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Old 08-03-2015, 07:24 PM   #1
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Chevy Truck RPM

I have a 2015 Chevy 2500 6.0 with 4.11 rear end crew cab truck and pull a 32' 5th Flagstaff 9000# GVWR. It pulls fine but wondering, since I am heading from Indy to Monterey CA and back, what RPM do you cruise at and what speed? The truck will do 62MPH at 2500 RPM with hills causing it to go to 3000RPM. So what do you cruise at? How high do you push RPM?

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Old 08-03-2015, 08:56 PM   #2
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I am the shop manager at a large chevy dealer. You cant hurt your truck as far as RPMs go. The truck will let you know if your are pushing it to hard. For best MPG you need to stay around the 55 to 60 mph.
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Old 08-04-2015, 09:49 AM   #3
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Get used to the high RPM towing, sitting on flat ground with a load the gas eng is fine but get in the hills you need rpm for hp. The very reason I got rid of my 6.0 gasser

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Old 08-04-2015, 10:14 AM   #4
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Get used to the high RPM towing, sitting on flat ground with a load the gas eng is fine but get in the hills you need rpm for hp. The very reason I got rid of my 6.0 gasser

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Same for me. 3000 rpm was typical 4 to around 5000 rpms was not uncommon going up hills. Went up the Sawtooth mountains which are not that big and ran a screaming 4700 rpm for 15 minutes straight. Was worried I was going to blow the engine. Didn't seem to hurt it any but I changed the oil when I got where I was going!
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Old 08-04-2015, 10:35 AM   #5
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I have a half ton Chevy with a 5.3 6 speed. At 60 mph in tow mode running about 2300 rpm. Never revved over 3500 rpm on any hill and speed never below 50 mph. Pulling 8500 lb fiver.
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Old 08-04-2015, 11:19 AM   #6
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Originally Posted by darhike View Post
I have a 2015 Chevy 2500 6.0 with 4.11 rear end crew cab truck and pull a 32' 5th Flagstaff 9000# GVWR. It pulls fine but wondering, since I am heading from Indy to Monterey CA and back, what RPM do you cruise at and what speed? The truck will do 62MPH at 2500 RPM with hills causing it to go to 3000RPM. So what do you cruise at? How high do you push RPM?

Don
In a more specific answer to your question, with my 2012 Chevy 6.0 I cruised at 65 and left it in 5th gear to avoid excessive downshifting. This kept the engine at about 3000 which is getting closer to the main powerband. Peak power is in the 4-5000 rpm range. I never had any trouble getting up hills. It just revved high to do it. Crossing the Rockies might be different story though. I have had 4 different 6.0 gas trucks including the one I drive everyday for work. Very reliable engine and perfectly fine for the majority of applications but in pulling my 9500# trailer I grew tired of all the downshifting and noisy high rpms and that is why I traded it.
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Old 08-04-2015, 11:20 AM   #7
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I have a half ton Chevy with a 5.3 6 speed. At 60 mph in tow mode running about 2300 rpm. Never revved over 3500 rpm on any hill and speed never below 50 mph. Pulling 8500 lb fiver.
Your engine must be special because my buddies at work is the exact same 315 horsepower at 5,200 rpm and 335 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,400 rpm and his is always in the upper rpm range in any modest hill towing around 9k, my old 6.0 would hit 4k to 5k easy towing up hills our 2 8klbs TT's

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Old 08-04-2015, 12:13 PM   #8
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I have a half ton Chevy with a 5.3 6 speed. At 60 mph in tow mode running about 2300 rpm. Never revved over 3500 rpm on any hill and speed never below 50 mph. Pulling 8500 lb fiver.

My 1/2 ton with a 4 speed transmission was constantly screaming on the flats and on the hills. The last trip I took with it was the last straw. I took a trip to Eastern Oregon. There is a well known pass over here called Cabbage Hill. It is a 7% grade for about 8 miles with several 40 mph corners. By the time I got to the top I was doing 24 mph. Then there was a stretch of hwy I took that is about 9% for 2 miles. I was in 1st gear at 15 mph. Coming back through the Columbia River Gorge I had a 25 mph headwind. I could barely maintain 50 mph. It was the most miserable trip I have ever had. I averaged 5 mpg for the 1000 miles trip. Sold it shortly after. You are REALY lucky if your 5.3 does that good!!!


