Yes it normal. It's a work truck, 3/4 ton and up all get bad mileage. They have a lower gear in the rear end designed for work. I run a 1977 F350 with a 10' dump and mines about 8mpg.

 

That's about average for a older gas dump. We average anywhere from 10-12 in ours depending on what they are hauling.

 

Loaded our 2wd ram 4500 gets 10-11 I can see 15-17 when I'm just driving her. Our 4wd ram 4500 gets 3-4 mpg less in each category. Won't make that mistake again in fact when I do replace them with new ones not only will they be 2wd but also I will change the gears which are now mid options of 444s and go with 410s. I haul stuff but nothing that requires the low efficiency gear sets. My trucks don't even know when they have a trailer its nothing to them.

 

My dads f350 diesel gets 15-17. With a dump insert and single cab 4x4

 

If I can get up to the 8-9 range I'd be satisfied. I'm very uncomfortable with the current 5.5-6 mpg range
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I have 2010 chevy 3500 series dump with auto trans. It gets 10-12 with air running but had a ford previously with international diesel it would get 14 or more even with air on.
Our sterling tri axle dumps are 2010 models they get 6 loaded and 8 empty
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If I can get up to the 8-9 range I'd be satisfied. I'm very uncomfortable with the current 5.5-6 mpg range
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Is two miles a gallon seriously that big of a deal to you?

You guys crack me up with this gas mileage crap. Its a work truck put gas in it when it needs it nothing you can do about it
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Is two miles a gallon seriously that big of a deal to you?
You guys crack me up with this gas mileage crap. Its a work truck put gas in it when it needs it nothing you can do about it
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It is kinda funny when dump trucks don't get that many miles on them. I drive 600-800 miles a week in the summer with my main towing truck and that is a bit different. I get 9.5 mpg with my 1993 1ton 6.5 diesel towing 8k in fairly good sized hills. Friend of mine did the same route with his 1986 454 dulley pulling one of my trucks home. He had 14k on and averaged about 3mpg. I would of been about 8 or 9. My half ton dodge with a 318 gets 9-10 mpg towing 4-6 on flat ground. If I get on the freeway it gets worse.
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Eighteen months ago I found a F700 that went through the Nashville flood. I gave $5200 and spent about $1000 to dewater and dress it up it has a 429 5&2 w/a 31000 gvw cold air looks as new as a 95 model can. Has a 14 ft dump gets 5.5 unless you drive it over 60. Last winter bought 95 T300 KW for $4800 and shortened it in my shop and mounted a used 18 ft flat dump and it gets 6-8 depending on what it does. It is powered by 8.3 Cummins whit a 6 spd Fuller. Still have the 14ft gooseneck dump we used to think was better than good. medium duty trucks can be had reasonably and are cheaper to run than pickups and trailers.

 

Eighteen months ago I found a F700 that went through the Nashville flood. I gave $5200 and spent about $1000 to dewater and dress it up it has a 429 5&2 w/a 31000 gvw cold air looks as new as a 95 model can. Has a 14 ft dump gets 5.5 unless you drive it over 60. Last winter bought 95 T300 KW for $4800 and shortened it in my shop and mounted a used 18 ft flat dump and it gets 6-8 depending on what it does. It is powered by 8.3 Cummins whit a 6 spd Fuller. Still have the 14ft gooseneck dump we used to think was better than good. medium duty trucks can be had reasonably and are cheaper to run than pickups and trailers.

What I don't get is my dad drive a semi with around a 14L 550hp engine and despite the truck weighing 80k loaded he can get 7-8 mpg on the freeway.
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The pickup manufacturers get in these races with each other and throw practicality out the door. Our 2011 2500hd just has turned 2 with 56000 on it its a 6.0 that gets 8-9 loaded 10-12 empty it is 4x4 x-cab. 2 mos ago we bought '13 F250 4x4 x-cab with a 6.2 gas at 6000 miles the milage is the except on the road it will get 12-13 both are 3.73 and almost identical it replaces 04 F250 4x4 x-cab 5.4 pretty much same gears and mpg. This truck has 196000 miles we just sold Dodge 3500 4x4 Cummins 96 model had 11 ft flat it got 10-12 empty and 16 loaded. We still also have two GMC 3500's a 7.4 and 8.1. Just can't make the added expense for the diesel work.
We can't trailer as cheap as we can use the mediums and when they pull our 18' flat they pull nearly free. If you don't think I know which brand of truck runs the cheapest try me.

