOULD MATTER. You're not even williing to even come to the basic understanding that a 5.5' ft bed and an 8ft bed would have different aerodynamics.

All you keep saying is that your opinion is the only one that matters. That because you didn't get an increase, that must mean I'm wrong. That even though you have nothing to compare to the specific example that I used, what I found can't possibly right. That you think you are right so I must accept your opinon... You seriously need to grow up. You are still not making an effort to have a conversation. You are just trying to tell me that you are right and I am wrong.

Again, your reference to the leaves, you are trying to talk about what I said, (which is turbulence), but not respond to it. I respond directly to you and (less than or as equally trashy to) your comments.

 

Keep burying your head in the leaves and believe what you want.

 

The "bottom line" here is that if you're purchasing and installing a tonneau cover in an attempt to improve gas mileage, you're running a fool's errand. (Personally speaking, I didn't realize any gains, and wasn't anticipating any.)

Tonneau covers are for asthetics, safety/security, and weather, or some prevention of water intrusion.

Any testing and analyses I've read are shoddy at best, and limited in scope with poor controls.

Finally, some people believe in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and Anthony Fauci, and that's OK.

 

That's not a "bottom line", its your opinion. You're just another person in this thread who says they didn't get it, so you're going to create an overall rule, and it needs to apply to everyone else.

Any testing and analyses I've read are shoddy at best, and limited in scope with poor controls.

I agree. I tested mine a few days apart on my 2002. I used the exact same pump, filled it up to the ding, drove the same stretch of road, with the same weather conditions, at the same gas station to directly on to the access road on the highway up to 85mph and set cruise. I went nearly a full tank to the same destination, and averaged 1mpg better with a cover.

 

GMC busts Top 4 Myths of truck aerodynamics | Torque News

 

GMC busts Top 4 Myths of truck aerodynamics | Torque News

Truck Myth #3 – Bed covers don’t help
False – Hard bed covers have some benefit but soft covers or tonneaus have even more, allowing the air to form its own path of least resistance.



and this is after the improved design of a NNBS.

 

Thanks for that link MMZ71. Excellent factual information.