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How Critical is Towing Breakin Period?

lv2briding

By lv2briding
in Towing, Hauling & Hitches

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lv2briding New Member

lv2briding

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Thanks everyone for the feedback! I did make the trip - nearly 600 miles round trip with no issues. Mr. Swingline you are so right about the Duramax. I love the tow/haul mode on this truck! I had an F250 with the 7.3L engine for the last 15 years. I thought that truck towed well but it does not compare to the GMC. I am so happy with this truck.

 

Only downside was that I got 10.6 mpg on the drive up from Houston to Ft. Worth due to increasing elevations and 20mph headwind. Ugh! On the way home winds were also a headwind at 20-30 mph gusts but I managed to get 11.8. Sure hope to get closer to the 14mpg that I got with the F250 someday!

 

Still need to try the exhaust brake and the manual shifting sometime. I have 15 years of technology to catch up on. Another day, another post!

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True North Truckin Enthusiast

True North Truckin

Posted
Posted

Thanks everyone for the feedback! I did make the trip - nearly 600 miles round trip with no issues. Mr. Swingline you are so right about the Duramax. I love the tow/haul mode on this truck! I had an F250 with the 7.3L engine for the last 15 years. I thought that truck towed well but it does not compare to the GMC. I am so happy with this truck.

 

Only downside was that I got 10.6 mpg on the drive up from Houston to Ft. Worth due to increasing elevations and 20mph headwind. Ugh! On the way home winds were also a headwind at 20-30 mph gusts but I managed to get 11.8. Sure hope to get closer to the 14mpg that I got with the F250 someday!

 

Still need to try the exhaust brake and the manual shifting sometime. I have 15 years of technology to catch up on. Another day, another post!

Glad it all worked out, Thais a beaut of a truck&Trailer you got yourself! As for the mpg these new diesels certainly have alot more emissions related items to fight through compared to the old 7.3 Ford which hurts fuel economy but that being said I would expect your mileage to show a noticeable improvement after the first 10-20k, on my past two 2014+ GM trucks that always seems to be the case.

 

Here's to many trouble free and safe miles ahead :cheers:

  • 1 month later...
Cowpie Senior Enthusiast

Cowpie

Posted
Posted

Well, that fuel economy is not really surprising. Any trailer behind a pickup is an aerodynamic nightmare to begin with, and bucking 20 mph winds and mostly going up grade just aggravated the problem in spades. The emissions thing really shouldn't be as big of a deal on fuel economy as some perceive. Heavy commercial trucks have been gaining in average fuel economy even with being choked down with all the emissions stuff. A guy I know that is an independent semi owner / operator and does some testing for Freightliner, busted 9 mpg average from California to N. Carolina on a run with a gross of 75,000 lb in a 2016 Freightliner Cascadia and 15L Detroit engine towing a 53 ft dry van trailer. That is roughly a 50% increase in fuel economy than the average of 6 mpg for commercial heavy trucks just 10 years ago. And Henry doesn't drive like grandpa either. He didn't try to win a race but he did stay close to speed limits on the run. Many of the newer diesels with all the SCR and DPF nonsense are getting some very respectable fuel economy. I am convinced that if folks really try to learn their Dmax, it's power bands of both HP and Torque, and ways to make it all work like a tuned musical instrument, they could get some pretty respectable economy from their Dmax, even when it is working. And that does mean having to avoid the methodology of "drive it like you stole it".

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