Towing MPG

[93ChevyTBI]

What kind of mpg are you guys getting while towing. I got 8.8 mpg yesterday pulling a 16 ft 7500 tandem axle trailer with one 1400 lb mower....around 3200 lbs total I'd guess. That sound AWFULLY low??

[Chriscon7]

Depends on alot of stuff. Vehicle/location/terrain/elevation/wind/load/gear ratio/engine speed everything

[kcb37]

What are you pulling it with?
Best I have had is 18, worst I think 11. Hitting that 18 was all highway empty just a flatbed tandem axle level, and 60mph, oh the dmax helps too.

[93ChevyTBI]

What are you pulling it with?
Best I have had is 18, worst I think 11. Hitting that 18 was all highway empty just a flatbed tandem axle level, and 60mph, oh the dmax helps too.

Truck is in my sig

[kcb37]

Sounds about right then.
How are your areo dynamics?
An enclosed trailer will do worse, on the same note a pickup on a flat bed will do worse then say a Camaro on the same trailer.
Does your mower stick up over the tailgate? How far behind the tailgate is the mower?

[94_c/1500]

I don't know exactly what I got, but it was roughly half what I get when I'm not towing. I pulled my Jeep CJ8 (probably around 3500-3800 pounds) on a 16 foot utility trailer with a wood floor. I dont know how much the trailer weighs. I pulled it twice, the first time was my first time towing. The truck I used was the one in my sig, V6 with bolt ons, 4L60E, and 3.42s with 235/75R15s. I live in West Virginia and once you're out of a river valley, it gets hilly. I towed on 2 lane highways, I didn't go over 50 mph. Didnt want it getting away from me. No towing experience, no trailer brakes, and a squirrelly truck because of it squatting and raising the front a couple inches. I figured going a little slower would be safer. But up the bigger hills, like Mt. Alto, my truck hated me. Before I started up the hill, the temperature was fine, by the time I got to the top I was doing about 30 and the truck was getting close to overheating. Unloaded I usually get around 20-22 on roads like that. My guess is I got 8-10. But it did it, it held together, and it's been almost a year later and I'm still driving the truck and nothing has broke.

[TiredFarmer]

Fora v-6 that is probably accurate. My 2500HD with the 6.0 and 4L80e gets about 8 when towing 15,000

[Jmac72]

I just hauled a 95 fs dodge 4x4 200 miles(5 or 6k lbs I guess)on a 18ft open trailer.All interstate,set the cruise about 70 and just drove.I got 17.5mpgs.I think if I would have ran 65,I might have gained a bit.I was pretty pleased,I was testing out a new tow tune I got from a friend.It was 1.5mpg better than my other.

This was the 03dmax.

[bowtieguy101]

I would recheck the math on that one. I have driven several Dmax trucks and they are pretty efficient, but pulling 7K I think those numbers are quite a bit higher than everyone else is seeing. .

[93ChevyTBI]

Fora v-6 that is probably accurate. My 2500HD with the 6.0 and 4L80e gets about 8 when towing 15,000

My uncle sold his 6.0 that was getting 6 miles per gallon towing a LARGE camper.....like 30+ feet IIRC. He took it to the dealer 3 times and they said it was normal. He traded it in on a Duramax and had it for 5 years. GEt this........same uncle, same said trailer....he bought a 1500 CC to tow it with. I couldn't believe it, nor could several of my other uncles. He said it only makes it squat a little more. I don't believe that for a second. Friggin half ton truck pulling a 30 ft camper on a ball hitch....not 5th wheel.

Anyway, since making this thread I've been brainstorming on what to do. I can't afford a 20k+ Duramax. I don't like the 6.0 gas mileage at all. I was thinking about a 1500 CCSB with a supercharger...dunno how much that is though. After driving my truck to the lake and back this weekend, I was really considering it. Wynjammer S/C run about $2k don't they? This is on my current TBI truck but also considering a 5.3 with a S/C. I could put a 383 in it for more torque but there goes the mileage down again. I can't manage to drive it much at 8.5 mpg and sure as hell couldn't with any less mileage with a 383.