 

Your mistake is such a big truck with a gas engine. If you go with a dump full size, diesel is only way to go. My f450 7.3 diesel gets about 15 to 16 mpg loaded with 10 yards of hardwood mulch and an enclosed trailer weighing about 6k loaded. It has good work gears in it. I don't drive it much unloaded but if i had to guess may get 1 or 2 more mpg unloaded. A truck that loses alot of mpg doing the job is the wrong truck for the job in my opinion, losing half of your mpg is over working a truck. I will never understand why they even make dumps with medium size truck gas v8s. Never owned one like that and never will. Just like I do not understand ppl putting dump beds on 3500 or 350 series trucks and below.
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Your mistake is such a big truck with a gas engine. If you go with a dump full size, diesel is only way to go. My f450 7.3 diesel gets about 15 to 16 mpg loaded with 10 yards of hardwood mulch and an enclosed trailer weighing about 6k loaded. It has good work gears in it. I don't drive it much unloaded but if i had to guess may get 1 or 2 more mpg unloaded. A truck that loses alot of mpg doing the job is the wrong truck for the job in my opinion, losing half of your mpg is over working a truck. I will never understand why they even make dumps with medium size truck gas v8s. Never owned one like that and never will. Just like I do not understand ppl putting dump beds on 3500 or 350 series trucks and below.
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You're believing the digital read out for your mpg aren't you?

To the OP. Part of your gas mileage problem is a 1ton dually with only a 5.7 in it. To move the truck around empty the motor is working, not imagine adding 3-4k in the bed and say a 6k trailer behind it. Now that little motor is pissed and working it's @ss off. If the truck was a big block (7.4/454) it may get the same mileage or possibly even a little bit better. The bigger motor won't be working nearly as hard to move the same load. Even if it gets the same mileage you should still be money ahead since it's not working as hard and there for should live a long life with fewer break downs.

 

Digital read out haha. My mpg is based on knowing size of both my tanks and the trip milage... 90s f450 with digital read outs. That's funny. Even if I had one I wouldn't believe it. I dont think you know much about old 7.3 international diesel. My buddy has one that gets in the 20s for mpg but his is a pleasure truck and chipped out. Big blocks are a mistake, gas is fine in a maintenance truck or pleasure truck. They are not made for day in and day out heavy work. That is what a diesel is built for. A big block is a mistake. Why invest extra money is a gas hog that is still not as good as a diesel?!? When you can invest your extra money in a diesel.that big block will require more repairs, not last nearly as long, horribly gas milage, and still less powerful than a comparable diesel.
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My dump truck is a c65 chevy. It has the 366 industrial engine,being a 79 model ithink it is safe the gasser has definitly stood the test of time. Milage is horrible at 6 empty and 4 loaded. However it can legally carry 3 to4 times what a 350 or 450 sized truck can. Repairs are very inexpensive compared to a diesel. The price to purchase it was also well below the purchase price of a diesel. These trucks arent for everyone buut thisone consistantly has made me money and has long ago paid for itself. The secret to a gas engine working in a truck this size is in the gearing. 10 is better than4 or 5. I dont understand the smaller dump trucks diesel or gas.
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You're believing the digital read out for your mpg aren't you?

To the OP. Part of your gas mileage problem is a 1ton dually with only a 5.7 in it. To move the truck around empty the motor is working, not imagine adding 3-4k in the bed and say a 6k trailer behind it. Now that little motor is pissed and working it's @ss off. If the truck was a big block (7.4/454) it may get the same mileage or possibly even a little bit better. The bigger motor won't be working nearly as hard to move the same load. Even if it gets the same mileage you should still be money ahead since it's not working as hard and there for should live a long life with fewer break downs.

Yeah I know....

 

Your mistake is such a big truck with a gas engine. If you go with a dump full size, diesel is only way to go. My f450 7.3 diesel gets about 15 to 16 mpg loaded with 10 yards of hardwood mulch and an enclosed trailer weighing about 6k loaded. It has good work gears in it. I don't drive it much unloaded but if i had to guess may get 1 or 2 more mpg unloaded. A truck that loses alot of mpg doing the job is the wrong truck for the job in my opinion, losing half of your mpg is over working a truck. I will never understand why they even make dumps with medium size truck gas v8s. Never owned one like that and never will. Just like I do not understand ppl putting dump beds on 3500 or 350 series trucks and below.
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Even before reading this I've been questioning wether or not to keep it. I love everything about it except the small engine. It's a flatbed dump with saddle tool boxes and 4x4- exactly what I want In a dump. I look forward to using it as my lawn treatment truck- can carry pallets of Fert plus a skid plus a permagreen. Obviously used to carry mulch and to do leaves in the fall. If I could just get between 8-9mpg I would be much more content. I too question why such a small motor.

Anyone have an positive feedback on their smaller engine gas dump?

 

I find it hard to believe that people are getting 15-16 in their diesel dumps. my 550 with the 7.3 gets around 8-9 loaded with 6-8k in it. granted we have a lot of hills around here. has anyone done any performance upgrades for dump trucks?