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Old 08-04-2015, 01:20 PM   #9
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I have a half ton Chevy with a 5.3 6 speed. At 60 mph in tow mode running about 2300 rpm. Never revved over 3500 rpm on any hill and speed never below 50 mph. Pulling 8500 lb fiver.
As others have said, you must have some type of 5.3 on steroids. I had a GMC with a 5.3 6 speed. I was only pulling camper a little less than 4000 pounds and if I wanted to maintain 55 mph on hills I was taching between 4000-4500 RPMS by the time I reached the top. My tach reads about the same now on my Dodge with 5.7 and 3.92 gears. Camper weight is only a couple hundred pounds over what I had before. (4100 dry)
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Old 08-05-2015, 01:11 PM   #10
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I have a 2015 Tundra Crewmax with 4.30 gears (standard on all Tundras). On hills in the 6 - 7% range, it never gets above about 3200 RPM. Of course, I am only towing about 4500#.

I know this thread is mostly about GM products, but I had to put on a plug for Toyota, in case someone in the future reads this before purchasing a TV.


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Old 08-05-2015, 01:43 PM   #11
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If you're worried about rpms, think about a boat. The 7.4L in my boat would run 5000+ for an hour or more if I was heading up lake, and I would do this all weekend long every weekend.


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Old 08-05-2015, 02:30 PM   #12
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If you're worried about rpms, think about a boat. The 7.4L in my boat would run 5000+ for an hour or more if I was heading up lake, and I would do this all weekend long every weekend.


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A boat doesn't put as much load on the engine as a truck with a travel trailer.


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Old 08-07-2015, 08:41 AM   #13
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A boat doesn't put as much load on the engine as a truck with a travel trailer.


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I'm going to have to disagree with that statement. A marine engine is under constant load, "generally" has 1 gear, and never coasts downhill.
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Old 08-07-2015, 08:49 AM   #14
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A boat doesn't put as much load on the engine as a truck with a travel trailer.


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I have to disagree as well!
big and small black boat motors are highly sought after for there forged engine parts.
Unlike the automotive cast parts.


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Old 08-07-2015, 08:52 AM   #15
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A boat doesn't put as much load on the engine as a truck with a travel trailer.
?? Physics 101 It will put on the exact same "load" as any other engine given the same HP and throttle position. HP=(RPM x Torque)/5252.

It's not my opinion, It's the law.


Re: the desirability of marine engine parts: Nothing to do with marine vs. land. It is simply that most marine engines are often built to a higher displacement to HP ratio (customer demand). Thus, forged parts are often used. If you purchase a similar ratio street engine, you get the same forged parts....
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Old 08-07-2015, 09:12 AM   #16
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6.7L diesel 1700 RPM at 65 mph and 2000 to 2100 up hill and a big hill 2400. LOL No gasser here it doesn't slow down for hills towing my 18K 5er.
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Old 08-07-2015, 09:31 AM   #17
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Chevy Truck RPM

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I'm going to have to disagree with that statement. A marine engine is under constant load, "generally" has 1 gear, and never coasts downhill.
you just proved my point! A marine engine has a constant load. Why do you think a B series Cummins lasts 2-3 times longer in a boat with a higher horsepower rating than in a Dodge pickup? Same idea with a gen set. Once you get it going, you maintain that speed for long periods of time. And when you are at 5000 RPM's, you are not at 100% load. When you are in a pickup you are at 100% load, then back down, then on the next hill your back at 100%.
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Old 08-07-2015, 10:33 AM   #18
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Why do you think a B series Cummins lasts 2-3 times longer in a boat with a higher horsepower rating than in a Dodge pickup?
Based on, hours, miles, RPM? Need a metric to make that point.

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Same idea with a gen set. Once you get it going, you maintain that speed for long periods of time.
With a genset, you are arguably true since it is rated at some peak HP and you seldom use but a small percentage of that. That is NOT the case with a marine engine.

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And when you are at 5000 RPM's, you are not at 100% load.
Can you clarify? What are you calling "load"? HP, Torque, RPM? Need a metric again.

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When you are in a pickup you are at 100% load, then back down, then on the next hill your back at 100%.
Doubtful. Again what is "load"? Again see HP=(RPM x Torque)/5252 and explain your metric. "LOAD" is not HP, torque, or speed (RPM). It is a measure of mass and means nothing in the conversation..


Are you saying he is not using full HP, full TORQUE, or RPM. And how do either relate to longevity in you mind...
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Old 08-07-2015, 01:15 PM   #19
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Chevy Truck RPM

I guess I am going to have to go back to school then, because I have always been taught that engine load is based on air flow vs. fuel used. I have never used the equation you are using to determine engine load. And neither does combustion engine manufacturers. Based on what you are saying if I was coming down a 7% grade with my pickup and TT at 2500 RPM's my engine would still be under load. The way I was taught there would be no load because there would be no fuel.

You asked what I am calling load. It would be energy used.


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Old 08-07-2015, 01:21 PM   #20
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Chevy Truck RPM

I am basing my difference between automotive and marine applications with engine hours.







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