Am i doing something wrong?

[whj469]

That is about all that you can expect with that rear end and gas.

[Larry Cole]

I pull a FR Wildcat, comes in at 8750 dry so on the road probably closer to 10,000. I tow it with a 2001 GMC with the 6L Votec motor and the 373 rear end. Tows like a charm and on the steep hills I just put on the 4 ways and take a little longer to get to the top. I average about 11 mpg towing. Hope I never have to replace the 2001.

[AdamKam]

I have the same truck and pulling a Puma 31RLQS at 10,000 lbs. and get 7.5mpg on relatively flat terrain, the best I ever got was 8.4mpg with a good tailwind. The one thing I notice in trailer towing mode is the shift point between 5th and 6th gear is around 65mph, so running at68mph helps a little.

[dbledan]

I think your issue has little to do with the 1/2 ton vs 3/4 ton. I think it has everything to do with your gearing. Your truck is built to tow not for fuel efficiency.

For towing with my half ton I don't get better than 8 with 3.55 gears. Slowing down makes a change of about an MPG for every 5-7mph above 55mph.

I follow the price process. No sense throwing good money after bad. Find out which is less and move on one way or another.

[markb422]

Isn't there a rear end between 3:73 and 4:10? I thought there was a 3:92 or something like that. Seems like it would be a good compromise but not sure if it would be worth it to do the R&R.

[Kimber45]

A gear change or a truck change would cost so much $ that you could tow 100k miles and not make up the cost at 1-2 more miles to the gallon.

[lbrjet]

Keep the truck and stop worrying about the gas mileage. Over time you will average around 8. I wouldn't even consider swapping the gears. That would be crazy. You already have a great truck, now enjoy it.

[pd2436]

Thanks to everyone who responded, I appreciate the feedback.

In response to a few questions and comments; we bought the 3/4 ton in anticipation of a larger trailer in the future, but the DW's health has not been so great so a larger trailer does not seem to be in the cards. That is kind of what started the thought of a 1/2 ton.

I'm not interested in swapping gears, as one of you said, the cost would be more than the fuel saved.

Bottom line, I have to agree with Ibrjet and not worry about the mileage. It is what it is and yes at 2000 -3000 miles towed a year, the cost of the extra fuel is not exorbitant.

Lucky for me I have a company car so the only time I do drive it is towing, so the daily driver mpg is irrelevant. If I am driving it, I need it to be a truck and pull or haul.

Lastly--THANK YOU to everyone who gave me their honest opinion. This forum really helps to put things into perspective when you are in doubt about something. I appreciate the help staying grounded and putting it all in perspective.

Camping is a way to get away from the hustle of the world, it helps us reconnect with those we love and gives us a chance to experience the world in its purest form...nature at its best. The outdoors-- the birds chirping early in the morning and the crickets at night. Watching the kids play all day and sit exhausted next to a campfire at night. Just a chance to be alone in our thoughts without the interruptions of technology and a place to clear the mind, body and soul.
Sorry, didn't mean to get philosophical, but I believe camping brings out the best in us all and helps us get back down to earth.
Again, thanks and happy camping, no matter what mpg you get!

[DouglasReid]

Originally Posted by pd2436

Not looking to start a "should get a Ford, Dodge, Toyota......
But--Not sure if it is normal or not, but I pull my V nose TT weighing about 7000 with a 2015 Chevy 2500 HD with the 6.0L gas engine and 4:10 rear end.
I cant seen to get over 7.5 mpg no matter what I try. I have tried all ranges of speed from 55 to 70, tow mode and no tow mode, no cruise and cruise. I still hover on the 7.5 mpg.
I had to upgrade from my 2005 GMC sierra 1/2 ton because its max tow was just 7200 but I got 8 mpg with the 5.3 towing at max capacity.
My camping neighbor this weekend was pulling a 6000 pound Passport with a 2016 GMC 1/2 ton and he gets 10 mpg.
I am seriously thinking about downsizing my truck to a 1/2 ton. I don't intend to get a bigger camper, but I do love the guts this 3/4 ton has on big hills in the Ozarks and knowing I don't get blown around on the road by the big rigs. But I know a 1/2 ton can handle my camper...so thats my dilemma...
Am I missing something?

Even with our 08 Duramax Diesel/Allison transmission we still only get 11 MPG while towing.

There are many factors that affect MPG not just weight, tire inflation, tailwind vs headwind, mountainous vs flat terrain.

Our previous truck, an 06 F250 with a 5.4 gasser got, like yours, 7.5.

I have found there is no Magic Bullet for MPGs. But I have found that some, like to report better mileage than they actually receive,

Or some trust their DIC, when the only true measure is to hand calculate mileage after a full tank of fuel has been burned. Do this and you will KNOW precisely what MPGs you are getting.

Im betting if ur buddy did this his mileage would be more in line with yours

[JPin AZ]

300 gallons of fuel saved should pay for a new ring and pinion professionally installed. Since you have a daily driver it would be hard to justify.

[CedarCreekWoody]

When comparing your mileage to others be sure you both calculated the same method. Some just quote the Speedo readout and they can be way off over a long run.

