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My 1999 1/2 ton 4.8 2wd, 1999 1/2 ton 5.3 4x4, 2007 1/2 ton 5.3 4x4, 2015 1/2 ton 5.3 4x4, 2016 1/2 ton 6.2 4x4 and my 2018 1 ton diesel 4x4 all get 9 mpg towing: Large pontoon boat 2 horse trailer 3 horse trailer 27' travel trailer 35' travel trailer 16' utility trailer with tractor, loader and implements 22' gooseneck car hauler with cars 16' utility trailer with hay My father in laws Fords all do the same too.

Zip tie method works 1000x better than these "specialized" tools.

It will probably be an engine they don`t see. It`s nice and quiet and gets new oil and a nice fresh new filter at 3 to 4 thousand miles. Changed by me, of course. That thing has been to 5600 rpm`s a LOT in it`s short life. It`s amazing how good that "gutless" 5.3 runs. If that oil was "too thick" that engine would be long gone already. I am an aging mechanic and hot rodder/bracket racer. All of my engines see the redline on a regular basis. Maybe I`m Italian and was never told? Never a spun bearing or dropped valve or cracked piston from detonation. Yeah, I know this one is computer controlled.

I got 7-9 mph pulling gas and diesel. Stock, banks, vortec, whipple, hypertec, super chips, etc. I did those for empty performance. No help for pulling except getting up to speed faster.

Realistic answer? Bigger truck. HD gas or HD diesel. You state that it feels like a lot for the truck, and that it IS a heavy trailer. That pretty much sums it up to me that you quite possibly don't have the right truck for the trailer. Have you ever weighed the trailer? What is the GVWR of the trailer? Tongue weight of the trailer? The truck. Do you know what gearing you have? 3.08 or 3.42? More towards your question. Tuning is tricky. Canned stuff (plug in flash programmers) can be hit or miss. Custom is usually the way to go. But. Tuning, if done poorly, can do more harm in the long run. As for how it tows now. These GM V8s, they really make their power 2500-5000rpm. So don't be afraid to open it up a bit to get to the powerband. Tow/Haul mode on too. 20 horsepower and 40 torque from a tune isn't going to help much anyhow...

Bingo. As does the LT1, LT2 and LT4 in the Camaro and Corvette and those use 0W-40. Goes to show you that the 0W-20 move was all about fuel economy goals to meet CAFE and CARB.

Saw $2.73 today at a Kwik Star and a Casey's. I've kept a chart of price since I bought the Mitsubishi and the price is for Premium but the trend is flat although the swings are wild. Yellow is 24 point average and the red the linear average. Dead flat.

Updating this topic a bit as I just noticed OP has in his signature that they drive a 2025 LTZ Trail Boss, so it would have the NV8 digital steering. PIT5544H: Normal Characteristic - Hydraulic Rush Noise from Power Steering Gear - (Jan 24, 2025) - LINK TO THIS PI - MC-11013473-0001.pdf

I’m running a thin 5w30. Valvoline Advanced. Dexos 1 gen 3 rating.

My clunk was only fixed because they replaced both full leaf assembly’s. Now it’s very silent. No sounds of any kind in the rear.

It’s a good idea to buy the vehicles new or used from the dealer. The big 4 trucks and SUVs especially. You get free carfax for tracking maintenance. And can get CPO. There are brands out there that following the regular maintenance schedule does no harm for longevity past 150K. Miles. The brands are well known. I remember the days 2001-2005 especially GMs regularly maintenance was extreme. I had several new in that area. Have one currently. I was oblivious even going extended with the oil. I wouldn’t dare now. I would love to be driving an 8-10 year old GM currently. I’m driving a Ridgeline. It’s not nearly as nice as my 14 GMC was. It even got better fuel mileage. And was very quiet. I love the E-85 option. I could still tune everything. She would easily bark second gear. The Texas edition with the 345 gear. I put some 6.2s to shame on E-85. I chose keeping my old 92 instead. I trusted it more. It gave me 12 years no major problems. Damn cylinder deactivation. I still may find one cheap enough. With the 6 speed transmission. The 8 speed, no. I never gave buying trucks a thought. I feel bad for buyers of new and recently used trucks today. Expensive and unreliable.

5k mile oil changes keep things simple and easy to remember. AMSOIL's OE would serve well and as a Preferred Customer the cost is on par if not less than most off the shelf oils. Use an AC Delco filter and things would do well. I think the fact that I change oil at 500 miles, then 1,500 and then again at 3k on new vehicles is the reason, Knock on Wood! that we don't have any oil consumption. If interested in trying AMSOIL, let me know, I can get you the best price.

The bumper cover looks great! It is a huge improvement over the plasti dip.

Im not full-time stupid I know the truck is heavier, stronger, and built with bigger, more solid components than my former F150. However, engine power-wise, in terms of HP versus torque, it’s about the same, which makes it amazing to see what two little fans spinning fast can accomplish. The Ecoboom , as Chuck mentioned, had its fair share of problems, but how many millions are out on the road? A V8 is a V8, and the 6.6 should be much more solid and reliable. Comparing 213 versus 400 cubic inches for essentially the same HP and torque should be easily manageable. Ecoboost first generation 213 cubic inches 360 HP 420 LB-FT of torque L8T 400 Cubic Inches 401 HP 464 LB-FT of torque and sounds much better at the tail pipe 401/464 is plenty , my first towing experience with my Sierra was on a fairly difficult road and doesnt represent what I am use to drive on with my former truck. Ill be able to really compared apple to apple in November on my way to McAllen Tx leaving from Montreal qc. I cant wait for that trip, in this super confortable truck ...

I would bring it down to 4 to 3000 mi oci.

Mercury Auto Transport based in Davie, Florida. They coordinate between a bunch of shippers and also try to get the best prices. It has great reviews too, check it out in Google.