MPGs?

[BAMA91]

What do most get as far as gas mileage out of a m880? I really like the looks of them and would like to get one as a DD. but if they dont get decent mpgs its gonna be hard. i live in south alabama(Geneva county-same county as the samson rally) so 90 percent highway and country roads.

 

[Bob H]

how does 40 to 48 MP4G sound?

[MP4G = Miles Per 4 Gallons)

 

[BAMA91]

Man, i really want a military truck but i cant afford that lol

 

[Elwenil]

When looking for MPG, a pickup with 4.10 gears and a 3 speed transmission is probably the last place you should look. Good mileage is relative. Will it get decent mileage compared to any other pickup of that era with a similar drivetrain? Sure. Will it get mileage comparable to a new diesel truck or import econo-box truck? No. I'd say of you can get 16 MPG on the highway, you would be doing good.

 

[BAMA91]

Yeah i know.. i wonder if a 5 speed manual could be swapped in.. i know its not original issue but it would have more function.

 

[clinto]

You could do an NV3500 or 4500 swap but it won't be cheap............... and I am not sure how much of an improvement it would be.

The Dodge M88X series also uses a full time 4WD setup (I believe) which doesn't have lockout hubs for the front axles, which also decreases fuel mileage.

 

[armytruck63]

You used to be able to buy kits to convert full-time four wheel drive trucks to part time 4X4. This was expensive and a lot of work to get a one or two MPG improvement.

If you are real light on the gas pedal on flat ground with a tail wind, you might get 16 MPG.

 

[Elwenil]

If you want to convert to part time 4WD, you are much better off just swapping the knuckles, hubs, transmission and transfer case from a part time truck. The transmissions used in the '75-'79 full time 4WD Dodge trucks are specific to the NP203 full time 4WD transfer case and no other transfer case will bolt to it. Similarly, no common 5 speed can be bolted to the Dodge NP203. It is possible to mate a GM NP203 to a NV4500 but you are probably going to spend a couple grand just to get 4 or 5 MPG more. If it were me, I'd enjoy the truck for what it is. It's going to be paid for so no truck payment and it's old so insurance is low. To me that sure beats having to pay out the nose every month for a newer vehicle that gets better MPG. My Ramcharger is my only vehicle and I drive it everywhere. Sure, it costs me well over $100 to fill it up, but that's cheap compared to over $1k a month for a newer vehicle and then still have to pay for gas. Just my .02

 

[MatthewH]

In my opinion, you would be lucky to get past ten mpg. Last time i drove mine M887 on the highway, i managed 6mpg, but that was with radial HMMWV tires and a loaded 101A2 trailer.

 

[goodbrewing]

In my opinion, you would be lucky to get past ten mpg. Last time i drove mine M887 on the highway, i managed 6mpg, but that was with radial HMMWV tires and a loaded 101A2 trailer.

That's bad. I pulled a trailer loaded with a complete M886 ambulance that weighs 6000# with my M886 from Cape Cod to North west Vermont and averaged 9 mpg. But even empty I only get 11. I have the same drive train as the M880 does except I converted the transfer case to part time with the milemarker kit and swapped from the ball joints out with a newer locking hub set up. I didn't do it for gas mileage but there wasn't much of a gain. I converted it so I wouldn't have the wear on the front driveline parts.
I don't worry about gas mileage. It is a work horse. I have a car that gets around 30 if I don't need the truck. And like was said already no payment and cheap insurance.

 

[dinosaur]

Mine gets a solid 7mpg unloaded with a good tail wind, and thats before I put the snow plow to work or haul firewood. If you're looking for good mileage plan on swapping in different gears and an overdrive trans. You'll loose the low end grunt but gain the mileage.

 

[Bob H]

Sounds like a couple of you need some tuning.

I've had several different 880's
The 886 a solid 9mpg (except for the time when the float was screwing up, then it was 6mpg)
1st one, a M882 would get 9 on the highway pulling an 1800 trailer with a 3800 car on it and the bed full of stuff. yet only 10 empty.
M884 10 to 11 mpg
M880 still gets 12-14 mpg empty with 36" humvee tires and actually got 10.5 mpg pulling the parts M886 on the 1800lb trailer.

My 360 powered W400 Ambulance (7400+lbs) with 4.88 gears gets 8mpg towing or not

 

[Dave_1972]

Went on an annual camping trip two weekends ago and got about 11MPG on the highway portion. Stock M880 on 33's and keeping it around 60-65 MPH.

For the record I refer to this in FPG (feet per gallon) rather than MPG - it makes more sense.

 

[camo carl]

i put a economy cam in my 1976 m886 and was approching 20 mpg highway, even with the full time 4wd but mine also cruises 75 easy & most tell me theirs works to hard to go over 65, i still would keep even it if it got less than 10mpg though

 

[MatthewH]

i put a economy cam in my 1976 m886 and was approching 20 mpg highway, even with the full time 4wd but mine also cruises 75 easy & most tell me theirs works to hard to go over 65, i still would keep even it if it got less than 10mpg though

Other than the cam, what else did you do to the engine/truck to get 20mpg?

 

[camo carl]

near 20mpg, 17- 18, other than a NOS carter 2 barrel & new everthing for the ignition system, not much but if one plug wire is bad or anything else is wrong it becomes a instant gas hog, drastic difference any body know if a 2wd m880 y pipe will work on the 4x4?

 

[camo carl]

looks like a great site, had my m886 since 98 and i still love it, most useful vehicle i ever had, got it for a song, solid with 1700 original miles, some one hacked a modification on the roof and just sheeted it with aluminum so i always wanted to customize it, about 5 years ago the owner of the mark body company spotted me & just said "whos truck" said mine, his reply was "i made that truck", i said YEA & i bet you have a warehouse just full of parts for me too HUH! AND HE DID!!!! he needed his yacht uhpolstered so i got a truck loaded with factory NOS parts, WHAT a DEAL, NOS rear box doors, spotlights, interior hardwares, hinge straps, improved bumper trim, on & on & on, took a tour through his private stash of all the left overs he accumulated over the years (took all day), now im am ready to start putting it all together, half camper, half field uhpolstry & repair,