[Ratchethead]

Originally Posted by pd2436

Not looking to start a "should get a Ford, Dodge, Toyota......
But--Not sure if it is normal or not, but I pull my V nose TT weighing about 7000 with a 2015 Chevy 2500 HD with the 6.0L gas engine and 4:10 rear end.
I cant seen to get over 7.5 mpg no matter what I try. I have tried all ranges of speed from 55 to 70, tow mode and no tow mode, no cruise and cruise. I still hover on the 7.5 mpg.
I had to upgrade from my 2005 GMC sierra 1/2 ton because its max tow was just 7200 but I got 8 mpg with the 5.3 towing at max capacity.
My camping neighbor this weekend was pulling a 6000 pound Passport with a 2016 GMC 1/2 ton and he gets 10 mpg.
I am seriously thinking about downsizing my truck to a 1/2 ton. I don't intend to get a bigger camper, but I do love the guts this 3/4 ton has on big hills in the Ozarks and knowing I don't get blown around on the road by the big rigs. But I know a 1/2 ton can handle my camper...so thats my dilemma...
Am I missing something?

Because it is a low geared rear end (4.10), it will pull anything real easy, but if better fuel mileage is your goal, the rear end should be a 3.73 or similar. Won't pull as easy, but highway mileage will be better.

[PenJoe]

We have a 2013 Silverado 1500 and were pulling a 16' (7,000 lbs capacity). We were getting 9 mpg towing, 18.5 to 21 mpg running empty. We also tow an 18.5 ft boat and a 12 ft utility trailer with a tip-up ramp. Once something is connected to the hitch, the mpg tanks. But, the 2001 Ram 1500 got 5 mpg no matter. As others have mentioned, you are not towing full time. If you are satisfied with the 2500, consider keeping it.

[HONDAMAN174]

I was reminded by a person that I trust that if I am taking the effort to pull a house with me, mileage is not going to matter.

And I get 8 on a good day!

[upflying]

Back in the day, I owned a 1995 Chevrolet C2500 with the 454, 4L80E trans, 3.73 gears and could only manage 10mpg empty and 8 mpg towing a 19' Fleetwood 19E TT.
I drove it like an egg was under my right foot.

[llr]

the MPG is about what I get, I am surprised it does not very based on speed though.

After towing for 50+ miles have you checked your hub temperatures? It almost seems like there must be another big drag other then the wind.

[Total Loss]

I have the 6.0 6 spd in my 2016 Express 4500 motorhome (small 24'4"). 2015 chassis.

I get between 9.5 and 11 depending on tow weight.
My rig is 10,400 lbs with half tanks and not loaded for travel with extras.
I add between 500 lbs to the rear (motorcycle and bicycles) or tow 3000- 4200 lbs.
Lighten the foot and you should get nearly what I get I would think.
Not sure if you have the 6 spd though- makes a BIG difference.
I manually shift on hills to stay in the torque band and not open the throttle body too much.

[myredracer]

We tow a 29' 7K lb TT with a V10 F250 with 4.10 rear end. Have been all over 7 western states - uphills, downhills, flat interstates, tailwind, headwind, no wind, standing still... We get around 8 mpg on average and nothing does much to reduce fuel consumption. It is what it is. I am long overdue to replace the plugs and am about to do that. Have my doubts it will help much.

Personally, I love the 4.10 gears and have no desire for anything else. I like the way it accelerates from a stop and the way it pulls strong up the steepest of hills. I've yet to have someone pass me on steeper inclines. If you don't like the cost of fuel, you need to camp local. And don't come to Canada because we're at about $6 US/gal. now and the annual summer gas price increases are yet to come.

If you think 8-ish mpg is bad, our 1st TT was a 20 footer weighing 5K lbs loaded. Towed it with a 2000 F150 with a non-turbo V6. The engine put out about 220 or so HP. The engine was so wimpy that on a 6-7% grade, could only do 30-35 mph flat out and had to pull over to the shoulder and crawl up the hills. The engine would run at high RPMs just about all the time trying to make enough HP. Mileage was around 6-7 mpg on avg. and as low as 5.6 mpg. That truck & trailer combo lasted only a year before we upgraded to a bigger TT and truck.

[Johntgif]

My 2008 GMC 1/2 ton was able to tow my 77K - TT with little power problems but when I moved up to a 2017 GMC 3/4 ton (6.0 - 6 speed trans) with factory tow package, it made it fun to go camping again. I did not buy it for gas mileage but for the extra safe feeling of towing with a vehicle designed to handle whatever happens. More uphill power, better braking system, trans temp running cooler, stability on curves, etc...
A little savings on gas does not match up for the better feeling of using the best designed equipment.

[TerRox]

That does seem a little low if your flatland towing. You hit it on the head though as to comfort and stability from the 3/4 ton, I personally find that worth a little gas. I drag a Windjammer and my gasser, a 6.2 F-250 was 10 mpg. We were able to move to a used GM 3/4 T, 6.6 Duramax and enjoy 15 mpg now.