285/75/17 on both trucks. 6 spd trucks.
I’ve never seen a tank above 16.8 mpg in either of my 200s, a lightly built 09 and fairly built 11. The 11 regularly returns over 1.5mpg better around town than the 09 did. I don’t particularly fly around town. On the highway, the 11 doesn’t seem to really suffer compared to the 09 until you push over 70. But then again it sits higher, has a bullbar and a FR rack so it’s safe to say aero accounts for much of the inefficiency at those speeds.
For me, the fuel economy debate is a nonissue as it relates to selecting the gear ratio as I’ve not experienced anything suggesting going higher numerically makes a significant difference. And anecdotally even some folks with 8spd trucks learned this for themselves but that’s another can of sardines. If 4.30 is someone else’s Goldilocks gear, good for them. Gimme 5.29s
I only push over 70 if on the interstate and that's less than 10% of the time. Most of the time it sees 65-70 around here which certainly helps as fuel economy does get worse when you go over 70. I agree that it really doesn't matter in regards to fuel economy for the most part, if it does then we are all driving the wrong vehicles.