Oh, and for the towing question, pulling 16 ft trailer with 2 mowers, around 4500-5000 lbs daily.

I'm also looking at buying a Dodge Cummins if I can find a deal. Also considered buying (GASP) a 7.3 if I could find a deal. My wife looked at me in disbelief when I mentioned it. I'll have to eat crow I'm sure. Been reading up on those Ecoboost trucks from Ford....wish Chevy would ome out with something like that.

[Quyonmob]

Eco boost gets about the same MPG as the 5.3L.

I'm definitely not interested in the initial cost (comparable to diesel options), and the inherent complicity of a twin turbo, high output, small displacement engine in a work vehicle. I think it would make a great toy.

[Jmac72]

I think its pretty close.It gets a solid 21 to 22 running empty on the interstate.I was about 13mpg with my enclosed trailer.But thats like pulling a parachute.Going to STL.next week with it,I'll see what I come up with.

[SwatDawg15]

I pull my 16 x6 tandem open lawn care trailer everyday. Two Zero turns around 1k each, plus all my trimmers, edgers, ect ect and a tool box full. Also my rear gate is extremely heavy. Truck is 97 K1500 ecsb with 5.7 vortec. I get 8 to 9 mpg tank after tank. Now this is city driving, and add a bit of idling in there too. I do not tow in O/D, and I have 265/16 M/T's.

[bowtieguy101]

I pulled my 16 foot vee nose round trip a little over 200 miles yesterday. Had about 4500 lbs inside, so abut 6k combined. My 4.8 got 13 MPG towing it reasonable spped down the interstate. Glad I picked the 4.8 so far it has proven itself to be a great little motor.

[bcraig350]

I have a 95 with the tbi 5.7, I trailered a car recently, combined weight was around 5500. Drove interstate with constant rolling hills for 300 miles at 70mph (time was more important to me on this trip). My mpg was around 9.

On the eco-boost, I've heard pretty substantial reviews that say the ecoboost engines are not good for frequent extreme driving (heavy loads, towing). The mpgs plummet when you are driving the vehicle hard because the engine stays in boost pretty much all the time. They seem more intended as a compromise engine on a daily driven truck that sees only occasional work. I read somewhere that many Ford dealers were recommending the V8 on a work truck.

[93ChevyTBI]

Well it seems like everyone is seeing the same 8-9 mpg on the 350 pulling the same amount of weight....roughly 5k lbs. I'm on 33's too so that's not helping. I guess I don't have much to b!tch about then. I was hoping 10 mpg was the norm. Mine is a lot of city driving too. Now that my other truck is up and running I'm getting a 7 way plug wired up and gonna upgrade to 2500 calipers......it does not stop well with 5k behind it and no electric brakes.

Thanks for the responses guys!!!

[gr8ride]

My truck towing a 22' thor toy hauler with it loaded with a rzr in it, which I know I was over my 7,500 towing capacity. I only managed to get 8 mpg. But I was climbing a long steep hill, our Spanish fork canyon to be exact. but I was towing my 3 atv's the other day and my 3 place atv trailer and camping gear up the same Mountain and I managed to get 12 and I would say I was about 3,500-4,000 lb. load on that trip. I also think that I will be getting a super charger this next tax return just for a few little extra ponies vs. getting a D-max or other diesel, Just because my trucks payed for I don't want to shell out 20K for a truck already dressed up like mine.

[JBecker]

Last I got was 12-13 with my 5.7 towing 2 quads and 2 dirt bikes on a tandem axle. I was also maintaining about 75-80mph the whole time trying to follow my buddy. So not too bad.

[95BlackTahoe]

I get 10-11 towing a Camper with the Tahoe...95, 5.7 tbi...

Shawn