Towing MPG

[buckeyejim]

I presently tow my Eagle 322FKS with a Chevy Truck with the 6.0 gas engine. Usually get somewhere between 7-10mpg towing depending on the hills, average is 8. I am considering trading for a Diesel Duramax. What kind of towing mileage can I expect? I know I will increase the torque, and a little horsepower over the gas. Is it worth the additional 8 grand option?

[29BHS ECO]

buckeyejim--- You will probably get a lot better mileage with the duramax than the gas with regular driving, a little bit better while towing, but it would probably take up to 200k miles to make up the extra $. I guess unless you are completly disatisfied, or do a lot of driving stick with the 6.0. Larry.

[jbhsv04]

I tow my 5er with a f350 6.0 diesel and get between 11-12 MPG cant speak for the duramax.

[Seann45]

Mileage depends on many things.. how fast do you tow... RV tires are not made to go over 65 mph also the co-efficient of drag increases dramatically over 65. I love my diesel and at 65 mph with the 8000 lb jayco 303 TT behind me I get 13 mpg. but I also have the truck loaded with all the toys for camping that I "need" dirt bike, bicycle..etc etc..

[dg1971]

Towing 7500 + lbs. I get 12.5 to 13 mpg in my Duramax but only when I do not have a strong headwind and keep it at 60. Most of my short trips to my membership campground (90 miles) I push it because I want to get there in a hurry so I creep up to 65 to 67 but still get 11 something mpg. One long trip (800 miles up to 8600 elevation and some headwinds along the way) I averaged 11.8 for the entire trip. What I like most about my Duramax is the torque, especially while climbing Southern Rocky Mountain inclines. That alone makes it worth the extra $$$ to me but dollarwise, I do believe 19H above...it would take a lot of miles to break even.

[clutch]

A lot of things come into play when making a gas/diesel comparison.

1. Gas is always cheaper.
2. The extra $$$ to buy the diesel truck.
3. The cost of oil changes on a diesel. (3 gal of oil)
4. The expence of fuel filters on the diesel.
5. Diesel costs more to insure. (with my company anyway)

How many miles per year do you tow your trailer vs how many miles driving empty.

My truck is a 3500 Dodge with the cummins and 6 sp auto with exhaust brake. Do I really need it??? Nope but I WANTED it.

[edatlanta]

I am retired and the guy that you wish would get out of your way, but I get an average of 12.5 mpg while towing my 5'er. At a steady speed on perfectly flat roads after getting up to speed it gets 14.5, but that is wishful thinking for an overall number. I tow between 55 and 60 mpg. My 5'er weighs 14,000.

[norty1]

My rig is about the same as edatlanta except I have a 6.0 F350. I try to keep it in the sweet spot at 65 mph. I avg 12.1 with my setup.

[Seann45]

I do a 4000 mile round trip every year.. Sask Canada to SoCal and average 13 mpg on each trip... keeping the cruise set to 60 and the tranny in OD tow/haul.

[nylyon]

My 2003 F250 6.0 Diesel with the 31.5 BHLT loaded at 60-65 has been getting 12.5 on average. Although the diesel is more to maintain, I love the performance and smoothness of a diesel. I'm not a GM guy, but I suspect that the Duramax is a decent engine with good economy and power as well. Go diesel or gas? Depends on how much you tow.

[edatlanta]

Going diesel? Yes, how much you tow makes an economic story, but just liking the way a diesel tows is worth something to me. I get up to cruise speed, in my case 55-60, set the cruise and enjoy the ride. It very rarely downshifts out of OD even on secondary roads. The torque is amazing and worth it to me even if it doesn't make pure economic sense.
Towing at 1,600 rpm up hills I like much better than 3,000-4,000 with gas.
My 2 cents.

[Big Jim]

I have a Ford F-150 5.4 2x4, 22FB, 4500#
On the trip we took to Minnesota, we put 1400 miles on it I kept my reciepts. $400+ in fuel costs, not towing all the time took some excursion trips to other lakes etc. Averaged 11.6 mpg. Towed it up around 65 mph using the cruise, came back around the same throttled it myself going up hills. Rarely in OD.
Would like more torque, like Ed said gassers get on the pipe around 3500-4500 rpm, a diesel will do 25 mph in 5th gear, always on the pipe making power....
I like my truck but it lacks torque at highway speeds.

[robo59097]

have a 6.0L in our Yukon XL. I average about 8 mpg when towing and 12-13 around town

[clutch]

Originally Posted by Big Jim

Would like more torque, like Ed said gassers get on the pipe around 3500-4500 rpm, a diesel will do 25 mph in 5th gear, always on the pipe making power....
I like my truck but it lacks torque at highway speeds.

I think you will find that 25mph in 5th gear with a diesel dosen't work very well. The diesel engines in pickup trucks are not very big and most don't make much power until close to 2000rpm. At that rpm (around 2000) they make a LOT more power than a gasser. My Dodge starts making power at around 1500 rpm but the sweet spot is 2000 +.

[FPM III]

Originally Posted by Big Jim

...a diesel will do 25 mph in 5th gear, always on the pipe making power...

Not in either of the diesel pickups I've owned. My 09 GMC with Duramax/Allison doesn't even shift to third when in tow/haul mode until around 30 mph- and that's when running empty. The 96 Ford F-250 I had with a PowerStroke and 5 speed manual would have been horrendeously laboring to the engine trying to go 25 mph in fifth (overdrive) gear.

[Seann45]

Originally Posted by clutch

I The diesel engines in pickup trucks are not very big and most don't make much power until close to 2000rpm. .

6.6L is not very big????????

[dlfeather]

l have pulled my recently sold terry 31g with three different trucks. First truck was chevy 1500 second was 2500 with 6.0 gas then I got a 2500hd with the duramax. Just like it has been said, they cost a lot more to begin with and the payback on that would probably not happen, but the way they tow is awesome. If I want to pass a car going up a hill I can with ease. All three trucks I had pulled the trailer Ok, but the diesel was it. I would not ever think of going back to a gasser. I should be picking up my new jayco 330rlts this week and I can not wait to see how my truck does with it.

[clutch]

Originally Posted by Seann45

6.6L is not very big????????

Not compared to an 8 liter or some of the OTR trucks. Ford and Chevie are light duty rated diesels. The 6 cyl Cummins is rated as a medium duty diesel. All the big block gassers were from 7 liters to 8.1 liters so I would not call our little diesel pickup trucks as big. They range from 5.9 Cummins to 6.0 and 6.4 Ford and 6.6 Duramax to the big Cummins and now Ford at 6.7 liters. None are in the 8 to 10 liter category.

[yogi154]

WOW ........ I sure don't get near the mileage you all get. I average 8 to 9 towing our Designer. We weight in at trailer weight at 14,235 lb towing weight. (Cat Scale) I sure wish I was getting that mileage too.

[Dukedog]

I love the diesel power. I pull my 5vr and my boat tandem. Usally run 65 to 70 MPH at 1800 to 2000 RPM. My truck loves to run at 2000 RPM. Mileage is what it is. 8 to 10. Its the performance thats nice.